Practical Information

Visa

Peru

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Peru. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/americas/peru
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/peru
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/peru/entry-requirements
• USA: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Peru.html

If you are travelling via the USA and are eligible to transit under the Visa Waiver Program, you are required to register in advance for an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization). There is a US$21 charge, which is only payable online. Please see our website www.exodus.co.uk/usvisa for further information.

Please note: not all nationalities have the same eligibility for travel to or transit via the USA, and you may not be covered by the Visa Waiver Program. Regulations stipulate that any person who has travelled to Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen since March 2011, or have dual nationalities of these countries, may no longer qualify. In addition, if you have travelled to Cuba since 12 January 2021 you will not be eligible for the visa waiver program and should instead apply for a visa.

If you are in doubt of your eligibility, please check the visa requirements with your local US embassy.

Vaccinations and Health

Peru

There are no required vaccinations. However, recommended vaccinations include tetanus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rabies, typhoid, tuberculosis and yellow fever. Additionally, Zika fever, a mosquito‐borne viral disease, is a known risk in Peru. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available, so you should take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites. Please check all vaccination recommendations with your doctor or travel clinic.

Amazon: If you are travelling to the Tambopata reserve in the Amazon rainforest, the risk of malaria is slight, but you may wish to consult your doctor or travel clinic for further advice. We also strongly recommend that you obtain a yellow fever vaccination. Additionally, dengue fever and chikungunya are known risks in the Amazon region. Both are tropical viral diseases spread by daytime biting mosquitoes. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available for either, and therefore the best form of prevention is to take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.

Local Time

Peru's time zone: America/Lima (UTC -05:00)

Electricity

Peru’s electricity: Plug types A (two flat pins), B (three pins: two flat, one round) and C (two round pins) – 220V, 60Hz. There are no charging facilities on the Inca Trail, so we recommend you take spare batteries or a solar charger with you.

If staying in an Amazon lodge, there is no mains electricity; a generator provides power for a few hours a day only in the main lodge/dining area, while lanterns, torches or candles are provided in the bedrooms.

Money

Peru's currency: Peruvian nuevo sol (PEN)

ATM Availability

ATMs are available in the larger cities and towns and are particularly recommended since they often allow you to withdraw either US dollars or soles and exchange rates are generally good. Most international credit and debit cards are accepted, but you should inform your bank you are travelling to Peru and check if your card will work in the local ATMs. There are some ATMs in Aguas Calientes, but they do sometimes run out of cash so it is a good idea to take your spending money for Machu Picchu with you on the trek itself. Credit card acceptance is increasing, but generally they can be used only at the large (and more expensive) restaurants and shops.

Extra Expenses & Spending Money

We recommend either taking cash with you to change into sol locally or using local ATMs to withdraw money in Peru as you go, so you are not left with excess at the end of your trip. It is a good idea to change a small amount into sol at the counters in the baggage hall upon arrival. Change is often in short supply, so ask for small denomination banknotes and try to break up any large notes at the earliest opportunity.

Food, drinks and similar incidentals can vary in price enormously in Peru and are relatively expensive compared to other developing nations. Allow about 55-75 soles (US$15-US$20) per meal to eat at tourist-class restaurants. Cheaper food is abundant at small local cafes, although sanitary conditions at these places cannot be guaranteed. Bottled water and soft drinks are readily available for around 4-8 soles (US$1‐US$2) each.

You may want to hire equipment for your trek in Cuzco – please see the Packing Section for prices. Peruvian airport taxes are included in the price of your flight ticket so there is no need to pay these locally. Please note, there is a possibility the Peruvian Ministry of Tourism may increase entrance fees to archaeological sites at any time. If this happens, we will inform you of the increase and the additional amount is payable locally.

Peruvian passport or identity card holders
The cost of Exodus trips in Peru is based on the assumption you do not hold a Peruvian passport or residents card. If you are officially resident in Peru or a Peruvian passport holder, you are liable to an additional 18 percent tax on most services, and this extra sum is payable locally to our local partner.

Other nationalities are exempt from this tax. Please notify us at the time of booking if you are legally resident in Peru or hold a Peruvian passport so we can advise you of the total cost of these taxes.

Optional excursions (bookable and payable locally)
Your tour leader can tell you about the full range of optional excursions available throughout your trip; however, we have listed the most popular below. Please note that optional excursions can only be booked locally.

• Lima city tour (three hours): From US$44 per person (based on four participants). Visit Pucllana Pyramid, the colonial centre including the Plaza Mayor (main square), Government Palace, city hall, and other important monuments. Later, visit the Convent of San Francisco with its catacombs (entrance included) and continue to the modern Miraflores district.
• Nazca Lines scenic flight (approximately 35-minute flight): From 375 soles (US$100) (plus 25 soles airport tax). Please note, there can be up to four hours’ waiting to board your scenic flight. Anyone over 198lb (90kg) might be charged for a second seat due to weight restrictions and regulations. Please note, Peruvian sol is the preferred currency for this payment.

A Partial Tourist Ticket (BTG) is required for entrance to the sites in and around Cuzco and the Sacred Valley – this is not included in the excursion prices below but can be purchased locally from 70 soles (approximately US$17).

• Cuzco city tour and four ruins (five hours): From US$45 per person (based on four participants), excludes BTG. This includes visits to the nearby ruins of Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Tambomachay and Puca Pucará plus a tour of the city itself, including the Plaza de Armas, where the xathedral is located, Koricancha Sun Temple (entrance included) and San Pedro Market.
• Sacred Valley tour (eight hours): From US$55 per person (based on four participants), excludes BTG. Drive to the Sacred Valley, stopping at El Mirador viewpoint en route. Visit Pisac Market and fortress and Ollantaytambo; return to Cuzco.
• South Valley tour (seven hours): From US$66 per person (based on four participants), excludes BTG. Visit the little-known valley to the south of Cuzco, including the terraces at Tipon, the pre-Inca ruins of Pikillaqta and the Sistine Chapel of the Americas in Andahuaylillas (entrance included); return to Cuzco.
• Stand-up paddleboard (four hours): From US$82 per person (based on two participants). Includes private transfer, specialised guide, fruit, water and hot drinks. Price can vary if there are more people.
• Zip-line (eight to nine hours): From US$60 per person. Includes transport, security equipment, specialised guide, box lunch.
• Via ferrata (eight to nine hours): From US$60 per person. Includes transport, security equipment, specialised guide, box lunch.
• Via ferrata and zip line (eight to nine hours): From US$100 per person. Includes transport, security equipment, specialised guide, box lunch.
• Mountain biking in the Sacred Valley (seven hours): From US$130 per person (based on two participants). Includes private transfer, security equipment, specialised guide, box lunch.
• Classic Rainbow Mountain (eight hours): From US$94 per person (based on four participants). This famous trek takes you up to 17,060ft (5,200m). Rainbow Mountain is one of the most impressive geologic features in the Cuzco region. The mountain is striped with colours ranging from turquoise to lavender to maroon and gold. Price includes transportation, guide, entrance fee and box lunch.
• White-water rafting (eight hours): From US$140 per person (minimum of two participants). Drive to the Chiquicahuana area of the Southern Valley to raft in the Vilcanota River. Spend two to three hours rafting and experiencing level III and III+ rapids. Finish your adventure with a picnic lunch before returning to Cuzco. Activity available from April to December.
• Mountain biking excursion in the Sacred Valley (seven hours): From US$130 per person (based on two participants). Includes private transfer, security equipment, specialised guide, box lunch.

Prices of excursions vary depending on the number of people taking part. The prices given within these Trip Notes are based on four participants and are intended as a guideline only. All tours use private transport and there will be an English-speaking guide. Please note, cash is the preferred method of payment for any of the optional activities.

For some activities, a minimum number of participants may be required. Some activities may not always be possible due to weather, seasonality, national holidays, or unforeseen circumstances.

Tipping

It is customary in Peru for local staff to receive tips, which can be an important source of extra income for hard-working crew. Whether and how much to tip is a personal decision; however, we have included some guidelines below. Please note that Peruvian sol is the preferred currency for tips.

Tipping kitty: We recommend running a tipping kitty on this trip. A tipping kitty means we tip as a group, and individuals don’t need to worry about giving out small tips to various people (ie drivers, local guides, boatmen, hotel staff). The contribution per person per day we suggest is 25 soles (US$6.70).

Tour leader: Leaders are fairly paid for their role but are always grateful for recognition of their skills and hard work. Tips for your leader should be based on their performance and engagement with the group. If you’re happy with the leader’s work, we recommend somewhere around 25 soles (US$6.70) per person per day, but customers are encouraged to contribute what they feel happy giving – either less or more than the amount suggested above.

Tipping of your trekking crew

The trekking crew is made of guides, cooks, kitchen staff and porters. Tips are best arranged on a group basis, and a volunteer from the group should gather the money and split the total collected into smaller amounts for each person. This is normally done on the last night of the trek. Your leader is happy to assist as needed.

• Inca Trail Trek: The recommended contribution per group member is 160-210 soles (or 180-230 soles per person for groups of six or fewer)

Sustainability and Impact

At Exodus, we thrive on travel, and we firmly believe our adventures should help destinations thrive too.

As a certified B Corp, we aim to take a ‘nature positive’ approach across our adventures, including carbon and waste reduction, animal welfare and support for rewilding and conservation. We also seek to contribute to local communities, providing economic opportunity and empowerment.

• Learn more about our Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan, including our commitment to rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller

• Read about the work of the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation.

• Find out how you can travel more sustainably here.

Important Information

Water safety

This trip includes time by a lake, river or sea, where there may be opportunities to swim. You should always seek local advice before deciding whether to swim. Open-water or wild swim spots should be treated with extreme caution. Information on how to keep yourself safe while swimming is shown here.

Machu Picchu regulations

1. Tickets are valid for one entry
2. We spend approximately three hours at Machu Picchu and our guided tour lasts about two hours
3. Upon finishing our one-way Machu Picchu guided tour, we must exit the site
4. Tickets are linked to your passport, details of which we take at the time of booking. It is essential that you inform us of any passport updates before departure and pay the administration fee of £25 (US$35/CA$42/AU$52/€32). Failure to inform us of any update can result in refused entry to the site. If entry is still possible, our local operator will charge you an administration fee locally to update your details.

Please note, we visit Machu Picchu in the morning or afternoon to avoid the peak entry time (10am to midday).

Inca Trail regulations

1. Spaces on the Inca Trail are on a ‘first-come, first-served’ basis and we urge you to book as early as possible.
2. If you cancel your booking more than eight weeks before departure and wish to transfer your deposit to another departure or another trip the transfer fee is approximately £150 (US$210 / CA$252 / AU$308 / €191) as we will lose the permit we have purchased on your behalf. This is an amendment to our Booking Conditions. No transfers are possible within eight weeks of departure.
3. Bookings can only be made if we are supplied with your full name, passport details, date of birth and nationality, exactly as per the passport you will be using to travel to Peru (this information is used to purchase your Inca Trail permit). If your passport details do not match those on your permit you will be refused entry to the Inca Trail by the local authorities.
4. The Inca Trail permit is linked to your passport, details of which we take at the time of booking. It is essential you inform us of any passport updates before departure. To do this, you must supply copies of both your old and new passports to us in advance of travel and pay the administration fee of £25 (US$35/CA$42/AU$52/€32). For this reason, we strongly recommend that you make a copy of your passport at the time of booking and keep it somewhere safe. Failure to inform us of any update can result in refused entry to the trail. If entry is still possible, our local operator will charge you an administration fee locally to update your details.
5. Please be aware that these regulations may change at any time, and Exodus is not responsible for the decisions made by Peruvian authorities.
6. There is a possibility the Peruvian authorities may increase the entrance fees to the Inca Trail, Machu Picchu and other major sights at any time. If they do so, we will inform you of this increase and the extra amount will need to be paid locally in cash in Peru.

Please note: While your departure date may be ‘Guaranteed’, your Inca Trail permit itself will initially be ‘On Request’. If you’re travelling within the current year, we try to purchase your permit immediately upon receiving your booking. If travelling next year, we will apply for your permit as soon as they are released for sale. If we are unable to get your permit, we will contact you to discuss your options.