Peru family adventure holiday
| country: | Peru |
| location: | Inca Trail, Peruvian Amazon, Machu Picchu |
| departures: | This trip can be tailormade throughout the year and can be adapted to suit your interests, budget and requirements as necessary. We also have several group departures during school holidays |
| price: | From US $3042 (14 days) including domestic flights only, as per the itinerary. We can arrange flights from the UK. Minimum age 10 years. We are a UK based company and prices are also available in GB pounds |
| offers: | Save 10% on all 2009 Peru family adventure departures |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Trek the famous Royal Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, bike on a superb downhill ride through the heart of the Andes and raft & canoe the Urubamba River through the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Visit Pisac artisan market and explore Cusco - full of culture, history, fine dining and fun nightlife, then enjoy our Amazonian rainforest experience.
This trip is flexible enough for the most demanding of teenagers looking for non-stop action, and at the same time sufficiently relaxing that for parents to feel they have had a holiday. This is an active family adventure, customised to each family’s requirements. Children 10 years old and over are welcome.
We explore Cusco and the Sacred Valley of the Incas by horse, bike, foot, raft and canoe, staying at a charming converted hacienda as our base. We trek the one day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and explore the rainforest from our delightful jungle lodge.
Price details: Price includes transfers, internal flights, transport to and from activities in private vehicle, accommodation, meals as per the itinerary, rafting equipment, professional English and Spanish speaking guides trained in first-aid, swift water rescue and C.P.R, extensive first-aid kit including oxygen, mountain bikes, gloves and helmets, guided tour in Machu Picchu, entrance to the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu ruins (US $25), and bus transfers to and from the ruins. Not included are international flights (we can look for these for you), personal belongings, airport taxes, personal expenses, tips, Amazon entry fee of US $20, cycle shorts, toe clips and insurance.
This trip is flexible enough for the most demanding of teenagers looking for non-stop action, and at the same time sufficiently relaxing that for parents to feel they have had a holiday. This is an active family adventure, customised to each family’s requirements. Children 10 years old and over are welcome.
We explore Cusco and the Sacred Valley of the Incas by horse, bike, foot, raft and canoe, staying at a charming converted hacienda as our base. We trek the one day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and explore the rainforest from our delightful jungle lodge.
Price details: Price includes transfers, internal flights, transport to and from activities in private vehicle, accommodation, meals as per the itinerary, rafting equipment, professional English and Spanish speaking guides trained in first-aid, swift water rescue and C.P.R, extensive first-aid kit including oxygen, mountain bikes, gloves and helmets, guided tour in Machu Picchu, entrance to the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu ruins (US $25), and bus transfers to and from the ruins. Not included are international flights (we can look for these for you), personal belongings, airport taxes, personal expenses, tips, Amazon entry fee of US $20, cycle shorts, toe clips and insurance.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrive Lima |
| Day 2: | Fly to Cusco. We have all of today and tomorrow to absorb its unique atmosphere while adapting to the altitude. Afternoon city walking tour. (B) |
| Day 3: | Cusco ruins on horse and foot. According to legend, Cusco was founded by Manco Capac, having been sent to earth by his father, Inti (the Sun God) to civilize humanity. The absence of a written language makes it difficult to separate myth from history, but it seems likely that Manco arrived from the south of Peru about 800 years ago and founded what would become the capital of the Inca Empire. Today, the fascinating blend of finely engineered sloping Inca walls and Spanish colonial architecture give Cusco its special character; it's a great city to explore. At night Cusco offers perhaps the best selection of live Andean folk music to be found anywhere. (B) |
| Day 4: | Rafting Urubamba. A day of white water rafting on the upper sections of the Rio Urubamba. Return to Cusco (B,L) |
| Day 5: | Canoe Urubamba. Calm canoeing on the Rio Urubamba and on to the highland town of Pisac – a great market town. (B,L,D) |
| Day 6: | Sacred Valley. A day in Pisac – for the energetic - a hike around the impressive Inca ruins, for the less adventurous - the artisan market is a souvenir hunters dream. An afternoon drive down the Sacred Valley of the Incas to a charming hacienda. (B,L,D) |
| Day 7: | Mountain biking. Largely downhill, we pass Lake Huaypo and enjoy great views of the Vilcanota mountain range. This fun, dirt road mountain bike descent into the Sacred valley is suitable for all the family. The final descent on mule trails is through the spectacular working salt-pans of Maras. We have a constant support vehicle on hand for any weary/non-riders. We return to our hacienda where we can rent horses, relax in the beautiful garden or visit the nearby town of Urubamba and the chance to shop for some top quality ceramics. (B,L,D) |
| Day 8: | Inca Trail. We catch the early morning train from Ollantaytambo down the raging Urubamba river to KM 104. Here we start our hike along the Royal Inca Trail. Whilst walking, all you need to carry is a daypack. Your over-night luggage will be transferred to your hotel in Aguas Calientes to await your arrival. An invigorating ascent takes us to Winay Wayna, a beautiful Inca ruin full of swallows and orchids. A contour path through the fascinating cloud forest leads to Inti Puncu, the gateway of the Sun and our first glimpse of Machu Picchu. We pass through the ruins and catch a bus down to our hostel in the colourful town of Aguas Calientes. (B,L,D) |
| Day 9: | Machu Picchu. We return to the ruins first thing in the morning. We have Machu Picchu virtually to ourselves for a full guided tour. There is time afterwards to climb Huayna Picchu or else just wander through the ruins, soaking up the amazing atmosphere. We board the afternoon train back to Poroy. Here our waiting bus whisks us back to Cusco and our hotel. Then if we have the energy a celebration dinner in one of Cusco’s excellent restaurants. (B,L) |
| Day 10: | Explore Cusco. There is so much to see and do in Cusco that we dedicate a whole free day to doing just that. Whether your interest is exploring Inca ruins, visiting Colonial churches, bargain hunting in Indian markets or just relaxing over a cappuccino on a terrace overlooking the Plaza de Armas, Cusco has it all. (B). |
| Day 11-13: | Amazon jungle lodge. A short flight over the Andes brings us to Puerto Maldonado, in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. Here we travel by motorized dug out canoe boat away from the town to our jungle lodge. With our resident expert guides on hand we can choose to do as little or as much exploring as we like. Hopefully we see several species of monkeys, many exotic birds and if we are lucky maybe a mammal or two. We can take canoe rides, hike trails, go out at night in search of Caimen or simply relax in our hammock and soak up the atmosphere. (B,L,D) |
| Day 14: | Fly Lima |
how this holiday makes a difference
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Throughout Peru, we work together with local people, paying them a fair price, and putting money into the local economy. On this trip we use Peruvian guides, providing a direct input into the economy. For any meals we provide we buy fresh local produce. In preference we choose local over imported goods, encouraging the use of Andean products in our cooking.
We minimize waste by using products with minimum packaging, leaving no litter and keeping all water sources clean. Rubbish is carried out. In our UK office we offset our carbon emissions, working together with Rainforest Concern, that protect forested areas in the high Andean countries. We use recyclable and recycled materials when possible. We recycle what we can and attempt to keep waste to an absolute minimum. We promote paper saving by using email as much as possible and by keeping unwanted mail to a minimum. We use low-energy light bulbs, fair-trade and biodegradable products where possible.  A proportion of our profit each year goes directly to one of several local community projects in the Cusco area. We support the Tourism Concern Porters Policy, Ninos childrens health care project in Cusco and our own porters families. We also support a newly established community project in the marginalised neighbourhood of Humano Hermanos Ayar, on the outskirts of Cusco. Here volunteer social workers and teachers provide much needed social and educational support to the children and families in this poor urban area. The long term aim of this project is to support children and families so the children can stay in the education system for as long as possible giving them employment opportunities in the future and keeping them away from the dangers they face if they end up working on the streets. We are happy to distribute donations of warm clothes, shoes and educational material to these organizations - please contact us for details of volunteer work and how you can help. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |