Charity bike rides in Peru, Andes to Amazon

country:	Peru
location:	Peruvian Amazon, Andes
departures:	2009: 10 Sep
price:	From £595 deposit + £3175 fundraised (55% to charity) (11 days) inc UK flights. Self funders - £595 deposit + £1529 (inc £100 to charity)

Charity challenges

Charity cycle rides

Peru holidays

the amazing things you'll be doing

Cycle through the Peruvian Amazon into the heart of the Andes and raise money for your favourite charity at the same time as taking part in an amazing adventure!

Highlights include:

Visit the Inca capital of Cusco

Cycle through rural Andean communities

Observe an amazing diversity of flora & fauna

Stay in Manu Biosphere Reserve

Explore the lost city of Machu Picchu

After a day spent exploring the ancient Inca capital of Cusco and a spectacular train journey to the majestic Machu Picchu ruins, your cycling challenge will begin with a beautiful acclimatisation cycle from the impressive ruins of Ollantaytambo along the length of the Sacred Valley of the Incas to the artisan market of Pisac.

From here we will cut through the Andes, with spectacular views of the cordillera Ausangate, dropping down into the charming village of Paucartambo before a final tough climb to Tres Cruces, the last pass before the Andes begins its descent into the Amazon rainforest.

Following a spectacular sunrise over the Amazon, you will have the thrill of a 1,400m dirt-road descent, crossing multiple ecosystems until you reach the pristine cloud forest and set up camp.

The challenge continues as we cycle deeper into the rainforest of the Manu Biosphere Reserve, home to Peru's national bird, the Cock of the Rock, toucan, monkeys, spectacled bears, giant ferns, orchid and much much more.

what this trip includes

International flights to and from Peru, internal transfers, all meals and drinking water unless otherwise stated in the itinerary, all accommodation whether in tents or hotel, group first aid supplies, an English-speaking expedition leader and full local support team, backup, a T-Shirt, US$20 to the local community project, and discount from Field & Trek and Nomad Travellers Stores for personal equipment. We also make a contribution through Climate Care to offset the equivalent CO2 emissions of your international flight.

Please note: This trip can also be booked without flights. Some of the dates are exclusive for specific charities, please contact us for details.

day-by-day itinerary

Day 1:	Depart UK to Lima, Peru. Arrive Lima. Take your flight from London Heathrow Airport to Jorge Chaves International Airport in Lima, Peru; our representative will be at the airport to assist you with the check-in and any last minute questions. On arrival in Lima, you will be met at the airport by a Charity Challenge local agent who will transfer you through the streets of the capital to a local hotel for a buffet dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 2:	ly Lima to Cusco (3,400m). First thing in the morning, you will transfer back to Lima airport to board your one-hour flight along the Andes to Cusco, the centre of the Inca world. Once in the city of Cusco, you will transfer to your centrally located hotel, and have the rest of the day to acclimatise to the altitude (3,326m). You will begin with lunch and a briefing on the challenge facing you in the week ahead followed by a guided walking tour of the city. Walking to the beautiful Plaza de Armas you will have the opportunity to visit the very informative Inca Museum, take a tour around the Incan ruins of Qoricancha; Temple of the Sun, visit Cusco’s impressive cathedral or just relax in one of the many cafes over looking the plaza and watch the world go by. Your evening meals will be at a local restaurant. Overnight will be spent in a hotel in Cusco.
Day 3:	Guided Tour of Machu Picchu (2,800m). Today you board the early morning train (4hrs 30mins) to Machu Picchu, climbing out of the Cusco valley, passing through the spectacular plains around Izcuchaca before dropping down to the famous sacred valley of the Incas. The train line then follows the valley down, past the Incan town of Ollantaytambo and continues into the upper reaches of the high jungle and your destination, the town of Aguas Calientes, from where you will catch a bus (30mins) up to the famous Incan site of Machu Picchu. Following a full guided tour of this incredible place, you will have some free time to explore on your own and for the adventurous, if time permits, attempt to climb Huayna Picchu (Machu Picchu’s highest point) for spectacular views, before returning to Aguas Calientes for a late lunch and the afternoon train (1hr) back to Ollantaytambo. Here you will stay in a small hostal. Tonight you will have dinner and time to prepare for your challenge.
Day 4:	Cycle along Sacred Valley to Pisac (3,000m) – 63kms biking. Today is your first day on the bikes! After breakfast in the hotel you will prepare your bikes, load up with water and a picnic before starting the ride. From Ollantaytambo you will take a straight forward acclimatisation ride along the beautiful Sacred Valley of the Incas generally along a flat tarmac road. You will see the way of life in the fertile valley, a sharp contrast to the lifestyle of the Altiplano and the Amazon basin you will see in the following days. Passing through the villages of Urubamba you will have a short visit to the internationally renowned studios of Pablo Seminario and Calca where you will enjoy a picnic lunch en route on the banks of the Urubamba River. This will give you ample opportunity not just to get used to the Peruvian climate but to experience the fabulous local culture and scenery. Your ride will end at your first night’s camp site just outside the town of Pisac. Pisac is famous for its artisan market which you can visit if time permits. Overnight camping.
Day 5:	Cycle ascent and descent in the Andes. Camp at Colquepata – 48kms. Starting from Pisac you will cycle upwards out of the Sacred Valley of the Incas on a steep tarmac road (6kms) which gradually deteriorates into a fairly smooth dirt road. Here you are climbing out of the very fertile Sacred Valley of the Incas into the Altiplano. Here the communities survive on growing some of the many thousand different varieties of potatoes as well as llama and alpaca breeding. After 20kms of climbing you will stop for a picnic lunch after which you will use the bus to transport the group the last few kilometres to the top of the pass at 4,236m. Shortly after the pass you will again start cycling, mainly downhill now, to your campsite for the night. The dirt road descends steeply at first before levelling off for a beautiful cycle down to the town of Colcapata. Today you will experience spectacular views towards Mount Ausangate and the distant Apolabamba range on the Bolivian border. Tonight you camp near a deserted hacienda beside a stream and some Inca ruins, at an altitude of 3,285m.
Day 6:	Descend to Paucartambo. Challenging climb to Tres Cruces – 62kms. After the warm up of the previous two days, today is your most ‘challenging day’. The day starts with a rapid downhill into the small village of Paucartambo (2,973m), where you have time to look around its famous square. This is a very clean and tidy village which every year holds a famous pagan festival, where dancers wear colourful costumes and exotic masks! After visiting the village there will be a tough climb, of about 3hrs (33kms) to an altitude of 3,547m, at the entrance to the Manu National Park. This is a fairly steady climb. Arriving at the entrance to the Manu National Park, where you will have your picnic lunch, you will get your first views of the Amazon Basin. After lunch you turn off the main road and follow a rough undulating track for 14km with the Sierras falling steeply off on your right hand side down into the Amazon basin, a truly fantastic cycle. The views (when not in cloud) are spectacular! Finally you arrive at Tres Cruces, possibly one of the worlds most spectacular campsites. You will spend the night, camping at 3,900m where the vista is fantastic.
Day 7:	1,400m Descent into Cloud Forest – 63kms. At certain times of the year the view of the sunrise from Tres Cruces can create a strange phenomenon. As the sun rises over the steamy Amazon rainforest, its light refracts to create a sensation of several different suns. A truly amazing sight which, weather permitting, you shall see. Cycling back to the main road, you should keep an eye out for deer or the ultra-elusive Andean bear. Arriving back at the entrance to the Manu National Park you take a short break and contemplate what you have achieved so far and what you are about to achieve. Why? Because the next section of riding is 59km of pure downhill, you head down and down and down, through beautiful cloud forest. An almost endless downhill as you weave your way into the steamy Amazon Basin. You finish your day in the cloud forest at the small community of San Pedro at 1,400m with time to swim in a beautiful crystal clear river before dinner around the campfire.
Day 8:	Cycle deeper into the Rainforest – 65kms. Continuing on downhill, you enter the rainforest passing various small villages, where you can see how settlers try to eek out a living in this hostile environment. The track continues gently downhill deteriorating the further you progress into the hot and steamy rainforest, you have some relief from the heat as you stop, where possible, for cold drinks and swims in pristine jungle streams. You end your ride with a short sharp climb to a spectacular view point over the Manu National Park, followed by a fast descent to the end of the road at the jungle village of Atalaya where you will spend your last night camping (750m).
Day 9:	Transfer to Cusco – 15 kms optional. Today you will return by vehicle back into the Andes. You will appreciate an early morning wake up to the chorus of jungle sounds, have breakfast and pack up camp before saying goodbye to your support staff. You then jump on the support bus and head back along the long road you've cycled, stopping to appreciate the beautiful views that whilst cycling maybe you may have missed out on. You will break this long journey by stopping en route for a picnic lunch. You then have the option if time permits to cycle back into the Sacred Valley on a good dirt road (15kms). You return to your hotel in Cusco for the night and enjoy a celebratory dinner to commemorate the journey you have just completed. Those who then have the energy can continue the celebration and sample some of the many fantastic nightspots the city of Cusco has to offer.
Day 10:	Fly Cusco to Lima. Depart Lima to UK. After an early morning wake-up call and breakfast at the hotel, you will leave Cusco behind you and transfer to the airport for your return flight over the Andes back to Lima (arrive approx 9am). You will be met by your transfer bus and taken to a typical Peruvian restaurant for lunch. This afternoon you will have a brief city tour around Miraflores and the chance to pick up some souvenirs before transferring back to Lima Airport for your flight back to London Heathrow.
Day 11:	Arrive UK. Your flight arrives back in the UK.

Highly Commended

This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2007 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - the largest awards of their kind in the world, and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society.

Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.

how this holiday makes a difference

Our responsible commitment extends to helping the local communities we visit. We employ local guides, porters and other essential support staff, and use locally owned accommodation. Our ground handler has a clearly defined ‘porter protection’ policy which ensures porters are paid the correct amount accepted by the Porters’ union in Cusco.

We donate approx USD$500 per trek to various projects including Instituto Machu Picchu (IMAPI). IMAPI is a Peruvian non-profit organisation dedicated to the conservation of natural and cultural resources in the Machu Picchu Sanctuary and surrounding regions.

IMAPI's goal is the sustainable development of tourism, agriculture, cottage industries, education, and scientific research projects. By the year 2021 Instituto Machu Picchu will have contributed to the Master Plan of the Machu Picchu Sanctuary by helping to implement cultural and natural resource management plans and resolve social and conservation constraints, IMAPI will be a model for organizations of other project areas. Instituto Machu Picchu is the representative NGO for the sustainable development and preservation of cultural and natural resources within the Machu Picchu Sanctuary and region.

As a company we have also drastically reduced the carbon footprint of our UK operations, and are making a huge effort to do so in their destination countries too. We are also investing to offset the emissions from the international flights required to take part in our challenges.

We also provide travellers with a responsible tourism policy detailing ways in which you can be an ethical traveller. From packing conscientiously to advice on local customs & environmental awareness overseas to maintaining contact with your new international friends upon your return – our policy is a comprehensive document providing all the info you need to trek, climb of cycle responsibly.

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.