Peru small group highlights tour
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about this holiday or need help finding one we're very happy to help. The Travel Team.
01273 823 700 Calling from outside the UK? rosy@responsibletravel.com
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The leaders are not guides – they’re not there to shepherd you around. Instead, they’ll let you know which local restaurant serves great value food – without running the risk of travellers’ tummy. They’ll allow you to avoid hour-long queues at train stations and attractions.
We like to think of small group travel as the Goldilocks option. It is independent travel without the fuss, worry and bunk beds – and organised travel without the coaches. And it’s cheaper than a tailor made tour. It’s sits somewhere in the middle – and we think it’s just about right.
Have big, life-enriching experiences that would be impossible to organise without lots of time and insider knowledge.
Simplicity
Make the most of your holiday time by letting someone else do the hard work and boring logistics!
Peace of mind
Small group tours take care of the security aspects – and provide a safety net should anything unexpected happen.
If you don’t have three months to spend exploring, small groups trips let you cover more ground in less time. Your days are not spent queuing for tickets or finding hotels – so you can squeeze more into your holiday.
Solo travellers who’d like company
Likeminded travel companions plus peace of mind for those travelling alone. Single supplements are usually available – providing privacy if you want it.
Less confident travellers
Stray from the tourist trail without worrying about getting lost, and meet local people without dealing with the language barrier.
Couples and friends have private rooms, and you can choose to eat alone or not. Single supplements give solo travellers their own room.
“There won’t be any free time”
Free mornings or afternoons let you explore on your own, or just relax.
“The accommodation will be basic”
Trips are as high or low end as you like. Though off the beaten track destinations won’t have luxury hotels, this is all part of the adventure.
“I won’t like the other travellers!”
Tour operators try to create groups with a similar demographic – age, families, activity levels... Chances are, you’ll even make new friends.
“Will we be following an umbrella?”
No.
Responsible tourism
As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we screen every trip so you can travel knowing your holiday will help support conservation and local people.
During this trip we use a range of locally owned-and-run hotels, for example in Cusco, where our chosen accommodation prioritises the purchase of local and seasonal products and produces native species in their own organic vegetable garden, which are used in their cooking. They use solar panels and energy efficient lights throughout the hotel. The practice of sourcing locally owned accommodation throughout the trip not only provides direct employment within the hotel, but also has the effect of spreading money out through the region that we visit through their support of local suppliers.
We visit many towns and villages on this tour, including Lake Titicaca (home to the Uros people) and the lesser visited island of Taquile which has preserved much of its Inca and pre-Inca heritage and the islanders still speak the language of the Inca - Runa Simi or Quechua. We take our time walking across the island and we will have the chance to buy locally produced embroidery - the men's handiwork for once!
In addition to the above, we are continually looking for ways to improve and are proud to be ‘Responsible in everything we do’. Education is key and so all staff, Tour leaders and partnering suppliers are trained in responsible and sustainable tourism. At our Head Office, we continually strive towards a sustainable and planet-friendly working environment, including having solar panels installed and a company commitment to reducing our plastic usage. As well as this, we have valuable and longstanding partnerships with UK charities Toilet Twinning and Send a Cow, plus many smaller initiatives and projects around the world. We’re members of UK travel industry bodies Tourism Concern and AITO because we believe it’s important to share our knowledge and experience, as well as learn from other operators.
As a company we support Cool Earth. Protecting rainforest is one of the most effective actions to tackle climate breakdown. Cool Earth work with indigenous communities empowering them to conserve their forest; keeping CO2 locked in.
The Impacts of this Trip
The supplier that we use in Peru is a certified member of Rainforest Alliance, a growing network of farmers, foresters, communities, environmentalists and businesses that are dedicated to conserving biodiversity and ensuring sustainable livelihoods through their non-profit organisation. Our supplier is recognised for its commitment to responsible development.
To help reduce the level of pollution within the city centres, the sightseeing tours we operate are mostly done on foot, which is also a great way of seeing all they have to offer first hand. Where possible we also suggest trains as an alternative to coaches. When coaches are being used for these small group trips we also keep the size of the coach to a minimum, so rather than using gas guzzling 40-50 seaters we opt for more environmental friendly 15-25 seat coaches that use less fuel and therefore emit less carbon.
Guides will advise on the responsible way to hike around sensitive areas such as Machu Picchu - sticking to designated trails and helping to keep the impact of tourism in this area to a minimum.
On this trip we can visit the porter's village of Misminay, which our supplier has helped through the development of the Healthy Community project. This project was developed to improve the quality of life of these families, most of whom work as porters on the Inca Trail and the Sacred Valley, by making housing improvements, setting up training events and building a water catchment gallery to improve access to clean drinking water. Misminay is now a key rural community tourism destination in Peru.
During this trip we use a range of locally owned-and-run hotels, for example in Cusco, where our chosen accommodation prioritises the purchase of local and seasonal products and produces native species in their own organic vegetable garden, which are used in their cooking. They use solar panels and energy efficient lights throughout the hotel. The practice of sourcing locally owned accommodation throughout the trip not only provides direct employment within the hotel, but also has the effect of spreading money out through the region that we visit through their support of local suppliers.
We visit many towns and villages on this tour, including Lake Titicaca (home to the Uros people) and the lesser visited island of Taquile which has preserved much of its Inca and pre-Inca heritage and the islanders still speak the language of the Inca - Runa Simi or Quechua. We take our time walking across the island and we will have the chance to buy locally produced embroidery - the men's handiwork for once!
In addition to the above, we are continually looking for ways to improve and are proud to be ‘Responsible in everything we do’. Education is key and so all staff, Tour leaders and partnering suppliers are trained in responsible and sustainable tourism. At our Head Office, we continually strive towards a sustainable and planet-friendly working environment, including having solar panels installed and a company commitment to reducing our plastic usage. As well as this, we have valuable and longstanding partnerships with UK charities Toilet Twinning and Send a Cow, plus many smaller initiatives and projects around the world. We’re members of UK travel industry bodies Tourism Concern and AITO because we believe it’s important to share our knowledge and experience, as well as learn from other operators.
As a company we support Cool Earth. Protecting rainforest is one of the most effective actions to tackle climate breakdown. Cool Earth work with indigenous communities empowering them to conserve their forest; keeping CO2 locked in.
The Impacts of this Trip
The supplier that we use in Peru is a certified member of Rainforest Alliance, a growing network of farmers, foresters, communities, environmentalists and businesses that are dedicated to conserving biodiversity and ensuring sustainable livelihoods through their non-profit organisation. Our supplier is recognised for its commitment to responsible development.
To help reduce the level of pollution within the city centres, the sightseeing tours we operate are mostly done on foot, which is also a great way of seeing all they have to offer first hand. Where possible we also suggest trains as an alternative to coaches. When coaches are being used for these small group trips we also keep the size of the coach to a minimum, so rather than using gas guzzling 40-50 seaters we opt for more environmental friendly 15-25 seat coaches that use less fuel and therefore emit less carbon.
Guides will advise on the responsible way to hike around sensitive areas such as Machu Picchu - sticking to designated trails and helping to keep the impact of tourism in this area to a minimum.
On this trip we can visit the porter's village of Misminay, which our supplier has helped through the development of the Healthy Community project. This project was developed to improve the quality of life of these families, most of whom work as porters on the Inca Trail and the Sacred Valley, by making housing improvements, setting up training events and building a water catchment gallery to improve access to clean drinking water. Misminay is now a key rural community tourism destination in Peru.
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