Packing

Make sure you pack clothes that are suitable for outdoors activities, such as walking, trekking, light mountain climbing, horse back riding, etc.  However don’t forget to pack appropriate evening clothing for that special candlelit dinner. We suggest you take the following on your trip to Peru:

Raincoat or a long poncho
Sweatshirts and a jacket
Long sleeved shirts
T-shirts
Long comfortable pants
Shorts and Zip-off pants
Dresses or formal attire
Underwear and Sleepwear
Boots, sneakers or comfortable walking shoes and socks
Hats and accessories
Travel supplies (camera, film, binoculars, etc)
Luggage, handbags and backpacks  
Insect repellant
Lip Balm
Sun Block
Natural Eye Drops  

Trek packlist

A backpack with a change of clothes for the whole period of the trek
Rain gear or rain poncho
Strong footwear, waterproof trekking boots recommended
Sandals or jogging shoes for  a higher comfort while at camp
Warm clothes, including jacket, fleeces, thermal clothing is also recommended, especially for sleeping
Flashlight and batteries
Hat or cap to protect your from the sun, rain and cold
Sun block
After-sun cream or hydrating cream for face and body
Insect repellent
Handkerchiefs
Toilet paper
Snacks: Biscuits, energy bars, chocolate, raw fruits, muesli, etc.. Please note that we do provide a daily morning snacks and our meal service is very complete and well supplied. This recommendation applies for all clients being used to a specific snack, as it may happen that it is not included in our selection
Non-disposable canteen and water for the first morning. Optionally: water-sterilizing tablets in case you pick up water from streams or rivers along the route. Otherwise, we provide filtered boiled water, which is safe to drink.
Small towel
Swimsuit
Cash in soles and/or US$
Original passport
Optional: Walking sticks or poles (rubber tips are required in archeological sites)

Insurance

Before traveling, we strongly recommend that you review your personal insurance and your health insurance to ensure you have appropriate cover to meet your needs, and the needs of your family and dependants, in case of any loss of property, or accident, injury or death.

Recommended restaurants

Click here to go to our list of recommended restaurants.

Language

As part of Peru’s cultural wealth, there are a multitude of native languages that coexist. Although Spanish is the main language, Quechua is an important part of the Incan heritage and is still spoken, with slight variants in many regions of the country.

Currency

The Peruvian official currency is the Nuevo Sol.

Government

Peru is a democratic Republic, the president and members of congress are elected every five years by universal voting.  The current President is Dr. Alan Garcia Perez (July 2006- July 2011).

Religion

The majority of the population is Catholic; however there is a great diversity of beliefs.  The diversity of religions is evident in the variety of celebrations and rituals both of Catholic heritage, as well as those showing the mysticism of the millenarian pre-Hispanic cultures.

Tips for Altitude Sickness or Hipoxia (Acute Mountain Sickness)

The most important thing to do is to take it easy the first couple of days.

Symptoms:

Headache
Nausea
Dizziness
Insomnia
Loss of Appetite
Vomiting in bad cases

Recommendations: Because of the high altitude your body needs to acclimatize, so you need to:

Relax
Lie down
Try to sleep 1 or 2 hours when you arrive at your Hotel
Eat lightly for the first day or so.
Drink plenty of water, but in bottle, not tap water.
Drink coca tea, a tea made from Coca leaves (it will help alleviate this).
Avoid respiratory depressants
Avoid drinking too much alcohol
Avoid taking sedatives and sleeping pills.

Time Zone

The hour in Peru is the same as Eastern Standard Time in the United states. Peru is 5 hours behind GMT (Greenwich mean time). Peru does not observe daylight saving time.

Internet Access

Public internet booths or cabinas are widely available in major cities throughout Peru, but few are of the cybercafe variety. Most are simple cubicles with terminals. The average cost for 1 hour is less than $ 1. Many cabinas now feature software to make very inexpensive international phone calls via the internet.

Holidays In Peru
January 1, New year’s day
Good Friday
May 1 Labor day
June 29 st Peter and Paul
July 28 and 29 Independence day
August 30 Santa Rosa’s day
October 8 Battle of Angamos
November 1 All Saints
December 8 Inmaculate Conception
December 25 Christmas day

Additional useful information

When you arrive to Perú:

Never buy tours or treks from salesperson at the airport or from taxi drivers.
Never reveal your name and personal details to anyone unless it is really necessary. Don't give away information about your tour itinerary to anyone that doesn't need to know. When you book your flights or when you arrive at your hotel in Lima people may ask you which tour company you have booked with. When you arrive in Cusco you may be surprised to find someone waiting for you at the airport with a sign with your name on it. This person may claim to be from the travel agency and kindly offer to take you to your hotel where they will ask you to pay the tour or trek balance! Yes you've guessed it, someone from Lima phoned them through your details and flight times, and the person who met you at the airport wasn't working for the travel agency at all! whoops!
Where did that money go so quickly? Always pay the balance of the tour in the office company and obtain a written receipt. Ensure that the name of the office is actually written outside of the office and that the receipt has the same name as the company. Never pay money to people who pick you up at the airport.
Try to avoid "too good to be true" offers. A cheap tour price usually means a cheap service. An unbelievably cheap price usually means no service at all!

Problems with service?

If you have paid for a trek and the service promised doesn't materialize then you can take your complaint to a government tourist protection body called INDECOPI. Just mentioning their name is usually enough to frighten a company into taking your complaint seriously. However your complaint should first be brought to the attention of the travel agency or guide during the tour so it gives him/her opportunity to sort the problem out. If things don't improve then ask to see the manager in the office when you return. It helps if you have a receipt with the name and address of the office and a list of what was included in the tour. It also helps if you bought the tour with a company in Cusco and not in Lima or some other part of Peru. INDECOPI have an office in the main plaza in Cusco. Don't go to them unless the complaint is serious and you have given the company the opportunity to sort it out first.