Inca Trail & the Amazon Rainforest

• Seven nights in hotels, three nights in a rainforest lodge, one night homestay with basic shared facilities, and three nights full-service camping
• Four days walking with full porterage
• Travel by private bus, train, boat and three internal flights
• Altitude maximum: 13,830ft (4,215m); average: 10,005ft (3,050m)
• 15lb (7kg) personal weight limit on Inca Trail trek
• Alternative remote Moonstone Trek or One-Day Inca Trail Option available when permits have sold out
• Citizen Science Departures available on this trip

All breakfasts, nine lunches and seven dinners included. Peruvian cuisine has developed a reputation for its flavours and originality and it’s well worth trying out a few of the local delicacies. Among these are ceviche (a spicy dish of seafood or fish marinated in lime juice), lomo saltado (a Peruvian take on a beef stir-fry) and various hearty soups such as the delicious quinoa soup. Other dishes include roasted cuy (guinea pig), alpaca steak and, to drink, the national beverage: pisco sour. Hotel breakfasts are normally simple buffet-style affairs, usually including bread/toast and jam, cereal, sometimes eggs or cooked dishes, sometimes fruit, tea/coffee and fruit juice. We cannot guarantee that wheat-/gluten-free products will be available for breakfast in all locations. If you have an intolerance, you may wish to bring your own breakfast food. Lunches in the rainforest are either buffet lunches or picnics, depending on the day’s activities. Dinners in the Amazon are buffet style, taken at the lodge. During the Inca Trail, hearty breakfasts are served and good quality cooked lunches and dinners are provided, and usually consist of soup or a starter, a main course with meat/fish and some form of carbohydrates, followed by a dessert. Some snacks between meals are also provided. Drinking water (boiled and filtered) is provided in the mornings and at lunch during the trek so you can refill your bottles. Tea/coffee is brought to your tent each morning and juice or hot drinks are provided with all meals during the trek. Where lunch and dinner are not included, we’ll visit a variety of cafes and restaurants. Drinking water is provided. The tap water in Peru is not safe to drink; boiled and filtered drinking water is provided on the trek and elsewhere your leader will buy large water containers for you to refill your bottle from.

The diverse geography of Peru results in a very varied climate between different regions.

Lima falls within the coastal desert region of Peru, with a mild climate and very little rain all year. From April to November, the sky is almost always grey and cloudy and the air humid. Average daytime temperatures in Lima remain about 18C-24C (64F-75F) during this period, with July and August typically being the coolest. Nights are also mild, typically 15C-18C (59F-64F). From December to March, the Lima skies are clear and temperatures at their warmest but elsewhere in the country this is the rainy season.

While the Amazon Rainforest is generally warm and humid, it can be subject to drops in temperature caused by cold fronts pushing in from the south – this can occur any time of year but happens most often in June and July. We recommend you take warm clothing with you to the lodge in case of sudden changes in the weather.

Cuzco and the Andes have a temperate climate. December to March is the rainy season in Cuzco/the Andes and April to November is the dry season; characterised by clear skies and strong sunshine in the mornings, sometimes clouding over as the day progresses. Daytime temperatures are usually pleasant (approximately 20C/68F on average) but night times only 5C-10C (41F-50F), except for May, June, July and August when days are cooler and nights are often close to, or just below, freezing. In the Andes, however, anything is possible at any time of year, including cloud, rain or even snow, and rapid and unexpected changes.

Lake Titicaca is high (12,470ft/3,800m above sea level) and at this altitude the sun is strong but the air can be cold, and nights can be close to freezing. You will need to bring  warm layers and a waterproof or windstopper.

Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu are in the cloud forest and, as such, experience large amounts of precipitation all year as clouds move up from the Amazon Basin. Rain here can be heavy but is seldom prolonged. Cold fronts sometimes occur from July to August.

Peru is affected by the El Niño weather phenomenon whereby warming of Pacific Ocean surface water off South America drives a shift in the atmospheric circulation resulting in abnormally high levels of rainfall over parts of South America. These events occur at irregular intervals of two to seven years, and last nine months to two years. In El Niño years, temperatures in Lima can be much warmer than described above but it still rarely rains in Lima.

This trip is rated Activity Level 3 (Moderate) - please refer to our Activity Level guidelines.

Please note, it is essential you read the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu regulations in the Important Information section of the Trip Notes before you book this trip.

The size of Peru means this trip involves some long drives, particularly the one from Cuzco to Puno (around 10 hours). The buses used are comfortable and the scenery is outstanding. There will be several stops to break up the journey.

The Inca Trail is an Activity Level 3 (Moderate) graded trek:  There are four days walking with full porterage, reaching a maximum altitude of 13,830ft (4,215m) with an average altitude of 10,005ft (3,050m). Though not without its difficulties (in particular the ascent and descent of the first pass, known as Dead Woman’s Pass) this trek is possible for anyone with good health and fitness, but we would not recommend it to anyone with no previous trekking experience. If you are not a regular walker, you should put in physical preparation beforehand. The trek is also not particularly suitable for those with bad knees due to the number of steep and uneven steps, particularly on the third and fourth days of the trek.

You may find our Fitness Training Guide a useful reference.

As this trip spends considerable time at altitude, we ask you to refer to the altitude warning within the Trip Notes. We spend two days in Cuzco (11,155ft/3,400m) acclimatising before starting the trek.

Protest action/strikes are not uncommon in Peru, and while these are generally peaceful, they can involve roadblocks and cause disruption to travel. Occasionally, your leader may have to adapt your itinerary in response to this.

Walking hours stated within the itinerary are given as approximates only. Timings stated include lunch and photo stops and will vary depending on the pace of your group.