Frequently Asked Questions
We’ve put together some frequently asked questions, which some of our customers have asked us over the past few years - we hope this will be of help to you. Should you however have any questions, please send us an email info@cuscohope.com
Q: Is the city of Cusco safe ?
A: Yes, the city is safe, you have to just use your common sense.
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Q: What type of weather can I expect in Peru?
A: The weather varies greatly from region to region in Peru. At the Coast you can expect a damp and cloudy winter that runs from June to September. Average temperatures are around 14°C. During the summer, temperatures can peak at 28°C or over. In the Highlands, the sun shines all year round and temperatures descend at night, averaging 5°C. Rainy season runs from November to early April. The climate in the Amazon jungle is tropical all year round. In both regions, the rain season runs from November through April.
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Q: I’m arriving at Lima, are taxi’s expensive?
A: Taxi’s are no problem in Lima, except taxis from the airport, where you may be charged as much as $30! Please ensure that if nobody is meeting you that you book your taxi from within the arrivals hall and do not take a taxi from the street! We can also arrange your transfers if you prefer.
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Q: What airlines operate to Cusco ?
A: You have a choice of LANPeru, AeroCondor or StarPeru.
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Q: Do I need a visa?
A: Travelers with a US, Canadian or European passport do not need a visa. Visit (www.embassy.org/embassies/pe.html) for entry requirements if your passport is from another country; or (http://travel.state.gov/foreignentryreqs.html) for further details pertaining to US citizens.
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Q: Is my passport valid?
A: Your passport must be valid at least 6 months following the end of your trip for entry into Peru. If it expires sooner, you must get a renewal (http://travel.state.gov/passport_services.html).
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Q: Do I need any shots?
A: No vaccinations are required for travel to Peru from the USA. Call the CDC Travelers’ Hot Line at 888-232-3228 or visit the website (www.cdc.gov/travel). Most travelers receive innoculations for Hepatitis A, Typhoid Fever and Tetanus. If traveling to the Amazon region, you should consider Malaria prophylaxis and Yellow fever.
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Q: When is my balance due?
A: Your land balance and local flight payment is due 60 days prior to departure. If you are paying by American Express or participating on a custom trip, the balance is due at 90 days. An invoice will be sent with your Pre-departure Packet.
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Q: Will I be met at the airport?
A: Yes, if you arrive according to schedule or have arranged extra transfers through our office. Meeting instructions and local contact information will be given with your Final Documents.
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Q: Who books the local flights within Peru?
A: You can book the flights in conjunction with your international itinerary. Southwind will provide you with an air schedule to best match your trip. We can also recommend a Latin American ticketing specialist to assist you with all your airline ticketing needs. Most local airlines use 727/737 jets except for charter flights into the Amazon Basin (ie. Manu Park) or overflight of Nazca Lines where smaller (8-15 passenger) prop planes are used.
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Q: Should I bring cash or traveler’s checks?
A: Cash is the easiest to exchange and most places accept US dollars, traveler’s checks are also OK. Visit (www.oanda.com/converter/classic) for current exchange rates.
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Q: Are ATM machines available?
A: Yes. There are ATM machines in the main cities such as Lima and Cusco. We recommend using the ones located inside some hotels, stores, restaurants or banks. Be cautious as some thieves may watch these machines and target tourists and others who take out large amounts of cash. Consult with your guide for safety recommendations on ATM’s or exchanging money.
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Q: What is the elevation of Machu Picchu?
A: Machu Picchu is actually lower in elevation than Cusco (7,874′ versus 11,150′).
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Q: Is Peru safe?
A: We consider Peru a safe destination. After more than 15 years of operating trips to Peru, our travelers have never experienced a problem with safety, whether in the cities or trekking routes. You can receive an updated Consular Information Sheet from the US State Department’s website (http://travel.state.gov/travel/warnings.html) or call their hotline at 888-407-4747.
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Q: What about thievery?
A: Petty thievery in Peru’s cities is not higher than in any large city in the US. Common sense is important. Use the safety deposit box at your hotel for your passport and extra money (carry only as much as you might spend) and leave jewelry and expensive watches at home.
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Q: What about sunrise at Machu Picchu?
A: Due to the mountain location, it is not possible to actually view the sunrise over the horizon from Machu Picchu. What is commonly referred to as sunrise at Machu Picchu occurs when the first light strikes the citadel itself. This happens between 6:30am and 7:20am depending on the month. The gates to the ruins open at about 5:30am which should allow anyone wishing to witness this phenomenon time to locate a special spot within the citadel. There are early buses up to the ruins from Aguas Calientes for those staying at the Pueblo Hotel to enjoy 3-4 hours at Machu Picchu before the tourist train arrives at about 10:30am.
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Q: What about the full moon at Machu Picchu?
A: Due to stricter visiting hours, it is not possible to enter the ruins at night. The gates to the Machu Picchu ruins close at 6:00pm.
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Q: How do I train for my trip?
A: If you lead an active lifestyle (walking, cycling, swimming, tennis, etc. on a regular basis) you will do fine on a Grade I or II trip. For Grade III trips you should plan to jog or stair climb for at least 45 minutes 4-5 times per week (more frequency for a Grade IV trip).
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Q: How do I adjust to the altitude?
A: Gradual exposure to higher elevations and time are the best ways to acclimatize. If possible, try to arrive to Cusco (elevation 11,150′) a day early. Drink plenty of water, eat lightly and avoid alcoholic beverages for the first day or two. Many travelers find that drinking coca tea is also effective.
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Q: What about an emergency while traveling?
A: Southwind has never had a life-threatening emergency for a traveler in more than 15 years of operations. Our guides are trained in mountain/wilderness first-aid. Depending on the circumstances, a vehicle, horse or helicopter may take an injured or ill person to the nearest medical facility. English-speaking doctors and clinics are available in all major cities (Cusco, Arequipa, Trujillo, Lima, etc.).
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Q: Who will be my guide?
A: We work with the most respected and experienced local guides, many of whom have advanced degrees in tourism, biology, Andean culture or other specialities. All speak fluent English and are knowledgeable, patient and fun to be around. Your Final Documents will provide guide details.
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Q: Can I leave booking the Inca Trail to the last minute?
A: Regulations brought in 2002, the Inca Trail (5, 4 or 2 days) is limited to 500 people per day (including Porters, Guides and cooks). We strongly suggest that you book in advance to guarantee a place on the date you want to leave. For Inca Trail treks in the high season is June, July, August and September. The better secure yourself, we would recommend booking 5 months in advance.
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Q: Are there alternative routes ?
A:Short 2 day Inca Trail - easy to moderate
Mollepata-Salkantay-MP 7 day trek -moderate to difficult.
Mollepata-Salkantay-Santa Teresa-MP 5 day trek - moderate to difficult
Ausangate 6 to 7 day trek -moderate to difficult
Lares Valley 4 day trek - moderate
Choquequirao 4 to 5 day trek - moderate
Vilcabamba 7 day trek - moderate
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Q: Why Cusco Hope?
A: We are a licensed tour operator that works with knowledgable, experienced Tour Guides, really cares about the porters´ welfare, is environmentally sensitive and believes strongly in sustainable tourism in general. Cusco Hope are created jobs for some 100 guides, porters and cooks and contributes to the Peruvian government with 19% taxes on all
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Q: Do I need to be fit?
A:Yes. As all our treks (the Inca Trail, Salkantay, Ausangate etc.) are moderately difficult, long and mountainous, we highly recommend that you are relatively fit - and acclimatised - before undertaking them (stair master helps!). During the months (or at the very least, one month) before your trip, you should take regular, moderate exercise. We want you to have an amazing experience and the fitter you are, the more enjoyable the treks will be.
Since we go over heights of 4200m/13750ft to 5200m/17000ft during these treks, we also strongly suggest that you stay in Cusco (3334 metres/10900ft) or another high altitude city (Arequipa (2320m/7586ft) Puno (3850m/12589ft) for some days before leaving on any of these adventure trips. It generally takes 4 weeks to fully acclimatise, however a 4 to 5 day period in a high altitude city will give your body time to adjust and reduce the possibility of altitude sickness affecting you.
Some recommendations to help your body acclimatise are:
Avoid over-exerting yourself when you first arrive (however, some gentle activity during the day is better than sleeping)
Eat lots of carbohydrates
Drink lots of fluids
Avoid cigarettes and alcohol
Avoid taking sleeping pills
Drink coca (ancient traditional leaf) tea
Q: How can I book a place on the trail?
A:If you want to confirm your reservation:
A: Send us the following information:
Full name
Gender
Date of birth
Passport number (it is important that we receive the passport number that you will use whilst on the trek; please advise if you think you will change your passport before you do the Inca trail)
Nationality
B: Confirm whether you are a student (it is necessary to have a valid ISIC card to qualify as a student) and if so scan and email it. (We need to present a copy of your card now and you will also need to take the original on the Inca Trail. If for any reason, you will not have your original card when you are going to enter the Inca Trail, please advise us as soon as you know this - the Inca Trail authorities are extremely strict and will not allow you to enter the Inca Trail if you have booked as a student but do not have your original card at the time of entering).
C: Decide whether or not you want an extra porter who would carry your personal belongings (the price of this service is $80). By hiring a porter you will only need to carry a very small day pack. (Please note, you can also share one porter between two people - up to 7 kilos each –costing $40 each.) We provide you with a duffle bag in which to put your belongings that your extra porter will carry. If you do not hire a porter, you will carry your personal belongings including sleeping bag and sleeping mattress.
D: Pay a deposit (Non-refundable) of $150 per person or $190 if you are hiring a porter or if you are making deposit for the Imperial Service (the rest can be paid once you arrive in Cusco).
E: Let us know if you have any special dietary requirements or medical conditions that we should know about.
Q: Why do I need to send a deposit?
A: We use your deposit (Non- refundable) to pay official fees when making your official reservation. For example, we need to pay tourist and porters entrance fees and taxes (19%). We also use it to secure cooks, porters and horses for our different treks.
What options are there to pay the deposit?
-Western Union is the safest and fastest way to wire money (especially when availability is changing very quickly and reservations need to be made ASAP!). You can send money from anywhere in the world in a few minutes or online through www.westernunion.com.
Q: Is an extra porter really necessary and how many kilos do they carry for us?
A: An adventure does not have to mean pain and by hiring an extra porter that carries up to 14 kilos of your personal belongings you will definitely have time to enjoy, take your time and relax more. In addition, you will be creating a job for one more porter and thus helping us to help the local community.
In hiring an extra porter, you will only need to carry a daypack containing water, sun cream, insect repellent, snacks and a coat.
Q: Are the porters treated well?
A: We believe our porters do a huge percentage of the work on the Inca Trail and deserve to be treated well. All our porters are trained and equipped with proper bags to carry the equipment, back supports, t-shirts for the day, body warmers for the cold nights, ponchos for the rain, drinks, snacks and plenty of food. Please see our section on our porters welfare but most importantly see them while on the trail.
Q: Is there an age limit to do the trail?
A: No, there is not an age limit but if you are older, we advise you to have a medical check-up before your trip, try to aclimatize to the altitude (see altitude sickness) and train for the trek. We have taken children as young as 7 and people up to the age of 68 many times. Do not worry, we are here to help you do it!!
Q: What if I am very slow or want to see or enjoy more?
A: As long as you arrive at the camps before it gets dark all is perfectly fine; the guides will keep you informed of distances and hours to be covered after every break, as an average people walk at a rate of 1.8 km per hour meaning a slow pace and resting while you are receiving explanation about the Inca sites and environment from our guide.
For groups of 9 or more people you will always have 2 professional guides ! 1 comes with the back person -if you the last you will never be alone and the other guide will be at the front. In case you have only 1 guide (for groups or 8 or less people) the guide always comes with the last person in the group.
Q: Why is there an increment if there are 4 people or less in the group?
A: This is a very new and revolutionary system we are using (only PM Explorers does that) and what we have heard from our tourists is that it is very flexible and allows people to leave on the trail on the specific date they want to leave and you don’t have to wait for other people to join your group- we require a minimun of 2 people !
The increment (only if there are 4 people or less in your group or in order to leave in special dates such as christmas, new years eve, elections , etc - please see our terms and conditions) is requested in order to run the tour ourselves or in order to pay more our staff that sacrifice their holidays or elections (you get fined here if you don’t vote). In Cusco, a widespread practice in agencies is to pass tourists on to another company when they don´t have enough people to run the tour. In this case, you would meet people from different agencies that have paid all kind of price (sometimes less and sometimes more than what you have been charged) and you would all have been promised different services.
Paying the increment is also a bonus because your trip becomes a kind of PRIVATE SERVICE (this is a real advantage especially if you are in the mountains trying to escape from the crowds) in this case your tour will allow you to take your time, enjoy and see more!
Q: Once I have booked my place on the trail, can I change my departure date?
A: No. Unfortunately once your reservation is officially confirmed with the Inca Trail Authorities (INC Reservation Office) it is not possible to change or postpone your departure date. You would need to make a new reservation with a new deposit for your new date (this date needs to be one which is at least 5 days before or after your prior departure date). Please note that this is not an agency decision but a local authority regulation.
Q: Where are the other people in the group from?
A: You will find all our groups to be very mixed in: age, gender, nationalities (mostly English -speaking). There are cases when our groups consist of only older people and in other cases only younger people but as an agency we can’t guarantee how old or where our tourists will be from.
Q: What`s the Private Service?
A: It is a special service - all inclusive - to spoil you! You could be honeymooners, a family, a group of friends, etc. It is normally a small group (but can also be a big group). In this service, we included private porters who carry up to 7 kilos of personal belongings in duffle bags (provided by the agency). Noone you don’t know joins your group unless this is requested to share or lower the costs.
Q: What about the food?
A:We have excellent trained cooks who will provide you with an incredible variety of dishes:
Breakfast: This varies depending on the difficulty of the day ahead. There will usually be a selection of some or all of the following - porridge, scambled eggs, pancakes, bread and jam. Drink-wise, you can have hot chocolate, coffee, English tea and/or a selection of herbal teas (chamomile, lemon grass or simply traditional coca tea).
*Lunch and Dinner: You will always have a bowl of soup followed by a main course (chicken, beef, fish etc. with rice or pasta). After this, a dessert and herbal drink will be provided.
Afternoon snacks (Happy Hour!): On finishing the trek every day we will have hot drinks, popcorn, biscuits, bread and jam, chocolate, milo, etc, etc)
Snacks: Before beginning the trek for the day, you will be given - a piece of fruit, a chocolate bar, a small packet of biscuits and some sweets.
*Vegetarian/special diet options are available on request
Q: Do you have a vegetarian option?
A: Yes. We do provide vegetarin food on request. Please specify your dietary requirments when making your reservation.
Q: Do you provide us with drinking water?
A: Yes. We provide you with water that has previously been boiled or at least 5 minutes (you do not need purification tablets). Therefore, you only need a bottle of water for the first part - till lunch time - of the first day and then from there on we will re-fill your bottles all the way to Machu Picchu or to the end of your trek.
Q: Are there many toilets along the Inca trail?
A: Yes. There are several flush toilets along the trail and we highly reconmend using them only (please avoid using nature)
Q: How many people go in each tent?
A: The tents for all our treks are 4 man tents but actaully 2 enter in each thus allowing you more space and comfort. If you travelling alone and there is an even number of people in your group, you will share the tent with somebody else unless a single suplemnet is requested ($15).
Q: How much should we tip the porters?
A: The tipping ceremony on the 3rd evening is a tradition that has been taking pleace for at least 15 years and it is a way to show your porters your gratitude for the effort and hard work you will see during our trips.
Q: Where do I store the bags I don’t need when I go on the trail?
A: All hostels and hotels in Cusco are accustomed to trekkers leaving belongings whilst on the trek and will have storage facilities at no extra cost.
Q: Where do I store the bags before the Machu Picchu guided visit?
A: There is a storage near the control gate where tourists leave their personal belonggings,please note that you can only visit Machu Picchu with a small daypack and without food ( walking sticks are not allowed either unless is really necesary i.e. age of tourists etc.) ; this storage service is sometimes free and sometimes you get charged 3 soles ( you are in Peru) !
Q: What if I get ill and need to turn back?
A: We have a very low rate of people turning back once on the trek.Our priority is to help you complete it; all our guides are properly trained and carry a first aid kit and a bottle of oxygen for emergencies. Please do not think about this (you are in good hands!)
Q: Can we avoid the crowds?
A:If you choose to do the Inca trail, we want it to be the crowning experience of your South America trip. We therefore have some recommendations for a quieter trek:
As the dry highland months coincide with the high tourist season (due to vacations in North America and Europe) there are generally a lot of tourists on the Inca Trail at this time. If you want to avoid the crowds and have a more relaxing trail, we suggest that you hike it in March, April, May, October or November, although there is a possibility of rain in these months.
Another alternative to avoid crowds is to hike the trail in * 5 days and 4 nights . During this tour, you will have more time to ‘take it easy’ and explore the trail (Inca Sites, flora, bird-watching etc.). You camp in places behind the normal campsites, where fewer people camp and as you are camping at higher altitudes, the views of mountains and sunrises will be amazing. (Please note that due to the higher altitudes, these campsites are a little colder than those on the 4 day Inca Trail.)
* This 5 day, 4 night Inca Trail is also suitable for older people or anyone who wants to walk a little bit more leisurely.
Q: How Is the 2 days Inca trail ?
A: The shorter Inca Trail is for those trekkers with limited time on their hands or who just want to take things a little bit easier. This trail starts at km104 and ascends to the ruins of Wiñay Wayna before continuing on to MP. Since you don’t have much time at MP on the first day most people spend the night at the town of Aguas Calientes and return to MP again the following day. This trail is subject to the Inca Trail regulations and trek permits must be reserved.
Q: What should I bring if I was doing the Inca Trail ?
A:02 pair of trekking shoes and plenty socks
Insect repellent
Sun block
Dark glasses (shades)
Rain coat or rain poncho
Light clothing for the day and warm for the night.
Trekking pants (the ones you unzip for shorts)
Hat or sun cap
Water Bottle
Sleeping bag (unless you rent one from the company)
Q: What about Altitude sickness?
A: In general if you take regular exercise and spend a few days in Cusco, or better, in the Sacred Valley, acclimatizing to the altitude you shouldn’t have to suffer too much.
Q: How many people in the groups?
A: The maximum allowed group size is 16 persons. Normally the group tours are between 12 and 16 persons.
Q: What does the trail look like in the peak season ?
A: It could get a little bit crowded, but with the regulations in place, you have enough space for everyone.