We offer this trip year-round but the best months to join are from May to December (dry season) when all roads are fully accessible and sunny, dry days are the norm. During the rainy months of January to April (varies each year) departures are possible provided you don’t mind a cloudy day or two, are prepared for potential showers and the conditions are not too adverse (unlikely but possible).

We offer two types of pricing for this trip: Private and Group/Shared. Private pricing is per person and varies according to the size of your party but it has the added advantage of being a tour exclusively for your group (no third parties are allowed to join) and departing ANY date of your choice. On the other hand, group/shared pricing is also per person but has the advantage of being set/fixed for everyone as long as the minimum number of participants needed is reached and departure dates are fixed, so you must adapt to our dates.

Simply submit your inquiry using the SEND INQUIRY button on this page. Please mention whether you are interested in a private or group/shared trip and the size of your party. We will respond within a few hours with your price.

No, this trip does NOT depart on a daily basis. We offer set/fixed dates that you can join if suitable for you for a group/shared departure. If your dates are not flexible, you can opt for our private departures which can leave any date of your choice. See the tab Booking & Departures for dates or contact us using the SEND INQUIRY button

Once you have decided whether a private OR group/shared departure suits you better, just let us know and we will send you a booking form online. You will need to pay a minimum, secure deposit online by credit card or PayPal to book your place. You may choose to pay the balance upon arrival or online.

As early as you possibly can. We are admittedly and proudly a small-medium sized company so our availability is limited as well as that of our accommodation partners. That said, we do accept last-minute bookings provided you have contacted us to inquire about availability and we have confirmed its existence. In general, people book a few months in advance to ensure their place in the tour and plan around it.

Yes. We take all necessary precautions such as providing a professional driver, a properly maintained vehicle equipped with phone (satellite phone is not necessary but is available for an additional fee for extra safety), first aid kit, oxygen and emergency supplies. In addition, the reason why we offer trips in these regions is because we know them upside down, have emergency contacts, know all roads and locations perfectly and always have a back up plan.

We use local lodges, guesthouses and basic hotels in parts where infrastructure is basic. Where more options are available, we give you the option of choosing between a Basic, Standard, Plus or Premium hotel according to your budget. See each day’s itinerary for more info.

Solo travelers are welcome to book this trip on a group/shared or private basis. Please note that our group/shared departures are fixed, so you must have a flexible schedule to join. If you are not flexible and don’t mind paying the 1-person price for a private departure, we are ready to depart on any date.

This trip starts at your doorstep in the city of Cusco OR Arequipa (if doing the itinerary in reverse) and ends in downtown Arequipa or Cusco (may be right at your hotel based on its location, otherwise downtown is the drop off point unless you are a private group in which case your accommodation is the drop off point).

We provide a mix of eating outdoors as picnic and also in local, reliable restaurants/hotels.

It is highly suggested you have spent prior time at high altitude to avoid the unpleasant effects of altitude sickness. However, many people on a tight schedule have joined us and taken their own precautions such as talking to their doctor to be prescribed altitude medication. In any way, we adapt to the condition of our participants and if you did not have the chance to do neither suggestion above, you should just take it slowly and stay hydrated, chew coca leaves, drink coca tea, etc.

We highly recommend having travel insurance to participate in ANY activity outside your home country. We will provide all assistance in the case of a medical emergency (transportation, translation, request documents for insurance claims, etc) but will not be responsible for costs associated with treatment.

In the case of private groups/departures, the size of the group is dictated by your party size. In the case of group/shared departures, group size is limited to a maximum of six participants per vehicle/guide.

In the case of a private group/departure no third parties are allowed to join, so your party is limited to yourselves. In the case of group/shared departures, your companions are likely to be international travelers with similar interests, looking for off the beaten path, grassroots experiences and who dislike traditional tourism in large coaches full of people.

As mentioned above, travelers looking for authentic experiences in far-away, little-known places where mass tourism is nonexistent and where cultural and natural interaction takes place.

People looking for luxury and the classic way of traveling in comfortable coaches. People who are not interested in meeting the local population and people who do not enjoy the outdoors and active experiences. People who are only interested in ticking off another place on their list will not enjoy this trip either.

Our quoted price includes everything mentioned in the What’s included section and you can be certain that those items will be covered. No surprise charges nor unpleasant experiences. Other than the items under the What’s not included section, everything else is included in the price.

IIf you are booking into the Basic level of service, a sleeping bag may come in very handy but is not essential. All accommodations will provide as many blankets as you need, but if you prefer to sleep in your own bag, do bring it.