General

Information on tours to Peru:

We have put this page together to help give you information on what you need to know, and what you need to bring, for a mountain biking or trekking trip or tour to Peru. Whether you are hiking to Machu Picchu, mountain biking around Cusco, downhill biking in Ollantaytambo, or taking a horseback riding tour in the Sacred Valley – here is what you need to know. We list general info needed by all travelers first, followed by info needed by adventure travelers, followed last by info needed only by those doing mountain biking trips :

Before you go and Health Issues

You do not need a special visa for Peru, they automatically give you one when you arrive at Lima airport and immigrations.  Most flights arrive late at night, and most flights to Cusco depart early in the a.m.  For this reason, where to stay upon arriving is a difficult decision with few good choices.
Miraflores, the closest decent neighborhood, is 1/2 hour away at night and up to 45 minute drive during the day depending on traffic, so many people opt to just crash out in the airport for the few hours between flights. If you wish to stay the night in Miraflores, check TripAdvisor or HostalBookers for specific suggestions. There are some hotels near the airport, and they are generally safe but unfortunately not very well run, and often do not respond to emails or even have email. As we have had a lot of complaints over our suggestions in the past, we are not able to recommend specific hotels in Lima. If you don’t want to go to Mirafores or sleep in the airport, there is a hotel on the airport grounds called Ramada Costa Del Sol, contact info can be found via Google, note they are usually full and are quite expensive. The only other option is to wait until you arrive and have a driver take you a nearby hotel for you to inspect and negotiate with. If you use an official taxi it will cost more both for the taxi, as well as the hotel because they get paid a commission.

You generally do not need any special vaccinations to visit Peru, unless you are doing  a trip deep into the Amazon.  You must check with your doctor or travel clinic, as we cannot dispense medical advice, but for all KB Trips you do not need yellow fever or malaria vaccinations. Regarding altitude, each person is different but in ten years of guiding here we have only had a few actual cases of altitude sickness. The best things to do are get lots of rest and drink lots of water. Coca tea (ask your guide) may help also. We will be at altitudes between 8,000 and 14,000 feet during the trip.

What to Bring

First, the basics: As a general rule, most things are available for purchase in Peru but nearly all of them are locally made and of poorer quality than what you may be used to. Thus, you should bring your own sunglasses, sunscreen (high SPF), insect repellent, all medicines, contact lens solution, camera, extra memory, battery charger, trekking and biking clothes, personal items, etc. Basic medical supplies can be purchased in Ollantaytambo and elsewhere, but their quality cannot always be relied upon. Basic supplies like bandaids are easy enough to find, but You should definitely bring all medicines that you take or may need to take, such as ibuprofen, anti diahrreal medicines, etc.  

Peru uses 220v electric system, so check your electronic’s instructions for converters and electric recommendations. KB Tambo hotel uses 220v electricity as provided by the town. We use the safest system possible but as Peru is a developing country with basic resources, anything can happen. For this reason we cannot guarantee the safety of your electronic devices. We do know that anything that makes heat, such as hair dryers, coffee makers, or hot pots, will likely be fried by Peru’s electricity system. We have not had a problem to date with laptops, tablets, phones, etc but you should check with your manufacturer about their recommendations, options for converters and protectors, etc. We can not guarantee the safety of your device as it is out of our control and all use is explicitly at your own risk. We have never had a theft problem in any of our rooms, if you have any expensive items we can guarantee their safety but you must leave them at the front desk when leaving the hotel. The same would apply when staying in Aguas Calientes or Cusco.

Weather and what Clothing to Bring

From mid-May to late September, it very rarely rains.  Your tour is highly likely to be sunny and dry, and very cold at night  Night temperatures are in the 40’s but feel twenty degrees colder than that due to the high altitude and moist air. Daytime temperatures are in the 70’s but feel ten degrees warmer than that due to the intense high altitude sun. Nights are very cold, bring a down jacket, stocking hat and warm gloves.  Lots of extra socks and underwear is always a good idea.

From September to May it rains frequently. We of course cannot predict the exact weather for your trip, but if you are traveling here during these months you can expect rain.  From November to April it is virtually guaranteed.  Your best protection is a high quality rain jacket and wide brimmed hat. However, the periods of rain are often only sporadic, and in betweeen there is lots of sunshine. Daytime temperatures are in the 60s, nightimes in the 50s.

Due to both sunburn risk as well as insect bites and possible falls, whether you are mountain biking or trekking or hiking, we recommend long, light weight pants and long sleeve, lightweight and breathable shirt. For shoes, we recommend just one pair of sturdy walking/hiking shoes. (Boots not necessary). You can wear these the entire time, whether you are hiking or biking or going out to dinner. Or if you have other personal preferences, that is fine too. Note that we do not use or provide clipless biking shoes, so if you prefer them you will need to bring your own shoes and pedals. (We can easily switch out the pedals that is no problem.

In conclusion, we recommend bringing:

– sun/rain hat

– rain jacket

– headlamp

– socks and underwear per personal preference

– lightweight, thin, breathable long sleeve shirts for hiking and biking, 1 to 3 depending on personal preference

– lightweight, thin, pants for hiking and biking.

– fleece jacket