WHY THIS TRIP
- Stroll along through the cobbled streets in Cusco to experience the beauty of the capital of the Inca Empire
- Raft the adrenaline-pumping rapids (Class III+) on the Urubamba river
- Spend the night with a local family and learn the customs and traditions of the Andes
- Head off the beaten track and follow a path to an amazing archaeological site
- Learn the history of the great Inca civilization
- Experience the magical lost Inca city of Machu Picchu
- Mountain bike on single track through the Sacred Valley
- Stand up paddle board high in the Andes on the beautiful Lake Piuray
LOCAL OPERATOR: APUMAYO EXPEDICIONES
Apumayo Expediciones specializes in adventure travel and non-conventional tourism with a strong environmental and social agenda. It offers activities and tours for people with disabilities and supports Andean community projects, maximizing the positive effect of local tourism.
A Peruvian company based in the City of Cusco, Apumayo Expediciones combines culture, education and natural history into its adventure trips.
David C –
Great Family Trek! My family of 2 adults, an 11-year old and 2 teenagers had only 8 days to travel and we wanted to see Machu Picchu. Detour Destinations did a wonderful job of creating a private tour for us with only the activities we were interested in and had time for. The trip exceeded our expectations, and we are very happy we used these tour companies and made the trip.
Overall, Peru is a great destination. We visited Lima for one full day, and then went to Cusco to start our hiking. Instead of doing the traditional 4-day trek to Machu Picchu–which we did not have time for and probably would have been more than some of us would be comfortable with-Detour suggested an itinerary [for us].
We hiked for many hours to get to what seemed like heaven. The accommodations for us just steps from the Huchuy Qosqo site were great. We stayed with a local family (Familia Huaman Cano) who have added a few basic rooms to their house perched high on the mountain overlooking the Sacred Valley and the site. They are true locals and ancestors of the Inca people, and they were very hospitable. They served us tea, dinner and then breakfast, and the offered us rooms that were clean and had warm beds with thick, warm alpaca wool blankets. We learned about the local culture talking to them through our guide. The house also had clean bathrooms with a shower–a pleasant surprise. They even had solar powered electricity to light your rooms at night. Staying in a local house is an excellent alternative to overnighting in tents–if you can find a way to arrange that.
Beyond the perfect itinerary, Apumayo provided excellent drives and guides for us. Elvis, who was with us for 5 days, was outstanding. He was very knowledgeable, very caring and service oriented and very articulate. His help throughout the journey was invaluable in making this a carefree, safe and very educational trip.