Essentials

You will need a passport with at least 6 months validity remaining until it expires and at least one empty page in order to be stamped upon arrival and departure. Bring a photocopy of your passport carried separately in case of emergencies. Most north American and European countries do not need a visa, but you should check if in doubt. We recommend you contract travel insurance for the entire endurance of you trip, do not forget to bring policy details and contact information in case of an emergency. Any essential medicine should be carried in your hand luggage.

​

Luggage

Domestic flights within Peru have a common have a similar luggage policy to what you would expect at home, that is to say one piece of check in luggage weighing no more than 23kg and carry-on hand luggage of 8kg. Your hand luggage will also be useful to use for short sections of the trrip which might have luggage restrictions. When going to Machu Picchu, for example, only small bags are allowed on the train, so you will probably travel with just hand luggage while storing your main cases at your hotel in Cusco or the Sacred Valley. Cases which can be locked or secured with a small padlock are recommended.

​

Clothes

Peru is a challenging destination when planning what to bring because different destinations in the country have distinct climates, and many of our activities involve much of the day spent outdoors. You can see on the weather page that the coast often has a warm climate whereas the in the mountains you can expect cold nights and perhaps some rain. In the Amazon you can expect stifling heat and humidity. Therefore it is best to use a series of light layers instead of heavy jackets and thick jumpers. This strategy lets you regulate comfort by slipping layers on and off as your activity level or the weather changes. To understand layering your clothing for outdoor activities, you need to know the function of each layer:

​

• Base layer (underwear/light layer): A thin innner shirt/t-short which is sufficiient to wear alone in hot weather and wicks sweat off your skin.

• Middle layer (insulating layer): retains body heat to protect you from the cold, it could be a jumper or long sleeved sweat shirt

• Outer layer (shell layer): shields you from wind and rain, a think waterproof jackets work well, it does not have to excessively thick because you should already have two layers underneath.

 

Even if you don’t wear all three layers at the outset, it’s a good idea to take all layers on every outing: You can peel off layers if things heat up, but you can’t put on layers that you didn’t bring along.

​

Even the best hotels throughout they country do not insist on formal dress for dinner, so there is no need for suits and gowns. Smart /casual wear is perfectly fine and more practical for the rest of the trip. 

​

Adaptors

Peru works on 220V electricity grid with socket types A (flat pins) and C (round pins). The type A sockets works with plugs for the USA and Canada, although you might need a voltage convertor.  Whereas the type C accepts plugs from much of Europe. But visitors from the UK will need an adaptor.

​

Healthy Travel Packing List

You could consider packing the following medicines and health products, but always seek expert medical advice from your doctor

• Do not forget to bring an adecuate a supply of your own prescription medicines which you might be taking for prexisting conditions. Put them in your hand luggage in case your luggage is delayed on flights. 

• Travelers diarrhea medicine (imodium) and/or antibiotic (ciprofoxacin)

• Altitude sickness medicine (Acetazolamide - diamox)

• Malaria prevention prophylactics

• Motion sickness medicine

• Medicine for pain and fever (paracetamol , aspirin, or ibuprofen)

• Sunblock

• Insect repellent.

​

Going to an Amazon Lodge

The weather in the Amazon is hot and humid, with frequent rain showers through the year which can be particuarly prolonged between November and March. Most of the activities in the lodge are outdoors and involve at least some walking. The trails meander through the forest, they can be muddy for most of the year but are very wet between November and March. You will need sturdy walking shoes or boots, but you can lend rubber books (wellingtons) if required. There arer lots of mosquitos, so long sleeved shirts are very useful, as well as repelllent. Electrical lighting is limited at the lodges, so a torch is essential and will also be useful if you do one of the night walks. The lodge operators request guests separate their luggage before  boarding the boats to the lodges. You should be prepared to leave some of your belongings stored at their offices and travel to the lodge carrying around 10kg (22lbs) per person. Items you plan to pack should include some of the following;

​​

• Camera gear, bring your long lens!

• Tight-weave, light colored, long cotton pants

• Long sleeved, tight-weave, light colored cotton shirts

• Ankle-high hiking boots and sneakers

• Flashlight (headlamp) with batteries

• Sunblock lotion

• Sunglasses

• Broad-brimmed hat

• Rain suit or poncho

• Insect repellent

• Small daypack

• Slippers or sandals for walking around the lodges.

• Binoculars (optional)

• Most lodges offer to lend rubber boots so that you don’t have to bring them.

​

Hiking gear

If doing the Inca, Salkantay or Lares trail, you will have a trek briefing a day or two before the start of the walk, at which you can ask for details about packing. You will leave you main cases in your hotel in Cusco or the Sacred Valley, depending whoch is motre convenient. During the walks, porters or horses will help you with most of your trekking gear carried in duffel bags supplied by your trek operator. You should bring a day-sack, which is normally a small rucksack of around 25L, which you carry yourself containing items which you might need durint the day walk. Each operator can give you exact advice at the briefing, but below is a packing list for general use;

​

In the duffell carried by porters: Check with your operator to ask ther maximum weight you can give to the porters, but it tends to be around 7kg/15lbs. You should consider packing some of the following;

​​

• 2-3 T-shirts

• 2-3 hiking pants

• Underwear (one per day)

• Socks (one pair per day)

• 1 Fleece or down jacket

• 1 Rain jacket and perhaps pants

• 1 sun hat of sunny days

• 1 woolly hat for cold night

• Headlamp: essential

• Waterproof gloves

• Comfortable trainers or sandals for camp

• Walking boots for use during the day

• Quick-dry towel

• Small bottle of soap.

• Large plastic bags: to help organize and keep clean from dirty.

• Sleeping bag: Recommend down bags for -10C at least

• Handsanitizer

• Wet wipes

• Toothbrush and paste

 

In the day pack carried yourself: Daypacks can be any size for hiking, although remember that racksacks larger than 25L are not allowed in the ruins at Machu Picchu. If you have a larger rucksack, you would be asked to leave it at a safe storage facility at the entrance gate to the ruins.

• Water: it is commonly supplied in camp at each meal.

• Sunhat

• Rain gear

• Fleece

• Camera

• Handsanitizer

• Toilet paper and small plastic bag for waste

• Money for souvenirs, drinks & tips

• Sunscreen

• Bug spray

• Small first-aid kit: band aids, moleskin, etc.

​

​

​

​