ABOUT US
About Our Company – Apurimac Adventures Peru
Apurimac adventures is a locally-owned tour operator based in Cusco, Perú. Our founder, Juan Covarrubias Ccaihuari, is a Quechua from Choquequirao, so Choquequirao is our stomping ground! His ancestral family has lived in these mountains for over 150 years – long before Hiram Bingham arrived for the first time in 1909. When Juan was young, his family still owned the archeological site. He and his cousins played soccer on the plaza and explored the unexcavated city for fun. You won’t find a more knowledgeable guide for Choquequirao in all of Peru! Though the Peruvian government now owns the site, his extended family still populates the extent of this trail, and you can share some chicha and cuy with his relatives if you are brave (must be arranged in advance)!
Juan has a great love for his country – the stunning mountains, the rich culture, and the fascinating archeological sites. This led him to pursue a career in guiding so he could share this love with others, and he received his professional license in 2009. After working many years for other companies where he learned the ins and outs of running tours throughout Peru, he decided starting his own company would give him the freedom he needed to set the highest standards possible. This includes the highest quality equipment, ample and delicious food prepared by trained chefs, all-inclusive costs so there are no surprises, English-speaking guides, hand-picked and highly trained employees, and private, flexible tours that are designed to get you off the beaten path. Our goal is to give you the experience of a lifetime in Peru!
As local natives, we know the Inca trails like the backs of our hands and are passionate about protecting our natural and most treasured resources. To encourage other companies to be more conscientious, we try to lead by example – giving excellent customer service while still conserving and protecting the environment.
Apurimac Adventures is devoted to promoting the welfare of the indigenous peoples of the region. We give our staff a generous wage to help them make a better life for themselves and their families. We are also actively engaged in designing and implementing development projects benefitting the communities along our trekking trails. You are welcome to add a volunteer day to your trek at no extra cost! Booking your Peruvian adventure with Apurimac Adventures will maximize the benefits to the region and people where you are trekking.
Our Equipment – Apurimac Adventures Peru
Apurimac Adventures Peru is known for providing the best comfort for your trekking expeditions.
TENTS:
Doite Kailas
Description:
Professional 3-person tents with full skirt, duralumin rods which reduce their total weight and increase resistance to strong winds, 4-season.
Pro Aconcagua
Description:
Professional tent for 3 people with full skirt, duralumin rods, reduce their total weight and increase resistance to strong winds.
Tent for use in mountain conditions. Easy to assemble and spaces with full ventilation regulation even completely closing it.
Ideal for extreme climates.
Thern -a- Rest ProLite Mattress
SLEEPING BAG
DESCRIPTION:
WALKING POLES FOR TREKKING
BLACK DIAMOND Trail Back Trekking Poles
Size: 63.5-140cm
Our food on the Treks – Apurimac Adventures Peru
Our meals are prepared with locally grown organic foods, You’ll be surprised of the excellent high-energy meals served during the treks ; this does not mean you should eat voraciously. Trekking at this altitude is very tricky and can affect your body in many ways, including your digestive system.
We include all meals and snacks for every single trek until the last lunch on the trek then breakfast at your hotel if you take treks ending in Machupicchu (after your tour of Machu Picchu). For your last lunch in Aguas Calientes, or for all train tours, you will have the option to have at one of the many restaurants in Aguas Calientes town.
All food is prepared from fresh ingredients, that are purchased in the Cusco local market. Everything is transported in a special coolers on the horses or mules, then prepared by the master trekking chef. We don´t use any canned or rehydrated food. It is all fresh, healthy and delicious!
Do you have special dietary needs? No problem! We cater to vegetarians, vegans and any food allergies. You will be well fed during any of our Adventure Treks. Food will be provided five times a day, beginning with a big breakfast, a snack, a tremendous lunch, an afternoon tea (happy hour), and finally dinner.
We are aware how important food nourishment is in maintaining our energy in order to be strong as we trek through the Andes.
No one goes hungry on our treks!
Payment Methods – Apurimac Adventures Peru
PAYPAL:
For all of our treks and tours we require a deposit of $200 per person, the balance is payable when you arrive to Cusco. Please note that all of our tours are priced in USD currency.
We use PayPal for sending deposits, that way you can use your credit card. PayPal charges a 6% service fee (for the international transfer), so the total deposit ends up being $212 per person and should be sent to booking@apurimacadventures.com
When we receive your booking form details and deposit via PayPal, we will send you a booking invoice and confirmation that we have received your deposit and your tour has been booked.
WESTERN UNION:
This is the main way to do your payment from abroad and avoid high bank charges or taxes, is using WESTERN UNION, a global transfer service that has a large network of offices around the world.
Money Transfer by Western Union (using your credit cards) – There are additional fees associated with this method of payment.
The method of payment depends on which country that you are sending the money. From the USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, France, Netherlands & Norway you can make the money transfer online at: Wester Union Just visit the website and follow the instructions. Visa and Master Card can be used.
The charge is less if you go directly to a local Western Union agent in your town and pay in cash. For countries other than those mentioned above you will have to go to the office of your local agent to pay the deposit. The Western Union website allows you to search for the agent nearest to where you live. There are over 245,000 agents throughout the world so you should have no problem finding one that is convenient to you at the end of the Transaction Western union or Money Gram will give you a control number that you need to let us know so we can be able to collect your deposit.
Duration of Taken to Receive Transfer: Instantaneous (Note: You can use this Method if you want us to act faster to ensure your Inca Trail or Salkantay Trek Space)
HERE ARE THE FULL DETAILS OF THE PERSON YOU NEED TO SEND YOUR DEPOSIT FOR WESTER UNION
Receiver’s Name: Juan
Receiver’s Surname: Covarrubias Ccaihuari
Receiver’s Address: Urb. Dolores Pata – Jr. Qoricancha L-12 A
Receiver’s City: CUZCO
Receiver’s Country: PERU
E-mail: apurimacadventures@gmail.com , info@apurimacadventures.com
Receiver’s ID: 43443039
F.A.Q.S – Apurimac Adventures Peru
Apurimac Adventures is an experienced adventure trekking & tour company that offers unforgettable experience to less known places. Our tours are extremely flexible according what the clients wishes to get out of his/her trip. The treks range between 4 to 10 days in length and can be extended for more days.
Apurimac Adventures tour guides are professional and multilingual, trekking with a master chef and experienced staff. Our adventure treks are specifically and carefully designed by our trekking mountain guide. We work with you in order to plan and create the best possible experience for you and your group.
we aim to give you an experience of a lifetime in peru.
With over 7 years of experience organizing treks and tours, Apurímac adventures is one of the top operators in Peru and has built up an excellent record with our customers. We always aim to offer an excellent service to each and every person and are constantly looking for ways we can improve to make your trip of a lifetime even better.
Another reason to book with us is so that you can guarantee that you will be going on a fair and ethical trip.
Peru’s climate varies depending on where you visit.
On the coast it is usually quite hot although during the winter (April-August) it can get chilly early in the morning and at night.
In the Andes there are two main seasons – wet and dry. The wet season runs from December to March and is wet but usually warmer overall.
The dry season runs from April to November and has hot clear days but cold nights.
The only one thing you can say about the weather in Peru is that it is difficult to accurately predict. You can see beautifully clear hot days in the middle of the wet season and hail storms in the dry season
We offer you a briefing prior to departure 1 or 2 days before you leave on your trek. (2 days is preferred) Depending on your schedule a suitable time is usually around 6pm -8 pm. (The briefing should last ½ an hour to an hour- depending on how many questions you ask!) At this briefing the guide (or a representative of the agency if your guide is on a trip) will explain the route you will take on your trek and you have a chance to ask last minute questions about the trek. The advantage of having the briefing two days before the trek is that it gives you a last minute opportunity to buy snacks or warm clothes (there are plenty of hats, gloves and scarves for sale in Cusco). Your pre-trek briefing will be organised once you have paid your deposit. Please advise us if your briefing time (advised in your trek confirmation) is suitable. it’s one of the beauties of Peru.
In the Andes there are two main seasons – wet and dry. The wet season runs from December to March and is wet but usually warmer overall.
The dry season runs from April to November and has hot clear days but cold nights.
The only one thing you can say about the weather in Peru is that it is difficult to accurately predict. You can see beautifully clear hot days in the middle of the wet season and hail storms in the dry season
We’re so happy and proud to say that the only complaints we get about our food is that there is too much of it. Many people comment that the food they eat on the treks is the best they get whilst in Peru and we provide the best organic food on the treks.
A sample menu is as follows:
As outlined in our booking conditions, we strongly recommend that you have your own travel insurance prior to departing on one of our treks. Please note that the non refundable deposit should be able to be recuperated through a travel insurance claim in the case of accident or illness. We are often asked to provide more information about travel insurance but believe it best if you contact insurance companies in your own country to learn more about travel insurance. In brief, an individual’s medical insurance is very distinct from typical travel/trip insurance. Read here about typical travel insurance http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travel_insurance
Medical insurance is quite different in that it often does not cover emergency evacuation. We strongly recommend that you check your medical plans for emergency evacuation coverage AND strongly recommend that you obtain travel/trip insurance if you want to hedge your risk against trip cancellation, illness, injury, death, etc in order to recoup some of their expenses in such an event.
You should always consult your local travel clinic regarding vaccines. In general the regular vaccines such as Tetanus, Diptheria, Polio etc are recommended. If you are visiting the low-land jungle then Yellow Fever is recommended.
It is very difficult to describe as it depends on your fitness, experience and a whole range of factors including your health on the day. Trekking in the Andes is never easy!!! The most common feedback we get is “this trek was much harder than I anticipated; you should rate it much harder.” (About most treks!) Read the reports on each trek page to get a good idea of what other trekkers thought of the difficulty!
The trek difficulties are in relation to one another not to trekking in your home country, or even in another country. Therefore Huchuy Qosqo is considered easy, Ausangate considered moderate and Choquequirao to Machu Picchu difficult… but actually all are challenging!
Most people can do many of the treks as long as they have average to good fitness and a positive attitude. (but they do find it a challenge!) Some training before the trek will make it much easier! See Exercise Recommendations below.
Also, please advise us if you have any medical conditions – like bad back, sore knees, weak ankles as well as other medical conditions. If you do not tell us we assume you are 100% healthy! We do not take any responsibility for your assumptions about the grading of the treks (“but I thought it would be easier than it was…!”) or poor/insufficient acclimatization.
All of our treks (choquequirao, lares trek, the Inca Trail, Salkantay trek, Ausangate trek etc.) are moderately difficult, long and mountainous. We highly recommend that you are relatively fit and acclimatised to altitude (a minimum of 2 days at altitude) before undertaking them. 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.
We strongly recommend that you acclimatize for 2-3 days in a high place (like Cusco, Arequipa or Lake Titicaca) also we highly recommended to drink lots of water and coca tea before attempting any of these hikes. Altitude can affect anyone at moderate to high altitude (generally anything over 3,000 meters). Altitude sickness is caused by a lack of oxygen which can be up to a third less than at sea level. No one understands why some people are affected and others not. Age, level of fitness and strength is no indication of how well you will fare at altitude. Be aware that altitude sickness can be serious, so if your guide advises you to rest or descend, please do as instructed. As most of our
Treks are a mixture of ascents and descents, altitude sickness is often short term and suffering from it does not necessarily mean you will be unable to complete the trek. Drugs are available to combat the effects of altitude sickness, for more information please ask your doctor.
Check out our booking page for more information!
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.
Deposits for treks can be paid using the methods provided below. Bank transfers are not recommended as they can take up to 3 working days to clear! Final balances for treks need to be paid in cash (US$) in our office in Cusco 48 hours prior to your trek.
Final balances for treks can be paid via Paypal – up to 1 week prior to trek departure. Final balances for treks should be paid 48 hours prior to departure at the latest. If it is not paid within this timeframe, we reserve the right to cancel the trip. Payment can be made in cash at our office.
Please come by the agency at least 48 hours prior to your tour to meet, finalise details, pay your balance (if applicable – Inca Trail / alternative treks).
Our office is in urb. Dolorespata jr. Qoricancha L- 12 A (5 minutes driving from the Plaza de Armas)
We are open from 8 am – 1pm and 3pm – 8pm (Mon – Sat) and 4pm – 8pm (Sun).
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