Archive for category Inca Trail Tours

Best time to trek the Inca trail

A common question we here at Chimu Adventures is often “When is the best time to trek the Inca trail to Machu Picchu?”.

In short, We really dont believe there is a “best” time. Sure May through to September is “peak season”. This is technically the dry season, with very little rain and clear blue skies. Sure, you wont get wet! – but at this time of year the trail does become very crowded. This is also due to the fact that Europeans and North Americans have their summer vacations in July and August, and hence add to the crowd on the trail!. In peak seaon the Inca trail does fill up to 6 months in advance, due to the permit regulations (currently 500 people per day). So early booking is required.

The shoulder season (April and September/October) is a good time to visit. There are less people on the trek, and if trekking in April after the “wet season” finishes in March then you will see the mountains at their magestic and vibrant best. The Inca trail is stunning this time of year. The Rich lush cloud forest comes to life, and Machu Picchu has its mistique with periodic cloud cover.. A must for photographers! You still need to book 4 months or so in advance for this period.
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Booking the Inca trail in Peru

Peru is, beyond a doubt, one of the greatest adventure travel destinationson the planet. It offers an amazing list of things to see and do, perfectly blending culture with both mountain, coastal as well as  jungle settings, along with ancient artifacts and ruins that rival those found in Egypt and the other ancient lands. Of course, the most spectacular and famous of those ruins is the lost city of Machu Picchu, located at 8000 feet above sea level, in the Andes Mountains, close to the Inca capital of Cusco.

Machu Picchu is the number one tourist attraction in a country full of tourist attractions, and there are multiple ways of getting there. Most take a train to the site, preferring to enjoy a scenic ride through the mountains. But one of the other ways of reaching the “Lost City of the Incas” is hiking the Inca Trail, an option that has grown in popularity over the past few years. The Inca trail is a very popular trek or the alternative Lares trek both end at Machu Picchu. Please click on the previou links for more trip details or read on below..
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Quick Cusco Visit

It’s a quick fly in, fly out trip. It’s been a year or so since Chimu Adventures has checked hotels in Cusco and this time the task has fallen to me. I have 24 hours to review about 20 hotels so it’s a tight schedule. The flight into Cusco is spectacular. Flying over the Andes is impressive at any time but when you get to fly right on top of snow capped peaks as we decent into Cusco is something special .

The city is just as I remember it. Even though Cusco now has many more visitors than the first time I came here it’s still managed to keep its village charm. The tacky tourist shops are there sure but it’s soul has somehow been preserved.

I wanted to knock off a few hotels in the evening so I get started. I figure I can do around 10 at a push. The first few are fine but as I push on I remember that I’ve only had a matter of hours to adjust to the altitude and at the third of forth hotel it all of a sudden seems a monstrous task just to walk the stairs to the second floor!

Realising my limit’s I decide to retire for the evening. I’ve picked one of my favorite hotel’s in Cusco for the night: Casa Andina San Blas. It’s has a beautiful old colonial courtyard and is a short walk from the Plaza de Armas. It’s also kept in immaculate condition and the crisp linen is a treat after a long day.

I can’t help but stop into my favorite Peruvian eating hole on the way home: Bembos. Everyone else at Chimu Adventures shakes their head at my penchant for a Bembo’s burger. Don’t get me wrong: I love ceviche, lomo saltado and aji de gallina but somehow the Peruvian version of McDonald’s is sill my favorite. The upsized meals don’t just come with upsized chips and drinks but also an upsized burger!

I’m looking forward to tomorrow hopefully being a little less active!

Have a look at www.chimuadventures.com.au , www.chimuadventures.co.uk or www.chimuadventures.com for more details on Chimu Adventures Cusco tours or any other destination in South America

Travel to Peru

My family, Mum and Dad, sister and boyfriend and younger sister, recently came over to Peru for a 2 week visit. This was their first time in Peru so I had spent months meticulously planning a trip that would give them a taste of its wonderful people, landscapes, food/drink and leave them wanting to come back for more. Read the rest of this entry »

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Cusco? What, no Machu Picchu?!: Lares Trek – Aug 2010

The vast majority of visitors to Cusco make sure to visit Machu Picchu. And with good reason: it truly is spectacular, and never disappoints. However, I was in the favourable position of having already been there a few times so my visit to Cusco on this occasion promised to be Machu Picchu-free!
My ostensible aim was to hike the world-famous Lares trek. There are in fact several routes one can take, of varying heights and lengths, all including a stop at the remote town of Lares, with its (very hot) thermal springs. The route our small group of three trekkers took stayed overnight in Huacahuasi (which only had electricity installed a year ago, and it was being used mainly to power stereos playing huayno music) and Patacancha (famous for its traditional weaving). Read the rest of this entry »