Cusco is a magical region that invites you to explore, from the highlands to the jungle. A territory steeped in lagoons, snow-capped mountains, forests, valleys, and hundreds of rivers, as well as archaeological sites that are more than six centuries old.
Trekking through these places is undoubtedly a unique and unmissable experience, but in order to enjoy it to the fullest, you have to be prepared, and that is why we want to share with you these tips that we have learned from so many years of experience:
The ideal before trekking, especially if it will be a long and challenging one, and if you come from a place with less height, is to acclimatize a day or two before. Once you get to the city of Cusco, stroll through the historical center the first few days, or take short walks like the Inkilltambo short trek, which, despite being short, has incredible views. Or go to Sacsayhuaman to walk around while enjoying the city’s view and the eucalyptus and ruins surrounding it.
We have two seasons in Cusco: the rainy and the dry season. The first happens between the summer months, between December and March, and they are not ideal for trekking since the rains are usually heavy and unsuspected.
You can go hiking during the summer if you are a person who likes challenges and adventures through landscapes with impressive clouds, storms, and rainbows. Also, this time is ideal if you don’t want to see large groups of people wherever you go.
The winter months, dry season, go from April to November in which you can do all kinds of outdoor activities without a problem. In the mornings, you have the sun that escorts you all the way, and at night the low temperature can be accompanied by a relaxing and cozy outdoor fire pit.
We know that hydration is essential when doing any physical activity, especially if it’s done at height.
Many treks around Cusco, either within the Sacred Valley of the Incas, towards the citadel of Machu Picchu, or to some snow-capped mountains like Ausangate or Salkantay, have stretches that go over 4000 m.a.s.l. The ideal way to enjoy these walks and their fantastic landscapes is to bring back the Inca wisdom and ancient tradition that the Incas used. To fight altitude sickness, they used to drink coca tea before and during their work in the field, or “pijchar” their leaves, which consists of chewing them with a small amount of some alkaline substance such as sodium bicarbonate for long periods of time, without swallowing this mixture.
Besides having the necessary clothes for these walks, light clothing, and several layers that keep you protected from the sun; the most essential thing is to have comfortable and special trekking shoes and complement them with poles. These free 25% of weight from the knees and help you have more balance on the descents. Once you wear them, you won’t want to leave them for any more hikes.
The most important thing? You can enjoy even more the imposing landscape that accompanies you throughout the journey without being so aware of where you are treading.
What do you like to do the most? Who do you plan to travel with? What is your level of experience in certain activities? All these questions are necessary to ask yourself before planning a trip, and at Terra Explorer, we help you solve all these doubts.
Something that we love to do and that we are experts in is organizing unique and personalized trips. If you want to take long walks, camp on the shore of completely blue lagoons that blend in with the sky, and go through the snowy slopes considered Gods in the Andean culture, hiking to Ausangate, Salkantay or the Inca Trail will make you feel in another planet.
If you travel with more people and want something calmer, we have options for day hikes or a couple of nights of luxury camping around the Pomacanchis lagoon, accompanied by other adventures such as mountain biking or lake kayaking. Another lagoon where you can do these activities is the Huaypo Lagoon, which combines incredible landscapes of snow-capped mountains, vast fields, and blue skies.
Now that we have shared the most important tips for taking the walks you love so much, do you want to visit this incredible place? At Terra Explorer, we have various itineraries for you. If you want to know that we will help you design the trip of your dreams!
To ensure the well-being and safety of our travelers and staff throughout our operational chain, Terra Explorer will comply with the health and safety measures and protocols established by the Peruvian Association of Adventure Tourism and Ecotourism (APTAE), and implement the Covid-19 health and safety guidelines for adventure tourism developed by the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA).
Our experiences are designed considering the least possible exposure, where the final destinations are usually remote places. By their very nature, our adventure activities are considered to be low risk, mainly because they are performed outdoors where ventilation is constant and making it easy to achieve social distancing.
During these times we are working together with a small staff of honorable people who have been part of the Terra Explorer family for many years. They and their families are aligned with the established health and safety measures. Employing these staff members also seeks to reactivate the local economy.
We guarantee a safe, soul-fulfilling trip to all our travelers for whom we make these adventures possible.
Terra Explorer will strictly comply with the safety, cleaning, and hygiene protocols during our internal processes, third parties, and throughout your trip. This involves:
Follow the instructions related to health and safety given by the Terra Explorer team and your guide, before and during your trip.
Stay home if:
With the intention of delivering the most flexibility at the time of confirming your trip, we will determine the amount of the initial deposit individually and according to your itinerary characteristics.
Secure your trip with a deposit and pay the rest in one or more payments, at a time that suits you best. Please make sure you adhere to our policy and pay in full at least 31 days prior to your trip date.
If you need to cancel your trip, we will apply the following flexible policies.
For more detailed information on our terms and conditions and Covid-19 policies, please contact us at [email protected]
