Awesome Andes: Pre-Trip Information

PLEASE READ THIS INFORMATION COMPLETELY AND CAREFULLY.

Required Forms

All of our Riders are required to complete the following forms:

Please download, print and complete the forms and bring them with you to your tour starting point. (note: the waiver is legal size - if you print it on 8 1/2 x 11, it will take two pages)

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance, including emergency evacuation coverage, is compulsory for all our tours. We recommend that you purchase travel insurance that includes cancellation protection so that you will be covered in the event that you are unable to attend our tour (due to injury, illness or other unforeseen circumstances) or in the unlikely event that our tour must be cancelled.

You can purchase discounted comprehensive insurance from World Nomads directly via our site at our insurance page

Arrival and Departure Airport

You should fly into and out of Lima International Airport (LIM). Please see the schedule page for the exact pickup and dropoff times for your particular trip. You can, if necessary, arrive earlier - we will arrange a pickup for you.

Pickup & Drop-off Information

Included in the price of your trip is a free shuttle from the airport to our hotel in Lima, the El Tambo hotel. Upon leaving customs and heading into the main passenger pickup area of Lima airport, turn right and head to the Super Shuttle counter. We will have a pre-arranged shuttle booked for you to take you to the hotel. n.b.: You will need to notify us in advance of your flight number and arrival time.

On the last riding day of the trip, we will return to Lima in the evening. We will offer shuttles all day to Lima airport from our hotel the next day (see the schedule page for the airport drop dates/times). If you are staying longer in Lima and/or Peru, then you will need to arrange your own shuttle back to the airport (the reception at our hotel in Lima can arrange this for you).

Flights

We do not book international flights for our clients. Please contact your local travel agent for information on booking flights for this trip.

Extending your trip

If you want to extend your trip by arriving early or staying on after your trip, we have several excellent trip extensions (all trips include flights):

1) Machu Picchu trip (3 days, 2 nights): $900 CAD

2) Colca Canyon/Arequipa trip (4 days, 3 nights): $1050 CAD

3) Tambopata National Reserve/Amazon Jungle trip (4 days, 3 nights): $1200 CAD

4) Puna + Lake Titicaca (3 days, 2 nights): $650 CAD

For more information on these side trips, please click here to download the pdf.

These trips can be booked online when making your original booking or can be added to your booking at any time. n.b.: There is a single supplement fee for solo travellers if there is no one that we can pair you up with.

Extra Hotel Nights

If you are staying longer in Lima and wish to book extra nights at our hotels there, please call or email using the information below:

Hotel El Tambo, Lima
email: eltamboperu@speedy.com.pe
phone: +51-446-6733

Fitness Requirements

You should have a moderate to high level of fitness and be able to bike for up to five hours a day in order to fully enjoy the spectacular scenery and riding on this trip.

We recommend you train in advance of this trip, in order to get the most out of this trip. We have partnered with Fit for Trips to develop customized training programs for you in advance of your trip. We recommend beginning your training at least 2 months prior to your trip. For more information, please visit the Sacred Rides page at Fit for Trips.

Travelling with your bike

If you've never traveled with your bike, don't worry - it's much easier than you think! If you don't have a case for your bike, then you can pick up a cardboard travel box for your bike at your local store. Some stores will also pack your bike up for you for a fee.

Alternately, if you are planning on traveling with your bike more than just this one time, we sell travel bags for bikes, handmade by Pikapackworks. These travel bags are specially made for bikes and can often go on flights without having to pay the extra charges incurred by cardboard boxes or hard cases. The bags cost $395, including shipping withing North America. Click here for more information on our bags.

Bike Rentals

At present we do not offer bike rentals for this trip. We strongly recommend you bring your own bike on this trip, however we may be able to arrange a private rental through our lead guide or one of his friends in Lima. Please contact our office to enquire about availability.

What type of bike should you bring?

We recommend you bring a solid cross-country or light all-mountain bike with you on this trip, with at least 4" of travel and front & rear hydraulic disc brakes. Ideal weight is 25-30 pounds - a good compromise between being light enough for long climbs and beefy enough for technical trails.

Armor and Helmet

Although not mandatory, if you have arm and leg protection, bring it with you. Full-body protection is not necessary, nor are full-face helmets.

Spare Parts for your Bike

Although there are some parts available locally, we recommend you bring the following parts with you to Peru to avoid problems in case of breakdown or broken parts:

rear derailleur hanger (at least 1, preferably 2)
front and rear brake pads
extra chain if your chain is more than 6 months old
4 tubes
4 extra spokes
shock pump

Weather and Clothing

The weather in the Peruvian lowlands can be quite warm, with highs between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius. However, it can and will get quite cool in the mountains, especially at higher altitudes where it can get as low as 5 degrees Celsius (41 Fahrenheit). We recommend you bring layered clothing that you can wear while riding and in the evenings (e.g. start your ride with a long-sleeve jersey in the morning and then take off a layer once you warm up). You'll want to bring long pants and a light jacket for the evenings spent up in the mountains.

Although rain is rare in the winter months, it isn't unheard of, so we recommend you bring some sort of rain gear or shell.

Passports & Visas

All travelers require a valid passport (with a minimum of 6 months validity). Citizens of some countries will also require a visa. For more information, visit the World Travel Guide website.

Altitude

Much of the riding on this trip occurs at moderate to high altitude (2,000 m/6,600 ft to 4,500m/14,000 ft.). If you are in decent shape without any lung conditions, the acclimatization we do at the start of the trip should be sufficient. If you are concerned about your ability to deal with altitude we recommend arriving a day or two early and doing some extra riding in the Lima area. Please contact our office to enquire about additional riding/acclimatization days. So far we have had no clients experience anything more severe than a mild headache or sinus congestion.

We do recommend you bring Diamox, just in case.

Emergency Contacts

If you need to contact us in an emergency, you can reach us during office hours at the following numbers:

Dialing within North America: 1 (888) 423-7849
Dialing outside of North America: +1 (647) 999-7955
If you feel that you need to contact us outside of office hours, our Peru operations manager Wayo Stein can be contacted at +51-1-99511-7026

If you do not receive an immediate answer when calling the above numbers, please leave us a detailed message and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Food

We take care to select restaurants that are well-regarded for their cleanliness, in order to avoid food-borne illness. We also supply you with bottled water for drinking for the duration of your trip. However, there is always some risk of contracting a food-borne illness when traveling in a developing country. We recommend you exercise caution when purchasing food, and avoid unwashed fruit and vegetables and improperly cooked meals.

Vaccination Requirements

Vaccinations are required for Peru. In general, you will require typhoid, Hepatitis A, yellow fever, measles/mumps/rubella, and tetanus vaccinations for this trip. However, for the most up-to-date information, please visit your local travel clinic.

Safety & Security

Peru is a very safe country, however certain precautions should be followed, as with all foreign travel. To maximize your safety during our tours you should exercise common sense and caution at all times. We recommend that you always stick to set travel arrangements, and avoid unknown areas. We also recommend that you wear minimal jewelry and that you keep valuable items safely stored. Always keep a copy of your passport, airline tickets, travelers checks and credit card numbers separate from where you keep the originals.

Meals

On this trip, all breakfasts and lunches are included in the trip price. Dinners are not included and are typically taken in local restaurants. You should budget $10-$15 CAD per dinner (depending on the quality of restaurants you choose).

Other expenses and best ways to get/use money

Other expenses include souvenirs, alcoholic beverages, and optional activities such as massage. The best way to pay for these services is to withdraw money from an ATM in Lima with your bank card - you can withdraw local money and will usually be charged the best rate by your bank at home. However, you will typically be charged about $5 per transaction, so we recommend withdrawing enough for 2 or 3 days at a time to avoid paying bank fees every day.

Tipping

Gratuities of 5-10% are common in Peru. We encourage you to tip your guides if you feel you have received excellent service and have had an enjoyable trip. A typical gratuity $20 - $100 per guide.

Currency exchange

The Peruvian currency is the Nuevo Sol. For the latest currency exchange information use the Yahoo! Currency Exchange Calculator

Useful Links

For additional information about travelling in Peru, visit the Peru Tourism website

Our Guarantee

We're so sure you'll have an amazing time on this trip that we're offering a satisfaction guarantee. View more information about our guarantee.