For the short stay you’ll have in Peru, no visa is required, as long as you have a valid passport. When you arrive, you’ll be given a tourist card to fill out along with a customs declaration. The Immigration officer your first stop within the airport in Lima, will hand a small card back to you. You MUST take good care of this card, which is required to be shown for hotels and upon your departure from Peru. Please hold onto this: it is important to have upon departure from Peru. My recommendation is to bring a paper clip along, to attach it inside your passport.
I also recommend making a photocopy of your passport to bring to Peru (of the main, two-page spread which includes your photo). There are cases where you’ll need to carry identification (such as for changing money), where a copy of the passport is sufficient.
Once at the hotel, it is a good idea to put your passports and airplane tickets in the hotel safe.

Spanish is spoken in Peru, but in many parts of the Andes you’ll hear Quechua, the language of the Incas.
Throughout the trip you’ll be with the local guide who speaks English Quechua and Spanish. Nonetheless, any words you can learn on your own in Spanish may help you have a richer experience in Peru. Quechua is completely unlike either English or Spanish, and you’ll begin to recognize common words during our stay. It was the language of the Incas and was spoken throughout their vast empire.

Having democratically elected Alan Garcia, Peru is probably in the best political shape in the past twenty years. The terrorist movements were crushed in the early 90's by Pres. Fujimori, but he in turn became a corrupt leader. Some years ago, he took refuge in Japan, claiming Japanese citizenship, now he is in jail in Peru.

If you are open to trying new food, you may love Peruvian food. But as with travel anywhere, there are several precautions to take. The water in Lima and Cusco is safe. However, as water may have bacteria that locals are used to, it is still a good idea to drink bottled water always, brush your teeth with the same water and be careful when you shower with the tap water. Bottled mineral water is plentiful and inexpensive in Peru. Also always peel fruits and try to avoid uncooked vegetables and ice. Although Peruvian cuisine is not necessarily spicy, you should be aware of aji, Peruvian chili peppers that can come in several colors, green, red and orange. They are very hot, and served particularly with ceviche, the national dish. The most famous (or infamous) delicacy in the Cusco area is cuy, a delicacy; something the Incas first raised in large quantities. No matter how much it tastes like chicken, you should know that it is actually guinea pig. Before you leave, you’ll undoubtedly have a chance to try Peru’s best beer and the pride of Cusco, Cusqueña, and it’s the national cocktail, a Pisco Sour.

No particular shots are required for Arequipa, Cusco, Machupicchu or Puno. The area's high altitude keeps it out of the malaria zone, and no other diseases in the area have been reported within the last few months by the World Health Organization. If you will be visiting more tropical and jungle regions of the country, i recommend to take yellow fever shots and please follow up with an update on anti-malarials for the region, depending on latest reports. IN THE MEANTIME, PLEASE FIND THE NEAREST "TRAVELER'S MEDICAL CLINIC" or other medical facility that can provide inoculations they may be recommending.

Two issues are important to consider when it comes to your enjoyment of the adventure: health and safety. The biggest threats to your health – altitude sickness (soroche) and feeling ill from bad water – can be handled with some conscious thought and attention. As for your personal safety, there is absolutely nothing to fear in terms of terrorism or political violence for us in Peru. However, while Peru tends to overestimate these concerns, we sometimes underestimate more mundane issues such as pick pocketing and petty theft. Neither is especially high in Cusco, Puno, Arequipa, Machupicchu , etc or the Rain forest area, but please it is worth paying attention to in Lima. My first recommendation is not to bring anything to Peru that you couldn’t bear to lose. Expensive jewelry is neither necessary nor appropriate in the places we’ll be going to. Second, use a money belt for essential items such as passports and large dollar denominations. A fanny pack is better than nothing, but not as effective as something inside the waist of your pants or underneath your shirt. Third, clothing with pockets that can close with Velcro, a zipper or a button mean you can walk without having to worry about valuables falling out or being snatched.

In order to know what to bring, you of course need to know what weather to expect. You will be visiting Peru at a good time for being outdoors; It is the dry season in the Andes and the rain forest, on the coast it is winter, if is sunny days will in the mid 60’s and low 70’s, with nights getting down to the 40’s (in the Andes). In Machupicchu the range is less great, with highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the 60’s. In the rain forest it is hotter (85’s – 95’) and wet. You should dress comfortably for an active week. Long pants are essential for Cusco and Puno evenings, but shorts are a lot easier for trail days. To save space, consider the hiking pants that can be zipped off at the thigh, allowing you to adjust during the day on the trail. Those with zippered, velcro or buttoned pockets add to your security too. Likewise shirts/blouses that have some pockets with long sleeves that can be rolled up will work for high altitudes, where temperatures can change quickly. A fleece on top should be more than enough for the hikes, and can be complemented with a Peruvian sweater in Cusco in case it gets colder than expected there. Peru is a poor country: you’ll find that your clean clothes are more than formal enough for any evening occasions you may partake in. Most important, as Forrest Gump might say, is comfortable footwear. Go for strong, sturdy and supportive walking shoes/hiking boots. Even if you’re not walking the length of the Inca trail, Cusco is a city of cobblestone streets. It is up to you if you’d like to bring a nicer pairs of shoes for other times, but the truth is, the city’s restaurants are quite used to “Hiker Fashion.”

Peru has a diversity of microclimates. On the coast, it almost never rains, it is winter between April and October where it is cool in some areas such as Lima (minimum 12°C/54°F); it is warm (avg. 23°C/74°F) between November and March. In the Andes, the rainy season (between November and March) is warmer; the dry season (between April and October) is colder, with temperatures below freezing at night, but with good temperate in the day. In the Rainforest the rainy and dry seasons are the same as in the Andes, but it is generally warm all the time (30°C/86°F).

During the tour we will see and meet many locals, especially kids, and it is always nice to bring for them some gifts like: Pencils, pens, crayons, note books, toys, used clothes, etc, etc. Anything that you could bring will be very welcome!!!

1. Get in shape! The better health you are in before arriving, the easier the walking will be on the trail. There’s so much to see in Cusco, and so much more to explore at Machupicchu, that you’ll want as much energy as possible. 2. Check your Passport. If you need a new one, get started now. If you don’t, make two photocopies of the main pages. 3. Take note of your diet and how being in a different country with food choices. Consider multi-vitamins, digestive enzymes and other supplements. Also consider just I case buying Imodium or other anti-diarrheals. 4. Practice packing. As you’ve heard a dozen times, less is more. But especially in Cusco, where there are lots of interesting things to buy, you’ll want room for things to bring back (especially an alpaca or wool sweater which is inexpensive, but sometimes bulky!). Leave behind things that are so valuable that you couldn’t stand to lose them.

To make sure you have an enjoyable trip, I have organized the following list of items you should remember to bring with you. I have arranged the list in order of importance, however, each member may have very many different needs, so don’t count on this to be your ultimate list.

Valid passport (must be valid for at least the duration of your trip)
Return ticket
Credit cards: Visa, American, Dinners, etc
Health documents (i.e., proof of vaccinations; if you have them)
Health insurance (if you have)
Dictionary/Electronic translator
Pen, yes a pen!
Clothing
Belt
Hiking Boots (Gore-Tex)
Hat
Light raincoat or jacket (Gore-Tex)
Long-sleeve shirts/pants (these may come in handy to prevent excessive mosquito biting and other unpleasant encounters with nature)
Pouches (waist/leg) for document safekeeping
Sandals
Shoes/sneakers
Shorts
Socks
Sweater (can get chilly in the evening due to altitude)
T-Shirts
Underwear
Health kit and other trip essentials
Mosquito repellent
Advil/Aspirine
Band-aids
Contact lenses/solution
Deodorant
Hairbrush/comb
Lip balm
Lotion
Nail clippers/pocket knife
Prescription glasse
Q-tips/cotton balls
Shaving kit
Sunglasses
Sunscreen / bug repellant
Toothbrush/paste/dental floss
Other equipment
Walking sticks (if you need them to hike)
AC Adaptors (we use 220V)
Backpack
Batteries
Binoculars
Camera, charger, adaptor/cable to download pictures, etc.
Compass
Flashlight
Lighter/matches
Locks
Travel clock/watch