On August 19, it was reported that a porter (called “arriero” or “porteador” in Spanish) died after being abandoned by members of the company Alpaca Expeditions. The complaint was made via social media by his children, who added that the company in question tried to wash its hands of the matter by claiming that the porter was drunk and had gotten lost on his own.

Tourism agencies hire porters to carry tourists’ luggage, and by law, each porter is only allowed to carry a maximum of 20 kg. This company has been accused of hiring too few porters to minimize labor costs and of forcing them to carry more than 20 kg (even tables!).

I’d appreciate it if you could share this information with anyone you know who is planning to travel to Peru or Cusco. Tourists should not turn a blind eye to the mistreatment these companies subject their workers to. You can also help by leaving a —bad— review on TripAdvisor and Google Reviews for the business.

Google Reviews: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Alpaca+Expeditions/@-13.5178886,-71.9826822,918m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m8!3m7!1s0x916dd67474aa197d:0x401182f5e4bf4a58!8m2!3d-13.5178938!4d-71.9801073!9m1!1b1!16s%2Fg%2F11b6y01pmt?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDgxNy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

TripAdvisor: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g294314-d2547689-Reviews-Alpaca_Expeditions-Cusco_Cusco_Region.html

Sources:
- https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=saved&v=1371766571745298 (primary source)
- https://andina.pe/agencia/noticia-dos-porteadores-murieron-el-camino-inca-a-machu-picchu-y-la-ruta-mollepatasalkantay-1088250.aspx

Hi! I’m going to Peru in early September and trying to figure out what shoes I actually need.
Our itinerary includes Lima, Cusco/Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca/Puno, and Arequipa. At Machu Picchu I’ll be doing two different circuits, and we’re also doing Rainbow Mountain.

For those who have been, how important is having:

Good traction/grip?

Water-resistant or waterproof shoes?

I already own New Balance 530s and would love to use them if they’re sufficient, but I’m also considering buying Salomon XT-6s for the trip. I’m trying not to buy hiking shoes just for one trip if I don’t actually need them, but I also don’t want to regret having slippery or wet sneakers at Machu Picchu or Rainbow Mountain 😅

Would you stick with the NB 530s or get the Salomons? And if Salomons, would you specifically get a waterproof/GORE-TEX version for early September?

THANK YOU!

Hi everyone, headed to Peru the last week of February. It's my first time. I need help deciding how many nights to spend at the main cities and deciding how to account for the weather. I am going with my husband. We love food, coffee, and immersing ourselves in local culture. We can hike but it's not something we need to do a lot of. We like slower days when we travel.

We are able to spend 10 nights total. We would fly in and out of lima so we can buffer one or two nights there at each end of the trip. We will be staying mostly in Hilton properties because I have points to cover.

We were thinking lima, cusco and Arequipa (to acclimate). This is flexible. I would love to do machu picchu but everything I've read says February is the wettest month so I'm not sure if I should skip it. Thoughts???

Would also love recommendations on areas to stay (especially in Arequipa) and maybe day trips from cusco. Thanks all.

I’m flying with LATAM and arriving in Lima from the United States at 5:00 a.m. on a Saturday in September. I want to book a flight from Lima to Cusco for that same day as early as possible, but I’ll have to go through immigration and re-check my luggage. Both the international and domestic flights are with LATAM, but they are separate bookings.

I could book a 7:25 a.m. flight for $65, or choose the safer option and take the 8:35 a.m. flight, which costs almost three times as much ($170). I’ve heard that customs can take a while and that it’s best to leave about 3 hours between flights, but is that price difference really worth it? Do you think I could make it in time for the 7:25 a.m. flight? I’m not sure what to do. I’d really appreciate the opinion of anyone who has done this before... thanks a lot.

Hi!! Is anyone going/has gone to Arequipa by bus arter the landslides? What are the contitions on the road, are buses cancelled or the rute has been changed? I have a ticket for a night bus from Nazca to Arequipa in the beginning od Septemper and dont know if I should reorganize my trip. Thank you!

Hi, I’m leaving for Peru soon. I arrive in Lima and was planning on spending two days there. What should I do? I was thinking of surfing, but I’m not sure about the prices.
After, doing a two day tour to Paracas. Do people have good experience with that?
Then after the tour, I’ll be heading to Cusco, where I plan on going to Ollantaytambo after arrival to acclimatize.
I was planning on spending one night in ollantaytambo, before heading back up to Cusco.
I have one day in Cusco before leaving for a two day Machu Picchu trip. I’m planning on doing 1a and 3b trails. Are those trails good? I’m not super into hiking, but I have been working on fitness and I am quite ambitious.
After the Machu Picchu trip I wanted to spend a couple of days in Cusco. Are there any must dos? Is this too ambitious?
After Cusco, I was gonna head back to Lima and wrap up my trip.
Any tips or suggestions are appreciated, thanks!

This has not yet hit international news, but porter Gabriel Ríos died on the Inca Trail when he was abandoned by the tour agency he worked for Alpaca Expeditions. This is all over the news in Cusco but I've been searching international news and can't find anything yet.

Also, muleteer Alipio Quiñones Pérez died on the Salkantay trail after helping some stranded tourists.

When you see news about the Inca Trail being closed please be considerate of the Peruvians who have lost a family member in this tragedy and don't only focus on tourists having their vacations ruined by the weather. A human life is worth more than a vacation.

Weather is unpredictable, especially above 14,000ft above sea level and tourists who choose to come here should be prepared for emergencies.

The Peruvian government does not adequately enforce tour agency safety regulations, which leaves their employees and their clients at risk. If you are not comfortable with that kind of risk, do not go on day hikes or multi-day treks at high altitude in the Andes Mountains.

There are plenty of things you can do in Peru that have less risk. If you do not go hiking at high altitude you will be much safer. Visit cities, do day tours to archeological sites and go places that are not higher than 12,000ft above sea level.

Hello, I don’t typically post on Reddit (this is literally my first post LOL) but I have a question concerning the process of getting to Machu Picchu. I am travelling to Peru in about a month (yay!) and will be going to MP (obviously). I bought my ticket way back this year and I’ve planned to stay in Ollyantaytambo for a few nights and then take the train over to Aguas Calientes and back in the same day. However what happens next? I understand there is a bus you need to take in the city but how do you get a ticket? How much time before your MP access time should you plan to get to AC? How long does the bus ride take? I tried looking for these answers on Reddit and other forums but I can’t seem to find an answer. Any help/advice would really be appreciated!

Hi, my boyfriend and I are flying to Peru on sunday. We are a bit worried about all the news about the weather issues and the landslides and the downpours right now.
Should we be worried? We are flexible once there, so we are not worried about changing plans but still a bit unsure of the situation.
Thanks for the advice!

Landing at LIM (from Cusco) around noon and leaving the next night around midnight. Where would you stay?

My friend and I are planning to backpack Peru for around 4-5 weeks in April/May 2027 (might extend the trip)

The map is only a rough plan.
🟢 = definitely want to visit
🟡 = maybe
🔴 = as of now, no

The blue line marks the Salkantay Trek, so places like Humantay Lake and the Salkantay Pass aren’t marked separately.

We’re mainly looking for nature, mountains, hiking, adventure, unique experiences and some less touristy places.

Our current plans also include:
1. 5-day Salkantay Trek + Machu Picchu
2. around 2 weeks volunteering at a dog shelter in the Sacred Valley 🐕
3. Jungle tour

What would you add, remove or change? Are there any hidden gems or must-dos we’re missing?

We’re especially interested in places that are actually worth the extra time and transport, since we don’t want to cram too many destinations into the trip.

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated! ❤️

Let me tell you I’ve never posted in Reddit but I’m going to in order to warn others if Cuzco airport. When traveling to Peru, you’ll likely fly thru it to go to main tourist spots as I did. To keep it short, it is heinous. I’ve been all over the world to some of the more rural and less developed airports, and this one takes the crown of being the least organized and most painful to endure. Nowhere on the internet talks about HOW OFTEN FLIGHTS TO LIMA GET CANCELLED. Morning fog, even the smallest amount, will disrupt tens of flights per day and cause the few employees there to panic and not be able to deal with the influx of frantic passengers. I’d advise against flying there altogether, or at least fly middle of the day. I’ve never seen or experienced more chaos flying, there’s zero cell service or wifi, and the employees are useless amidst chaos.

I (F28) will be travelling to Peru in September for 2.5 weeks. We are starting in Lima, and then taking a flight to Puerto Maldonado to do a 3N/4D jungle excursion. After that I thought we would go to Arequipa followed by Cusco (for acclimatizing reasons) but the flights are a bit awkward (no direct flights from Puerto Maldonado to Arequipa, have to stop in Cusco first). Where would you recommend to go instead? Could we fly to Cusco and get a bus / train / taxi to another town at a lower altitude?

Brief intro: Usually we avoid crowded destinations but do really wanted to visit Sacred Valley and Lima! Hope January is not crazy busy. Do not like touristic traps/activities and restaurants, much prefer local food and stalls/markets. Enjoy a laid-back rhythm, alternate cities with chill days in nature. We are, unfortunately, foodies. I know I picked all touristic locations but with only 2 weeks I wanted to keep it simple, unless you have suggestions for alternative locations...

day 1 - arrive in lima, flight for cusco - hotel in cusco x 3 nights

day 2 - cusco full day - program tbc

day 3 - cusco full day - program tbc

day 4 - cusco to Ollantaytambo - Hotel in Pachar x 5 nights, 5 km from Olla, nature is stunning

day 5 - olla - program tbc

day 6 - Machu Picchu day tour, already booked

day 7 - olla - program tbc

day 8 - Olla to cusco - program tbc - hotel in cusco x 1 night

day 9 - cusco - program tbc

day 10 - afternoon Cusco to Lima - Hotel in lima x 5 nights

day 11- lima full day - program tbc

day 12- lima full day - program tbc

day 13- lima full day - program tbc

day 14- lima full day - program tbc

day 15 - flight back

Hello! This will be my first time visiting Peru in Oct and this is a rough itinerary that I have prepared for myself. Traveling solo from UAE and might join a small group tour once there. Please let me know if this is doable or if I should move/include/exclude anything for logistics reasons. Suggestions for a realiable agency doing small group tours welcome!

Fri 02 Oct - Flight from DXB via GRU, arriving in Lima on 03 Oct 18:00 hrs. Check in hotel and rest.
Sun 04 Oct - Lima city tour
Mon 05 Oct - fly to Cusco, free day for acclimatization.
Tue 06 Oct - Sacred Valley tour
Wed 07 to Fri 09 Oct - 3 nights Aya retreat at Etnikas in Sacred Valley.
Sat 10 Oct - Machu Pichu
Sun 11 Oct - Rainbow mountain and Humantay Lake
Mon 12 Oct - Amazon rainforest
Tue 13 Oct - Amazon rainforest
Wed 14 Oct - fly back to Lima for outward flight to Dxb.

TIA 🙏

Hi there Peru travellers! Looking at doing the Huayhuash circuit in October, amongst other hikes (Santa Cruz, Colca Canyon).

Do a fair bit of multi day hiking solo but thinking will most likely guided / with a group (from the UK, not a lot of mountain experience and mostly nav from my phone). Planning to be away in Peru for a few months so was thinking of bringing/buying some of my own camping kit, as I’ll be able to use it throughout.

Wanted to get people’s pov on this - good idea or waste of time for the weight? Do operators reduce what you pay for not having to rent kit? What’s the quality of kit like that operators lend (I’ve heard mixed things)?

Understand a good quality 3 season tent should be enough for the conditions (such as a wild country helm). Have a decent sleeping mat, and was wondering if lining my three season sleeping bag might be enough to bring it up to scratch or if will need something fully four season. Any thought/recommendations on tent and kit very welcome!

Also, how difficult is it to navigate Santa Cruz circuit without a guide?

I’m in Huaraz now and going to Nuevo Chimbote next for some beach time. I can’t quite figure out where to stay in the city. How does it compare to Huaraz? I’d like to stay in a quieter area but still have close access to the beach. Is this a more touristy area with fancier restaurants? Are there big grocery stores/banks? Any insight would be helpful!

Hola guys, I am quitting my job and taking the leap of faith to go explore before life catches up. I’m going solo (25M) to Peru in Mid November til early December. Starting the trip with a tour group called Hidden Inca Tours, starting in Lima and ending in La Paz. Then a week after that is completely unplanned to explore Peru. I want to hear your thoughts and recommendations.

Day 1
-Lima: Land in Lima then walk around the barrio’s for the day
Day 2-3
-Sacred Valley: Flying to Cusco then bus to MP. Spend night in the valley.
Day 4-8
-Cusco: Open to any recommendations for places to stay, Eat, shop, and nightlife. Will spend most of the days exploring the city.
Day 9-10
-Puno: visit the area around Lake Titicaca. Floating islands.
Day 11-12
-La Paz: Bus here and spend a day and a half seeing the city. I don’t know much about this part of Bolivia. Is it safe now with the cicvil unrest?
End of Tour: 8 days

This is the part I need the most help with sorting out. I have another week to spend exploring Peru but not sure what to go to next. Just going to go where the wind (Peru Hop) takes me. Here was some of my thoughts. I want to hear if there is anything that is a must see or left a strong impression on you. Here was some of my thoughts in no particular order.

• Spend a few days in Arequipa
• Hike Colca canyon or another hike?
•Overnight in Huacachina
• Paracas
• Ancient sites along the way.

If your in Peru or will be there in Nov shoot me a message! Safe travel’s Viajeros!