"Essential" Cusco and Machu Picchu

Sturdy shoes, a good raincoat, and warm layers for the evening are the only essential items. Bring comfortable and modest clothes for the time in Cusco. There is no need to bring a sleeping bag or any gear as you’ll be staying in lodges throughout the expedition.

Documents and Logistics:

• International flights booked and confirmed to Cusco
• Flight information submitted
• Passport valid through end of trip (*Passport and entry receipt must be carried at all times during expedition!)
• Medical insurance card
• Cash for tipping guides, buying souvenirs, incidental costs, etc. (*Note: Please bring crisp US bills. Many places will not accept torn, wrinkled, or worn bills)

Airport and airlines located in the port of city of Callao, Lima´s Aeropuerto Internacional Jorge Chavez 01-517-3100 www.lap.com.pe.

Callao is serviced by flights from North, Central and South America, and two regular direct flights from Europe (Madrid and Ansterdam) check the airport website or call 01-511-6055 for update departure and arrival schedules for domestic and international flights.

Cusco has the only other airport with international al service to La Paz, Bolivia.

With a few exceptions (notably some Asian, African and Communist countries), Visa are not requiered for travelers entering Peru.

Tourist are permited a 30 to 90 day stay, wich is stamped into their passports and onto a turist card called Tarjeta Andina de Migracion “TAM”(Andean Immigration card), that you must return upon leaving the country.

Be careful not to lose your tourist card, or you will have to queue at immigration office (oficina de migraciones), also simply known as migraciones to get a replacement card. It is a good idea to carry your passport and TAM on your pocket at all times especially when traveling in remote areas, for example: it is required by law on the Inca Trail.

For security get a photocopy of both documents and keep them in a separate place form the originals.

Peru uses the Nuevo Sol (S), which has traded from S3.00 to S3.30 per US dollar (US$) for several years although you should keep an eye on current events.

Carrying cash, an ATM card or traveler´s checks, as well as a credit card that can be use for cash advances in case of emergency, is advisable.

When receiving local currency, always ask for small bills (billetes pequeños), as S100 bills is hard to change in small towns or for small purchases. Carry as much spare change as posible, especially in small towns.

Public bathrooms often charge a small fee for use and getting change for paper can be darn near impossible.

The best places to exchange money are normally foreign exchange bureaus (casa de cambio), which are fast, have longer hours and often give slightly better rates than banks.

Many places accept US dollars. Do not accept torn money as it will likely not be aceppted by Peruvians.

It is best not to change money on the street as counterfeits are a problem.

What are the standars plugs?

Electrical current is 220V, 60HZ AC, Standard outlets accep round prongs, but many places will have dual-voltage outlets which take flat prongs. Even so, you may need and adapter with a built-in surge protector.

Peru is a diverse country in natural and cultural resources so you only need a passport to enter the country and take some precautions that will help you to enjoy the wealth of this beautiful land.

Public pay phones operated by Telefonica-Peru (www.telefonica.com.pe) or Claro-Perú (www.claro.com.pe)  are available on the street even in small towns. Most pay phones work with phone cards which can be purchased at supermarkets and groceries. Often internet cafes have private phone booths with ¨net-to-phone¨ and ¨net-to-net¨ capabilities (such as skype), where you can talk for pennies or even for free.

When calling Peru from abroad, dial the international access code for the country you are in, then Peru¨s country code (51), then the area code without the 0 and finally, the local number.

When making international calls from Peru, dial the international access code (00), then the country code of where you are calling to, then the area code and finally the local phone number.

In Peru any telephone number beginning with a 9 is a cell-phone number. Numbers beginning with 0800 are often toll-free only when dialed from private phones, not from public pay phones.

Peru is five hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). It is the same as Eastern Standard Time (EST) in North America.

Daylight Saving Time (DST) is not used in Peru, so add an hour to all of these times between the first Sunday in April and the last Sunday in October.

Peru has three main climatic zones: the tropical Amazon jungle to the east, the arid coastal desert to the west, and the Andean mountains and highlands in between. In the Andes, which have altitudes over 3500m. average daily temperatures are around 10°C (50°F) and overnight temperatures can dip will below freezing. Travelers flying straight to Cuzco (3250m), or their hight altitude cities, should allow several days to aclimatize since altitude sickness or soroche can be a problem.

April to November is the dry season in the mountain and Andean Plateau (altiplano). the wetts months are from December to March. It rains al the time in the hot and humit rainforest, but the driest months there are from April from November. However, even during the wettest months from December to March, it rarely rains for more than a few hours at a time. Along the arid coastal strip, the hot summer months are form December throught March.