Cycle Peru to Machu Picchu
Cruise down the high passes of the Andes to the steamy jungle of the Amazon Basin in Peru’s mystical Sacred Valley
What's Included?
Small Like-minded Groups
Solo-friendly by design, join our small n’ sociable groups of up to 13 like-minded, active and outdoorsy people…
…
What's it like?
Take on the most spectacular of high-altitude descents: roll 2200m downhill, past glacial peaks and dense jungle
Pedal between ancient Incan ruins and terraces in the Sacred Valley, tucking into tasty Peruvian food en route
Bed down in picture-perfect campsites beside the hot mineral springs and dramatic gorges of Lares and Cocalmayo
Cap it all off with a visit to the legendary Incan citadel of Machu Picchu, perched high in the Andes
Key Information
Day 1
Welcome to Peru
Touch down in Cusco and enjoy a wander around the historic centre for spectacular mountain views and colonial buildings a-plenty. Cusco sits at 3300m above sea level, so expect to feel the altitude – drink plenty of water to help you acclimatise. Get to know your guide and fellow adventurers over dinner and hear all about the week ahead.
Day 2
Ancient ruins and rides
Cycling
Meet the rest of your support crew this morning and get set up with your bikes before heading off on an easy, scenic ride through the countryside, past lakes, farms and rural villages, all set against the insanely beautiful backdrop of the dividing ridge of the Andes. You’ll ride to Chinchero to meet local artisans in their outdoor weaving cooperatives, and explore an Inca ruin with extensive terracing and incredible views. Next up, Moray – a mysterious complex of massive amphitheatres said to have been the Incas’ agricultural lab and research centre. Head back to Cusco for another night of acclimatisation and perhaps some local music after dinner.
Day 3
Into the Sacred Valley
Cycling
Today you’ll ride from the South Valley, beginning in the outskirts of Cusco, to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Each town you pass through is famed for a particular speciality – Oropesa is known for its bread, Tipón for cuy (guinea pig), Saylla for chicharrones (pork with mint) and Lucre for pato (duck) – so there’s plenty to keep you fuelled up. You’ll cycle through the famed Sacred Valley, riding along the Urubamba River to your overnight spot in Lamay. This sleepy little farming village has one tiny, funky bar with local microbrews on tap which is well worth a visit for a nightcap or two.
Day 4
Get your friendly haggle on
Cycling
This morning you’ll take a quick transfer to the Inca fortress of Pisac and then ride onto Calca, where you can visit the local market and chat with the locals. You’ll then drive up to a high pass and hit the dirt road all the way downhill to the Lares Hot Spring, sitting beside a raging river nestled in a dramatic gorge. The yellow thermal spring complex is filled with rich minerals and is a popular place to soak and restore, ideal after a day in the saddle.
Day 5
From high pass to high jungle
Cycling
Today you’ll cross the watershed from the Pacific to the Atlantic side of the Andes – into the steamy Amazon Basin. If you enjoy biking downhill through stunning scenery on perfect dirt road, today will probably be the greatest day of your life. You’ll drive up to a 4425m pass, then sit back on your bike and roll all the way down to the high jungle, losing more than 2000m of altitude along the way! Sit back and watch the scenery change as you pass glacial plains above the treeline, through hardy highland trees, past the tiny towns of Kelcaybamba and Ocobamba, into the high jungle. You’ll end the day riding along a river through dense green jungle, past orchids, bromeliads, and ferns to your overnight jungle campsite.
Day 6
The final descent
Cycling
Waking up to the hum of the jungle, you’ll have an early start and grab breakfast before setting off on your last ride. You’ll descend to the Yanatile valley floor on undulating dirt roads, through banana, papaya and coffee plantations. Stopping for lunch at a quinta (a breezy outdoor restaurant serving traditional Peruvian meals), you’ll wave goodbye to your trusty steed and drive along a narrow country backroad to Santa Teresa where you’ll camp beside the beautiful Cocalmayo Hot Springs – the ideal spot for another restorative soak and an early night, to prepare for a big day at Machu Picchu tomorrow.
Day 7
Bucket list bonus
Hiking
An early start for the one and only Machu Picchu. A spectacular stone city surrounded by incredibly steep, incredibly green mountains, Machu Picchu needs no introduction and is deservedly one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. Your guide will give you a tour of the massive site and you’ll have some free time to wander around and soak it all in before you catch the train back to Cusco for your last night as a group – Pisco sours all round to celebrate!
Day 8
All good things must come to an end
After your Peruvian adventure, it's time to head home. Your transfer will pick you up from your hotel in Cusco and take you to the airport in time for your onward journey.
The Area
Logistics
Starts
CUZ (Cusco Airport)
Flexible - arrive any time on Day 1
Ends
CUZ (Cusco Airport)
Flexible - catch any flight home on Day 8
Transfers
Your host will pick you up on arrival on Day 1 and drop you off on departure on Day 8. If you arrive early or extend your stay, your host can arrange a private transfer for you. See Optional Extras for pricing.
Travel options
There are regular flights to Cusco from major international airports in the UK, the US and Europe, as well as from Lima.
Day 1
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 2 – Day 3
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 4
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 5
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 6
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 7
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 8
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
What is the food like?
Food is a highlight of any trip to Peru, it is a food-obsessed nation that won the World Travel Award Best Culinary destinations eight years in a row, from 2011 to 2019. In the highlands, the variety of potatoes will astound you. In the jungle you’ll want to try paco - a local fish that tastes like chicken! Other local Amazonian produce like avocados (as big as footballs), coffee, chocolate, yuca and fried plantain will all be sampled throughout. Standout dishes you might like to try include caldo de gallina (a popular soup that includes four kinds of potato and a quarter of a chicken), chicharron (deep-fried pork chunks with lashings of onion and mint), cuy (guinea pig!), locro de zapallo (a sweet and satisfying pumpkin stew) and of course Peru’s flagship dish, ceviche (raw fish marinated in lime juice).
While cycling your host will make sure you experience the full range of local dishes, from a modish, cutting-edge, Novo-Andino fusion restaurant in Cusco, to a soup stand in a rural market, via the hearty soul food of the roadside quintas. Whilst camping, you’ll be catered to by an amazing team of cooks - the quality and quantity of food they produce is a highlight for many.
While Peru is a heavily meat-eating country, your host has no difficulty catering for any kind of dietary requirement from vegetarian and vegan to gluten-free and anything in between - just let them know on your passenger information form.
What is the accommodation like?
Cusco
You'll spend 3 nights in Cusco, usually staying at the Inkarri Cusco Hotel. Offering comfortable and stylish accommodation in central Cusco, and just 4 blocks from Cusco's main square, the hotel is consistently rated as one of the best places to stay in town. The rooms are colourful and all set around a peaceful central garden where breakfast is usually served. Sometimes your host may use the nearby Llipimpac hotel, which is a similar standard of accommodation.
Sacred Valley
You'll spend a night at the El Tambo del Chasqui guesthouse in Lamay. This basic but clean guesthouse offers twin rooms and its own on-site restaurant. It only has 8 rooms so it's likely you'll have the place to yourselves. Bathroom facilities are shared, and depending on the group size it may not be possible to have solo rooms for this night.
Camping
You'll spend three nights camping. The first is at the Lares campsite right next to the hot springs. There are toilets and showers and you'll be there with your cooking crew who will set up a dining tent with tables and stools, all right by the hot pools. The second night will be spent in the jungle in a clearing that is suitable for camping and also home to an abandoned hacienda. There are no showers here but your crew will set up a toilet tent as well as a dining area. All of your camping and sleeping equipment is provided and you will spend the nights in twin-share tents by default. The third night camping is spent beside the Cocalmayo Hot Springs.
Upgrades
For solo travellers looking for their own space, an optional private room and tent can be booked for an extra charge, see Optional Extras for the price. Please request this at the time of booking (this is subject to availability).
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If you’re looking for some exhilarating downhill mountain biking with just a few hills thrown in, through mountains and jungle then this is the trip for you. We experienced local foods and cultures, all topped of with a once in a lifetime trip to Machupichu.
Overall a fantastic and exciting trip, although perhaps not completely as per the itinerary.
Enjoy 12.5% Off Outdoor Gear
In need of a few more items? All bookings receive a 12.5% discount to use at Cotswold Outdoor, Snow + Rock and Runner's Need.
What do I need to bring?
CYCLE KIT
Pedals and saddle if you would rather use your own (these will be fitted to the bike for you)
Helmet (these are provided but bring your own if you'd rather)
Cycling gloves
CLOTHES
Padded cycling shorts
Sports top or cycling jersey
Fleece x 2 or similar layers for the evenings
Rain and windproof lightweight jacket
Buff or neck scarf
Warm hat
Warm gloves
T-shirts
Underwear & socks
Sunglasses and sunhat
Something to sleep in
Cycling shoes/trainers (bring your own pedals if using cleats)
Sandals
Casual clothing for the evenings
OTHER
Swimwear (for hot springs)
Headtorch
Bumbag or small rucksack for riding
Quick-dry travel towel
Power bank or solar charger for camping nights
Universal travel adaptor
Passports (and visas)
Travel Insurance documents
Earplugs (optional)
Suncream
Personal first-aid kit
Insect repellant - essential (not available locally)
Personal items (biodegradable toiletries, sanitary wear etc)
Tissues / toilet roll
Alcohol hand-gel
Reusable water bottle x2
Energy bars and snacks
Single Room in Lima City
Payable Before Departure
Single Room in Lima City
… Per Night
Single/Double/Twin Room at Lima Airport Hotel
Payable Before Departure
Single/Double/Twin Room at Lima Airport Hotel
… Per Night
Double/Twin Room in Lima City
Payable Before Departure
Double/Twin Room in Lima City
… Per Night
Single Room in Cusco
Payable Before Departure
Single Room in Cusco
…
Twin/Double Room in Cusco
Payable Before Departure
Twin/Double Room in Cusco
…
Optional Private Room & Tent Upgrade
Payable Before Departure
Optional Private Room & Tent Upgrade
…
Airport Transfer One Way - Cusco
Payable Before Departure
Airport Transfer One Way - Cusco
… Per Person
Airport Transfer One Way - Lima
Payable Before Departure
Airport Transfer One Way - Lima
… Per Person
Lima Airport to City Hotel
Payable Before Departure
Lima Airport to City Hotel
… Per Person
We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity.
What's the number?
It works out on average at 158kg of CO2 emissions per person, including all local transport, accommodation, food, activities, guides, staff and office operations.
The only thing it doesn’t include right now is flights and travel to the destination. We do make an overall estimate across all our customers separately, but as we don’t book flights, have customers from all corners of the world, and no way of reliably knowing their travel plans, we simply can’t include an individual number in the figure on display here. We’ve got a goal to fix that, so that when you book, there is a way to measure and mitigate the carbon emitted by your flight too.
But what does the number mean?
Yep, hard to picture eh? To give you an idea:
- Driving 1000miles/1609km would be approx. 281kg of CO2 in an average car (or 140.5kg per person if there was 2 of you in it).
- A return economy class flight London - New York would be approx. 1,619kg (1.66 tonnes) per person.
- 10 trees in a temperate forest are estimated to remove approx. 250kg of CO2 from the air in a period of 5-10 years.
What are we doing about it?
Our trips are relatively low-carbon by design, and we're working with all our hosts to develop long term carbon reduction plans. We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity, ensuring the protection of the reserve and its wildlife.
Want to know more?
Amazingly, no international travel company has ever publicly published their carbon measurements before, as far as we know. We believe that must change, quickly. So we’re openly sharing the method we used in the hope that other companies will be able to more easily follow suit and build on what we've done so far. You'll find it all here.
It's no secret that we love cycling and many of us at HQ think it's the best way to see a country, however, we realise that organising your own trip can be a total faff. On our cycling trips, we've found a local guide who has put together a perfect route and will navigate for you all the way. We even send a van that transports your overnight luggage and provide high-quality bikes and delicious snacks to keep you going. Faff eliminated! All you have to do is turn up, pedal and take in the landscape with your fellow tourers. You don't need to be a lycra-clad 'roadie' although everyone is welcome!
You'll be riding double-suspension Specialized Cambers bikes. These are light double suspension aluminum mountain bikes - perfect for a comfortable ride on the tracks and on the paved sections. They all come with standard flat pedals and male/standard saddles. If you would rather pack your own saddle and pedals (including SPD's), please do and these will be fitted for you.
You will be provided with filtered water throughout so there is no need to purchase any single-use plastic water bottles. Bring 2 x reusable bottles instead, they will be well used.
The Peruvian Andes are high, no denying it. Spectacular but high. Cusco sits at 3399m so you'll be sure to feel the altitude when arriving - your host advises to not drink alcohol immediately and to walk slowly to get used to the change. As you will be spending the first two nights of the trip in Cusco there will be enough time to acclimatise before getting higher. The highest pass you will reach is 4425m but you'll be cycling downhill from here so will gradually enjoy more oxygen in your lungs. Your guides are all used to working with people at altitude so will advise you further when you arrive.
Tips are not included in the trip cost. These are entirely at your discretion but there is an expectation to tip for good service. The number of support staff varies depending on how many cyclists are in your group (5 support staff for a group of 4 cyclists, up to 8 support staff for a group of 13 cyclists), which of course impacts the suggested amount of tips. We suggest that you budget approx $80-$120 in tips for your trip - this will ensure all of the support staff (the team of guides, cooks and drivers) will have a share of tips at the end of the trip regardless of the group size on the trip. Your guide will assist with tips at the end of the trip.
Sure thing - you can leave any extra gear at the host's base in Cusco or at the guesthouse you will be staying at pre and post cycling.
Customer safety is our top priority - we monitor the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office - FCDO travel advice and keep in regular contact with our host partner in Peru for the latest updates on the ground. Politically motivated protests are not uncommon in Peru and these can lead to some disruption to transport links and occasionally the closure of sites. As of 14 February protests are ongoing in Peru but Machu Picchu (which had been closed in response) has now reopened to visitors. Based on the advice of our local hosts we anticipate that the situation will settle down in the coming weeks and expect to operate the 2023 season from May onwards as planned. In the unlikely event that we have to cancel your holiday in response to a change in FCDO travel advice or disruption, you will be offered the option of a full refund for your MBA booking.
Owing to the nature of this trip, it is essential that your personal travel insurance policy provides cover to the maximum altitude visited on this trip (4425m).
Sure can! Over 70% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.
Our team of Adventure Hunters co-create exclusive adventures which are run by highly vetted, specialist hosts. The trip is run by our trusted host partner in the destination. We only work with independent, local, in-destination experts who know the very best places to explore and how to stay safe. Read more information about the local teams we partner with. You’ll be introduced to the host straight after making a booking via the Much Better Adventures platform.
Much Better Adventures refer to the UK Government’s official travel advice when designing trips and monitoring trip operations. We recommend that all customers are familiar with the practical information provided on the Government’s FCDO website, where current travel advice can be found by searching for the applicable destination(s).
For customers joining this trip from other international destinations – please also read the official travel advice applicable to your country of residence/origin, as this may differ.
Our recommended travel insurance provider is Campbell Irvine.
Travel insurance is compulsory for all of our adventures and you are required to provide your policy information before departing.
Your insurance should include adequate protection for overseas medical treatment, evacuation/repatriation, your baggage and equipment and the specific activities involved on your adventure. We also strongly recommend it includes cancellation and curtailment insurance, should you be unable to join your trip for specific reasons such as illness.
We fully endorse Campbell Irvine as their insurance offers all of the above, so get in touch with them or call on 020 7938 1734 to get your insurance sorted. We suggest that you book travel insurance as soon as you book your adventure, just to cover you for any last-minute life changes. We know you’re an active lot and injuries do happen!
We recommend checking out the country-specific information and also talking to a travel nurse.
We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.
If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.
All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy (18+) as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. Children can be accommodated on some private departures.
You're always in good company on one of our adventures.
Our trips are typically made up of a mixture of solo travellers and small groups of 2 or 3 friends, with most in their 30s-50s.
Our sociable adventures are solo-friendly by design and naturally attract outdoorsy people with a shared mindset; a love for adventure, a desire to push themselves and meet awesome, like-minded people along the way.
It’s this camaraderie that has so often turned a great adventure into a life-changing one.
Don't just take our word for it:
- 95% of people rate the group dynamics on our trips 5/5
- 90% of people recommend joining a trip to make new friends
- 75% of people have met people on our trips that they would now consider friends
See here for more info about the Much Better Adventures tribe.
Interested in a more exclusive experience? Opt for a 'Private Group' through the dates and prices tab to book this adventure for just you and your chosen companions.
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DEPARTURE DATES
