Is This Trip for Me?

All of our trips are active, immersive journeys. Our travelers are exposed to sights, sounds, smells and scenes very different from home.  Our goal is not just to expose you to other cultures, but to give you an insider's access allowing you to participate in the living traditions that make each place so unique.

However, these trips are not for everyone. It is important to understand that some culture shock is to be expected.   We do not shelter our travelers from the realities of the places we visit.

We also maintain an active pace throughout the trip, with lots of walking and sometimes early mornings (or late evenings) if this means the chance to experience something truly special.

Please carefully review the following information before booking a trip. If you have any questions or concerns, contact Culture Xplorers' customer service at 866.877.2507 or via email at info@culturexplorers.com

Culture Shock

* Community Visits: expect modest living conditions and occasional lack of public facilities (i.e. our weaving village and earth offering visits).

* Festivals: in addition to the wonderful costumes, music and dance at the heart of most festivals, also expect crowds, lots of noise &/or fireworks, exotic smells and sounds, occasional drunks, few if any benches or chairs on which to sit, and mostly street vendor food as well as a scarcity of/and/or crowded public restrooms.

* Host families (for those clients that choose this option): expect warm, welcoming hosts, but often little English is spoken within the home. Although always clean, safe and comfortable, most host family homes are more modest than what we are used to in the US and Europe.

* Local markets: markets can be wonderfully evocative places to get an insight into the hustle and bustle of daily life. They can also be over-crowded, have strong odors, and seem a bit shocking if you're not used to seeing live animals for sale, exotic traditional medicines (like llama fetuses) or home-made food and drinks served from questionable containers.

Local Food

For most meals, we will take you to a range of safe, healthy establishments that specialize in delicious local fare.

Often during a trip, we'll be invited to eat at the home of a local friend.  This is a wonderful way to experience the culture from an insider's perspective.  However, our travelers should understand that we will be served the same types of food and drink that local friends would have.

We'll also have the option to try some adventurous food, drinks or fruits from street vendors or in local markets.  Chicha, anyone?

Note: you'll have the opportunity to eat roughly one meal daily of your own choosing.  Also, requests for vegetarian plates and/or non-spicy food will be honored whenever possible.

Physical Rating

Peru's elevation (9,000 to 14,000 feet where we'll be spending our time) adds an extra physical challenge to an already active trip. We will spend roughly 2-3 hours per day walking and/or hiking, sometimes over hilly terrain.

For those who choose our one day Inca Trail option, expect to hike (with a small day-pack) for 5-6 hours that day, at elevations between 9,000 and 12,000 feet. For this option in particular, you must have a decent level of physical fitness.

Trip Pace

Our trips are active. We will do and see a lot over the course of the trip, with only one completely free day on our 9-day Peru experience.

At the same time, our trips offer the benefit of having Cusco as our hub city for 4-5 days, returning each evening to avoid the fatigue of constant city-to-city travel.

Of course, clients who find themselves tired or just wanting a break from the organized activities may always opt-out and spend a free day on their own.  Our trip leader will have plenty of suggestions for how to spend your free time.

Early Mornings

Yes, we'll have to rise and shine quite early on three days of our Peru trip (between 4:30am and 5:00am), first to catch our plane to Cusco from Lima, then to catch our train to the Inca Trail and finally another morning to be amongst the first to arrive at the spectacular ruins of Machu Picchu.

Transport/Road Conditions

Although we use modern, air conditioned and well maintained private vehicles for our day trips, road conditions in Peru - especially traveling to smaller, off the beaten track communities - can be difficult. Both for the weaving village visit and the earth offering ceremony, as well as certain festivals like the 'Virgen del Carmen', we'll travel across unpaved, bumpy roads that can be alternately dusty in the dry season or muddy when it rains.