Hike, Cycle and Raft to Machu Picchu

This trip is an invitation to quite literally step off the tourist trail and experience all that the mountains have to offer, from tranquil hikes along farming tracks, cycling through the green farmland of the Sacred Valley, high adrenaline white water rafting, and the picturesque Palcoyo rainbow mountains (the lower hills of which are teeming with incredibly cute Alpaca).

Machu Picchu is a bucket list item for many and if you are active enough to think that you would enjoy this trip, chances are that you are also fit enough that you would survive and perhaps even enjoy a multi-day trek to Machu Picchu. So, did I have any regrets doing the one day hike to Machu Picchu? To be clear: no regrets whatsoever. This trip is the perfect way to experience both Machu Picchu and the best of this beautiful region. Besides our day at Machu Picchu, our group were typically on our own in nature surrounded by the most stunning vistas (this was May, so relatively early in the season).

Local team - Amazonas Explorer We were so well looked after. Jimmy, our guide, is a gentle soul with serious talents for languages, history, and outdoor activities, who somehow answered every question (and we had many) with ease. Jimmy was the perfect host, and made every effort to ensure that we were comfortable and happy. The rest of the team were equally impressive - Julio, our indefatigable driver, Enrique (our head chef, who crafted superb meals in improbable locations), Leo (assistant head chef), Davide (chief of meal ambience), Tomas (who guided us with ease through the rapids), all our activity instructors (cycling, rapids safety kayaker), and porters were fabulous. It felt like the kind of team where everyone knows what to do and how to do it and each person does whatever is needed without anyone having to give instructions. You're in very safe hands.

Accomodation All the hotels had clearly been consciously selected for a special reason - be it super strong showers, the ideal location as an adventure base, a family of llamas living in the garden, or picture perfect roofs and gardens. To be honest, all were nicer than I had been expecting. (And for the hotel in Machu Picchu Pueblo, I can reassure that the loud music turned off at 10pm on the dot, and the view from breakfast is super. )

Food This deserves a special mention. The food really was excellent. Having done some adventure trips in Europe, I expect soggy sandwiches by the side of a road when in remote locations. Not so here. We were totally spoiled by Enrique and his team. The whole lunch setup was amazing, complete with a portable toilet. The packed lunches were also great, and the snacks between activities were a real highlight for me - the quality of the chocolate was just outstanding.

Activities These were well selected and well-paced, with one less intense day followed by an more intense day. As someone who is somewhat active but that spends far too much time at a desk, this schedule was very welcome. For me, the toughest day was the cycling - but totally, totally worthwhile, and the pace catered to all cycling abilities/fitness. The cycling, as well as the hike to Machu Picchu, the paddle boarding at altitude, the hike at Palcoyo and the campfire at the lake were my highlights.

Anything to improve? I thought that a citronella candle in the dinner tent at the campsite might have been a nice touch, particularly as I think that some of the Amazonas team might have then slept in that tent and they must have been eaten alive. Otherwise, trying to figure out how much to tip was something that our group of Brits all really struggled with! Not sure how to make that easier, but certainly wished that I'd done more research before and also often wished that I had more change on me.

I can’t recommend this trip enough — it was the perfect combination of adventure, nature, culture, and incredible food, all seamlessly led by our outstanding guide, Jimmy. From start to finish, Jimmy orchestrated the experience with such professionalism and warmth. He led every activity with confidence, humour, and care, and always knew exactly when to push us and when to give us a breather. On top of all that, he also picked the most fantastic local restaurants for our evenings —every meal felt like a treat.

Another huge highlight was our chef, Enrique. I’m a pescatarian, and I was genuinely blown away by the variety and quality of the food he prepared. Every day brought something different — from beautifully grilled trout to hearty quinoa and soy dishes with fresh local vegetables. Enrique’s creativity and attention to detail made each meal feel special and nourishing, especially after a long day of activity.

Speaking of activities—this itinerary struck the perfect balance. While I’m reasonably fit, I’m pretty new to rafting, mountain biking, and paddleboarding. That didn’t matter at all. Each day was thoughtfully planned: we’d tackle something challenging one day, like a 40km bike ride, and recover the next with a more relaxing activity like stand-up paddle boarding or kayaking. The mix kept things exciting without ever being overwhelming.

The hike to Machu Picchu was, unsurprisingly, a major highlight. The first section was a steep climb and quite demanding, especially with the altitude and heat, but Jimmy kept us motivated, hydrated, and safe. And of course, arriving at Machu Picchu made every single step worth it—it’s every bit as magical as you imagine.

Finally, the scenery throughout the entire trip was absolutely breathtaking. Whether we were white water rafting through a gorge framed by the Andes, standing in awe at the almost-deserted Palcoyo Rainbow Mountains, or kayaking peacefully on Laguna Pomacanchi, every location felt like a dream. It’s rare to experience such raw, diverse beauty in one trip.

This was without a doubt one of the best travel experiences I’ve ever been on. If you’re even remotely considering it — do it. You won’t regret it!

Wonderful trip made even better by the support of Jimmy and his dedicated team. The luggage transfers, the equipment supplied, the minibus support, the magnificent meals we feasted upon all were top class. A well planned and well stocked trip 👌

I can’t recommend this trip enough!

We had the most incredible guide, Jimmy, who knows everything about Peru: recent and ancient history, politics, traditions, plants, Peruvian animals, food, farming, cooking - you name it! On top of that he’s incredibly charming, funny and welcoming! We felt in very safe hands from the moment we landed to when Jimmy dropped us at the airport!

Our group consisted of a mix of solo travellers, friends and a couple all in their 30s-40s. All friendly and like minded, you can easily make friends for life on this trip.

The trip itself is perfectly structured with different activities each day, with less strenuous days between the more difficult ones, and activities using similar muscle groups separated - eg the paddle boarding and kayaking are at the beginning and end of the trip respectively. At the start of each activity Jimmy and the other guides gage your experience and can subtlety adapt the excessive accordingly if necessary so that it’s always suitable for your level.

This trip is really perfect for that feeling of adventure, whilst also feeling like a very relaxing holiday as you don’t have to worry or think about anything - everything is taken care of.

Each evening Jimmy took us through the events of the next day, including what to pack in our day bag.

On most days, after the morning activity of the day, we were met by Enrique, an incredible chef, who prepared a luxurious lunch for us in a large tent the team sets up. I’ve never finished rafting only to be met with a freshly cooked 3 course lunch! We brought snacks but they weren’t needed as Jimmy provided us with multiple daily snacks. On the two hiking days a delicious lunch box is provided.

All the support staff are wonderful. Throughout the trip we were accompanied by the driver Julio, who ensured the van was clean and safe for us to leave our belongings. He even drove back to a previous hotel when one of us forgot their sunglasses. There’s also two other support staff to help with the serving, driving the kayak van, setting up tents - they do a wonderful job. Everywhere we arrived everything was set up for us. There’s also an additional rafting and mountain biking guide. Jimmy is very helpful in discretely reminding you how many days each of the guides was with us, and when you are saying goodbye to them, so you know when to provide the tips. In the evenings we choose to go out to dinner as a group, every restaurant Jimmy recommended was exceptional and accommodated different dietary requirements.

What I loved about this trip is that even though it’s an adventure holiday, you learn so much about Peru - everything day was educational.

The kit list is fairly accurate except for that you probably don’t need snacks and don’t need sleeping bag liners or pillows, as these are provided. I would recommend a torch for the camping. The camping itself was beautiful - the tents are right next to a lake and you can stargaze at night. When we arrived by the lakeside everything was set up for us: tents, toilet, changing room, sleeping bags and liners, pillows, warm water bowl for washing, a fire. And of course our dinner tent.

We were super lucky with the weather - it didn’t rain once and it was sunny every day. Therefore pack factor 50 sunscreen - you are outside all day and the sun is intense.

I would also recommend arriving a day or two early to Cusco. We didn’t suffer with altitude sickness and perhaps it’s because we had a few relaxing days at altitude. Also during the tour there’s not much time built in for exploring Cusco itself so we really enjoyed going round the markets, doing a walking tour and exploring the local Inka ruins.

The activities themselves were challenging enough, but if you are a reasonably fit person you will not require to train for this holiday. The most challenging days are the cycling, hiking and the kayaking. Of course the hike to Machu Picchu will be the highlight for most - I loved this day as you got to experience the last section of the Inca Trail, and have an incredible sense of achievement whilst you walk through the sun gate.

I originally thought of booking the 4 day Inca trip but I’m so glad I didn’t. In this trip I still got to experience the highlight of the Inca trial, but also got to see so much more of Peru than I would have done, tried out new sports, ate in amazing restaurants, sleep in the most beautiful hotels with comfy beds. If you’ve got limited time and want to see a variety of Peru, be active, have a stress free holiday whilst feeling like you’re having an adventure (with the creature comfort of a hotel), meeting lovely like minded people, this is the trip for you.

Whatever I expected, this trip topped it all -- expertly led by the knowledgeable, organized, and hilarious Jimmy, and filled with activities that were challenging but not overwhelming. Machu Picchu was amazing, but that was only part of the adventure -- fantastic food, cute hotels, a great team, and landscapes that took my breath away. Loved every second!

We had an incredible time thanks to our amazing guide, Jimmy. The itinerary is well laid out, staggering more strenuous activities with lower effort days so you had time to recover between some of the more intense ones. Each evening before the next day, the guide helped provide a briefing of what to expect for the day to come, including what to wear, timing of things, and the activities for the day. Every activity they helped to talk us through and make us feel ready and safe for what was to come- rafting, cycling, hiking, kayaking and paddle boarding. Peru is really one of the most beautiful countries I’ve ever seen and this tour helps you see it in many ways!

Food wise- breakfast was included at all hotels and the morning of camping. Always good food- usually some breads and pastries, fruit, yogurts, eggs at most places. Lunches were also all provided and were unexpectedly amazing. A chef met us for a “picnic” lunch each day, making gourmet meals set up in scenic places. Meals included amazing steak, chicken and trout dishes with fresh vegetables and potatoes or rice usually. Even the day you hike up the Incan trail you were met with incredible food to fuel you for the hike. Most dinners were on our own, but our guide was always a great help at making recommendations on where to go and everything is very affordable. A steak dinner was often about $15 US dollars.

Cash and tipping wise- the recommended amounts that are laid out in the itinerary was helpful, but there many different people who help out along the way. So for planning purposes for cash make sure to get cash out the first day you arrive- in total I used about 450 soles for tips across all of the different people. Of course tipping is a personal choice- but important to plan on taking cash out at the beginning since some people you tip each day and there isn’t always an ATM in every town.

What to pack wise, the kit list is very accurate- we did get fairly dirty in the activities (mud on pants from biking, rained while hiking and got everything wet, camp fire smells, etc), so I would recommend having 3 pairs of trousers and a pair of shorts since it was hot sometimes. We were here in early April, and most days wore leggings and a tank top during the day, with a jacket at night as the evenings were very cool. Hiking boots are definitely a must as are other trainers- I also packed a pair of sandals.

Activities wise, the most strenuous is the Incan trail day where you hike up for several hours, but our guide was great about giving us many breaks along the way. Cycling was the second most strenuous but definitely no cycling training or expertise needed- it’s rolling hills for a lot of it. Everything is accessible if you are generally healthy and active. We were there in early April which also made it a little less crowded than peak tourist season, which I was grateful for.

Accommodations were all great- comfortable beds, hot showers, half of the hotels had a place we could refill our waters with filtered water. Camping was also comfortable- they had nice mattress pads, sleeping bags and liners to help keep you warm, and a little pillow. Fairly spacious tents as well.

I could go on and on but really can’t recommend this trip enough if you’re someone who likes to stay busy on trips and see as much as you can while staying active. You move hotels every night, so just know you are on the go always - but they are so wonderful about managing your luggage for you.

I am so glad I took this trip, for our amazing knowledgeable guide sharing so much about the beautiful country, and for the great new friends I made along the way. I hope you enjoy it too!