E-Bike Peru From Cusco to Machu Picchu

Our e-biking adventures let you experience the beauty of nature and uncover hidden gems of a destination. An e-bike isn't just a fitness shortcut—it's your gateway to exploring further, reaching more remote and wild places. Rather than seeing e-bikes as an 'easy option,' we see them as a powerful enabler, giving you the freedom to discover areas that would otherwise be difficult to access—unlocking a whole new level of adventure.

Riding an e-bike feels similar to riding a regular bike, but with a little extra oomph from the electric motor, providing a smooth, effortless boost on tough climbs or rough terrain. This allows you to focus on the journey and soak up the surroundings, without getting overly fatigued. You’ll still need to pedal, but you can easily adjust the level of assistance to match your preferences. Essentially, it’s great fun and a fantastic way to explore further.

On all of our cycling trips, we’ve found a local host who has put together a perfect route and has expert guides to navigate for you all the way. We also send a van that transports your overnight luggage, provide high-quality bikes, and supply you with delicious snacks to keep you going.

Your e-bike will assist with about 25% of the effort on an average ride, meaning you'll provide about 75% of the effort. There will be moments when you'll need to switch to Boost mode for short bursts of power, especially on challenging terrain or steep sections. However, most of your ride will be in Eco and Trail modes, with Eco mode often being your go-to on climbs to conserve battery life throughout the day. This balance ensures a smooth, enjoyable ride while still giving you the thrill of exploration on two wheels.

In terms of speed, the power assistance on e-bikes is typically capped at around 15mph. If you want to go faster, you'll need to pedal harder! You can adjust the power levels to match your pace and terrain. Your cycling guide will brief you on how to use the different modes to optimize your ride and make the battery last:

Eco Mode: Low power for energy efficiency, giving you longer battery life on flat terrain.
Auto Mode: Automatically adjusts the power based on terrain and your pedaling effort for a more balanced ride.
Sport Mode: Provides mid-range power, ideal for moderate hills and faster cruising.
Turbo Mode: Delivers maximum power, perfect for steep hills or when you want to ride fast.

When it comes to battery power, the e-bike batteries are typically charged overnight, usually at your accommodation. There will be a couple of spare batteries in the support vehicle just in case. However, if you manage your battery usage throughout the day (for example, by avoiding using turbo mode all the time), you’ll find that the battery lasts long enough for most rides without any issues.

You’ll be riding a Haibike S'Duro Full Seven E-bike (or similar) – a high-performance, aluminum-framed, full suspension e-bike designed for a variety of terrains, from smooth roads to trails. These bikes are equipped with a Bosch Performance Line CX motor for excellent power on climbs and descents, and a Yamaha Lithium Ionen 36 Volt (500w/h) battery for long-lasting rides. Each bike comes with a mounted LCD digital display for easy tracking of speed, distance, and battery status.

Before your trip, your host will ask for your height to ensure the correct frame size is provided. Each bike is equipped with standard flat pedals, and male/standard saddles. If you prefer to use your own saddle and pedals (including SPDs), feel free to bring them, and they’ll be fitted for you.

On some days, you'll cycle point to point; on others, there'll be a short transfer of less than an hour to get you between locations. This helps keep you off busy roads and on the best cycling routes. The backroads of the Sacred Valley take a bit of piecing together to ensure the riding will be fun and stress-free, and the van will provide some time to kick back and take it all in.

The ratio on this trip is one guide per seven customers; this means that for groups of eight or more people, there will be two cycling guides. Throughout, you will be accompanied by a support vehicle driven by a bike mechanic.

A permit is required to visit Machu Picchu, and this is included in the price of your trip. Your host in Peru secures entry permits to fit in with your program, with each permit pre-purchased in your name and passport number. For late bookings, permits may only be available for a later time slot, meaning you could enter separately from the group. To increase your chances of securing a permit with the group, we strongly recommend booking early and providing your host with your full name, passport number, nationality, and date of birth as soon as possible (preferably at the time of booking). The permits are limited, and once purchased they are non-refundable and non-transferable. If your passport details change after they've been purchased then it's no problem, please just let your host know and bring your old passport with you to access Machu Picchu.

Your local host will handle the booking of your Machu Picchu permits which are booked using your passport details, so please provide your full name, nationality, passport number, and date of birth at the time of booking—or as early as possible. If these are not provided, then your host is unable to book the permits once bookings are open with Peru’s Ministry of Culture, and the dedicated time and circuit will be sold out quickly. Once issued, permits are non-refundable and non-transferable. You’ll need to travel with the same passport you booked with. If your passport changes after booking, just let your local host know and bring the original one with you for entry.

If you can, we would certainly recommend it! Cusco sits proudly at 11,000ft above sea level, so giving yourself 1–2 days before your e-bike adventure begins is the perfect way to ease into the altitude. If you'd like to arrange a private airport transfer and additional night(s) in Cusco, your host can help with the arrangements – see Optional Extras for pricing.

The support vehicle will carry large containers of purified drinking water, so you’ll be able to top up your bottles throughout the ride. While a few hotels may have water filters, sadly most don’t and prefer to sell single-use plastic bottles. To help reduce waste, we recommend bringing a refillable water bottle with an integrated filter.

In the event of poor weather such as heavy rain, strong winds, and/or storms, it is possible that conditions may become unsafe to complete the planned rides on this trip. Your guide will assess the conditions and weather forecasts and make a decision with your safety in mind. If it becomes necessary to make a change to the planned itinerary, an alternative route or activity will be offered.

For each person on this trip in 2027, a $99 contribution to the Positive Impact Fund will go directly toward the following:

1. Fully offsetting the carbon footprint of your time in Peru, via a carbon sink project in Manu National Park run by Regenera Peru

2. Planting a guaranteed minimum of two native queuña polyepolis trees per person, per day, in the high Andes — helping to protect vital water sources, support hundreds of local farming jobs and regenerate the land

3. Supporting initiatives like Green Hero Peru, which provide sustainability education for up to 3,000 children each year, run clean-ups along riverbanks and public spaces, and aim to establish a new container library annually in a local community

Please note that for 2026 Departures this fund is not included in the cost of the trip, however if you wish to donate locally then this can be donated directly to the host in Peru.

Your local host will provide a suitable helmet that conforms to recognized safety standards. If you have sizing concerns, contact your local host in advance so they can advise on fit and availability.

If you wish to bring your own helmet it must be suitable for the activity and conform to recognized safety standards. Please see our Cycling safety guidance for further information.

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 review the practical information available on the UK Government’s FCDO website, where you can find up-to-date advice by searching for your destination(s).

If you are based in the United States, you can also check the latest travel advisories from the U.S. Department of State.

For customers joining from other international locations, we recommend checking the official travel advice issued by your country of residence, as guidance may vary.

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 daily, so 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 as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. You must be over 18 to join one of our trips.

You're always in good company on one of our adventures.

Our trips typically consist of a mix of solo travelers 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.

The one thing you can say for sure about the weather in Peru is that it is difficult to accurately predict. You can have beautifully clear hot days in the middle of the wet season, and hail storms in the dry season. In the Andes, wet and dry are the two distinct seasons. The dry season runs from May to October and you can expect clear skies, sunny days, with daytime temperatures of around 64-77°F. The nights tend to be colder, and temperatures can drop significantly, so it's advisable to bring layers. The wet season runs from November to April and the weather can be unpredictable. Daytime temperatures are relatively mild, and it tends to be cloudier, with a higher chance of rain. Rainfall is usually heaviest from December to March.