Booking Conditions

Flexible Booking

At this uncertain time, we support your need for flexible travel. Reserve now (including paying your deposit) for travel in 2022, and

• receive one free date change after booking if it becomes necessary; or,
• delay choosing your exact departure date until you feel ready, up to 30 days prior to that departure date for non-Inca Trail Treks or 75 days prior for package tours that include more than one service.
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Flexible Cancellation*

After booking but BEFORE the balance payment is made, if you or we need to cancel your scheduled departure for any reason, you will be eligible for a 50% refund of your deposit.

If cancellation occurs AFTER the balance payment is made (30 days or less prior to your departure date for treks or 60 or less prior to departure for package tours), your deposit is non-refundable. We will refund the balance payment, less any bank fees incurred.

*See below when flexible cancellation applies.

The above flexible booking and cancellation policies currently only apply to non-Inca Trail treks. We will evaluate their applicability to the reservation of the Inca Trail trek on a case-by-case basis, depending on the policies and procedures of the Peruvian government at the time of booking. Inca Trail bookings will always be subject to permit availability as well.

Please note: Inca Trail permits are issued by the Ministry of Culture and refunds and changes are totally at their discretion. It is out of our hands. We will do everything we can to exchange or obtain a refund for your permits in accordance with this agency’s policies. Please be aware that this process may take time and require extra paperwork to process, and any refunds or exchanges will be at the sole discretion of the Peruvian government.

Apus Peru’s COVID-19 Travel Policies apply apply when a COVID-19 travel advisory is in effect.

A COVID-19 travel advisory is:

• A travel warning issued by a traveller’s country of origin (their passport-issuing country) advising against international travel;
• A travel restriction or other declaration issued by the Government of Peru that directly affects the traveller;
• A travel restriction issued by a traveller’s country of origin that restricts their ability to leave or return to their home country;
• A travel restriction issued by a country through which the traveller is transiting that restricts their ability to travel to Peru,

which is enacted to combat the spread of COVID-19 and creates potential safety concerns and uncertainty regarding the traveller’s ability to travel on their original departure dates.

Changes and refunds will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. We will work as quickly as possible, but ask for your patience as it may take us a significant amount of time to process every change or cancellation requested.

• Any change or cancellation that you request, regardless of when the booking was made or the date of departure, for any reason OTHER THAN the existence of a government-issued travel warning or restriction that directly affects your ability to travel to Peru, return home or complete your trek, or which creates uncertainty about your ability to do so. This includes warnings and restrictions issued by your passport-issuing country, the Peruvian government, or the government of a country through which you are transiting.

• Any request to change the departure date that you request less than 30 days prior to your scheduled departure date.

In these cases, our normal Change and Cancellation policies will apply; see below.

• For booking instructions, see our webpage How To Book.
• To book your trip, complete the information requested on the personal payment page provided to you by an authorised Apus Peru representative, including the submission of a completed Passenger Details Form and a scan of your valid passport. Your forms should be accompanied by your non-refundable booking deposit, the exact amount of which will be specified on your Booking Form and payment page.

• Prices for most treks, excursions, upgrades or extras are quoted on our website. Prices are quoted in US dollars (unless otherwise specified).
• Our preferred payment method is via credit card; alternative payment methods are available for a surcharge.
• A 40% non-refundable booking deposit is required to reserve your trip. Your booking is not confirmed until we receive this deposit.
• Payment of the trek deposit, by any party, indicates that you and all those intending to hike the trek have read, understood and agreed to all of our Booking Conditions, including the conditions regarding changes, cancellation and refunds, as outlined on this page.
• Payment of your deposit further indicates confirmation that you and also those in your group are in good mental and physical health; that you have disclosed to Apus Peru all relevant medical conditions of which you are, at the time, aware or ought reasonably to be expected to know, which may affect your ability to complete your trek.
• Full payment of the balance (60%) is due 30 days prior to departure in most cases. If you have booked a shared departure (Trekkers Wanted trek, Fixed Price trek or Clean Up Trek), payment is due 7 days prior.
• Failure to pay your balance may result in the CANCELLATION of your trek.
• If your trek is listed on Trekkers Wanted, the per person trek price depends on the final number of people in the group, which will be determined no later than 7 days prior to departure. In this case, the balance payment is due 7 days prior to departure.
• If you have purchased flights or hotels through Apus Peru, full payment for these services is due at booking, in addition to the 40% deposit.

Refer to the description on our website of your specific trek or excursion for complete details about what is and isn’t included in the trip price.

In general, the following items are excluded from the tour price:

• international and domestic flights;
• personal travel insurance;
• visa, passport and vaccination charges;
• departure, airport and airline taxes;
• extra meals, transport costs, accommodation costs, or other expenses not included in the itinerary;
• laundry, postage, personal clothing, medical expenses & items of a personal nature;
• emergency evacuation and/or emergency search charges; and
• tips, on-board beverages and excess baggage charges.

For a complete list of what is included in your trek price, see your individual trek itinerary. Additional costs which are included in your trek price are explained in the section What Goes into Our Prices? on our Why Choose Apus Peru page. Other items or services which are not included, but which can be obtained for an extra charge, include:

• Single tent supplement. If you are not sharing a room or tent with someone, we will charge you a Single Supplement of $55 per person for a Standard hotel in Aguas Calientes, and $5 per trek day for a single tent.
• Equipment Rental. We can rent equipment such as sleeping bags and walking sticks for a fee. Read more about Equipment Rental.
• Changes. Changes to your booking will incur change fees in addition to any difference in price resulting from the change. Read more about Change Fees below.
• Holidays & Election Day surcharges. See below for more information.

Apus Peru reserves the right to amend the price of your tour or trek (or any part thereof) without notice at any time, up to and including the time of departure, even if you have already paid your balance. Amendments may be necessary for many reasons including, but not limited to, exchange rate fluctuations and third-party cost increases (e.g., trekking permits, fuel costs, airfares, airport charges, increases in ground operator service fees or the need to engage alternative transport operators, or government-mandated fees, taxes, pay rates or other charges).

Exchange rate fluctuations and third-party costs are completely outside of our control, and any such cost increases will be passed on to our clients. As soon as we become aware of any such increase, our prices will be adjusted and we will notify you about the additional charges owing. We ask that you pay any additional charges prior to departure. We appreciate your understanding.

Although we accept payment for treks in US dollars (USD), many of our expenses are in Peruvian Nuevo Soles (PEN). Trek prices are currently based on an exchange rate of 1 USD = 3.8 PEN. We may review our trek prices at any time if there is a substantial change in the exchange rate.

We will absorb any increase in price up to USD $50 per person as a result of exchange rate fluctuations. Any increase beyond that will be applied as a surcharge to your trek price, even if you have already paid your balance.

On the other hand, if the value of the US dollar increases against the Peruvian Sol we will refund you accordingly using the same starting point of USD $50. We will clearly outline our calculations to substantiate the need for any surcharge or refund.

If you wish to travel on or during a Peruvian holiday or on an election day, you will be charged a surcharge of $160 per holiday day (shared among the entire group).

Field staff (guides, cooks & muleteers) are entitled to vacation pay if asked to work on the following statutory holidays:

• Noche Buena (24 December)
• Christmas (25 December)
• New Year’s Day (1 January)
• Holy Thursday & Good Friday at Easter (variable)
• Fiestas Patrias (28 July)

In the case of election days, Peruvians are fined if they fail to vote. The increase in the trip price reflects the bonus paid to field staff who are unable to vote which will allow them to pay this fine.

• Each guide has their own preferred route and so the route you trek might not correspond exactly to the itinerary described on the website.
• The times cited in trek itineraries are approximate. Walking times depend on the group, and the guide may change lunch spots and campsites, depending on the progress of the group.
• While Apus Peru will use its best endeavours to operate all tours as advertised, it may prove necessary or advisable to vary or modify a tour itinerary or its contents due to prevailing local conditions. This is especially true during the rainy season. Please see our Wet Season Trekking Policy for more details.
• Please note: Trekking in the Andes is a true adventure and things may not go exactly according to plan! Keep an open mind and let yourself enjoy the cultural differences you may experience. There is always an opportunity to learn something!

We are happy to create custom itineraries for our clients. Please note that after the third itinerary proposal we will charge a non-refundable Custom Itinerary Fee of $150 in order to continue developing the final itinerary. This fee is creditable to your booking. This means that we will credit the fee to a final reservation, but will not refund it if you fail to book.

Remember – we strongly recommend that you have travel insurance which can cover many change fees in the case of unexpected itinerary changes, illness or injury.

In all cases, when a cancellation occurs and the client forfeits some or all of what has been paid, Apus Peru will provide a letter to the client’s insurance company, so that the loss may be recovered by their insurance.

Cancellation BY APUS PERU:

• Apus Peru may cancel a trip for reasons that may include (but are not limited to) weather conditions, natural disasters, strikes or political unrest, or client unsuitability because of age, ill health, poor fitness, or intoxication. In such cases, Apus Peru may try to substitute a different trek or different departure date (leaving within one week of the original departure date), at its sole discretion, at no additional charge to the client. If such a substitution is not possible, either due to local conditions or the client’s travel plans, then policies under Cancellation by the Client will apply.
• Please see our Wet Season Trekking information in conjunction with this policy.
• We also reserve the right to cancel any trip in the event Client has not paid their balance 7 days prior to departure, unless prior arrangements have been made. In this case, the policies under Cancellation by the Client will apply.

Cancellation BY THE CLIENT:

For cancellations when the client has only paid the deposit

• the deposit is non-refundable;
• any reservation where the client fails to pay their balance by 7 days prior to departure will be automatically cancelled and the deposit will be forfeit.

For cancellations when the client has fully paid and

• it is 15 days or more before departure
  • 30% of the total trip price will be refunded

• it is 7 to 14 days prior to departure
  • the trip is non-refundable;
  • 50% of the total trip price may be applied to another trek organized within 1 year from the original departure date. A credit note will be issued by Apus Peru.

• It is less than 7 days prior to departure
  • no portion of the trip price is refundable or creditable

Bookings that include payments made for TRAINS, HOTELS and/or FLIGHTS

(other than those included as part of a standard itinerary, such as hotels in Aguas Calientes):

• refunds will be according to the cancellation policies of the specific train, hotel or airline provider;
• any non-recoverable costs PLUS a $50 administrative fee will be deducted from amounts refunded or credited by Apus Peru to the client

Remember – we strongly recommend that you have travel insurance which can cover many change fees in the case of unexpected itinerary changes, illness or injury.

In all cases, when a cancellation occurs and the client forfeits some or all of what has been paid, Apus Peru will provide a letter to the client’s insurance company, so that the loss may be recovered by their insurance.

Passport Changes

You must provide us the correct passport information (full name, date of birth, passport number, nationality, expiry date) at the time of booking.

• If you KNOW you will be getting a new passport prior to travel, we encourage you to do this BEFORE booking.
• If you provide us incorrect or misspelled information, your name changes (such as through marriage or divorce), you lose your passport, or for some other reason obtain a new one prior to departure, we may be able to change the information on your permit, but Inca Trail permit changes are at the discretion of the Ministry of Culture and beyond our control.
• In some cases, you may be required to pay for a new permit.
• The ability to purchase a new permit depends on availability.
• If there are no permits available, you will not be able to complete the trek and will not be eligible for a refund.
• You must provide scans of both the old and new passport in order for us to make the requested change; a marriage certificate or deed poll may also be required in the case of name change requests.

Passport Change Fees

Any changes to passport information, including passport number, expiration date, name change, etc.:

• $15 per person if requested 30 days or more prior to departure for 4- and 5-day treks, 15 days or more for 2-day treks;
• $100 per person if requested 29 days or less prior to departure, 14 days or less in the case of 2-day treks.

Remember – we strongly recommend that you have travel insurance which can cover many change fees in the case of unexpected itinerary changes, illness or injury.

In all cases, when a cancellation occurs and the client forfeits some or all of what has been paid, Apus Peru will provide a letter to the client’s insurance company, so that the loss may be recovered by their insurance.

The below-described change fees apply for any changes requested after a booking has been made and the deposit has been paid.

INCA TRAIL TREKS

Changes to Inca Trail trek bookings are generally not permitted once the reservation has been made. If allowed, changes are subject to permit availability and incur the cost associated with purchasing new permits for the client and the entire field team (guide, cook and porters), in addition to the normal change fees described below.

NON-INCA TRAIL TREKS

• $50 PLUS additional costs* if requested 30 days or more prior to departure.
• $100 PLUS additional costs if requested 29 to 15 days prior to departure.
• $200 PLUS additional costs if requested 14 days or less prior to departure.

*Additional costs include price differences between the original and revised itinerary; the cost of new services requested; and any unrecoverable costs incurred in making the changes (such as new permits or hotel nights).

SPECIFIC CHANGES THAT DON’T AFFECT THE REST OF AN ITINERARY

Changes to Train Tickets

Please note that train schedule changes are not always possible. During the high season (May to October) it is extremely unlikely that you will be able to make any last-minute changes to your train ticket. We can only make changes to a train ticket one time. Any changes to your train ticket will incur the following surcharges: 

• The fare difference between the original and the new ticket
• 10% relocation fee, calculated based on the cost of the original ticket
• A $15 administration fee per ticket Any changes made 14 days or less prior to departure will be subject to a $50 administrative fee.

Hotels

Changing dates or cancelling booked nights:

• $15 per person if requested 60 days or more prior to the first night booked;
• no changes or cancellations available 59 days or less prior to the first night booked.
• No charge for adding nights, but additional nights are subject to availability.

Flights

Changing dates or cancelling booked tickets:

• $15 per person PLUS applicable fare difference if requested 15 days or more prior to the first leg booked;
• $25 per person PLUS applicable fare difference if requested 14 days or less prior.

Equipment rental

• Equipment can be rented up to 48h prior to departure, but is subject to availability.
• Cancellation of equipment rental (4+ of an item) 14 days or less prior to departure incurs a $15 fee.

If, for any reason (such as illness, injury or another emergency), a member of the group or the entire group needs to be evacuated from a trekking route and return to Cusco, the trip is non-refundable.

The Apus Peru team will do everything we can to assist the client to make alternate arrangements, including scheduling alternatives tours, re-booking train tickets, or booking new hotel nights, but the client(s) will be expected to pay any costs incurred to make these arrangements. Apus Peru will not charge any administrative change fees for this service. Full receipts will be supplied for your insurance claim.

You must be in good mental and physical health in order to embark on any Peru trek offered by Apus Peru. You are strongly advised to follow our pre-departure fitness training recommendations (see Tip #3 on our Trekking Tips page), and to consult your physician about your ability to complete a rigorous trek at high altitude. Payment of your booking deposit indicates acceptance of these booking conditions and confirmation that, on consultation with an appropriate medical professional, you are of sufficient physical and psychological fitness to complete this trek.

If you suffer from severe muscular, chest, heart or bronchial disorders, or if you are a severe asthmatic or have high blood pressure, you are strongly advised against trekking. Treks take place in remote areas where there is little or no access to normal medical services or hospital facilities in the event of serious medical issues or injury. Emergency medical evacuation can be prolonged, difficult and expensive. Any associated expenses are your responsibility. We strongly recommend purchasing a comprehensive travel insurance package to cover any such unexpected medical emergencies.

Apus Peru reserves the right in its sole and absolute discretion to refuse any passenger the right to participate in a trek on medical or fitness grounds. In such cases, our Cancellation Policies will apply.

We do not take any responsibility for the assumptions you make about the trekking routes and their difficulty, or for insufficient acclimatization.

We accept trek reservations for children under the age of 8 years old and adults over 70 years old only on an exceptional basis, after prior consultation with our reservations staff. Families travelling with infants, toddlers and children under 8 years old are strongly encouraged to read the advice in our blog on travelling with children to make sure you have considered everything you will need, from car seats to cribs and more.

All children under 18 years old must be accompanied by an adult. We recommend that if you are over 60 years old you should talk to your doctor well in advance about how best to plan for the trek and also to ensure that your travel insurance covers such adventure activities.

Clients over 60 years old must have their doctor fill out Part III of the Medical Declaration & Insurance Waiver form, and should arrive in Cusco at least 3 days prior to starting the trek. If you fail to do this, we reserve the right to cancel your trek and our cancellation policy will apply.

• All trekkers MUST spend at least 2 days (48h) acclimatizing to the altitude prior to beginning any trek longer than one day. This means spending at least 2 full days in a high-altitude environment, such as Cusco, the Sacred Valley, Puno or some other high-altitude place. 
• For Ausangate, Rainbow Mountain, or Salkantay treks, you must spend a minimum of 3 days (36 hours) at altitude prior to heading off on the trek.
• Children under 12 and adults over 60 must spend 3 to 5 days acclimatizing prior to beginning any trek.

You must disclose to Apus Peru every matter concerning your health and mental and physical fitness of which you are aware, or ought reasonably to be expected to know, that is relevant to Apus Peru’s decision to permit you to undertake the tour. For this reason, every Client must fill out our Medical Declaration & Insurance Waiver Form.

People with heart conditions, knee problems, or who are more than 18 weeks pregnant should not participate in treks. People with severe asthma, diabetes, or are pregnant less than 18 weeks will be required to fill in Part III of the Medical Declaration & Insurance Waiver form to confirm that they are fit to undertake the trek. They must also be accompanied by a trekking companion at all times who will trek at their sides and be familiar with any medicines required in case of an emergency.

The obligation to disclose under this condition continues from the time of booking through to the departure, duration and completion of your trek. You must IMMEDIATELY notify Apus Peru, in writing, of any change to your medical condition which may affect your ability to complete the trek.

If you fail to comply with your duty of disclose under this condition and if Apus Peru would not have permitted you to undertake or continue the trek had it been aware of your medical issue, Apus Peru will not be liable for any personal injury, death or property damage or loss that occurs as a result.

Apus Peru cannot guarantee the absolute safety of passengers. We are not responsible for personal injury or for the loss, theft or damage to any of our passenger’s personal belongings.

You acknowledge that:

• by the very nature of adventure travel and trekking holidays, they are more challenging and demanding with a commensurately higher level of risk compared with conventional holidays;
• in the countries and regions in which adventure travel is undertaken, standards of accommodation, transport, health care, hygiene, safety and service provision generally are often not as high as those standards in your country of residence and may require flexibility and patience on your part;
• the additional dangers and risks associated with adventure travel may include difficult and dangerous terrain; high altitude; extremes of weather, including sudden and unexpected changes; political instability; remoteness from normal medical services and from communications; and evacuation difficulties in the event of illness or injury;
• the enjoyment and excitement of adventure travel is derived in part from the inherent dangers and risks associated with adventure travel and that those inherent dangers and risks are a reason why you wish to undertake the adventure tour, and
• you have submitted your booking for the tour after giving due consideration of relevant travel information including, without limitation, any relevant information or advice given by your government, and/or the governments of Australia, New Zealand & Canada, the British Foreign Office and US Department of State and that it is your responsibility to acquaint yourself that information or advice, for the above reasons you therefore accept the inherent and increased dangers and risks associated with the proposed adventure tour and the accompanying risk of injury, death or property damage or loss.

In consideration of Apus Peru accepting your booking and permitting you to join the trek:

• you release Apus Peru and its officers, employees, agents, licensees, guides and other representatives and the land management authorities in the countries in which the tour is conducted (each of whom are collectively referred to as “Apus Peru and its employees”) from all cost, liability, loss or damage incurred or suffered by you directly or indirectly during the course of the tour and resulting from your personal injury, illness or death or damage to or loss of your property unless caused by the wilful negligence or wrongful act of Apus Peru and its employees;

and

• you waive any claims you have, or may at any time have, against Apus Peru and its employees and you agree, by accepting the additional inherent dangers and risks associated with the trek, not to make any claim against or seek any compensation from Apus Peru and its employees in respect of any personal injury, illness or death suffered by you or damage to or loss of property sustained by you as a result of your participation in the trek.

Apus Peru accepts no responsibility whatsoever for cases of force majeure (legally defined as unexpected or uncontrollable events), or for the individual actions of particular passengers.

If Apus Peru is prevented (directly or indirectly) from performing any of its obligations under this agreement by reason of act of God, pestilence, strikes, trade disputes, fire, breakdowns, interruption of transport, government or political action, acts of war or terrorism, acts or omissions of a third party or for any other cause outside Apus Peru’s reasonable control, Apus Peru will be under no liability whatsoever to you and may, at its option, by written notice to you, either cancel the tour or take any other action as specified in our condition Itinerary Variations.

We operate ALL our own treks, and pride ourselves on not on-selling passengers to other agencies. However, Apus Peru reserves the right to partner with other agencies in order to deliver contracted services under extenuating circumstances.

If the operational control of the tour is in the hands of a third party, your right of action in regard to any shortcomings of that third party’s performance is against the third party and not against Apus Peru.

If, by reason of any intentional or unintentional action, you cause damage to the property of any third party, any and all expenses incurred by Apus Peru to repair or replace the damaged property shall be charged to you, and you will have no right to any later claims.

If you rent equipment from Apus Peru, you are responsible for this equipment for the entire length of the trek and you agree to pay repair or replacement costs if damaged or lost. See more about Equipment Rental here.

You hereby consent and grant permission for Apus Peru and its authorized agents to use photos or videos of your likeness for the purposes of promoting Apus Peru and its programs. You expressly release Apus Peru, its agents, employees, licensees, and assigns from any and all claims which you have or may have for invasion of privacy, defamation, and any other cause of action arising out of the use of these photographs and video images. If you would not like your image used on our promotional material, please advise us at the time of booking.

Remember – we strongly recommend that you have travel insurance which can cover many change fees in the case of unexpected itinerary changes, illness or injury.

In all cases, when a cancellation occurs and the client forfeits some or all of what has been paid, Apus Peru will provide a letter to the client’s insurance company, so that the loss may be recovered by their insurance.

Cancellation BY THE CLIENT:

• when the client has only paid the deposit and it is 60 days or more before departure
  • the deposit is non-refundable.
• when the client has fully paid and it is between 59 and 30 days before departure
  • 50% of total tour price will be refunded
• when the client has fully paid and it is 29 days or less prior to departure
  • nothing is refundable

Bookings that include payments made for trains, hotels, third party tours and/or flights

• refunds will be according to the cancellation policies of the specific provider;
• any non-recoverable costs PLUS a $50 administrative fee will be deducted from amounts refunded or credited by Apus Peru to the client

Remember – we strongly recommend that you have travel insurance which can cover many change fees in the case of unexpected itinerary changes, illness or injury.

In all cases, when a cancellation occurs and the client forfeits some or all of what has been paid, Apus Peru will provide a letter to the client’s insurance company, so that the loss may be recovered by their insurance.

The below-described change fees apply for any changes requested after a booking has been made and the deposit has been paid.

• $100 PLUS additional costs* if requested 60 days or more prior to departure.
• $150 PLUS additional costs if requested 59 to 30 days prior to departure.
• $300 PLUS additional costs if requested 29 days or less prior to departure.
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*Additional costs include price differences between the original and revised itinerary; the cost of new services requested; and any unrecoverable costs incurred in making the changes (such as new permits or hotel nights).