By booking a trek with Apus Peru, you acknowledge that this is an adventure tour and that there are inherent risks involved.
Your decision to trek with Apus Peru indicates that you accept the General Booking Conditions and Payment Terms outlined here, as well as any and all norms, rules and guarantees established by Apus Peru.
The following policy outlines our approach to travel in the time of coronavirus, how we plan to keep you safe and put your mind at ease.
This is an evolving policy. We will make updates to this policy as new information emerges and circumstances change. The safety and well-being of our travellers is always our top priority and this will never be compromised. That’s part of being a responsible travel company. We will continue to keep our passengers up to date on any coronavirus-related news affecting Peru.
Read more coronavirus information:
Flexible Booking
At this uncertain time, we support your need for flexible travel.
Reserve now (including paying your deposit) for travel in 2021 or 2022, and
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.
non-Inca Trail treks
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.
A COVID-19 travel advisory is:
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.
In these cases, our normal Change and Cancellation policies will apply; see below.
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:
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:
Apus Peru reserves the right to amend tour prices (or any part) without notice at any time up to and including the departure date. Amendments may be necessitated 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). Third party costs are completely outside our control, and any increases will be passed on to our clients. As soon as we become aware of any such increase, our prices will be adjusted and the website updated accordingly. We ask that you pay any such differences prior to departure. We appreciate your understanding.
Although we accept payment for treks in US dollars (USD), most of our expenses are in Peruvian Nuevo Soles (PEN). Trek prices are currently based on an exchange rate of 1 USD = 3.2 PEN.
We review our trek prices quarterly if there is a substantial change in the exchange rate. We will absorb any costs up to USD $15 as a result of exchange rate fluctuations. Any major change will be applied as a surcharge to your trek price. 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 $15. 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:
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.
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.
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 refund the fee when you finalize your reservation.
Remember – we strongly recommend that you have travel insurance which can cover many change fees in the case of 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:
Cancellation BY THE CLIENT:
Remember – we strongly recommend that you have travel insurance which can cover many change fees in the case of illness or injury.
The below-described change fees apply to any non-Inca Trail trek or excursion for any changes made after a booking has been made and the booking deposit has been paid. Changes to Inca Trail trek bookings are not permitted once the reservation has been made.
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 once.
Any changes to your train ticket will incur the following surcharges:
In addition, if you decide to come back at a different time than the rest of your group, then your transfer from Piscacucho or Ollantaytambo to Cusco is NOT included in the price of your trek. You will need to assume this cost yourself.
Passport Changes – INCA TRAIL ONLY.
Any changes to passport information, including passport number, expiration date, etc.:
If you provide us the wrong name, it is mis-spelt or unclearly written on the information provided to us, or if your name changes (such as through marriage or divorce) then, in addition to the above administrative fees, you will be required to pay for a new permit. The ability to purchase a new permit depends on availability. If there is an issue with your name on the permit and there are no more permits available for your dates, you will not be able to complete the trek and will not be eligible for a refund.
Other Changes.
This includes route or departure date changes.
Hotels.
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 will be charged a $15 fee.
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 do not accept trek reservations for children under the age of 8 years old and adults over 70 years old. All children under 18 years old must also 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 fill 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.
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:
In consideration of Apus Peru accepting your booking and permitting you to join the trek:
and
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, 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.
We strongly recommend that you purchase comprehensive travel insurance prior to departure. A comprehensive travel insurance policy – one that covers high-altitude trekking, and everything from medical emergencies to unexpected trip changes – is an essential travel tool. Please note that your regular medical insurance plan in your home country will not cover certain potentialities. We recommend looking for a plan that includes coverage for the following things:
While we try to be understanding when situations arise, the fact is that Trip Changes and Trip Cancellation incur penalties. See more information on this page about refunds and change fees.
>>Read more about why insurance is a must in our blog.
We recommend World Nomads! By far one of the best and most economical insurance providers out there for adventure travel. Contact them today for a free quote.
All participants in tours operated by Apus Peru are expected to obey the laws and regulations of the country(ies) visited and any failure to do so will relieve Apus Peru of all obligations that they may otherwise have under these booking conditions.
If you have a complaint about any of our services, you must bring it to the attention of your guide, tour leader, Travel Consultant, or other representative of Apus Peru at the time so that we may use our best endeavors to rectify the situation. It is only if Apus Peru is made aware of any problems that there will be the opportunity to put things right. Failure to complain on the spot will result in your ability to claim compensation from Apus Peru being extinguished or at least reduced. Should the problem remain unsolved a complaint must be made in writing to Apus Peru within 14 days of the completion of your tour or all claims for compensation will be forfeit. If the you are able to film or photograph the issue, this is immensely helpful to us so that we have evidence to be able to visualize your claim. If you request compensation for unanticipated expenses that are a direct result of the issue, you should provide receipts.
Apus Peru does not store or share personal information beyond what it is required to do by Peruvian law. Any such information will be stored securely and confidentially until it can be destroyed. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.