Booking Conditions

• A 30% non-refundable deposit is required on booking your Apus Peru trek. Your booking is not confirmed until we receive this deposit. We prefer payment of your deposit by PayPal or Visa; if this is not possible, please ask us about alternative payment methods.
• 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 be expected to know, which may affect your ability to complete your trek.
• Full payment of the balance of your trek price must be made 48h prior to departure, unless prior arrangements are made. Failure to do so may result in the CANCELLATION of your trek. This payment should be made in cash in our Cusco office, during your pre-trek briefing. Please enquire for other payment options.

In most instances, we can make changes to your reservation up to 14 days prior to your departure date. This change policy applies to non-Inca Trail treks only; once booked, no changes can be made to any Inca Trail trek.

We strongly encourage you to take out travel insurance to cover fees associated with trip changes or cancellation. Many travel insurance policies will cover these fees in the event of illness or injury. If you choose not to take out travel insurance, we will ask that you sign a waiver acknowledging that you agree to personally assume this risk.

• Trek Route or Departure Date – if you decide you’d like to do a different trek than that originally booked, or depart on a different date.
• 14 days or more prior to departure: If you request a change 14 days or more before your departure date, you will incur a change fee of $100 per person or 10% of the total trek price, whichever is greater.
• Less than 14 days prior to departure: $250 per person or 20% of the total trek price, whichever is greater.
• Hotel – Nights can be added, but dates cannot be changed or cancelled within 60 days of the first night booked. The full amount is payable 60 days prior to your first night’s stay.
• Inca Trail – Changes to your passport information (name, number) after booking will incur a change fee of $15; this fee will increase to $50 if requested within 14 days prior to your departure date.
• Equipment rentals and cancellations – Generally free of charge. Cancellation of large equipment rentals (4 or more of any item) within 14 days of your departure date will incur a penalty.
• Any other change, such as adding climbing Huayna Picchu, will incur a change fee of $50 per person, in addition to third party fees or fare increases.

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.

Apus Peru reserves the right to cancel or change any trip due to infrastructure damage from floods or other natural disasters (such as a road or bridge washing out), extreme weather conditions, or a disruptive political climate. Any tours cancelled for such reasons cannot be refunded or recuperated. Please see our special cancellation policy for Wet Season Trekking.

We also reserve the right to cancel a reservation if the client is found to be unfit to make the trek due to health, age, or general fitness reasons, or for reasons of intoxication or unruly behavior. In addition, we will cancel your reservation if you fail to pay the balance 48 hours prior to departure, unless alternative arrangements have been made in advance. If we cancel your reservation for any of these reasons, you will forfeit your non-refundable booking deposit. If on the morning of departure you are ill, hungover or otherwise indisposed and cannot travel, Apus Peru will not refund your trek price. We may try to substitute an alternative tour, but this decision remains at the sole discretion of Apus Peru and depends on the individual circumstances.

If you cancel your trip for any reason, you will forfeit your non-refundable booking deposit. If you have made any additional payments towards your balance, any full or partial refund of your trek price shall be determined at the sole discretion of Apus Peru. If you cancel within 48 hours of your trek departure, we will not refund any portion of your trek.

We book train service on both Peru Rail and Inca Rail, on either the tourist class or executive class service.

Expedition (tourist class) service is limited, with just two schedules departing Aguas Calientes per day. If you would like more flexibility in your schedule or to leave at another time, we suggest upgrading to Vistadome (Executive class) service. If for any reason you think your travel plans will be affected by the scheduled train times, you must inform us AT BOOKING.

Occasionally during high season, the trains are overbooked and it is impossible to purchase tickets. If this happens, we will provide a private car that returns to Cusco via the Abra de Malaga, approximately a 6 hour journey (versus the 4-5 hours by train).

Note that we can only make changes to a train ticket once. 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 $10 administration fee per ticket changed

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.

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
• Passport name/number change fee. This applies to Inca Trail reservations only. If you obtain a new passport prior to trekking, you must travel with both the old and new passports.
• Change fee. This applies to date changes, route changes, and any other change requested after your booking is completed.
• Train itinerary changes. These are explained in detail above.

If you wish to travel on or during a Peruvian holiday or on an election day there will be a slight increase in your trip cost. Field staff (guides, cooks & muleteers) are entitled to vacation pay if made 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.

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 when paying the trek balance upon arrival to Cusco. 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 revise our trek prices quarterly if there is a substantial change in the exchange rate. We will absorb any costs up to a certain amount 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 PEN increases by only a small margin, we will issue a refund for the difference. We will clearly outline our calculations to substantiate the need for any surcharge or refund.

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.

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.

We do not accept trekking reservations for children under the age of 8 years old and adults over 70 years old. 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.

For trekkers over 63 years old we also ask that you have your doctor fill out Part III of our Medical Declaration & Insurance Waiver Form, confirming that you are of sufficient fitness to participate in the trek. Unfortunately, if you fail to have your doctor complete this section, we reserve the right to cancel your trek, resulting in the forfeiture of your booking deposit and any other payments made to-date.

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 an event, the passenger will forfeit their booking deposit. Any additional refunds of the trek balance are at the sole discretion of Apus Peru.

You must disclose to Apus Peru any medical issue which may affect your ability to undertake the trek.

People with heart conditions, knee problems, severe asthma, or who are more than 18 weeks pregnant should not participate in treks. People with mild asthma, diabetes, or who are less than 18 weeks pregnant must have their doctor fill out Part III of their Medical Declaration & Insurance Waiver Form, stating that they are fit to undertake the trek. They will also be required to be accompanied by a trekking companion on the trek at all times who will trek at their side 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.

We strongly recommend that you purchase comprehensive travel insurance prior to departure. 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:

• adventure trips and any specific activity you will be undertaking on your trip (such as a high altitude trek);
• recuperation of your non-refundable booking deposit in the event of trip cancellation due to illness or accidental injury;
• national or international emergency evacuation;
• patriation of remains in the event of death;
• other medical expenses related to injury, illness or death.

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.

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 country(ies) 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 willful 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.

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.

Please bring any complaint you may have to the attention of Apus Peru as soon as practicable. Any delay in bringing issues to our attention will result in the forfeiture or reduction of your ability to claim compensation. Should any complaint remain unresolved by the end of your trek, a formal complaint should be made to Apus Peru, in writing, within 10 days of the completion of your trek. Failure to meet this deadline will likewise extinguish your ability to claim compensation.

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.