July 2027 DTB
Kickstands up October 2027 Dates TBD
Andes Mountain 10-Day Tour
This is a benefit ride for
People of Peru Project
For every rider People of Peru Project sponsors an impoverished student for a full year in school.
We start our journey in Cusco, where you'll experience the grandeur of the Andes Mountain Range. Snow-capped peaks and traditional villages will anchor your adventure as you explore Peru in ways that go beyond the ordinary.
If you prefer paved roads, plenty connect every major city and point of interest. However, for those seeking adventure, secondary roads and backcountry routes abound.
Plan to arrive in Cusco no later than two days before "Kickstands up". Arriving one day before we leave will not give you enough time for acclimatization and preparation. We have included a buffer day for unexpected events, such as missed flights or lost luggage, which is a sensible precaution.
**Prep Day One:** Arrive in Cusco, acclimate, relax, fit any electronics onto your bike, and prepare for the trip. (It will likely take you two days to travel from the US to Cusco.)
**Prep Day Two:** Acclimate further and meet as a group to review our trip protocols and purchase local supplies instead of carrying them from the US.
**Day 1:** Kickstands Up! We’ll ride from Cusco to Laras. After picking up our bikes, we will tour the backcountry outside Chinchero, heading down to Urubamba to visit the studio of Pablo Seminario, a world-renowned potter whose work is displayed in institutions like the Smithsonian, the Chicago Field Museum, and the World Bank in New York. Pablo, a friend of mine, will welcome us warmly. We will then head to Laras to soak in the hot springs and spend the night in mountain cabins, where local residents will prepare our meals.
**Day 2:** Ride from Laras to Ollantaytambo. Enjoy a full day of riding in the mountains on primitive roads with creek crossings, interacting with curious locals, dodging grazing alpacas, and visiting a mountain school where we meet the kids and make a donation for much-needed supplies. We will end the day in Ollantaytambo, where we’ll leave our bikes and catch a train the next morning for a tour of Machu Picchu.
**Day 3:** Tour Machu Picchu, then return to Ollantaytambo for the night, resting in this living Inca village and enjoying a fabulous meal.
**Day 4:** We will ride to Santa Teresa, navigating some of the most incredible, twisty roads the Andes have to offer, and end the day in the crystal-clear hot springs nestled between snow-capped mountains.
**Day 5:** Return from Santa Teresa to Ollantaytambo. You'll experience this stunning road twice!
**Day 6:** Ride from Ollantaytambo to Sicuani, taking in a wide variety of landscapes and countless pueblos built from adobe bricks and surrounded by stone walls made of rocks gleaned from the local landscape.
**Day 7:** Journey from Sicuani to Chivay, crossing elevations of over 16,000 feet. You'll be treated to beautiful, rugged backcountry views and snow-covered peaks. You will witness the work of thousands of travelers who have stacked rocks as an offering to the gods of the mountains. There is an active volcano in the distance, and we stop to take photos at the ice fields beside the road.
**Day 8:** Ride from Chivay to the Colca Canyon, stopping at the "Condor Observation Point." There you will be up close and personal with the largest birds in the world, with up to a 7 ft. wingspan. We’ll spend the rest of the day riding around Colca Canyon, which is twice as deep as the Grand Canyon, and visit a natural steam geyser located five miles up a canyon via secondary roads.
**Day 9:** Travel from Colca to Espinar. The primitive roads wind up, down, over, and through this breathtaking region, offering fantastic riding and once again reaching elevations of over 16,000 ft.
**Day 10:** Ride from Espinar back to Cusco, with a stop at the Inca Grass Bridge, Q'eswachaka. This is one of the most inspiring sights of the trip, along with some of the most beautiful roads you will encounter in this region. We’ll finish the day in Cusco, where you can return the bikes and unwind with hot showers, great food, and some time to explore this amazing city.
**Day 11:** Enjoy the local sights in Cusco. There are many fantastic restaurants, stunning architecture, shopping opportunities, barber shops, and places for Inca massage. Do not book your return flight from Cusco to Lima and the US on Day 11. We need this day as a buffer "just in case" we experience any delays returning to Cusco. You'll avoid the stress of scrambling to change international flights.
**Day 12:**Cusco/Lima/US
Included:
Motorcycle, Honda CB 500's Dual Sports.
Helmet, goggles/shield, though I can't imagine not bringing your own...
Heated gear is not required, but I highly suggest at least heated gloves for the high passes. We will talk about these things well
in advance of the trip.Essential spare parts and tools for regular roadside adjustments or tire repairs.
Tour guide, tickets to Machu Picchu, and Colca Canyon, and all non-motorcycle transportation after arriving
in Cusco, such as buses and trains to Machu Picchu, airport pickup, etc.Breakfast at the hotel every day.
Hotels based on two-person occupancy
Transfers to and from the airport in Cusco
Notes:
The hotel rooms for this program are double rooms. We can arrange single rooms for an increased fee.
Please let me know in advance if you prefer to pay an extra fee for a single room. EVEN IF YOU COME EARLY OR STAY LATE, you
will stay at our host hotel. We provide hotel pickup and drop-off. For logistics, we need to be at the same location. You will love the hotel;
it is in the heart of Historic Cusco.
Not included:
Airfare, lunch, and dinner. We snack on the road for lunch and enjoy the local restaurants in the evening. Food is not expensive.
You will need to bring a dry bag/backpack, saddle bags, or soft bags, and possibly a tank bag, depending on what other gear you
use. We will talk about that well before the ride. The bikes have back racks, but that is all. I have been using a soft bag system that
I got from Marketplace about 8 years ago, along with a tail bag and a small magnetic tank bag.
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Check out our Facebook page for some photos and videos of recent tours.
Peru VolunTours Or scroll back a bit on my Facebook page and see everything I posted from the rides.
Email: u4peru@gmail.com
This tour has a 10-rider limit, with a minimum of 4.
A $250 deposit will hold your place and will be refunded IF, for some reason, the trip is canceled on OUR end.
A non-refundable $750 payment will be due mid june and mid September, and the balance of $1,900 will be due upon arrival in Cusco in Cash.
Clean Crip $100 bills. We need to pay vendors there, and we avoid wire fees by you carrying the balance of your payment.
IF THINGS GO SIDEWAYS BECAUSE OF COVID-19 OR ANYTHING ELSE ON A GRAND SCALE, WE WILL ABSOLUTELY REFUND ANY
MONEY THAT HAS NOT BEEN SPENT ON TICKETS OR FEES THAT WE ARE UNABLE TO RECOVER.
So, this is a fantastic adventure for $2,900 PLUS flights.
The international flight to Lima can cost anywhere from $500 to $1,000, depending on your departure city.
The in-country flights, Lima/Cusco/Lima, should cost around $200. Previous groups completed the adventure for less than $4,000.
The flights are the variable component.
We are starting from an elevation of 12,000 ft, so you need to arrive 2 days early to rest and acclimate. Hotel expenses before or after the 10-day
tour are your obligation. You will still lodge at the same location, and we will still pick you up at the airport.
La Mochila Viajera Agency has booked hundreds of flights for our passengers and for the volunteers of our organization in Iquitos,
People of Peru Project. Tell Vania that Paul from Peru Voluntours/People of Peru Project, sent you, and that you need a flight all the
way to CUSCO no later than two days before Kickstands up day.
Her Whatsapp number is:
Vania PERÚ
+51 958 459 867
Agencia de viajes: “La mochila viajera EIRL” administradora de “La mochila de Vania”
She is very good and super responsive. She can book your international flight or just your Lima/Cusco/Lima flights if you need some
assistance.
You will need WhatsApp on this trip to communicate with the group. There will be wifi in all the hotels in the evening for communication
back home, group logistics, and picture sharing. If you don't have it on your phone...now is a good time. It is free and works very well.