From: £1,427
From: $1,900
Welcome to Peru!
On your arrival at the airport, we will be waiting for you to take you to the bus for the approximately one-hour drive to your hotel.
Upon arrival we will check-in. Dinner at the hotel.
Lima is Peru’s capital city, situated on the Pacific coast and home to more than 10 million people. It is a sprawling city located in the centre of Peru’s desert coastline. Lima is a city worth visiting – its food, restaurants and live music scene are excellent, the people are friendly and hospitable and it houses some of the best museums in Peru.
Part 1: Journey to
Part 2: Visit to the Citrus Field
Part 3: Transfer and visit to the Avocado Factory
Part 4: Lunch in Paracas
Part 5: Summary and questions
Part 6: Return and end of the day
Morning: Coffee & cocoa
Mid-Morning: Transition
Midday: Ollas Comunes Initiatives
Afternoon: Summary and Q&A
End of day
Morning
Midday
Afternoon: Agrarian University
End of day
Morning: Mercado Mayorista
Transition to AJE Group
Late Morning: AJE Group office visit
Afternoon: Deep dive into AJE Group
End of visit
End of day
Early Morning: Lima to Cusco
Morning: Arrival in Cusco
Mid-morning: Maras & Salineras
Lunch: In the village of Maras
Early afternoon: Moray
Afternoon: Urubamba
End of day
Upon arriving, begin your experience at Laguna Qoricocha. Here, you’ll be embraced with a traditional welcome ceremony that sets the tone for the day. Engage in enlightening discussions about the rich Andean culture, where agriculture plays an integral role in daily life and community sustenance.
Immerse yourself in the mountain landscapes where local community members cultivate potatoes. These areas, nestled on the sides of the serene Laguna Qoricocha, offer a glimpse into the hard work and dedication that goes into traditional Andean farming practices.
A moderate hike takes you to areas positioned at a slightly lower elevation. Here, the community’s pioneering greenhouse operations come to life. Tour the greenhouses and discover how they’ve transformed Q’enqo’s agricultural landscape.
Engage in dialogue with local community members, gleaning insights into their experiences with diverse crop cultivation and its numerous benefits—both in terms of nutrition and economic empowerment.
Roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty! Participants have the chance to actively engage in the agricultural process. Whether it’s planting, preparing garden beds, or adding natural soil amendments, there’s a wealth of hands-on experiences awaiting. Under the guidance of community members, you’ll also have the opportunity to participate in the harvesting process within the greenhouses.
Midday: Lunch in Q’enqo
After a morning of exploration and learning, take a moment to sit down and relish a hearty meal with the community. Prepared using local ingredients, possibly including produce freshly harvested from the greenhouses you toured earlier, this lunch offers more than just nourishment for the body—it’s a chance for cultural exchange.
Engage with the community members, share stories, and deepen your understanding of their way of life. This mealtime offers a unique, immersive opportunity to connect on a personal level with the heart of Q’enqo.
Early morning: Departure from Urubamba
Late morning: Meeting Julio Hancco, the Potato King
Midday: Community lunch
Early afternoon: More exploration and reflection
Late afternoon: Return to Urubamba
Early morning: A day off in Urubamba begins
Mid-morning: Arrival & ascent
Late morning to early afternoon: Explore the site
Mid to late Afternoon: Return to Urubamba
Evening: Reconnect in Urubamba
07.30: Departure from Urubamba
Mid-morning: Alcira’s house and tea plantations
Early afternoon: Maranura Coffee Cooperative
Breakfast:
Morning: COCLA – The Central de Cooperativas Agrarias Cafetaleras, Cusco
Wrapping it up: The Co-op influence on food security
Midday: Departure to Cusco
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
We can use hostals, homestays and hotels for time in cities.
In the Amazon we have eco-lodge or full camps to choose from.
While trekking, a full camping entourage comes with you – tents, dining tent, cook and mules and porters for support.
This depends on the type of tour – more advice given when you contact us.
Almost all dietary requirements can be catered for if we are notified in advance, please ask for more information.
Breakfasts at the hotels will generally consist of hot drinks, toast, jams, cereals, fruits and eggs.
Lunch when provided will either be a packed lunch of sandwiches, fruit and snacks. If at a local restaurant, it will often include soup to start, a main of rice with meat and/or veg. and a small pudding. Dinners are often similar.
When eating out under your own steam, there are a host of restaurants to choose from.
Note: In remote areas, meals may vary depending on availability of certain items.
All our guides are qualified, local and English-speaking and will help you get the most out of your trip.
You meet different guides for different tours, each with specialist knowledge of the areas you are visiting.
A wonderful Peru journey highlighted by an unforgettable Salkantay trek and the majesty of Machu Picchu.
A vibrant journey through Peru’s diverse landscapes and cultures, from the majestic Andes to the wildlife-rich Amazon.
Peru is an important producer of food and, at the same time, has a high level of food insecurity among its population.
This food security trip offers the opportunity to learn about sustainability, food poverty, the importance of community work, environmental policies in food production, trade and many other essential issues to be considered in the work towards improving sustainable production and food security around the world.
On this MSc academic group trip to Peru you experience some of the food security issues discussed in class during the year.
Read more about the University of Edinburgh’s Food Security Trip and how they learned about food security’s role in the battle against climate change.
Peru is made up of 3 distinct geographical areas: the coast, the mountains and the jungle.
The costa or coastal region is a narrow ribbon of desert 2,250 km long, crossed by fertile river valleys flowing from the Andes. It takes up 11% of the country and holds more than 40% of the population.
The cold Humboldt current gives rise to a blanket of mist – the garua – which hangs above coastal cities like the capital Lima from May to November.
Heading east, you’re soon climbing above the garua and into the Andes. The sierra, or mountainous region, covers some 25% of Peru’s territory and contains 50% of the population. The sierra inhabitants are mainly Indigenous or Mestizo, and many still speak Quechua or Aymara.
The sierra contains dozens of 6,000-metre snow peaks and volcanoes, including Huascaran (6,768m) the highest mountain in the tropics. The deep valley basins contain most of the towns and arable land; the terracing and canal systems of the Incas and pre-Incas are often still used today.
The eastern Andes are heavily forested up to 3,350m and sweep down into the Amazon Basin.
Peru’s selva or jungle makes up almost two thirds of the country’s area, but holds only about 6% of the population: the only towns with significant populations are Iquitos and Pucallpa.
Peru is the perfect holiday destination for adventure travellers that want an amazing variety of activity, geography and cultural travel experiences.
The breadth of travel experiences in Peru is breathtaking – from trekking in the Andes to Machu Picchu to the tropical jungle of the Amazon, and plenty in between.
The people of Peru make it a special destination too, with its colourful and traditional street life and friendly locals.
Good kit is vital for every trip.
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When planning for the varied climatic conditions you will encounter across Peru, layering is the most practical and versatile clothing system.
The sun is very strong throughout the country, so good sun cream, a hat and sunglasses are vital.
It can also get very cold at night time especially in the mountains. Jumpers, fleeces and warms hats – which you can buy there – are also essential.
Give plenty of thought to kit selection, and try to keep weight down.
Below is a more detailed guide.
You can also read about the weather of Peru in our blog.
You can also read about the weather of Peru in our blog.
Peru is located in the southern tropics (latitudes 0º to 18º), but climate varies significantly according to season, altitude and region.
From May to October, Lima is often overcast, but with minimal precipitation. There are sunny spells, and it’s a fresh to pleasant 13-20ºC.
At the same time, inland areas and the north coast mid to high 20’s ºC.
November to April is generally warm and sunny and Lima enjoys warm temperature of 19-25ºC, with the coast averaging 22-30ºC.
Climate depends largely on altitude. As a rule of thumb, below 2,000m climate is mild and above 2,000m warm clothing is required for evenings, nights and early mornings.
The Andean sun is very strong.
Cusco (3,300m): Average max/min temps: 22ºC /2ºC. Average 3 or 4 wet days per month.
Arequipa (2,380m): Average max/min temps: 26ºC /9ºC. Sunny more than 340 days/year with minimal precipitation.
On highland treks: Conditions are generally dry. However, at this time of year, expect a range of conditions within a single day: cold/freezing nights at camps above 4,000m, where pre-dawn temperatures can be -5ºC; warm, spring-like mornings and afternoons; and cold evenings.
Note that mountain weather can be fickle and localised, and that precipitation is not unknown in the dry season. Expect temperatures to swing between sun and shade, sheltered and exposed ground and with altitude gain and loss. A quick-setting sun means temperatures drop fast.
In the cloud forest, e.g. around Machu Picchu, daytime conditions are generally warm or hot, and evenings cool.
Cusco: Average max/min temps: 23ºC /6ºC. Average 13 wet days per month.
Arequipa: Average max/min temps: 25ºC /14ºC.
On highland treks: Wetter conditions, with cooler days and milder nights than dry season. Jan-Mar usually the wettest months.
Year-round, weather conditions are hot and humid and there is always the risk of rain.
There is a ‘dry season’ in Tambopata and Manu between May and October. The average daytime high temperature is between 25°C and 34°C and the average nighttime low is between 16°C and 22°C. Heavy downpours typically occur every few days.
Around 80% of annual average rainfall – approx 2,000 mm in Manu and Tambopata and 1,400 mm in Iquitos – occurs in the wet season Nov-April.
On rare occasions, between May and September, cold fronts from Argentina – ‘friajes’ – can sweep into southwest Amazonia and push temperatures down to 9°C. (Friajes usually last between 1 and 3 days).
A wonderful Peru journey highlighted by an unforgettable Salkantay trek and the majesty of Machu Picchu.
A vibrant journey through Peru’s diverse landscapes and cultures, from the majestic Andes to the wildlife-rich Amazon.
