Responsible Tourism

The Peru Inca Trail Charity Challenge

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Highlights of this tour.

An ideal tour for adventurous school groups who want to make a difference to local communities while travelling.

Inca Trail Challenge

Our challenges combine a physical adventure with time spent assisting with a community project in the destination. They make unforgettable trips and can also be undertaken to raise money for a charity of your choice. We combine the 4 day Classic Inca Trail (following the famous Inca route through spectacular Andean scenery, past ancient Inca sites, to the spectacular Inca Sanctuary of Machu Picchu) with 3 full days of volunteering on a range of projects at a local school which is greatly hindered by poor educational facilities and infrastructure. Broken windows mean that children are often educated in temperatures below freezing, and 50% of the classrooms lack electricity, lighting and heating. The school lacks basic amenities as well as sports, leisure and recreational facilities. We work with the local committee to bring positive change to the school and its pupils. The work also allows us time to acclimatise to the altitude, before we start our trek.

Make a difference in Peru with this charity challenge fund raising idea and volunteer opportunity. Discover what the Spanish Conquistadors could not - the lost city of Machu Picchu nestled in the magnificent Andes Mountains. On this challenge, trek through mountain passes, remote unspoiled villages and jaw-dropping scenery. Ride on one of the world's highest trains and volunteer to help a local school with much-needed repairs and improvements all whilst charity fund raising!
From the capital Lima we fly to Cuzco and head straight to Urubamba, the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

Our first three days are spent assisting on a school development project, helping to repair and refurbish the buildings as well as spending time with the children, many of whom have parents who may well be our porters and guides in the days to come! This also helps us to acclimatise to the altitude before starting on the trek.

For the next three days we will be hiking at altitude through some of the most incredible alpine scenery in the world. At times the going can be tough, but with the help of our experienced guides and porters we will be rewarded with the experience of a lifetime culminating as we reach Intipunku, the Sun Gate.

From this fabulous vantage spot, we watch the sun rise over the sacred citadel of Machu Picchu, the mythical lost city of the Incas, where we have the whole day to walk around and marvel at this truly awe-inspiring human achievement.

The final leg of the tour sees us back in Cuzco after a spectacular train ride through sweeping mountain passes, before heading back to Lima.

Example Itinerary.

2008 itinerary:

Day 1 -Fly to Lima.

Day 2 - Discover Peru's capital including the cathedral, Government Palace and the Convent of San Francisco, a World Heritage site.

Day 3 - Fly to Cuzco and the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

Days 4 to 6 - Spend three days on volunteer work on a range of volunteer projects at the San Luis Gonzales School.

Days 7 to 10 - Embark on a truly memorable trek along the Inca Trail. Although at times arduous, the combination of stunning scenery and Incan ruins compensates any hardships encountered along the way!

On the morning of Day 10 we set sight on Machu Picchu from the amazing Intipunku, or Sun Gate, with the rest of the morning to explore and the afternoon regroup in the town of Aguas Calientes.

Day 11 - Another morning to explore Machu Picchu or take a well-earned dip in the thermal waters of Aguas Calientes before heading back to Cusco by train this afternoon.

Day 12 - Fly to Lima where the rest of the day is free.

Day 13 - Return flight to the UK.

2009 itinerary:

As above, but with the exclusion of Day 2. All further days' itineraries therefore occur one day earlier with the exception of the following alteration:

Day 11 - Fly to Lima, spend the rest of the day exploring Lima, and fly to London this evening.

The Difference you make by taking this tour.

The San Luis Gonzales School near Cusco is a co-educational facility serving children through primary and secondary education. In the morning there are lessons for 550 primary students. In the afternoon 270 secondary school students are taught there.
The school is regarded as being amongst one of the poorest schools in a region well known for the poverty of educational facilities and infrastructure. In particular, the school lacks basic amenities and leisure facilities and the ability to support sporting activities. The students lack an area for recreational use and an area such a gymnasium for sports training. Furthermore, 50% of the classrooms lack electricity, lighting and heating. Many windows are broken, meaning that children are often educated in temperatures well below freezing.

We will work closely with the local committee to improve facilities as well as spending time with the children.

 

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