Cusco Mountain Bike Adventure

What’s the price of this 10-day Cusco Mountain Bike Adventure? And what’s included?

The price is $2,195 per person with guaranteed departures! Hop on one of our preplanned mountain bike trips or bring a friend and pick your own dates!

Included: 

• Airport pick up and drop off on arrival and departure (whatever those days may be – we’re on your schedule. Also, this includes transport of your bikes!)
• 10 nights of lodging between Cusco and the Sacred Valley (the night before Day 1 on the itinerary is included). 
• Full shop access to maintain your bike while in Cusco
• Professional bilingual mountain bike guide who’s trained in first aid (1 per every 4 riders)
• Seven days with a shuttle vehicle
• Entrance fees into ruins (besides Machu Picchu, which is an optional add-on), parks, and trail permit fees
• Snacks, lunch, and water refills on ride days
• Help setting up any additional tours, hotels, or experiences you may want to add on to your trip
• Signature “Haku Expeditions” bike jersey
• Group farewell dinner on the last night
• The time of your life!

Not included:

• Rental bikes (however, mountain bikes are available for $50 per day)
• Machu Picchu tour (ask if you would like this as an add-on)
• Dinners unless stated
• Lunch on non-ride days
• Private room (you can ask for a supplemented price if you want one)
• Trip insurance
• Tips for local guides
• Transport not mentioned in the itinerary

NOTE: As this is South America, things like route closures, weather, labor strikes, and landslides can cause unexpected changes in plans, so your cooperation when our itinerary needs to be flexible is appreciated.

For this 10-day Cusco Mountain Bike Adventure:

You should have a mountain biking skill level of intermediate tech: You’ve got three plus years of riding on singletrack trails of all sorts with features such as rock gardens, steep sections, rolls and drops, roots, and small jumps. You are confident on the bike in most situations. You’re constantly looking to improve your riding skills and enjoy riding for extended periods of time climbing and descending in terrain of all sorts.

Your fitness level should be at least a 3.5: You will want to be in between these two levels

3: You exercise one to two times a week but do not have a normal schedule that keeps you biking or doing other activities weekly. You don’t go to the gym or train for any specific sports but you lead a relatively active lifestyle by biking, hiking, skiing, or whatever it may be. For biking: climbs and long descents give you some trouble and you tend to get tired after about 2-3 hours on the bike.

4: You exercise 3-4 times a week and enjoy physical activities such as biking, hiking, skiing. You are active. For biking: you enjoy climbs that are moderately long and being on a bike for 3-5 hours in one day doesn’t get you too tired or fatigued. 

We include airport pick up and drop off with your mountain bike. 

On this 7 day itinerary you can arrive on day one and leave on day 7 unless you would like to come early or stay longer. 

A driver will be waiting at the Cusco airport for you with a sign with your name. He will not arrive early. If your flight arrives early please wait for him to arrive at the original scheduled time of arrival. 

We offer to pick you up any date you arrive. Therefore, if you would like to arrive early we will pick you up and store your bicycle for you. We also offer to take you to the airport on any date you leave from Cusco. We do not offer this service from another area such as the Sacred Valley.

Before you book flights. Traveling to Peru with your bike: 

This trip begins and ends in Cusco Peru. You will want to look for flights to Cusco (CUZ) which will always require a layover. Layovers are often in Bogota or Lima. Layovers are often long and arrivals to Lima are generally around 2am-3am. If you choose a flight all the way to Cusco then you only pay once for your mountain bike which is the first flight you take. 

You can also fly into Lima and spend a night there before flying out in the morning. If you choose that option let us know so we can help with your bicycle logistics. This requires that you pay a second time for your bike. Latam charges 35 usd on national flights. 

Check if you need a visa for any of the countries you may pass though such as China. Some countries require it even when passing though, others will allow you to stay in the airport in a special area without leaving. Be sure of your layover countries visa requirements. 

Before booking flights look into how much baggage you are allowed and how much an oversized  bag will cost you. All bicycles are oversized. The price ranges so check this before booking the flight. We recommend you call the airline beforehand.  

IMPORTANT: Generally anytime you land in another country you need to get your luggage and rescan it or re-check it for security purposes. Every country is different so check ONCE YOU ARRIVE, do not count on the front desk lady who checked you in at your first airport. In Lima you must re-check your bags/bike. Make sure you have enough time during your layover for migracions and the bag check.

Cusco is at very high altitude so we suggest arriving early if possible to acclimatise.

We recommend you bring a full-suspension all-mountain, trail, or enduro bike.

These days, the trail bikes have become more like enduro bikes and the enduro bikes have become more like DH bikes. Therefore, what we recommend is a full-suspension mountain bike with 140mm or more of suspension in the front and rear.

We also recommend that you have a tubeless tire setup and tires such as Maxxis Minion, Highroller, or Assegai.

For the bike:

• Bring a well maintained bike for Enduro, All-Mountain Style Trails: Check that the chain is not stretched, cables are clean or new, the headset and pivots are moving nicely or cleaned and greased
• You will need extra bike parts, please don’t expect to buy much on this trip
• Extra brake pads
• Derailer and shifter (Optional)
• Spare Tire (Optional)
• We recommend tires like Maxxis Highrollers, Assegai, Minions or something similar
• Tubeless is your best bet. Bring extra sealant and an extra valve
• A derailer hanger, a multi-tool and a tube are essential
• Extra Screws for the bike and for clip-less shoes if you use them. Zip ties are great too
• Any kind of liquids you may need, Reverb oil, brake oil, tubeless sealant, chain lube in small bottles. Pack in sealed baggies so they don’t explode in transit.
• Bleed kit or ask if we have the one you need

How to pack your bike for travel

Packing your bike for a trip like this requires either a bike bag or a bicycle box. Both work. If you do not have a bicycle box you can contact your local bike shop and generally get one for free or very cheap. 

Steps to pack your bag:

Drop the seat post before you take off the wheels. It’s easier that way.

Take the pedals off, it is easier now while the bike is still whole. 

You will need to take off the handle bars. Put the screws back into the stem so you do not lose them. Strap the handlebars to the side of the bike with padding. Make sure nothing moves so you bike does not get scratched. Zip ties can help with this. 

Take out some of the air in the tires. This is a requirement for flying with the bike. Take off both wheels. We recommend you put the axle back into the bike so you do not lose it. 

Take off the discs from the wheels. While this may seem tedious it saves your disk from getting bent and only takes a few minutes. Put the disks inside something like a folder to keep them safe. Put the screws inside a baggie and tape to the folder. Keep them with the bike. (If you lose your suitcase with clothes at least you still have your full bike together!)

Take off the derailer and derailer hangar. While this is optional it keeps both pieces from getting bent. Remember exactly how this goes back on. 

If you have a bike bag like Evoc or Dakine there will be directions of what goes where. Make sure to tie up the chain so it does not move and scratch the bike. Tie up any loose ends with zip ties or string. 

If you are using a bike box you will need to put in a tire or two first then the frame (and maybe the second tire) with the bars strapped to the bike. Make sure nothing moves. I usually use zip ties to make sure the tires are strapped in one place with the frame. Also make sure that the cog set is facing away from the bike. This will scratch the bike otherwise. 

Once everything is packed you can often put a few extra items inside like your helmet, bike shoes and empty CamelBak. You will want to keep the bag at 23 kilos/50 pounds unless the company you are flying with allows for more weight without a price increase. (Calling to make sure is the best way to know)

Also, don’t forget to put your name, address, phone number and email on the bag or box. 

Our mountain bike tours include breakfast from your hotel and lunch on ride days. 

Our MTB rides include lunches at local restaurants and also in the homes of locals who live on the trail. All of the food we eat for lunch is produced locally and more often than not organic. Most meals are a large bowl of soup followed by a main meal. The main meals are generally meat, chicken or trout along with rice, potatoes, and vegetables. Most lunches do not contain flour. If you don’t eat meat, you can get a plate that has rice, eggs and fried plantain. All of our meat is free range, grass fed and produced by local farmers with small farms. 

If you have dietary restrictions please let us know so we can help you plan for the trip accordingly. 

We provide snacks for the ride days. However, Peru does not have the same high calorie snacks that most developed countries have. Feel free to bring extra energy bars for the trail if you think you may want snacks you already enjoy!

Water is also provided for the rides. You will need a bottle or camepack to fill.

This mountain bike trip does not provide dinner (except the farewell dinner of course!) We have chosen to do this so that you can explore Cusco’s amazing food scene on your own!

Each person is required to have a specific travel/trip insurance outside of your credit card or regular medical insurance. You should get comprehensive coverage with trip interruption/cancelation and with personal liability. Mention all activities that you will be involved in such as mountain biking and whatever other activities you may have planned. 

We do not provide refunds. Because mountain biking is an adventure activity and getting hurt is a possibility, you will want a travel insurance. If you should get hurt, not only will it cover your medical expenses, it will also cover the lost portion of the trip. Make sure you have trip interruption or trip cancelation included! South America is famous for people striking and shutting down all activities. If you miss your Machu Picchu trip, your Amazon trip or your flight due to strikes the insurance will cover the loss or additional costs that are incurred. 

Check out our advice on insurance and some helpful links here.

Peru’s currency is called the Nuevo Sol. You’ll be able to exchange US currency for the Sol easily in Cusco. The exchange rate often fluctuates between 3.29-3.33 sol per US dollar. 

We recommend you bring cash. Peru is still a cash society. Most people don’t have bank accounts as Peruvian banks charge up to $15 per month just to have the account open. So, services like Venmo, Pay-Pal, and Apple Pay aren’t used here. Most local stores, taxis, and local restaurants are cash only. 

ATMs charge around $8 to take out $60-200. Banks only allow a small withdrawal daily. Thus, it’s probably a good idea to withdraw a good sum of cash before you come to Peru. The USD, EURO, CAD cash you bring should be non-ripped bills. Small rips or bills that are written on are not accepted for exchange. 

Seeing as Peru is a cash society and it is difficult to withdraw large amounts of cash, we require your balance be brought in cash, for the simple reason that we, too, must pay the people we employ and whose services we use in cash as well. 

TIPPING: Local restaurants generally do not require a tip, however, leaving a few soles is a nice gesture. Tourist restaurants are generally a 10% tip. 

Tipping your guide in Peru is generally 5-10% of the price you paid for the tour. If you would like to tip your driver for the day, a 10-20 soles tip would be a nice gesture.

You need to be acclimatized for this mountain bike vacation; this means that if you live at low altitude, you should probably arrive in Cusco two to three days before the biking trip begins.

Working out will help you to prepare for this tour as well. 

We also recommend you take vitamin C supplements and probiotics before you come and while here. As great as Peru’s food is, it’s probably different from what your body is used to, so it’s important to make sure your body is ready for the transition. Food safety is crucial when travelling abroad, and Peru is no exception. Check out our blog on the subject.

Bring cash. Peru is still a cash society. Most people don’t have bank accounts as Peruvian banks charge up to $15 per month just to have the account open. So, services like Venmo, Pay-Pal, and Apple Pay aren’t used here. Drivers, guides, local restaurants — all will be expecting cash.

This means that we too will ask for the balance of your trip in cash for the simple reason that we must pay everyone we work with in cash.

ATMS charge around $8 to take out $60-200. Banks only allow a small withdraw daily. Thus, it’s probably a good idea to withdraw a good sum of cash before your flight to Peru.

Peru’s currency is called the Sol. You’ll be able to exchange US currency for the Sol easily if you need to in Cusco.

Each group should have at least 2 people with a max of 8 riders. If you are alone and have specific dates outside of our trip dates, contact us — we are flexible and will make sure we can get you out shredding in Peru.

Generally 25-60. We expect you to be able to handle intermediate to advanced mountain bike trails. If you’re under 18, you must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

This is an enduro-style mountain bike vacation with some pedaling but lots of all-mountain style downhill (here, we don’t mean hardcore DH riding, with crazy jumps and drops and such — just fast downhill riding, traversing, etc.).

Although we do provide statistics as to the amount of miles/kilometers the rides are, vertical descent is a much more informative metric; for instance, a 9 mile ride that descends 800 feet is a lot different than a 9 mile ride that descends 8,000 feet.

Peru is one of the very few places where you can get more than 8000ft of descent per ride day. Many of the rides are between 7 miles to 11 miles long with most around 10 or 11. Many days we ride more than one. Our 10-day Peru mountain bike holiday generally has about 45,000-50,000 ft of descent over the course of the 7 ride days.

On each ride you should have a Camelbak with water, snacks, rain jacket and whatever bike tools you need for the trail. Since we sleep in a hotel each night, we do not need to carry any additional gear with us.

If you’re not comfortable with something, don’t ride it. Medical help is far away, so it’s crucial you stay within your ability level. Please make sure to move out of the way so the next rider can ride without stopping. Then, walk your bike while staying on the inside of the trail and your bike near the cliff side.

We have a great group of local guides. Check out our Team page to see who may be on your MTB tour.

We use hotels and sometimes airbnbs for our stay. We choose hotels based on location. We use simple hotels that are clean, have real hot water and breakfast.

*Some of the hotels on this tour:

Cusco, Centenario Inn https://centenarioinn.com/ 

Ollantaytambo: http://www.tunupalodge.com/ 

Mama Simona http://www.mamasimona.com/ollanta.php

*Depends on availability

Breakfast each morning, lunch on ride days (7 lunches) and a farewell dinner at a nice restaurant.

Luggage remains at the hotel or comes with us in the shuttle vehicle when we move to another location. As for bike bags, they can be stored at the Haku shop with bikes while in Cusco. In the Sacred Valley the bikes are stored at the hotel. We can provide smaller duffel bags for you if you should need one for excursions to the valley. 

You can usually get a tourist visa on arrival at the airport. Be sure to double check the rules for the country to which you’re traveling, though.

In short: we don’t know! We are at a base altitude of 11,000+ feet/335o Metres. When you’re that high up, the weather is constantly changing. We recommend that you don’t look at the forecast because, frankly, it’s always wrong. Our dry season is between mid-May and late September. The shoulder seasons are April and October, and the rainy season is between November and March with the heaviest rains in December and February. Basically, this is true year-round: if you’re in the sun, you’re hot; if you’re in the shade or the clouds are out, it’ll be chilly. 

Check out our packing list here.

The laws here are always changing. We have had no problems in the past with drones, although this is at your own risk. Furthermore, if you are jumping in with an already-formed group, we can’t promise that we’ll be able to stop to do drone footage for you as it can significantly cut in on riding time. If you are in a private group and the group doesn’t mind, then we are happy to stop to film.

Check out our advice on insurance and some helpful links here. 

Each person is required to have a specific travel/trip insurance outside of your credit card or regular medical insurance. If possible, you should get comprehensive coverage with trip interruption/cancelation and with personal liability. Mention all activities that you will be involved in such as mountain biking and whatever other activities you may have planned. Say you get hurt on the first day and miss the rest of the trip — this insurance will refund you the missed portion of the trip. It will also cover any added costs due to delay, sickness, strikes by the local people, etc.

Per our regulations, all of our mountain bike guides have at least basic first aid (composed of 16-hour classes which require an update every year), and many have supplemented that with in-depth multi-day training. 

But due to the fact that we will be in the backcountry for a lot of our rides, if you get hurt on the trail you will either need to hike out, get carried out, or wait for medical help. We do not have helicopter rescue. It is crucial that you ride at about 80% of your capacity and don’t overstep your abilities. Although our guides are there to help you, the success of your trip is dependent on you managing your own risk by taking preventative measures, listening to your guides’ advice, and riding well within your skill level.

Seeing this iconic 15th century Incan citadel is a more than worthy bucket list item for most people that come to Peru. If you’d like, we’ll organize a tour of the site that includes a round-trip train ticket, entrance to the sanctuary, and an English-speaking guide.

Archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as a palace for the Incan emperor Pachacuti in the 15th century. They abandoned it after roughly a century during the Spanish conquest, only to remain virtually unknown until 1911, when American historian Hiram Bingham made Machu Picchu’s existence public. In 1983, it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and since then it has captured the imagination and awe of the millions of people who travel to experience its magic.

Price: $350 per person. 

Included:

• Entrance into Machu Picchu
• Round-trip train ticket on Peru rail
• An English-speaking guide
• Two-hour tour
• Taxi to the train station in Cusco

Not included:

• Bus up to the ruins ($15 USD, can purchase at check out)
• Entrance into Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain
• Taxi to train station in Ollantaytambo

All add-ons can be purchased at check out.

Save yourself the hassle of bringing a bike!

We have a full fleet of rental bikes.  We provide Kona Process 153 full suspension mountain bikes. 

Price: $50 USD per ride day

7 ride days: $350 USD

All add-ons can be purchased at check out.

If you want a room to yourself, let us know and we can arrange that. 

Price: $30 USD per person per night

10 nights: $300

All add-ons can be purchased at check out.

Tambopata Reserve is one of the best places in the Peruvian amazon to see wildlife.

Let us arrange an epic 3-day add-on trip through the amazon rainforest!

We will provide a round trip flight to the Amazon and an all inclusive package with lodging, tours and meals.

Contact us to talk about which style of lodging you would like.

Price Range: $600-$900

This add-on can not be purchased at check out. Please contact us to create a custom Amazon Rainforest tour!