Dear Friends, Travellers and Clients,

Thank you very much for choosing us! The Peruvian system of services and products sometimes differs from your country. We strongly suggest you read the following carefully:

Travel in Peru: Authentic Peru Travel operates in regions where standards of accommodations, transportation and services might not be those you would normally expect back home. However, we strive, with all care and skill, to provide the best service for our clients. Travelling in Peru requires flexibility, patience, broad-mindedness, good humor and an understanding that changes may be made without notice due to circumstances beyond our control. (Force Majeure – see below). By booking any of our tours, you agree to allow Authentic Peru Travel to make necessary changes without liability.

Force Majeure

This is any event that Authentic Peru Travel cannot, even with all care, foresee or avoid. This covers events such as war or threat of war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity, industrial dispute, disease, natural disasters, strike, adverse weather conditions, fire or all similar events beyond our control. In this case, Authentic Peru Travel will not accept liability and reserves the right to change, postpone or even cancel trips (this is a last option of course!).

Incremental charge in case of protests or strikes (Force Majeure)

In the event of a protest or strike, which is not uncommon in Cusco, it may be necessary to leave a day or even two days earlier than scheduled so that we are able to comply with other services. In this case, an additional fee will be charged to cover costs incurred.

RISKS

By booking any of our adventure trips (Inca Trail to Machupicchu, Salkantay Trek, Colca Canyon, Sacred Valley, Lares and more) you assume the risks associated with them. For these treks, Authentic Peru Travel accepts no responsibility.

TRAVEL INSURANCE:

We strongly advise you to take out travel insurance that covers accidents, medical expenses (including rescue and air ambulance) and emergency repatriation. We also recommend that it covers cancellations and loss of luggage. You can use a travel insurance comparison website to search and compare over 250 travel insurance plans to find the best policy to suit your needs.

Once you have purchased travel insurance, please forward a copy of the insurance company name and policy number by email or bringing the information when you come to our office.

HOLIDAY OR ELECTION INCREMENTS:

An extra charge of $35 USD per person is applicable for all treks (regardless of group / private option / size of group) starting on any of the following dates:

Christmas (Dec 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th)–

New Year (Dec 29th, 30th, 31st, Jan 1st).–

An extra charge is also applicable, if a trek leaves during election days (people are fined in Peru if they do not vote).

We use the extra charge to pay staff a bonus for working during holidays or to pay fines for not voting.

SENDING YOUR PRIMARY DEPARTURE DATE AND BACKUP DATE:

By providing us with a primary date and a back-up date for your trek (classic Inca Trail, Lares, Salkantay, etc), you automatically authorize Authentic Peru Travel to use either of these dates for your reservation. After, we have received your booking form and have confirmed that your deposit was made successfully. Authentic Peru Travel will send you an electronic receipt confirming your trek has been booked and also to confirm the exact departure date of your trek. You should receive this electronic receipt within 48 hours.

SENDING US YOUR PERSONAL DETAILS FOR BOOKING:

Your passport number and other personal information must be valid. Please, advise us immediately if your passport number changes after booking your tour. This is especially important for booking the Classic Inca Trail. If we do not make a change in your official details, you may not be permitted to do the trek.

STUDENT RATE:  In order to obtain this discount, you must have a valid ISIC card. It is important, you scan and e-mail us your card at the time of booking. It must be valid on the date you are due to do the trek. You will also have to show your card for the Inca Trail/Alternative trek. You will need to show the real ISIC card upon your arrival in Cusco and in Machu Picchu.

MAKING A RESERVATION AND PAYMENT OF YOUR DEPOSIT:

1. In order to make a reservation for a Tour/Trek/Trip/Rental/Service with Authentic Peru Travel, the client is required to make a 50% (or a minimum of $250 USD in the case that 50% of the total trip cost is less than $250 USD) deposit of the full price of Tour/Trek/Trip/Rental/Service. In case of a custom tour that includes multiple airflights, this amount may be higher, as airline tickets must be paid in full on booking. This deposit is non-refundable. Upon making a reservation, regardless of reservation method, Authentic Peru Travelassumes that the client has read the Terms and Conditions.
2. The reservation order becomes final on the date that Authentic Peru Travelreceives the client’s deposit. Upon receipt of the deposit, a compulsory contract is in place between the client and Authentic Peru Travel.
3. All people named on the reservation order are committed to the contract with Authentic Peru TravelThe person who signs the contract is regarded as having the permission of all persons whose names are on the reservation order and verifies that all these people are fully aware and accept the Terms and Conditions of Authentic Peru Travel.

We require a non-refundable deposit (as mentioned above) along with your personal details (full name, passport number, gender, nationality and date of birth, and a photocopy of your passport) at the point of making the reservation.

Payment of the deposit can be made via any of the following options:

Visa or  MasterCard credit card (remaining balance can also be paid by this method).

Bank transfer.

Western Union (remaining balance can also be paid by this method).

PayPal.

The client will bear the PayPal and bank transaction fees of 9%,

the Online payments are through our website www.authenticperutravel.com.

PAYMENT OF FINAL BALANCE:

The remaining balance (i.e. total balance minus the deposit paid) of the Tour/Trek/Trip/Rental/Service must be paid the day you begin your Tour/Trek/Trip/Rental/Service.

Payment of the final balance can be made via either of the following options:

Cash

Visa (transaction fees incurred by traveler.)

PayPal (transaction fees incurred by traveler.)

NOTE: The client will assume all transaction fees.

CANCELLATIONS FOR DEALS

No cancellations once booking has been made and confirmed.

Airline, rail and ferry tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable and name changes are not allowed.

We are not responsible for the impact that an airline schedule change may have on your vacation. Therefore, we strongly recommend you purchase travel insurance.

Seat selection functionality in travel agency systems is restricted by airlines. We will attempt, but cannot guarantee, adjoining seats. Some airlines only allow seat selection upon check-in.

CANCELLATIONS FOR TREKS AND TOURS:

Your 50% deposit is non-refundable. Any Inca Trail or tours cancelled at any time are non-refundable due to the high demand and price of permits. If the cancellation applies, it will be without payment fees.

(2) Authentic Peru Travel must be notified of any changes or cancellations to your trip as soon as you are aware of them, via e-mail, so that we do not incur expenses not covered by deposit.

(3) Once the final balance has been paid, we will not be able to refund your trek payment in the case of cancellations (last minute cancellations in Cusco). However, there will be parts of your trip that you are able to use (Machu Picchu entrance fee, 1 train ticket, 1 bus ticket).

(4) A claim letter for your insurance company can also be provided by us upon request.

(5) Porter service hired cannot be cancelled (a fee is paid for booking this service).

RESERVATION, CANCELLATION AND REFUND POLICIES OF THE EXPERIENCE:

Cancellation Policy.

(1)Less than 20 days before the start of the excursion/service: 100% Cancellation charge.

(2)Between 21 and 30 days before the start of the excursion/service: 50% Cancellation fee.

(3)More than 30 days before the start of the excursion/service: There is no charge for cancellation of services or hotels, with exceptions that will be indicated in the program sent to passengers.

Responsibility.

Authentic Peru Travel is committed to offering all the necessary services and care of the same at the time of carrying out our operations, it will only employ qualified professional personnel. We accept responsibility for actions taken only by our staff.

Authentic Peru Travel however does not accept responsibility for any action or event that is unpredictable or unavoidable.

Nor are we responsible for improper acts caused by customers or third parties.

Authentic Peru Travel is not responsible for bad weather conditions, accidents, physical damage, loss of personal items, natural disasters, extra costs, strikes, etc. It is the responsibility of each client to have insurance that covers any of these events.

Authentic Peru Travel reserves the right to modify the program in the event of any unpredictable event already mentioned.

(1) The reservation of an Experience listed on the Platform must be made with a minimum anticipation of time, which is specified on the page of the particular Experience under the point “Reservation Terms”. The anticipation to make the reservation by the End User may vary and depends on each Experience. The minimum advance time indicated in the “Reservation Terms” in each particular Experience only serves as an indicator and does not guarantee any fixed reservation; because in case there is no availability and the End User has already made the purchase, Authentic Peru Travel will make a refund. All Experiences are subject to the availability of the Provider and Authentic Peru Travel, depending on who the Experience is.

(2) Once an Experience has been booked, the End User receives a pre-confirmation containing a code sent by email. This code allows you to make use of the Experience in case Authentic Peru Travel confirms availability after Authentic Peru Travel has received the required information from the End User and after availability has been confirmed.

(3) Each confirmation code is unique and is issued individually for certain date(s) chosen on the website that gives the owner the right to claim certain service(s) on event that the End User meets the requirements to make use of their reservation.

(4) The information of the Experience will indicate the requirements of the Provider or of Authentic Peru Travel to carry out a particular Experience (for example, physical fitness, age, height, etc.). Authentic Peru Travel and the Provider may reject the Experience if the End User does not meet the requirements detailed in the Platform for each Experience. In the event that the End User does not meet the requirements that have been communicated prior to the purchase of the Experience, the End User will not be entitled to any refund.

(5) The availability represented in the Platform calendar is referential and may be outdated, therefore, it is possible to make a reservation without availability. To the extent that there is no confirmation of the reservation by Authentic Peru Travel of the corresponding Experience, the End User is recommended not to make any reservation of means of transport and specific, special, or necessary accommodation for the Experience. Authentic Peru Travel does not assume any responsibility for the organization of End Users. The End User must meet all the requirements to be able to use the Experience and wait for confirmation of availability by Authentic Peru Travel by email.

(6) Except as indicated in the description of the Experience, the transportation service and/or accommodation and/or food and beverages are not included, and must be managed and paid for by the End User. The End User may not claim any compensation or reimbursement for these additional expenses that may occur, neither from the Provider nor from Authentic Peru Travel. The Experiences will be carried out as they are developed on the Platform, without any type of additional or related service, so the End User should not interpret otherwise.

(7) If the End User does not show up on the date and time of the reserved Experience, and without prior cancellation (in accordance with the cancellation terms of each Experience, Provider or Authentic Peru Travel), the code used for this experience as well as the right to the Experience expires without any claim, reimbursement, interest or penalty in favor of the End User, to the detriment of the Provider or Authentic Peru Travel. The details of postponing or canceling a reservation are included on the page of the particular Experience under the point “Terms of Cancellation”.

(8) Authentic Peru Travel and the Provider must be informed in advance of any postponement or cancellation. Those requests for postponement or cancellation by the End User or by the Provider are clearly detailed on the Experience website in the Cancellation Terms and can only be made via email. The End User must take into account that Authentic Peru Travel or the Suppliers may charge charges in the case of postponement or cancellations. In case of postponement of the reservation, the End User loses all his rights to claim a refund of this reservation. The postponement is applied with the confirmation by Authentic Peru Travel. In the event that it cannot be postponed, the cancellation terms of the Experience(s) listed on the website of each Experience apply.

(9) In case the cancellation requirements mentioned in the Cancellation Terms on the Experience page are met, Authentic Peru Travel will coordinate the End User’s refund within the next 7 business days. The End User accepts that he assumes any cost, such as bank commissions or other charges that may arise during the reimbursement process carried out by Authentic Peru Travel. Authentic Peru Travel is not responsible for bank charges or commissions that may arise and Authentic Peru Travel will not pay or cover any fees related to the refund.

(10) Since several experiences have a minimum number of participants, Authentic Peru Travel reserves the right to cancel and give a full refund to the End User in the event that another participant cancels their Experience in accordance with the Cancellation Terms of that Experience and the necessary requirements. The minimum number of participants for the Experience to take place is not met. Last minute cancellation (the day before the Experience) by Authentic Peru Travel applies if there is only 1 participant left for the remaining Experience. The remaining participant, the End User, will be contacted in the afternoon of the previous day, in case no one else has registered to meet the minimum number of necessary participants. Authentic Peru Travel will offer the option to refund the full payment, postpone the tour to another date where the minimum number has already been reached, or upgrade to a solo private tour where the remaining End User is required to pay the difference in “group” – to “private only”-tour.

(11) In the event that the End User has purchased an Experience with a discount code, only the price finally paid will be redeemed and paid, not the original price of the Experience. The experiences will not be interchangeable; that is, it cannot be exchanged with another Experience that has the same value. In any case, contact Authentic Peru Travel to request more information on each specific case.

(12) In the event of an emergency during the actual Experience, where the guide has to apply the emergency protocol, any participating End User has no right to request any refund or compensation from Authentic Peru Travel or any other related party, even if the actual Experience booked cannot be honored. This is due to the safety and security standards for each participant.

(13) Reservations for Machu Picchu: these reservations are exposed to the variable availability of tickets for the trains or the entrance to Machu Picchu. Therefore, with a reservation of a tour to Machu Picchu, whether it is a full day, a tour with an overnight stay in Aguas Calientes or a package with other tours, the final itinerary will remain undetermined until Authentic Peru Travel can make successful ticket reservations. Ticket availability is not under the control or responsibility of Authentic Peru Travel and may change constantly. Authentic Peru Travel only organizes the train and ticket schedule that is possible taking into account the availability of tickets and the available ticket budget that is included in the final price of the Experience. There may be waiting times, in Ollantaytambo or Aguas Calientes, to take the train or to enter Machu Picchu. Authentic Peru Travel tries to get the best train schedule according to the route purchased. Therefore, in case there are other train schedules available before the train time that we consider to buy, but they are more expensive, this will not be communicated to the traveler since the Experience gained is related to a certain budget dedicated to train tickets. specific train leaving at a predetermined amount. The end user has no right to claim any refund in case he is not willing to accept the program organized by Authentic Peru Travel. With the reservation, he agrees to accept any itinerary that Authentic Peru Travel organizes for him, regardless of whether it is as he expected.

(14) Changes in reservations, such as dates or times, consulted by the End User, have an additional administrative charge and depend on availability. Therefore, any desired changes are not committed. First, the End User has to contact Authentic Peru Travel to verify if a change is possible. If so, Authentic Peru Travel will communicate the administrative fee and any other additional cost that occurs with a change in the End User. The End User pays those additional fees and costs through Paypal (which covers PayPal’s 6% commission fee). In case the End User does not agree, there will be no change. Also, for each reservation, there is only 1 change possible. Therefore, with a change confirmed and implemented by Authentic Peru Travel, the End User accepts that the terms of cancellation are no longer valid and that they have no right to claim a refund from Authentic Peru Travel or to demand other changes.

For Machu Picchu reservations, after the tickets (train, entrance, bus) have been purchased by Authentic Peru Travel, changes can only be made in case the End User communicates with Authentic Peru Travel by email, indicating the desired changes and accepting the related costs (third party costs and administrative costs). Regarding the change query sent by the end user by email, Authentic Peru Travel will verify the availability, feasibility and any additional fees that the End User must pay to make this change possible. In addition to the fees charged by third parties responsible for the tickets related to the Machu Picchu tour, Authentic Peru Travel charges an additional $70 as administrative costs that apply to the availability investigation, as well as to the submission of the change proposal. For any additional change proposal, Authentic Peru Travel will charge an additional $70, as well as the fees charged by the third parties involved. In addition, the End User will have to cover an additional 6% PayPal fees on the total amount to be paid for the change. When the End User agrees within 24 hours after Authentic Peru Travel has sent the change proposal by email, Authentic Peru Travel will send a payment inquiry through PayPal, which must be accepted and paid by the End User. within those 24 hours and Authentic Peru Travel will make the changes within the next 48 hours. When the change has been made, Authentic Peru Travel will share with the end user an updated reservation summary containing the new tour times and/or dates.

In the event that the End User responds or pays after Authentic Peru Travel has sent the exchange proposal valid for 24 hours, the proposal will no longer be valid. With that, the availability of the tickets to be changed is no longer guaranteed and therefore Authentic Peru Travel is not responsible for any issues that may arise due to that. It is the End User’s responsibility to act on time, within 24 hours. The End User can request a new proposal, but this leads to an additional $70 administrative fee charged by Authentic Peru Travel.

(15) In the event that the End User makes personal changes to their itinerary provided by Authentic Peru Travel, the End User must accept any additional charges or possible changes and cancellations by Authentic Peru Travel and its representatives. In the event that Authentic Peru Travel or its representatives are unable to make the adjustments consistent, the End User must manage the necessary additional adjustments on their own without the right to claim a refund from Authentic Peru Travel or its representatives. Therefore, the End User makes personal changes to the itinerary on his behalf, risks and costs.

(16) For the Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu, Authentic Peru Travel or the Provider, the End User and each additional participant joining the End User in the experience(s) must complete and sign an affidavit before being able to participate in specific experiences. This is communicated in the confirmation email that the End User receives after submitting all the personal information requested in the pre-confirmation email. In the event that the End User and/or another participant does not complete and sign the affidavit correctly, Authentic Peru Travel or the Provider have the right to cancel the participation of that specific participant at any time before the Experience(s) begins. (s). The end user and/or affected participant have no right to claim any explanation or alternative, and Authentic Peru Travel will refund 100% of that participant’s payment. In case there are bank fees or transfer costs, the End User or the participant will cover them themselves. Authentic Peru Travel does not cover any fees for this refund process. In the event that any of the participants wishes to cancel the participation due to the failure of one or more participants to complete and sign the affidavit, the Terms of Cancellation of the experience(s) apply and may end in none or only one partial reimbursement by Authentic Peru Travel.

(17) Any representative of Authentic Peru Travel, whether guide, driver, supplier or other, has the right to refuse the participation of the End User or one of the other participants joining the End User if the safety and health of this person are at risk. The End User, as well as any participant involved or affected, have no right to claim a refund from Authentic Peru Travel or its representatives. This decision made by the representative of Authentic Peru Travel or by Authentic Peru Travel is made in the best interest and for the safety of the affected person(s) and must be accepted without claim.

(18) For each Experience operated by Authentic Peru Travel, a Whatsapp group will be created the day before the Experience begins. In this group, the End User will be added with the number that he/she indicated in the email sent to Authentic Peru Travel with all the information that Authentic Peru Travel requires in the prior confirmation email. All End Users in the group will be asked to confirm participation by 6:00 pm (Peruvian time) the night before the Experience with an icon indicated by Authentic Peru Travel in the group’s welcome message. In case there has been no confirmation until 6:00 pm, the End User’s participation has not been confirmed with the risk of losing participation in the Experience entirely.

(19) Authentic Peru Travel has all the right to cancel tours at any time before the Experience begins, under the requirement that Authentic Peru Travel must refund the payment of the End User in case he has already paid for the Experience.

(20) Last minute cancellations may occur due to sick guides, no substitute guides or any other reason. In the event that Authentic Peru Travel cancels an experience, the End User will not be entitled to any compensation or reimbursement from Authentic Peru Travel or its suppliers, apart from the Final Price, only in the event that it has already been paid previously. The only exception is last minute cancellations due to an unforeseen and uncontrollable external influence, such as a strike, bad weather conditions or the like. In case Authentic Peru Travel is informed about this at 8:00 pm or after 8:00 pm before the day of the Experience, the End User will not be eligible for a refund as Authentic Peru Travel already incurred operational and logistics costs.

CHANGES MADE BY CLIENT:

The person who signs the reservation order is the only person that can make changes to the Tour/Trek/Trip/Rental/Service. A $35 USD change of order fee is charged to make any changes. Though all efforts will be made to make the changes requested, they are not guaranteed and there may be additional costs in relation to these changes.

PLEASE NOTE THAT, FOR THE INCA TRAIL, PERMITS ARE NON-TRANSFERABLE, NON-REFUNDABLE, AND DATES CAN’T BE CHANGED.

CHANGES AND CANCELLATIONS BY Authentic Peru Travel:

We always make our best efforts to carry out tours / services according to the original schedules as listed in the reservation order. However, by entering into this agreement with Authentic Peru Travel, the client accepts that necessary changes may need to be made to a Tour/Trek/Trip/Rental/Service due to predominant conditions (see ‘Force Majeure’ section above).

Authentic Peru Travel reserves the right to change or cancel any facilities, services and substitute for reasonable alternative of comparable value.

In the event of a major change, the client will be notified as soon as possible. The client will have options with regards to accepting the change.

VERY IMPORTANT (1):

We strongly suggest spending time at high altitude (above 3000 meters / 9842 feet – in Cusco or another high altitude area) for a minimum of 3 to 4 days before undertaking your trek. This is in order to minimize the possible effects of altitude sickness. Also, you can help your body acclimatize by drinking plenty of liquids, adding a bit more sugar to your drinks, eating food rich in carbohydrates, avoiding cigarettes and alcohol, and drinking coca (ancient traditional leaf) tea. Diamox can also be helpful – please ask your doctor about purchasing any medications before traveling.

VERY IMPORTANT (2):

We recommend you arrive in Cusco, 48 hours or more before trek departure because occasionally, we need to leave earlier than scheduled in case of strikes or other events out of our control (see ‘Force Majeure’ section above).

ABOUT THE BRIEFING:

The night before your trek, there will be a pre-trek talk (briefing). A duffel bag will be provided at this time, if you have paid for an extra porter for your Inca Trail or if you are doing an alternative trek.

Thanks again for choosing us and we look forward to seeing you in Cusco!

Authentic Peru Travel. Team

Enjoy all the different services that we provide. Make sure to use caution and most importantly, have fun!