Detailed Itinerary                                                                          

DAY 1: APURIMAC RIVER RAFTING
We pick you up at your hotel in Cusco for the spectacular drive to the Apurimac canyon, hopefully glimpsing on route the snow-capped Vilcanota mountain range before descending into the canyon to our starting point on the banks of the Apurimac. Here we inflate our specialised rafts, load up with provisions and, following a full safety talk and instruction in the art of white water rafting; we head off into the canyon in search of adventure. (L / D)

DAY 2: RAFTING ON THE RIO APURIMAC
We challenge the rapids of the mighty Apurimac. "Apu - rimac ", in Quechua, signifies "The Great Speaker" - Inca nobility and priests would often ' consult ' the river on route to the city of Cusco. The rapids are pretty much non-stop and at times the huge boulders that block our way force us to the bank for further scouting. At several points we have to portage un-runnable falls. At night we camp on beautiful sandy beaches and explore the amazing rock formations. Andean foxes, otters and pumas have all been sighted on the banks of the river. In between the harder rapids there is plenty of time to take in the awesome scenery and marvel at the near sheer sided gorge down which we are travelling. (B / L / D)

DAY 3: APURIMAC TO CUSCO
Finally we reach a break in the canyon walls and from here it is a short bus journey back to Cusco, passing on route the towering snow capped Salcantay Mountain. On arrival in Cusco we drop you off at your hotel for a well-earned hotel bed, hot shower and perhaps a small party to celebrate your successful descent of through the mighty Apurimac canyon. (B / L)

What's included                                                                               

Transport to and from the river in private vehicles. State of the art self bailing rafts, Hi-flotation life-jackets, helmets, spray jackets, dry bags for personal gear, wetsuits, wet-suit boots and special containers for cameras. Camping and cooking equipment including Therm-a-rests & spacious two person tents. Extensive First-aid kit; professional English and Spanish speaking river guides, trained in first-aid, swift-water rescue and CPR. Safety cover at all times. All meals as indicated in the itinerary (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner).

What's not included                                                                          

Personal belongings, sleeping bag (available for hire at $10 a night), personal expenses, tips.

What to bring                                                                                   

In the Apurimac canyon, both on and off the river, we recommend you wear long-sleeved shirts and trousers to avoid the strong tropical sun and persistent sand-flies. Wet suits, splash jackets and wetsuit boots are provided. We also provide dry bags to store your gear in and Pelican cases for cameras whilst on the rafts.
- Sleeping bag (0ºC)    
- Small Towel
- Long-sleeve Thermal top for under wetsuit 
- old trainers / Tevas & socks
- After river change of clothes (light weight and long sleeved) including light fleece jumper and sandals.
- Sunglasses with attaching string  
- Peaked cap
- Water bottle (with attaching string)  
- Book, pen & paper
- Swim suit     
- Head torch & spare batteries
- Suntan lotion factor 15+ / After sun  
- Lip-balm
- Insect repellent (High DEET)  
- After-bite 
- Personal effects    
- Spare contact lenses / Glasses
- Camera & spare film    
- Bed clothes
- Personal toilet kit    
- Personal first aid kit to include: painkillers, plasters (band-aids), moleskin, antiseptic cream, after-bite, anti-diarrhoea tablets, throat lozenges, re-hydration salts & personal medication. (Amazonas Explorer carry an extensive first aid kit on all trips, but this is generally for emergencies only)

Try to bring as little as possible. Any excess baggage can be stored in your hotel in Cusco.

Recommended reading                                                                   

The last days of the Incas - Kim MacQuarrie
The White Rock or Cochineal Red - Hugh Thomson,
Exploring Cusco - Peter Frost
Manu or Where the Andes meets the Amazon – Kim MacQuarrie & Andre Baertschi
Field guide to the birds of Machu Picchu - Barry Walker
Neo-tropical companion - John C Kricher
Running the Amazon - Joe Kane
Birds of Peru - Clive Byers
The bridge of San Luis Rey - Thornton Wilder 
Conquest of the Incas - John Hemmingway
Into the forests of the night - John Simpson  
Touching the void - Joe Simpson
Heart of the Amazon – Yossi Ghinsberg   
Inca Kola – Matthew Paris   
Inca Gold - Clive Cussler    
Realm of the Incas – Max Milligan

Additional information                                                                      

- The price quoted is based on twin share accommodation. Single supplements are available on request.
- Most good quality sporting equipment is unavailable in Peru so if anyone wishes to donate any outdoor clothes, sleeping bags etc they will be gratefully received by any of our staff.
- We have an extensive tipping document available. – If you have not received this from your agent or have misplaced your document please ask your guide for a copy to be provided from the office.
- Amazonas Explorer is a member of www.onepercentfortheplanet.org. We support a local native-tree re-forestation program www.ecoanperu.org and planted 13,000 trees in 2007 and 16,000 in 2008. We are dedicated to reducing our ‘foot-print’ by reducing waste, sourcing produce as locally as possible, recycling and discouraging the use of plastic bottles.
- If you would like to give a donation to charity whilst in Peru, Amazonas Explorer recommends the Dental Project Peru, run by a past client of ours, Jacqui Kotula who provides emergency dental treatment in the very poor Apurimac region. You can find out more about this excellent project and how to donate tax efficiently at www.dentalprojectperu.org.

AND LASTLY PLEASE NOTE: 
The Apurimac river expedition travels through a remote and rarely visited part of Peru and we believe our clients should be aware that the remoteness that makes the Apurimac so very special could also cause certain problems. Thus, whilst Amazonas Explorer endeavours to minimise the chances of anything unexpected happening, it has to be noted that no itinerary can or should be rigidly adhered to. This is the very nature of adventure travel and we expect our clients to be prepared for delays and slight alterations in our programmed events.
Specific to the Apurimac is the possibilities of delays due to the difficulty in reaching the river. Should Amazonas Explorer deem the rafting portion of the Rio Apurimac to be too high to be safely navigated we reserve the right to offer an alternative river. In all cases we will advise you of any changes in the itinerary as early as possible. We have taken all these possibilities into account when planning this expedition and have allowed sufficient leeway to enable us to successfully run this exceptional trip.
The majority of dietary and medical requirements can be catered for, but we must be notified of these at the time of booking. Obtaining the correct vaccinations and visas required for Peru is the responsibility of the clients’.
You should also be aware that adventure travel, in particular white-water rafting in remote areas such as Southern Peru, does carry with it certain inherent risks that you, the client, will have to assume. You will have to take out adequate travel insurance to cover these risks and any costs incurred due to sickness, delayed flights and other factors out of Amazonas Explorer control..
A pre-departure meeting will be held on the day before departure. It is highly recommended you attend. All clients will be asked to sign a release and waiver form and must provide a photocopy of their passport, Peru entry stamp and details of their travel insurance.

We look forward to seeing you on the river.