Best of Ecuador, Peru & Bolivia

Travel insurance is compulsory on all our trips for those travelling internationally. We require that at a minimum you are covered for medical expenses including emergency repatriation. If you are travelling within your home country or region please confirm before travel that you are entitled to access the public medical system easily should an accident occur. We strongly recommend all travellers have a policy that also covers personal liability, cancellation, curtailment and loss of luggage or personal effects. For international trips, you will not be permitted to join the group until evidence of travel insurance and the insurance company's 24-hour emergency contact number has been sighted by your leader. If you have credit card insurance your group leader will require details of the participating insurer/underwriter, the level of coverage, policy number, and emergency contact number rather than the bank's name and your credit card details. Please contact your bank for these details prior to arriving in-country. Travellers who reside within the European Union or Switzerland receive basic international health insurance, so travel insurance is not mandatory under European Union Law. However, as this does not cover situations such as emergency rescues, private health care, or repatriation to their home country, comprehensive travel insurance is strongly recommended. European Union or Swiss travellers who decline travel insurance when travelling outside of their home region must sign a Travel Insurance Waiver Form at the Group Meeting. For assistance with travel insurance or other services, please visit the link below: The Ecuadorian government has declared that travel insurance is compulsory for all travellers entering Ecuador. Proof of insurance may be requested at upon entering the country by immigration officials.

PASSPORT You will need a valid passport to travel internationally. As a general rule, most countries require that your passport has a minimum of 6 months validity remaining. Your passport details are required to complete your booking. Please ensure the name on your passport matches the name on your booking and airline tickets exactly and contact us immediately if there are any errors. We recommend taking copies of the main passport pages and other important documents with you as well as leave copies at home with family or friends. VISAS Visas are the responsibility of the individual traveller. Entry requirements can change at any time. It is important that you check your government's foreign travel advisories along with the consular website of the country or countries you are travelling to for the most up to date information specific to your nationality and circumstances. Please be aware that not all visa information found online from other sources may be valid while COVID-19 restrictions are in place. Visas can take several weeks to process, so make sure you research the requirements as soon as you have booked your trip to allow for obtaining any necessary documents as well as the application and processing time. Your booking consultant can advise on a visa processing service or you can apply yourself directly through a consulate. COVID-19 Entry and Exit Requirements Below you will find general visa advice about the destinations on your trip. Due to constantly evolving COVID-19 requirements and restrictions, please refer to your government's foreign travel advice for the most up to date information.You may also refer to our travel alert page for more info https://www.intrepidtravel.com/en/travel-alerts Make sure you are familiar with the current border measures and entry requirements as these are quite complex and changing frequently without notice. Please also ensure you have a travel insurance policy that covers your travels as well as medical or COVID-19 related expenses within the country. RETURN TRAVEL Please ensure you stay up to date with any current testing or quarantine requirements for returning to your home country or transiting through other destinations after the completion of your tour. We are able to help facilitate taking a COVID-19 test while on trip. Please ensure you have funds available to cover the cost of this test which will be payable directly to the testing site. Your Intrepid Tour Leader will provide more details at the group meeting as well as assist with booking appointments for all travellers who need to be tested. If you receive an immigration card upon entry, please ensure you keep this safe as it may be requested at point of exit. For further information regarding country entry and exit fees, please refer to the 'Money Matters' section of this document.  ECUADOR VISA Australians, New Zealanders, Americans, Canadians and British do not currently require a visa for Ecuador. For all other nationalities please reconfirm your visa requirements with your travel agent. COVID-19 ENTRY & EXIT REQUIREMENTS As of 1st of July 2021, all travelers arriving in Ecuador must provide proof of a negative COVID RT-PCR test taken no more than three (3) days before entering the country or present a vaccination card showing the traveler received a complete series of the COVID vaccine. In addition, all persons present in Ecuador wishing to travel to the Galapagos Islands must present negative RT-PCR test taken a maximum of 72 hours prior to travel (counting from the time the sample was taken until you arrive into the Galapagos) OR present a vaccination card showing the traveler received a complete series of the COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days prior to travel. As you are travelling to a remote area, please ensure that your travel insurance includes cover for COVID-19 related medical expenses, including medical evacuation by air. Many governments and airlines require travellers to produce proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result before flying, entering, or exiting a country, or transiting through an airport. Please ensure you check the foreign travel advice for your destination for the most up to date requirements. We can help assist you to get a PCR test in Quito at the end of your trip. Your leader will be able to provide further information at the group meeting on day one. Please ensure you allow enough time at the end of your trip to wait for a PCR test result which can take up to 24 hours to come through to you via email. PERU VISA Citizens of Australia, USA, Great Britain, Canada, Germany, New Zealand and South Africa do not currently require a visa for Peru. For all other nationalities please reconfirm your visa or entry requirements with the Peruvian consulate in your home country. PERU COVID-19 ENTRY & EXIT REQUIREMENTS For the latest update of what is required in order to enter Peru, please check your government's foreign travel advice and visit the following website: https://www.peru.travel/en Requirements include an online health declaration, a negative PCR or antigen test taken within 72 hours of arrival, and an additional antigen test taken on arrival. Please also ensure you have a travel insurance policy that covers you for travel to and from Peru as well as medical or COVID-19 related expenses within the country. Most air passengers are now required to get a COVID-19 test within 3 days of boarding their return flight. This includes citizens returning to their home country after their travels. Airlines must confirm the negative test result for all passengers before they board otherwise boarding will be denied. We are able to facilitate taking a COVID-19 test while on trip. Please ensure you have funds available to cover the cost of this test which will be payable directly to the testing site. Your Intrepid Tour Leader will provide more details at the group meeting as well as book appointments for all travelers who need to be tested. BOLIVIA: Nationals from South Africa need a visa to enter Bolivia and you we highly recommend you obtain this visa in advance from your nearest Bolivian consulate or Embassy. Not obtaining the visa in advance is likely to cause long delays at the border. This visa has a validity of 30 days from first day of entry. In order to apply for this visa, you will need to provide the following documentation: A. Original passport valid for a minimum of 6 months. B. One passport photo (color, 5cm x 5cm / 2" x 2") C. Evidence of a hotel reservation in Spanish (Intrepid can provide this upon request) D. A copy of the voucher and trip notes that you receive after purchasing this trip. E. Proof of economic solvency (credit card, cash, or a current bank statement) F. International Vaccination Certificate for yellow fever This Visa can be obtained in Peru (Lima or Cusco) and is usually processed within the day, providing all paper work as mentioned above is in order and payment has been made. We only recommend this option if you simply don't have enough time to get the visa prior to leaving home. For more information please visit the following website: https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/bolivia.html At the time of writing, Australian, Belgians, British, Canadians, Dutch, Germans and New Zealanders do not currently require a visa for Bolivia. For all other nationalities please reconfirm your visa or entry requirements with the Bolivian consulate in your home country or check via the below website:  https://cibtvisas.com/ It is a requirement of the Peruvian Tax Authority for our trip leaders to show proof that all travellers on our groups are foreign tourists and are thus exempt from the 17% Value Added Tax (VAT) charged to locals. This may require your trip leader to take a photograph of your main passport page and the page showing the immigration stamp you receive upon entry to Peru.