Raft the Vilcanota

Skill level: Moderate

overview

Ride Grade III to IV rapids

A fun day out in beautiful countryside

Spice up your Peru tour with some alternative adventure. Raft down a beautiful section of the Urubamba River and enjoy class three and four rapids. This Cusco one day rafting tour is suitable for almost all ages and abilities. If you are looking for something more adventurous try our one day Apurimac rafting adventure.

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Trip Highlights

Get your adrenaline flowing on grade III-IV rapids
See the countryside from a different perspective
Raft the least visited but best section of river in Cusco
Click here to see more options for Rafting in Cusco and Peru
Read our guide to White Water Rafting in Cusco and Peru

Included

Private round-trip transport
Swift Water Rescue certified English-speaking guide
Safety boat and all rafting/safety equipment (raft, wetsuit, helmet, boots, buoyancy aid, splash jacket)
Full picnic lunch with snacks and drinking water
Approx. 2 hours of rafting (Class II–IV rapids)
Scenic canyon views and wildlife sightings

NOT Included

Personal Travel Insurance (strongly recommended) (strongly recommended)
Tips for guides
International or domestic flights
Accommodation in Cusco before or after the trip
Optional personal expenses

Amazonas Explorer offers you the best section of one day rafting in Cusco. The class III-IV Chuquicahuana section is located above Cusco, where the river is cleaner and more fun. You drive ninety minutes to the river where you can put on your wetsuit gear while your guides inflate your raft. You will have a full safety briefing and instruction in the art of white-water rafting.

Then you set off for approximately two hours of fun Cusco rafting, making the most of the gentle start to practice technique. The river then flows through a beautiful canyon, filled with fun rapids, torrent ducks and views of the surrounding peaks. Finally you reach the take out point and enjoy a full picnic lunch before returning to your hotel mid to late afternoon.

Summary

Enjoy class III-IV rapids on the cleaner, scenic Chuquicahuana section above Cusco.
Practice rafting skills in a gentle section before tackling exciting rapids through a beautiful canyon.
Picnic lunch after rafting before returning to your hotel.

Insider knowledge

Rafting the Chuquicahuana section is a fantastic way to experience Andean rivers at their best — clean, clear, and challenging. Torrent ducks and stunning canyon walls add to the thrill, making this one of Cusco’s most popular one-day rafting adventures.

Equipment & Packing List

Download Warersports Kit List

Trip length

1 Day

Difficulty

Moderate

Peak altitude

~3,000m

Season

March to December (Avoid Jan - Feb due to rain)

Avalability

Private upon request

See What Past Travelers Have to Say

Great Rafting trip down the Vilcanota

Great trip and experience from the moment we were picked up from our hotel (actually from the night before when Eli gave us a call to run through the trip) to when we returned. Eli and Ronald were great as kayaking guides, giving us confidence in both the safety and when paddling down – and Ronald took some great photos that will be printed as a reminder of the trip. The kit, from boat to wetsuits and tops was all well maintained good quality. And the tasty cooked lunch on the riverbank at the end really capped a great day out. Not a cheap day out but highly recommended.

Dan Cole

Best rafting in Peru

Rafting with Santiago was amazing!!! Our safety kayaker Victor was a very skilled boater and always had eyes on us through all the rapids! This company has great focus on safety and fun and has top notch staff! Also the food served during the trip was amazing!!! I would 10 out of 10 recommend using Amazonas Explorers! We can’t wait to come back to Peru and plan another excursion with Paul and his team!! Check out LeighAnn’s adventure, our rafting trips in the Sacred Valley.

The rafting itself was very well organized, the safety drill thorough, the wet suit fitting and the rafting fun.

The rafting trip went very well. As you may know, neither Yvonne nor I had done white water rafting before so it was a new experience. Amazonas Explorer put one of their experienced helmsmen/guides (Juan Carlos) on the job. He was supported by the rescue canoeist, a driver, and a cook. We had an interesting trip out to the Urubamba river, taking in several villages, each specializing in a different product. The rafting itself was very well organized, the safety drill thorough, the wet suit fitting, and the rafting fun. The river is rather low at the moment but there was one spot where we got out and walked. Otherwise, the degree of difficulty was, we were told, Level 3. Juan Carlos zipped it up a bit further by dunking us at the front to get Yvonne giggling hysterically. All this is recorded on our GoPro which we positioned at the front/bow and then on Juan Carlos’ helmet. We had a break halfway through, where to our surprise a snack was produced. In the end, we were treated to a lovely meal, so much so that cars were stopping by the roadside to ask if we were a pop-up restaurant. The scenery was stunning. We got back in the late afternoon. It was tiring while we were paddling but we soon recovered. Check out Graham’s adventure, our 1 Day Vilcanota

Recommendations

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