A photography workshop or expedition in Peru can require an investment of anywhere from $600 for a single day to $4500, depending on the length and location of the itinerary. Solo travel? Approximately half the cost or less for access to the same locations. So when should you invest more in a guided workshop with a professional instructor, and when should you go on a solo photography adventure?
Start by answering some basic questions:
- Do I care what my photos look like?
- Do I want to improve my photography skills for the future?
- What would it take for me to improve on my own?
- What are my strengths and weaknesses in photography and independent travel?
- Can I carry all my belongings for 4+ days in mountainous environments, including a tent, food, sleeping bag, water filtration, etc.? And can I do it with a margin of safety?
- Am I looking for solitude on this trip, or am I open to community building?
Whether you plan an independent photography trip in Peru or join an expert-led workshop, you are making an investment in both time and money to visit a place you may only ever go to once in your life. Ultimately, your choice will depend on how you want to experience Peru and what you want to gain.
In this article, I provide an honest breakdown of costs and benefits drawn from 5+ years of organizing both personal and professional trips in Peru, so you can make a well-informed decision about your next international photography-inspired adventure in this beautiful country that I call home.
The Monetary Cost Breakdown
Example: Solo Huayhuash Trek + Acclimatization in Huaraz (12D/11N)
- Accommodation: $250 (decent hotels/private rooms in hostels)
- Transport: $150 (taxis, buses other transit from Huaraz)
- Food: $250
- Entry Fees: $150
- Gear rentals/purchases: $??
Total investment: ~$1000 - $1700+ (depending on the cost of purchasing or renting equipment)
Overall Value
- Self-paced, allowing you freedom from a set itinerary
- Opportunity for total solitude
- You choose locations that you want to go
Now for a comparable workshop cost analysis offered by AAV ...
Example: Ausangate Circuit + Pacchanta Photography Workshop (9D/8N)
- All-inclusive price: $3,500
- Includes: Local transport, multi-lingual guides, accommodation, meals, permits, first aid, horses that carry cargo, cooks, tents, expert photography instructor, first aid
Overall Value
- Small groups for collaboration, hands-on learning, and shared experiences
- Learning life long skills that you'll take with you on future adventures
- Access to locations and itineraries that you won't find anywhere else online
- Instantaneous feedback on photography and editing techniques
- Meet people in the photography community
- Eliminate logistical hurdles and focus on learning
Intangible Considerations
Think about all that goes into a trip. Consider that if you have years of experience with international travel, then it's likely that the stresses of navigating a foreign country won't affect you very much. However, for some people, it make much for sense to have peace of mind knowing that all in-country logistics are handled, and all you have to do is arrive at the meetup destination.
Also consider
- Amount of time required for conducting online research in advance of your trip
- Potential language barrier
- Your experience level in trekking over multiple days and covering long distances in the backcountry is important.
- Managing in-country logistics
- Physical conditioning
- Carrying a backpack with everything you need to live for 8+ days is not easy, especially at altitude. Carrying a daypack can relieve much of the physical stress and enable you to focus on photography.
By no means is this list exhaustive, but it's a useful starting point that will help you make an informed decision.
When Workshops Are Worth It
You should join a photography workshop if:
- You're serious about improvement - Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned professional, real-time feedback is irreplaceable. At AAV's workshops your photographs are met with critical, constructive feedback that you will be able to build upon each day of the workshop.
- Your time is worth more than your money - If you get 2-3 weeks of vacation per year or simply value the vacations you do take even though you have unlimited time, spending 3 days figuring out logistics means a significant percentage of your trip isn't photography. Workshops start shooting and intensive instruction from day one.
- You want access to non-tourist itineraries - Our workshops are built around small groups, which increases our mobility, allowing us to reach less accessible locations and pace our trek in ways that others can't. Even if we are on a standard trail, we often won't be setting up camp where the typical tours do.
When You Should Go Solo
Solo makes sense when:
- You are a dedicated self-learner - Growing photography skills requires dedicated time spent between watching videos online, reading articles, and trail and error in the field. Feedback isn't instantaneous like at a workshop, however, if you have the time to dedicate to your craft, it might be worth considering an unguided trip.
- You are content with your photography skills - If you take photos for fun and don't put much weight on the results, then you are be better off saving your money. Workshops are intensive courses with structured learning objectives that are not suited for people who don't want to become better at photography.
- The workshop is out of budget and you are an experienced solo trekker/hiker - Don't put yourself in debt to join a workshop. If you want to join a workshop but can't afford it, work slowly to improve your skills on your own while saving up for that workshop that you dream of taking. If hiking on rugged trails, solo, for multiple days is very comfortable for you, then by all means do what's within your skill range and budget.
The Bottom Line
Solo photography trips in Peru are absolutely possible and rewarding in and of themselves. Thousands of people do it. But if you have any doubts about some of the topics mentioned above, maybe a guided workshop is for you. And let's say you don't care about learning photography skills and you just want to be guided to the spots to capture photos—we do that too on our photography expeditions.
Remember that workshops aren't about hand-holding—they're about challenging you to become better at creating images and therefore telling stories from your travels. In one week at a workshop, you can improve your skills to a degree that might have taken you several years on your own.
It's your call:
Go on a solo adventure—save some money, spend extra time organizing logistics yourself, and find yourself in solitude.
or …
Join one of our workshops—grow your skills with one-on-one instruction, gain photography friends for a lifetime, and learn in some of the wildest and most sublime places in the entire world, here in Peru.
Whatever you decide, we'd love to know why you chose one or the other!