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Why choose Haku Expeditions?

The Haku difference

Six reasons people keep coming back.

01

Haku Family

We embrace every individual that comes through our doors — long-lasting friendships built on trust and incredible shared experiences.

02

Adventures By & For Adventurers

Our team is built of expert adventurers themselves — medically trained guides able to lead first-timers and seasoned riders alike.

03

Our Team

A community fostered over years through deep relationships with local communities, land owners, trail builders and guides.

04

Dedication

Top-quality adventures for our clients — and lasting support for the local communities we work with.

05

Lifetime Deposits

Cancel with two months’ notice and your bike deposits are held for use on another trip in that country.

06

Loyalty Program

Ride or trek with us five times on a 7- or 10-day trip and your sixth trip is on the house. We mean Haku Family.

Bill and Nicole Koch

Who is Haku

From a first-date bike ride to a life in the Andes.

When two Buffalo, New York natives went mountain biking one day as a first date in the early 2000s, they didn’t realize that within the decade they’d marry, move to Peru to help the poor, and start their own mountain-biking expedition company. But that’s exactly what happened: after Bill and Nicole Koch got married, they lived in Durango, Colorado for two years before moving to Cusco in 2007.

Bill and Nic originally moved to Peru to assist in the education of Cusco’s impoverished — they worked in two schools for the poorest kids of Cusco for seven years. In Peru, they found a country teeming with ancient culture and breathtaking natural beauty, so when guests of the Airbnb they founded in the city centre started asking them to set up tours and expeditions, they realized how much they wanted to share the unique beauty of the area.

“Haku” is Quechua for come on.

That exploratory spirit — combined with a deep familiarity with and reverence for the surrounding community — is what defines Haku. Our international team of professional, bilingual guides have all been selected for their “Haku” spirit.

Bill and Nic opened Haku officially in November 2014. Since then, they’ve shared their knowledge of and excitement for Peru with hundreds of satisfied clients. People often refer to Haku as a bridge between two cultures. After fifteen years in Peru, Bill, Nic and the crew moved operations to Ecuador in 2021 — bringing the same standards to a new range of mountains.

Giving back

1% for charity. The Haku social projects.

Haku Expeditions donates 1% of all profits to support local education programs.

Before founding Haku Expeditions or planning international adventure holidays, Bill and Nicole Koch originally moved to Peru to volunteer with the poor and help in the education of impoverished kids. These days, Haku still holds ethical and economic responsibility as core values.

  • ✦ Haku Christmas Drive — clothing & shoe drives, hot-chocolate panettone lunch.
  • ✦ School-supply giveaways for High Andes kids.
  • ✦ Bread & fruit deliveries to high-elevation communities.
  • ✦ Connecting local organic farmers with local restaurants.
  • ✦ Affordable MTB classes for locals, taught by pro coaches.
  • ✦ Hiring locals as drivers and office workers at fair wages.
  • ✦ 1% of profits to educate kids in technical fields like carpentry.
  • ✦ Helping young adults launch small businesses after high school.
Haku social project

A trip of a lifetime

Why choose Haku for yours?

Haku clients often describe Haku as a “bridge between two cultures.” Bill, Nic and the guides understand that an off-the-beaten-path experience deeply integrated into the local surroundings is infinitely more memorable than one that stays inside an upscale tourist lodge.

Haku Expeditions is committed to making sure you’re on the perfect trip for you. Where other companies might not screen your ability level, Haku asks questions before your trip so we can be sure you’re on the right one — and tailor it to your fitness and skill.

And Bill and Nicole’s original passion for the people and economic health of Peru remains in Haku’s mentality. We hire locals for shuttles and meals wherever possible — often forgoing increased income for the company to ensure the community benefits and the experience is more authentic.

Browse our tours

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“Bill and Nicole have the Peruvian scene dialled — perfectly balanced tech and flow on mountain bikes.”

Brett Tippie
Brett Tippie
Hall of Fame Mountain Biker

Gear we use.

Race Face · Kona Bikes · SRAM · Five Ten. Top-of-the-line rental bikes, well-maintained gear, and the kind of fleet you can actually trust on a 5-day expedition.

Meet our guides

Local. Bilingual. Real adventurers.

Every guide we work with has been vetted for medical training, experience and the Haku spirit. Get in touch to put your trip in their hands.