Frequently Asked Questions

Licensed trek operators: The INC (Institute of National Culture) is the regulatory body responsible for controlling access to Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail. In order to operate the Inca Trail companies must meet certain basic requirements proving that they have professional guides and good camping equipment, radio communications and emergency first aid including oxygen.

The license to operate the Inca Trail is renewed at the beginning of each year. Due to legal problems, the Government has found it hard to withdraw licenses from poor performing companies and every tour operator that has satisfied the basic requirements has so far been given a license.

The legislation is likely to be introduced later in 2008 to give more power to the Ministry of Tourism and allow them to fine, suspend or close badly performing companies. A comprehensive list of licensed Inca Trail tour operators can be found by clicking here.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION for BOOKING the INCA TRAIL for 2021

• Whether you are trekking the Inca Trail in 2019, it is recommended to secure your spots as soon as possible (CHECK the OFFICIAL INCA TRAIL AVAILABILITY ABOVE) – there is no reason to wait! – BOOK NOW!
• The number of available spaces shown in this page is for both: for the CLASSIC INCA TRAIL which is done in 4 Days, 5 Days, 3 Days and 6 Days the ones that goes via Salkantay. And the Short Inca Trail that starts from Km 104 always has spaces. Please, confirm which of them are you interested when consulting or booking
• We provide guaranteed Inca Trail departures every single day in 2017 as long as there are available spaces; so you can START THE TREK any date marked in GREEN (except during February when the Inca Trail is closed).
• The Inca Trail is CLOSED every year in FEBRUARY for maintenance, for allowing conservation projects, and too much rain; so this month is not available.

Whether INCA TRAIL permits for your desired date are SOLD OUT, you can always pre-reserve for another date, for next year or simply consider other alternative tours which get to MachuPicchu as well

• SALKANTAY TREK
• LARES TREK
• INCA JUNGLE TRAIL
• CHOQUEQUIRAO TREK
• VILCABAMBA TREK
• ANCASCOCHA TREK
• OR SHORT INCA TRAIL 2/D or INCA TRAIL 3/D which is available always

Keep in mind that no matter which tour you choose, the grand tour of Machu Picchu, in the end, will be almost the same; what will vary is the previous part or how you will get there (this is through the Trails, by Train or through any of the alternative treks)

The maximum number of available Inca Trail permits is 500. The support staff is included within the five hundred, meaning that only about 200 permits are allocated for tourists and about 300 for cooks, porters, and guides each day.

No travel agency or tour operator will be able to offer you a space for the Inca Trail unless there are available spaces shown for the date you want to start the trek. Keep also in mind that if you find 90 spaces or less, it means that you have to book your Inca Trail as fast as you can since the remaining spaces can sell out within the following hours or even minutes.

Also, it is important to know that NO matter how many clients cancel their Inca Trail reservations, NOBODY else can use these spaces as the system is designed to prevent some companies to book the spaces with made-up information in advance and then change it with that of their last-minute real clients.

We hope you find this information on the Inca Trail Availability useful and if so, start dreaming about your next adventure in 2017!

HOW TO BOOK INCA TRAIL

Instructions to Book Online (Reservations) Choose a date

First step: Check the Availability

Ensure that you are making the reservation plenty of time in advance. Check that there are still spaces available in our group and book as far ahead as possible since our trek departures dates are offered on a first-come-first-served basis. Check that your passport is valid for at least 6 months after the date that you enter Peru. If you do not have a valid passport or plan to renew your passport before coming to Peru please see our Frequently Asked Questions and Booking & Conditions page for more details.

Choose your preferred date or join us to any of fixed departure date (We need 02 people to open a new departure date) and please note we will never pass you onto another operator as most travel agencies do here. (they share transportation, Food, Guide, Cook and porters) to minimize costs that’s why many charge less than us. because they are thinking to share with other companies. But Quechuas Expeditions organize the trip even the group is of 02 ppl.

We require all Personal information as well as a Non-refundable US$200 to ensure your Inca Trail permits and porters permits as well as Inca Trail and Machupicchu entrance fees.

IMPORTANT NOTE: We have received feedback from many clients saying that our confirmation emails are often directed to their spam folder rather than their inbox. To ensure that you receive our reply, please modify your Junk or Spam filter settings to allow the incoming info@quechuasexpeditions.com email address. You may also want to add this email address to your list of known contacts.
First check the Inca Trail availability to ensure we have a confirmed date for your departures please click to:

Second step: Check your Personal Information and BOOK

Fill in our Inca Trail booking form(See the Attached File). Please do not make a reservation until you have all the details below. We cannot accept a booking without all the names, nationalities, passport numbers and ages:

The following client information is requested for any Inca Trail booking:

• Complete names and surnames (as in your passport appears)
• Passport Nationality
• Passport number
• Date of Birth
• Gender

IMPORTANT NOTE: The exact information provided by you will be submitted to the Government Institution (INC) in charge of regulating the access to the Inca Trail and will be included in the official permit to enter the Inca Trail on the requested date.

Should there be any change in the above-mentioned data (ie. New passport number), we kindly request you to inform toy your Travel Consultant via e-mail as soon as possible. The government reserves the right not to allow the entry to any visitor whose data are not the exact ones as those in the official permit. Quechuas Expeditions Tours excludes any responsibility for a no entry in case the passenger information has changed without prior notice to us.

Third step: Trek deposit

To secure the Inca Trail Reservation with us, the client must deposit US$200 . Please note that the program deposit is non-refundable. Without a down payment your Inca Trail Trek is not confirmed.

Payment can either be made by Western Union, Paypal, Bank Transfer(western  union the fastest and safest method of Payment in Peru).

Fourth step: Confirmation Travel Invoice

We will send you a Travel Invoice of the trek and deposit (with the signing of our Travel Consultant), when we receive all requirements above. You have to print this document to show in our office in Cusco.

Fifth Step: Come to Cusco and pay the remaining trek balance in Cash
You can pay the balance of the trek at our offices in Cusco (minimum of 2 days before trek departure, before 10:00am). Payment can be made in cash US$, local currency (Peruvian Nuevo Soles) or American Express Travel Checks (+ 5% commission charged). You can withdraw cash in either US$ or Peruvian Sole from one of the many ATM machines in Cusco (Visa, MasterCard, etc).

Prior to departing for Peru it is advisable to inform your bank that you are coming to Peru, so that you do not experience any problems with your credit/bank cards whilst abroad. Remember that the limit that you can withdraw each day in Peru may be less than your normal limit at home.

INCA TRAIL PRE-DEPARTURE BRIEFING

• Briefing before the Inca Trail

Pre-departure briefing;

One or two days before departure our representative in Cusco will contact the clients in their hotels, where you will meet with your guide, he’ll provide information and answer any questions they might have about their Inca trail program. We must be informed in which hotels the clients are staying and the date of their arrival.

Where you will meet with your group and guide, here you will be given any rental equipment such as sleeping bags and duffle bags if you have requested extra porter the actual time of your briefing (6 or 7pm) will be confirmed at your check-in at the office 2 days prior to the trek.
If you do not have an operator in Cusco our office can take care of the reconfirmation of any domestic flights to Lima or other cities. Please ask for further information when you make your reservation.

ABOUT CAMPSITES ON THE INCA TRAIL

Please note that we are not in control of the campsites we are issued with from the Institute of National Culture. In general, your campsite allocation is dependent on how early you book, or rather, how many permits are left. The first 250 spaces are generally given to Wiñay Wayna (3rd campsite) and thereafter you will have a longer walk to Machu Picchu on the last day and it could mean you do not make it for sunrise. Do not let this disappoint you as Machu Picchu is marvelous in itself!

Porters Working Conditions: In April 2002 a new law was introduced to set a minimum wage for all porters on the Inca Trail. This has followed years of exploitation. This wage is 45 Peruvian Soles per day which is about US$ 16. It may not seem a lot but wages are all relative to livings costs and compared to other professions 45 Soles is quite well paid. Even though the law exists it is not being enforced and many companies are still paying their porters as low as US$ 5 per day.

In 2002 the maximum weight that a porter can carry was limited to 20kg (15kg load + 5kg personal items). All porters have their weight checked by government officials at the start of the trail. However even this system is open to abuse and many tour operators get their guides and assistants to carry large loads across the checkpoint where they are dropped and left for the porters to pick up.

Many trekkers who have hired an extra porter are also asked to carry their bags across the checkpoint to be given to the porters after they have been weighed. (and Many Travel agencies are sharing porters once they are on the Inca trail that’s why most of the are overloaded and there are agencies that include porter service on their prices because they don’t care they only want to sell Inca Trail)So even with the new regulations and a weigh-station at the beginning of the trail it is still possible to see porters carry loads of up to 35kg or more.

What about my luggage which I don’t need on the trek?

We suggest you to leave your entire luggage, which you don’t need during the trekking, behind in your hotel. Almost every hotel in Cusco has a safety deposit where you can store your luggage and do not charge for this service when you’ll return to the same hotel after your trek. But if they dont have a place we also have a place where you can leave with us. Let us know Please.

How much does the sleeping mat and sleeping bag weigh?

Sleep mat weight = 1 kg
Sleeping bag weight = 2 kg

What if I have a medical emergency while hiking the trail?

Guides carry a first aid kit for basic medical problems (traveler’s diarrhea, cuts/ scrapes, etc.). They receive Red Cross First Aid and other emergency training every year. Our guides lead over 300 travelers along the Inca trail each year and we have rarely had a traveler unable to complete the hike. In these rare instances when someone has not felt well enough to finish the hike, he/ she has been escorted back to Cusco and generally felt well enough to re-join the group in Machu Picchu via train a few days later. Cusco has the nearest modern medical facilities so travelers with a serious medical emergency would need to be evacuated there. Guides and porters have pre-established evacuation strategies in place should this need occur.

What equipment is supplied by Quechuas Expeditions?

We supply the sleeping tents (4 season Aluminum poles tents, 2 people in each 3-people-capacity ten), dining tents, tables, chairs, toilet tents, cooking equipment, water purifiers, air Thermarest mattresses, and other camping equipment. Our outfitter purchases the highest quality equipment in Peru and older equipment is evaluated and replaced on a regular basis.

What do I need to carry?

We recommend that travelers carry the items that they will need each day while hiking such as water, snacks, camera and film. Porters will carry all of your other supplies including camping equipment, clothes, sleeping bags, etc. We generally ask travelers to bring only the belongings that they will need for the trail and leave any unneeded luggage at the hotel in Cusco or the Sacred Valley. To prevent porters from becoming overloaded, we ask all travelers to limit their personal belongings to 12 lbs for the hike.
and if you have an extra porter he will carry all your personal stuff and depends on the pottering service you have requested
Full Porter(12kg) Half Porter(6kg) and Porter to carry Sleeping bag and Pad(4 kg)

What are the guides like?

Our Quechuas Expeditions Tours guides are among the very best and most experienced guides anywhere. They are from the surrounding Cusco/ Sacred Valley area and speak fluent English, in addition to Spanish and the native language of Quechua. Most have 5-10 years of experience leading Inca trail hikes and all have training in the history, spirituality, culture, and ecology of the area. We receive rave reviews on our guides. For more information, check out our Testimonials at: Our Testimonials Most of them are highly recommended by Lonely Planet, Trip Advisor.

What is the food like on the Inca trail?

A cook accompanies every group on the Inca trail. Almost invariably, travelers comment on the delicious menu. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and hearty snacks are provided for your hike. Meals are a mix of local specialties and international favorites. Check out our Inca Trail menu. Vegetarian meals are also available upon request. Other special dietary requests can usually be accommodated as well with sufficient notice. (You will never be hungry with us. there will be plenty of food)

How is drinking water supplied?

Although there are places to purchase bottled water occasionally along the trail, we recommend that travelers bring their own refillable bottles to limit plastic waste. Water is boiled, treated with iodine, and then filtered with one of our portable filters (Katadyn and PUR commonly used). It is available in the morning to fill your bottles and at every meal.

What about late cancellations?

Current regulations do not allow us to replace canceled passengers with new passengers. Trek permits are non-refundable and non-transferable.

If I give you my deposit now, do you buy my permit immediately?

Not necessarily immediately, but we customarily purchase the permits within a few days of receiving your deposit.
and if you want us to act Asap (Send us Your deposit by Western Union wich is the fastest and safest way in Cusco, Peru and we can get the money in Minutes and Confirm the Trip in Minutes as well.)