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Navigating permits, regulations, and tour operators can feel overwhelming. This FAQ section cuts through the confusion covering licensing requirements, what the INC controls, what protections are in place for trekkers, and what to look for when choosing a reputable company.
Instructions to Book Online (Reservations) Choose a date
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 deposit of US$200 to secure your trekking permits, porter permits, and Machu Picchu 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.
Fill in our booking for. 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:
• 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 trek 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.
To secure the reservation with us, the client must deposit US$200 . Please note that the program deposit is non-refundable. Without a down payment your Inca Trek is not confirmed.
Payment can either be made by Western Union, Paypal, Bank Transfer(western union the fastest and safest method of Payment in Peru).
We will send you a Travel Invoice of the trek and deposit (with the signing of our Travel Consultant), when we receive all requirements above. You have to print this document to show in our office in Cusco.
Fifth Step: Come to Cusco and pay the remaining trek balance in Cash
You can pay the balance of the trek at our offices in Cusco (minimum of 2 days before trek departure, before 10:00am). Payment can be made in cash US$, 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.
PRE-DEPARTURE BRIEFING
• Briefing before
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 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.
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!
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 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) 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.
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.
Sleep mat weight = 1 kg
Sleeping bag weight = 2 kg
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 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.
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.
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)
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 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.
A cook accompanies every group on the 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 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)
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.
Current regulations do not allow us to replace canceled passengers with new passengers. Trek permits are non-refundable and non-transferable.
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.)
Permits, availability and what happens when dates sell out
Understanding how the permit system works before you enquire will save you time and help you make better decisions, whether your preferred date is open or already at capacity.
For 2026 departures, reserving early is strongly recommended. The daily quota is fixed and released on a first-come, first-served basis, meaning popular dates, especially in the dry season between May and September, can fill up several months ahead of time. Waiting until a few weeks before your trip is a risk not worth taking.
The calendar reflects spaces for the Classic trek, available in 3, 4, 5 and 6-day formats. The 6-day version incorporates a section via Salkantay before joining the main route. The Short Trek departing from Km 104 is not subject to the same permit pressure and tends to have more consistent availability throughout the year. When you enquire, always specify which format and duration you have in mind so availability can be confirmed accurately.
Yes. Any date marked in green on the calendar has confirmed spaces and a guaranteed departure. The only period when trekking is not possible is the whole of February, when the route closes annually for maintenance, ecological conservation work, and to coincide with the peak of the rainy season. February is entirely unavailable every year and no permits are issued for any operator or group during this month.
A sold-out date does not mean missing out on Machu Picchu. You can pre-reserve for an alternative date, push your plans to 2027, or consider one of several alternative multi-day routes that all conclude at the citadel. The final experience at Machu Picchu is essentially the same regardless of the approach; what differs is the terrain and journey that precedes it. Among the most popular alternatives are the Salkantay Trek, the Lares Trek through Andean villages, the Inca Jungle Trail combining biking and hiking, and the remote Choquequirao Trek.
The total daily allocation is 500 permits, but this figure covers everyone on the route, including porters, cooks and guides. In practice, approximately 200 of those spaces are available for tourists, with the remaining 300 assigned to the support teams accompanying them. If availability drops to 90 spaces or fewer, act immediately. At that threshold, remaining spots can disappear within hours, particularly during high season.
