PERU TRAVEL PLANNER

INCA TRAIL HIKES

The Inca Trail is a mountainous jungle hike leading to the sacred Inca city of Machu Picchu. The 45km trek is usually covered in 4 days, arriving at Machu Picchu at daybreak on the final day before returning to Cusco by train in the afternoon.

TREKS SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY AND REGULATIONS

In 2005 the number of people permitted to start the Inca trail has been strictly limited to 500 persons per day. This figure is made up of about 200 tourists and 300 porters. The Peruvian authorities should be praised for their progressive stance on successfully protecting the Inca Trail for future generations.

The Inca Trail is part of the Machu Picchu Sanctuary, a protected area managed by the Peru National Institute of Natural Resources.
All visitors must obey park regulations prohibiting littering, cutting or damaging trees, removing or damaging stones of ruins and the Trail, removing plants, killing animals, lighting open fires or camping in the archeological sites (only authorized campsites can be used).

The following procedures must be followed:

1. Payment of entrance fees:
- The only valid document granting the right to walk the Inca Trails Network - the Machupicchu Historical Sanctuary Network RED or SHM - is the ticket issued by the Instituto Nacional the Cultura. This ticket is personal, non-transferable and includes the entrance fee to Machu Picchu.
- Under no circumstances, payment for the use of the RED will be accepted at its registry and entry control points.
- Payment for the right to use the RED must be made a minimum of thirty (30) days before beginning the trip and the acquisition must be made under your name.
- The reimbursement of payment for the right to use the RED is not possible under any circumstance.

2. Reservations
- Reservations will be subject to the daily capacity emitted by the UGM (500 people, including guides, porters, helpers and around 150 tourists), therefore we recommend you reserve your place with as much notice as possible.

There is no clear rule as to how far ahead is enough to guarantee you a space since this depends on demand. However, we recommend the following:

December, January, March: 2 months in advance, 3 or 4 months in advance for departures around Christmas and New year’s eve

April, October, November: 3 months in advance, 4 months in advance around Easter

May, September: 4-5 months in advance

June, July, August: 5-6 months in advance

-To confirmed the reservation the Tour Operator must cancel the 100% of amount for the excursion and provide full names, passport numbers, ages, nationalities and passport photocopies of all those going on the trip to the relevant authorities. The traveler must send this information and documentation to us from his or her home country.

- Failure to confirm reservations will result in their cancellation, and no reimbursement of fees will be made in this case
- Only people with a valid International Student Identification Card (ISIC) will be considered as a student, entitling them to a discount on the RED entrance fee.

- The route of the classic 4-day Inca Trail will be closed each year during the month of February to allow conservation projects to be undertaken as well as giving the vegetation a chance to recover. This is a good month to close the trail since it is also the wettest month of the year. Machu Picchu by train will remain open as usual.

In the last few years the prices of the 4 day Inca Trail standard pool service have increased dramatically due to a big increase in the cost of operating the trek, increased taxes and transport costs. The added difficulty of obtaining spaces on the trek also resulted in tour operators having to depart with much smaller, less economic groups.

Please make a choice:

ALTERNATIVE TREKS

So far, these treks do NOT have limited number of people to depart and trek permits are not required.
Therefore these treks can easily be arranged just a few weeks in advance. However if you have limited time and want to trek with one of the better quality companies such us, we would recommend making a booking as soon as you define your travel date.

Program	Duration	Rates
LARES TREK TO MACHUPICCHU	4 Days and 3 Nights	From US$ 630
CHOQUEQUIRAO TREK " THE LAST INCA OUTPOST"	4 Days and 3 Nights	From US$ 565
SALKANTAY EXPRESS TO MACHU PICCHU	4 Days and 3 Nights	From US$ 700
ON ROUTE TO CHOQEKIRAW	5 Days and 4 Nights	From US$ 630
SALKANTAY TREK TO MACHU PICCHU	5 Days and 4 Nights	From US$ 614
AUSANGATE TREK 7 DAYS	7 Days and 6 Nights	From US$ 620
FROM CHOQUEQUIRAO TO MACHUPICCHU	8 days and 7 nights	From US$ 1260
EXPLORING CHOQEKIRAW & MACHUPICCHU	9 Days and 8 Nights	From US$ 1454

Useful Links:

• Inca trail Tourist information
• Inca Trail
• Inca trail to Machu Picchu
• Inca trail Peru