Meet the Cusco team behind Terra Quechua Peru: founded in 2012 by Raquel Sánchez and Edwin Medina, licensed Inca Trail operator since 2018.
About Terra Quechua Peru
Terra Quechua Peru is a travel agency and local tour operator based in Cusco. It was founded in 2012 by Raquel Sánchez and Edwin Medina, and it is 100% Cusco-owned, with no outside shareholders.
Since 2018 we have been a licensed Inca Trail operator: we request official permits in your name and run the Classic, Short and 1-day Inca Trail with licensed guides. We also run treks and tours across southern Peru, from Salkantay, Lares, Inca Jungle and Choquequirao to the Amazon, Lake Titicaca and Arequipa.
Our story
Raquel and Edwin started Terra Quechua Peru in 2012 with years of personal trekking experience and one idea: personal, small-group trips run only by local professionals from Cusco.
Today Raquel leads the company as CEO and Edwin heads the sales team, together with our office team in Cusco and the guides, cooks and porters who work with us on the trail.
In 2023 the Peruvian Association of Entrepreneurs (ASPEM) gave Terra Quechua Peru its Innova 2023 award for small and medium-sized companies, which Raquel received in Cusco on 22 September 2023.
“To each one of my employees, whose interest and support make us a different company. One family. One heart.”
Raquel Sánchez, ASPEM Innova 2023 award speech
How we work
We are not the biggest company in Cusco, and that is the point: you deal directly with the people who organize your trip, from your first message to your last day.
We keep our groups small, with two guides when there are more than eight hikers. Traveling solo? You join a group already confirmed for your date, with no supplement.
Every trek is led by official licensed guides from the Cusco region, in English and Spanish, who know the history of each site along the way.
We work under Peru’s porter law (Law 31614): load limits of 20 kg for men and 15 kg for women, insurance, food, equipment and pay for every working day.
Once a year our team travels to the trail to take part in its maintenance, and we hold SERNANP’s “Ally for Conservation” recognition. How we care for the trail.
A 30% deposit online, the balance in Cusco and written policies for permits, refunds and date changes. Read our Inca Trail FAQ.
Tell us your dates and interests and we design an itinerary for you, from a single trek to a full trip around Peru.
Our Cusco office
These are the people who answer your messages, request your permits and organize your trip from our office in Cusco.
CEO & co-founder
Co-founder · Head of Sales
Head of Operations
Head of Finance
Operations Assistant
Reservations
Sales
Sales
Sales
Licenses and recognitions
Booking the Inca Trail means trusting a company with your permit and your passport details, so here is how to check us. We recommend asking every operator for the same: our 10-minute operator check explains how.
See the full documents on our certifications page.
Visit us
Real reviews from travelers who explored Peru with our local team in Cusco.
Our 5 day Salkantay Trek with Terra Quechua Peru was an absolutely incredible experience from start to finish. The scenery, the challenge, the food, and finally arriving at Machu Picchu made this a trip I’ll never forget…
No tengo palabras para describir el trabajo de Cristian, Adrian y Guillermo. Cumplimos nuestro sueño pero también conocimos 3 seres humanos maravillosos. Estuvieron pendientes 24/7 de nosotros…
We had the most amazing experience over the last few days making our way up to Machu Picchu. Our guide, Carlos was so accommodating, helping us whenever we needed, telling us lot of interesting facts along the trail…
Una experiencia increíble en el Salkantay Trek de 4 días. Los paisajes fueron espectaculares y todo estuvo muy bien organizado. El equipo de Terra Quechua Perú siempre fue amable, atento y profesional…
Realizamos el tour de 5 días y 4 noches a Choquequirao, simplemente fue maravilloso en cuanto a paisajes, al servicio de la agencia y por sobretodo del guía Yas, muy amable y quien estuvo pendiente a nuestros requerimientos…
Si bien eran altas las expectativas, la experiencia real ha sido superior. Enhorabuena Terra Quechua, y en especial a nuestra guía Leidy Canal, sin ella estoy seguro que no hubiera sido lo mismo…
How can we help you?
Our team in Cusco replies 24 hours a day.