Classic Inca Trail To Machu Picchu 4 Days / 3 Nights

As far in advance as possible. The government has strictly limited the number of people allowed on the Inca Trail (permits are issued to around 200 hikers per day plus 300 porters). Therefore, we recommend that you try to make your Inca Trail reservation as far in advance as possible as soon as you know the dates of your international flights.

Travelers only need to bring their own personal supplies and a sleeping bag. If you don’t have a sleeping bag, you can rent one in Cusco for a reasonable price ($30 for all trips). You will be provided with a canvas bag for your belongings on the Inca Trail so that travelers do not need to bring a large backpack unless they wish to. Proper sun clothing, comfortable trekking clothing, mosquito repellent, walking shoes, a flashlight, a camera, and 1-2 refillable water bottles are recommended. Rain gear is also recommended during the rainy season (December-March) and cold-weather clothing (warm jacket, thermal, hat, and gloves) for the dry season (especially June through August).

Campsites are subject to change based on crowds and season. We generally try to camp in less traveled areas so that travelers can enjoy the natural beauty of the Inca Trail and minimize environmental impacts. Our typical camping options are Wayllabamba, Pacaymayo and Wiñay Wayna or Chaquicocha.

Our Adventure, Tour guide is among the best and most experienced guides anywhere. They are from the surrounding Cusco/Sacred Valley area and speak fluent English, as well as Spanish and the native Quechua language. Most have 10 years of experience leading Inca Trail treks and all have training in the history, spirituality, culture, and ecology of the area.

Our cooks can provide vegetarian meals with no problem. Simply let us know your dietary requirements when you book your trip.

A6: We have many customers who have allergies to nuts, wheat, etc. Please tell us the details of your allergy at the time of booking. Indicate the severity of the reaction and what type of medications to take in an emergency. If your allergy is severe, you should be accompanied by a friend on the trek who is aware of your allergy and the location of any necessary medications. Due to the nature of the remote geographical location of the trail and the lack of adequate medical facilities nearby, Terra Quechua Peru will not accept any responsibility, either directly or indirectly, for any issues due to your special medical/dietary requirements. We suggest you check with your doctor before booking the trek.

You must report at the time of booking any medical conditions you may have that may affect your ability to trek the Inca Trail. Terra Quechua  reserve the right not to accept a trek reservation if we feel a medical condition may be life-threatening to you or the lives of any of our trek staff or other clients on the trek. People with heart conditions, knee problems, severe asthma, or who are more than 18 weeks pregnant should not participate in the walk. People with mild asthma/diabetes/pregnant less than 18 weeks must bring a medical note from their doctor stating they are fit to hike. They will also be required to be accompanied at all times by a walking partner on the trek, who will walk alongside them and be familiar with any medications needed in the event of an emergency. Terra Quechua Peru reserves the right to cancel a client’s trek reservation if the client has not fully disclosed at the time of booking a medical condition that may pose a health risk to the client and/or other trekkers. Refunds will not be given in this case.

Due to the nature of the remote geographical location of the trail and the lack of adequate nearby medical facilities along the trail, Terra Quechua Peru will not accept any responsibility, either directly or indirectly, for any problems due to your dietary requirements / special medical conditions . We suggest you check with your doctor before booking the trek.

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

Backpack, sleeping bag, thermarest mattress (we provide this but you have to carry it), raincoat, sturdy shoes, a complete change of clothes, sweater, jacket (somewhat warm), water bottle (metal or nalgene type) and sterilizing tablets (Micropur is recommended and can be purchased at local Cusco pharmacies), flashlight and batteries, wide-brimmed or peaked cap, sunscreen, insect repellant, toiletries and toilet paper, selection of small snacks, chocolate, fruits dry, biscuits etc, spare camera and batteries (there is nowhere to charge your camera during the trek). For your own personal hygiene, we also recommend that you bring a small bottle of antiseptic/antibacterial hand gel to clean your hands each time you use the camp bathrooms and before eating any snacks/meals. You must also bring your original passport with you on the trek, with the same passport number you originally booked with, otherwise you will not be able to take the trek. Photocopies are no longer acceptable.

We will purchase your Inca Trail trek permit using the names and passport numbers you send us with your trek reservation request. You must bring these same passports with you to Cusco and take them on the Inca Trail. If the name or number on your passport is different from the name and number on the trek permit, government authorities will not allow you to start the trek and you will not be entitled to a refund. If you plan to renew your passport between booking the trek and the start of the trek, please see the section below on FAQs related to passport numbers. If you make a trek reservation at the student price, you must send us a copy of your ISIC card at the time of paying the trek deposit. If you do not bring your ISIC card on the trek, the government authorities will not allow you to start the trek. You will not be given the opportunity to pay the additional price difference and will not be entitled to a refund. These are government regulations and apply to ALL authorized Inca Trail tour operators.

Unless you hire an additional ‘third porter’, you will need to bring all of the above personal items. We include porters to carry all other items such as tents, food, and cooking equipment.

Walking boots are recommended as they provide support to the ankle, reducing the risk of injury, especially when walking in the wet season (December to March). However, it is important that your boots are comfortable and well-worn and not new. Many people prefer to walk in sneakers, but special care must be taken. We do not recommend walking in sandals or wearing new boots or renting boots before the hike. Make sure the shoes are durable enough for the duration of the hike and won’t fall apart.

We supply sleeping tents, eating tents, tables, chairs, toilet tents, kitchen equipment, water purifiers, sleeping mattress (thermal rest) and other camping equipment. Our owner buys the highest quality equipment in Peru and the oldest equipment is periodically evaluated and replaced.

Many people like to walk with trekking poles or poles. This is fine as long as the posts do not damage the stone pavement along the Inca Trail. If trekking poles have metal tips, these should be protected with rubber tips. We recommend bringing some spare rubber tips. Rubber protectors can also be purchased at various stores in Cusco. Wooden canes are obviously fine as long as you bring them from home. Recently, government authorities have stopped hikers using wooden sticks that could come from local forests (to prevent deforestation of protected Andean forests). Metal trekking poles can also be rented at our office.

Any luggage that you do not need to carry on the Inca Trail can be left at your hotel in Cusco. Almost all hotels have a luggage storage and they rarely charge for this service as long as you return to the hotel after the trek. You can also leave valuables in the hotel safe, but remember to bring your passport and some emergency money. We do not store customer luggage or valuables in our office.

Terra Quechua Peru is committed to taking care of our porters and our trek weights are carefully calculated so that our porters are not overloaded. The group sizes below show the absolute minimum number of porters we will provide for each group. As a professional company we will guarantee these numbers. Obviously we will use additional chargers if any of our clients decide to contract the services of an additional third of a charger up to the maximum number of chargers per group allowed by the government. This is why we limit each client to a maximum of only one third of a carrier, that is, a maximum of 6 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 500 travelers along the Inca Trail each year and rarely have we had a traveler fail to complete the trek. In these rare cases, when someone has not felt well enough to finish the trek, he/she has been escorted back to Cusco and generally felt well enough to rejoin the group at Machu Picchu. by train a few days later. Cusco has the closest modern medical facilities, so travelers with a serious medical emergency will need to be evacuated there. The guides and porters have pre-established evacuation strategies in case this need arises.

A cook accompanies each group on the Inca Trail. Almost invariably, travelers comment on the delicious menu. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and hearty snacks are provided for your trek. Meals are a mix of local specialties and international favourites. For a sample menu, please see our Inca Trail Menu below. Vegetarian meals are also available on request. Other special dietary requests can usually be accommodated well in advance as well.