Hiking the Inca trail vacation

Winding your way across mountain passes and cloud forests on this classic trek, you’ll arrive in Machu Picchu before the day-trippers for a rare glimpse of its full dawn majesty.
Cuzco Inca Trail Trek Machu Picchu Tour of Machu Picchu at dawn Cuzco train Optional: walking tour of Cuzco, Sacred Valley tour, biking or paddle boarding excursions and Lima
Price
US $2590excluding flights
Duration
10 Days
Type
Small group
Reviews
CO2
77kg
More info
Optional single supplement £378.
Minimum age 16.
Make enquiry

Description of Hiking the Inca trail vacation

Map

Price information

US $2590excluding flights
Optional single supplement £378.
Minimum age 16.
Make enquiry

Check dates, prices & availability

Travel guides

Peru walking
Although the ruined Inca citadel of Machu Picchu isn’t necessarily the be-all-and-end-all of walking vacations in Peru it's certainly a great place to ...
Small group walking

Vacation information

Small group tour, ideal for solos & couples:
Small group travel is not large group travel scaled down. It is modeled on independent travel – but with the advantage of a group leader to take care of the itinerary, accommodation and tickets, and dealing with the language. It’s easy to tick off the big sights independently – but finding those one-off experiences, local festivals, traveling markets and secret viewpoints is almost impossible for someone without the insider knowledge gained from years in the field. For those with limited time, a small group tour will save valuable time in planning, and on vacation.
Our top tip:
If Inca Trail permits are sold out, consider taking the Moonstone Trek as an alternative - with unexplored ruins & spectacular scenery it's no less breathtaking.
Trip type:
Small group (min age 16)
Activity level:
Moderate
Accomm:
4 nights in hotel, 4 nights full-service camping
Solo:
Solo travelers welcome. Single rooms available at a supplement.
Included:
Accommodation, transport, (minibus & plane), local tour guides, Machu Picchu permit & listed activities, listed meals
Meals:
All breakfasts, 5 lunches, 4 dinners

Reviews

4 Reviews of Hiking the Inca trail vacation

5 out of 5 stars
SHOW
3
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Reviewed on 01 Nov 2022 by

Excellent, sense of achievement on completion and seeing Machu Picchu at the end was tremendous. Read full review

Reviewed on 11 Jun 2022 by

For me, it was a one off, once in a lifetime experience. Just amazingly fantastic! Read full review

Reviewed on 23 Sep 2019 by

Amazing, lived up to my expectations. Read full review

Reviewed on 20 Apr 2018 by

The track was amazing. Everything went so smoothly. Absolutely amazing. Read full review

Responsible Travel

As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we've screened this (and every) vacation so that you can travel knowing it will help support the places and people that you visit, and the planet. Read how below.

Planet

Activity:
Few vacations have as little detrimental impact on the environment and local residents as a trekking trip. Erosion on and adjacent to popular paths is a growing problem in certain places and therefore our trip leaders encourage clients to stick to advised routes in order to minimise this. Permits are limited on the Inca Trail in order to reduce overcrowding and damage due to footfall, but our guides and porters are still very mindful of how we treat the environment. We do believe in leaving no more than footprints, although this tour actively encourages guests to talk to local people, visit local cafes and restaurants and to purchase traditional crafts. Our entry fees also go towards maintenance of these significant cultural sites, therefore leaving a positive impact.

Water:
Water is a really important issue with walking trips and whilst we must stay hydrated, it is also vital that we have a system for providing clean water without causing lots of waste with plastic bottles. We suggest that instead of repeatedly buying bottled water, guests should re-fill a singular bottle. In order to make this easier, we provide treated water throughout the Inca Trail trek. We also recycle waste along the trail with organic and non-organic containers and we do not dispose of it until there is an appropriate place to do so.

UK Office:
It all starts at home so we have first worked at reducing our carbon footprint in our UK Offices. Through energy conservation measures and recycling policies, we are proud to be actively reducing the waste produced and our impact on the environment. We support various projects all over the world to try and give something back to the places we visit.

People

Accommodation and meals:
We will spend half of the nights in small, locally owned hotels and the remaining four nights on the trek in full service campsites. We prefer to use small businesses for our accommodation, activities and services as these are the companies which have most direct benefit to the communities which we visit. All of our hotel managers have signed a sustainability contract which ensures they employ locals and endeavour to reduce waste, whilst our campsites are very eco-friendly in terms of energy reduction. We buy all of our food to cook on the trail from local supermarkets or even indigenous groups where possible despite this sometimes being more expensive. Where meals are not included, clients are encouraged to eat at authentic restaurants or to try snacks at markets e.g. San Pedro market in Cuzco.

Local Craft & Culture:
We walk through the Huayllabamba village on the first day, which is the only community inside the trail. They sell produce and various homemade snacks, so by stopping and buying something we are providing an avenue of income for these people. There is also an optional opportunity in the Sacred Valley where clients can eat a traditional meal in the village and buy handicrafts. Our local guides are able to advise clients on which products to buy and which to avoid- for example, walking sticks made of wood are one to avoid as they are potentially a product of deforestation.

Group Size:
This small group tour has a maximum of 16 participants, meaning that we have a low impact on the environments and communities we visit and are able to ensure that we do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people. The small number also allows us to stay in unique, family-run hotels that cannot benefit from coach tours and other mass tourism due to their limited sizes.

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