Machu Picchu Hike (Inca Trail)

4 Days / 3 Nights

Machu Picchu Hike Day 01: Cusco – KM 82 – Llacta pata – Haya Pata.

We will pass by your hotel at around 05:30 am, we will travel for 1 hour and 40 minutes until Ollantaytambo, a small town in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, you will have time to use the toilets and make some last purchase of water, repellent, or sunscreen for our trek. We will continue with our 30-minute trip to KM 82, the beginning of our Machu Picchu Hike, there, our hiking team will prepare the first breakfast while we get ready for our hike, we will give you the equipment you have rented from our office. Once finished with breakfast, we must go to the control point where your guide will give you the tickets to be presented with your original passport. Once past the control we will be ready to start our adventure on the famous Machu Picchu Hike or known as Inca Trail too. The first 02 hours of hiking will be almost flat until you reach the town of Miskay, from this point the road begins to have a few ascents and descents not very long, just 20 minutes more from this town we will have our first view of a beautiful archaeological site called Pata Llacta. We will make a stop and our guide will give you the introduction to this wonderful trail, will explain you about the archaeological site and will give you a general introduction about the history of the Andes and the inca trail. We will continue with our hikeof 1 hour and 20 minutes more until we reach Hatun Chaca, place where our chef waits for us with a delicious lunch.

Once finished our lunch we will only have a 2 hour walk to our campsite, however, this walk will be uphill, we will go through the 2nd control where our guide will register the visit and our porters must weigh their bags again to control the weight they carry. Once we arrive to our camp we will have beautiful views of the valley of Huayllabamba, towards the top of the mountain the Warmihuañusca or Dead Woman Pass awaits us for the next day. Before preparing to enjoy a delicious tea and dinner, we will make a small introductory ceremony, each of our hiking team will introduce itself as well to get to know each other and create a unique experience in our trek.

• Walking distance:                                      16 km
• Estimated walking time:                       07 hours
• Camping Altitude:                                   31 00 meters
• Weather:                                                       Warm during the day and cold at night.

Machu Picchu Hike Day 02: Haya Pata – Warmihuañuscca – Pacay Mayu – Sayac Marca – Chaqui Cocha.

This morning our walking team will wake you up early with a delicious selection of teas, we hope that when you open your tent you will find a beautiful sunrise and the clear valley to enjoy beautiful views. You will have time to pack your belongings before breakfast time.

Once finished with our breakfast we will start our uphill hike, you will be able to enjoy an original Inca trail, along the path you will be able to enjoy beautiful flora and wild fauna, we will make a little rest in Llullucha Pampa, from this point you have beautiful views of the valley and the surrounding mountains. After our rest, we will continue our Machu Picchu hike to the dead woman pass, it will be about 1 hour and a half of walking approximately to the top.

The pass of Warmihuañusca or dead woman is located at 4215 masl, this will be the highest point of our entire Machu Picchu Hike. We will have time to rest, enjoy the unique views around, take our photographs, etc. At the indicated time we will begin our descent of 1 hour and a half to Pacay Mayu, place where our chef and walking team await us with a delicious lunch.

After finishing our lunch, we will continue our walk, this time we will have another climb to the second pass of the hike, halfway up, we will visit a small archaeological center called Runku Raqay, in this place our guide will give us more information about the history of the Incas and the same place. ç

After that we will continue with our ascent of 40 more minutes to the top of the mountain. After a short break in the second pass we will start with a descent of 1 hour to the next archaeological site called Sayac Marca, a beautiful place in the middle of the high jungle that you cannot miss. Just 30 minutes from this place is our Chaqui Ccocha campsite where our walking team awaits us with our tents ready, at the coordinated time we will enjoy a delicious tea time followed by dinner.

• Walking distance:                                              18 km
• Estimated walking time.                                 8 hours
• Elevation of the camping:                              3800 meters
• Weather:                                                                Warm during the walk, cold and dry at night (it can rain)

Machu Picchu Hike Day 03: Chaqui Cocha – Phuyupatamarca – Inti Pata – Huiñay Huayna.

Today will be one of the most beautiful and easy days of our trek. Our team will wake you up with a delicious coca tea and hope that when you open your tent you will find one of the best views of the entire Inca Trail, you will have time to pack your belongings before breakfast, once finished with our breakfast we will be ready to this beautiful day, it will only be 10 minutes of ascent and then it will be like an hour of flat road with magnificent views towards the valley, little by little we will be able to see the snow of Salkantay and the puma sillo snow caped mountains, until arriving to Phuyupatamarca from where we have one of The best views of the entire Inca Trail, this place is indescribable, we will see the top of Machu Picchu Mountain, the Puerta del Sol, the Machu Picchu Village at the bottom of the valley, the Vilcanota River or Willca Mayu, the Urubamba mountain range and the Vilcabamba mountain range, we will take some time to enjoy this beautiful place.

Then we will start with a vertical descent until we reach the archaeological site of Phuyupatamarca, where we will learn about Inca astronomy. From this point it will be only 2 hours until our next stop in Inti Pata another magnificent archaeological center where the Incas worked the coca leaf, corn, etc. It only separates us 30 minutes from our last place of camp that will be in Huiñay Huayna, in addition to our arrival, our chef awaits us with a delicious lunch.

After lunch we can rest a bit, take a nap and at midday we will walk only 10 minutes to visit one of the most beautiful archaeological sites of the Inca trail, Huiñay Huayna, this place was discovered in 1940 by the Peruvian archaeologist Julio C. Tello, our guide will give you an explanation about the history of the Incas, in addition to a review of everything learned in the walk, because the next day we have to visit the world wonder.

We will return to our camp where our hiking team awaits us with a little surprise, we will enjoy the last dinner prepared by our walking team and we will hold a small farewell ceremony. It is a custom to leave a tip to the porters and chef this day, this should be delivered in a separate envelope for the porters and another envelope for our chef, of course this is voluntary and the amount depends a lot on your level of satisfaction with their job.

• Walking distance                                                10 km
• Estimated time on foot:                                   4 hours
• Camping elevation:                                            2500 meters
• Weather:                                                                  Warm and humid during the day, it is not cold at night.

Machu Picchu Hike Day 04: Huiñay Huayna – Puerta del Sol – Machu Picchu – Cusco.

This is one of the most important days of your stay in Cusco. After a 3- day pilgrimage, we will finally visit the world wonder, the sacred city of the Incas, UNESCO’s cultural and natural heritage; Machu Picchu.

As always our walking team will wake you up early, this will be super early because all the visitors that are making the Inca Trail will rest in the same camp so we will have to make a queue at the checkpoint to start our walk, in addition to our Porters must go down to the railway to take their train back to Ollantaytambo.

Once we pass the control will be 1 hour walking until we reach the Sun Gate, place from where we will have the first view to Machu Picchu, we will be arriving exactly as the Incas did more than 500 ago years ago. We will have a time to enjoy the magnificent view and then continue for 45 more minutes until we reach the sacred city of the Incas.

We will have time to take our classic photographs and then we must go out to use the restrooms, and control our tickets. Finally, we will enter to do our guided tour to this sacred city that will take about 2 and a half hours visiting the temples, palaces, etc.

If another extra walk is encouraged you can request the entrance to Machu Picchu Mountain or Huayna Picchu, however, this will be confirmed according to the availability of space at the time of booking, this mountain is quite popular and the income is limited to 200 people by schedule, from June to September is required to book at least 3 months in advance. In case we get space for this extra walk, your guide will show you the way you should take to make this hike. However, this has an additional cost of $. 75 dollars per person.

Whatever the case may be, once you have finished your Machu Picchu Tour, you must go down to Machu Picchu Pueblo to enjoy a lunch (Not Included) before getting on your train that will depart at 2:30 pm on the way to Ollantaytambo, once you arrive there. Our staff will be waiting for you with your van to transfer you to your hotel in Cusco or Sacred Valley.

• Walking distance:                                      5 km miles
• Estimated walking time:                         2 hours
• Altitude Machu Picchu:                           2450 meters above sea level
• weather:                                                          Humid, warm

Included

• Professional Guide – We have the best selection of guides, all graduated from the national university of Cusco and grown up in this region with a deep love and passion for teaching our culture. They are fun but professional and will make sure you are safe and happy.
• Tourist transport. – We use clean and new vehicles for all our services, with professional drivers that will guarantee you a safe trip. Our drivers are constantly trained in prudent driving and customer service. The transport will be from Cusco to Soraypampa and from Ollantaytambo to Cusco at the end of our trek.
• Pick up from the hotel. – Our service includes pick up from your hotel to start the tour, pick up time will be confirmed according to the location of your hotel, at the end of the tour we will also leave you back at your hotel. (Our service does not include pick up from AIRBNB type houses because many do not have a clear name or address), in that case we will coordinate a place and time to pick up.
• Snacks – beside the breakfast, we will provide you snacks every morning so that you can take you along the way. We will also provide snack bags that are made of cloth, we are very careful with the environment so we try not to take anything plastic to the route and if we do, we bring it back.
• Train Tickets. – The train ticket included is the Inca Rail the Voyager service, however, on the way you can make an Up Grade to a 360 ° train that has windows on the roof to enjoy the beautiful views on the road. This has an additional cost of $. $ 65 per person up to Poroy and is subject to availability. Poroy station is 30 minutes out of Cusco, we will still include the transfer to your hotel.
• Bus tickets. – It is 25 minutes from the Town to Machu Picchu and 25 minutes from Machu Picchu to the town.
• Inca Trail Entrance Tickets: We will get the Inca trail entrance tickets and provide you, this will be given to you in the beginning of the hike, as well as we will get the entrance for our crew.
• Entrance to Machu Picchu. We take care of providing you with the entrance ticket to Machu Picchu and this will be giving to you on the day of the tour, by your guide.
• Porters: We include a personal porter, who is responsible for carrying your travel bag with your personal items. There is no additional fee for this. The night before we will give you your duffel bag so that it is filled with the things you will need for the trek. You will not have access to your duffle bag until you arrive at your campsite at first night.
• Hotel: Alternative excursions end at Machu Picchu Pueblo. The last night is spent in a hotel in the village, instead of camping. This 3-star hotel is included in the cost of the trek and is based on a shared room. If you want to improve your hotel or prefer a single room, you will have an additional cost.
• Camping equipment: In Peru Private Tours we have the best equipment. We use a 4 people tent only between 2 people so you will have more space to put your belongings inside your tent during the night. You will have a large tent to enjoy your meals as well as chairs and table.
• Food: 4 breakfasts (the last included in the hotel) 3 lunches and 3 dinners, all prepared by our professional walking chef. Our professional chefs prepare delicious meals that many previous hikers have commented on. We honor all dietary restrictions. Be sure to remind your tour guide about any food restrictions at the beginning of your walk (Breafing time). The food is typically served family style. You will enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner every day of the trek, with a delicious happy hour every afternoon before dinner. You will also be provided with a snack every morning, so that you can enjoy the walk. Your last meal with your chef will be breakfast on day four since lunch and dinner on day 4 it is not included.
• Water: from your first lunch until your last breakfast, PPT will provide you with all the necessary water. This water will be boiled, filtered and then cooled, before distribution. You must supply your own bottles of water or camelback. We recommend carrying around 3L. We will fill our waters at every meal.
• First aid: each of our guides has received training in first aid from a doctor. We hold mandatory training sessions every February, to which all the guides must attend. Your tour guide will always have a first aid kit for basic medical problems (traveler’s diarrhea, cuts, scratches, etc.) and oxygen tank. We will get you out of the way as quickly and comfortably as possible if necessary, and we will make sure you go directly to a clinic to receive treatment.
• Extras: We believe that it is the attention to small details that differentiates us from other travel companies. Each hiker receives a small pillow for sleeping, a sponge mats to isolate (Matra), a backpack covers to protect your belongings during the trek, a rain poncho and a waterproof plastic bags to put your belongings before placing them in the duffle bag. We will work hard to create your best vacations.
• Private transfer from Ollantaytambo to Cusco. – Upon arrival at the Ollantaytambo train station our staff will be waiting for you with a van only for our group to transfer you to your hotel in Cusco or Sacred Valley.
• Permanent Assistance. – We want all the activities you do in our destination to be unique, unforgettable and safe, so you will always have an assigned personal assistant who will be in constant communication with you.

Not included

All travelers need a sleeping bag on adventure routes, do not forget to bring your own. The walking sticks and air mattresses are optional and serve to provide greater comfort during the walk. If you do not want to bring any camping gear you can always rent from our office.

Sleeping bag                                       $. 20 usd per person

Air Matras                                           $. 20 usd per person

Walking sticks (pair)                         $. USD 15 per person

• headlamps: it is strongly recommended to bring a head lamp for the evenings. There will be no lights on the camping sites and it will be difficult to get to your dining tent or bathroom tent without one. Hand lanterns are acceptable, if you do not have a head lamp, but it makes some tasks difficult.
• Huayna Picchu – Huayna Picchu is the mountain that is seen behind Machu Picchu in the classic photos, to go up this mountain you need to buy an additional entrance and it has a cost of $. 35 dollars per person, however, this entrance must be requested at the time of your reservation and it will be confirmed according to availability of spaces as they only allow 200 people.
• Flights. – Flying to Cusco can be complicated. Delays occur frequently especially between October to March and it is not uncommon for flights to be canceled. Make sure you arrive in the city at least two days before the start date of your trek to Machu Picchu. LATAM is the most reliable airline. Avianca and Peruvian Airlines are also acceptable companies. You will not return from your tour on the last day until around 8 pm So make sure your flight is not the day of the Machu Picchu Tour, rather the next day.
• Tips – Tips are always appreciated and should be based entirely on your level of satisfaction. Although it may not be usual for you, it has considerable importance to the people who will assist you during your trek.
• Travel insurance. – To protect your travel investment, we recommend the purchase a travel insurance. Getting travel insurance before leaving home is highly recommended and very easy. There are many insurance companies depending on your country of origin and at different prices according to your time of stay, take some time to review them and hire the one that best suits you. This is an excellent way to protect yourself while visiting Peru.

We are known for providing a personalized service and a unique experience, visiting the attractions in not overcrowded hours and for using out the beaten tracks, we guarantee 100% satisfaction and we care a lot for your safety during our tours. This Salkantay trek is available from March to December, we do not operate in the months of January and February for your safety since there are lot of rains and landslides that may occur.

Group tour

$. 749 usd per person

Group tour means that your reservation is open so that other people can accompany you on your walk, however, our groups will never be larger than 14 people and with 02 guides, a guide can take a maximum of 08 people.

Private tour

Our specialty is private tours and we will provide you with the best service, the price depends on the size of your group. However, a minimum of 02 people is required to book a Private tour, unless you want to exclusively walk alone then please contact us at info@pptoursperu.com

02 people                                   $. 1,049 usd per person                           

03 people                                   $. 999 usd per person                           

04 people                                   $. 949 usd per person                           

05 people                                   $. 899 usd per person                           

06 people                                   $. 849 usd per person                           

07 people                                   $. 799 usd per person                           

08 people or more.                $. 749 usd per person

Discount for students

Discount $. 25 dollars per person 

The student discount applies to those who have CURRENT STUDENT CARD or are under 17 years old, whatever the case, we need that at the time of booking you send us a copy of the passport and the student card, and must bring the originals to use the ticket purchased as a student. Please send the copy to info@pptoursperu.com. If you are traveling with children under the age of 8, please contact us and send your travel document to obtain a higher discount.

Additional services

For this tour you can hire some additional services available that we detail below:

Entrance to Huayna Picchu                                                $. $ 75 per person

Entrance to Machu Picchu Mountain                             $. $ 75 per person

360º train only return                                                          $. $ 75 per person

Sleeping bag                                                                              $. $ 20 per person

Air mattress                                                                              $. $ 20 per person

Walking steaks (a pair).                                                       $. $ 15 per person

Single room the last night                                                   $. $ 49 per person

Breafing (Previous Information)

All information sessions are held in our office at 06:00 PM the night before your trek. If you cannot assist to this talk please contact our office staff to serve you better.

Duffle Bags

You will receive your duffle bag at the information session. These bags are to put your belongings inside it, these will be carried by the porters and will be returned to you each evening at the campsite. However, beside from these bags, you should carry a small backpack where you will carry everything you need during the trek.

Each duffle bag must have a maximum weight of 7kg. 4kg will be for your clothes and other personal items, the other 3kg will be for our logistics, such as your sleeping bag and pad, if you have your own sleeping bag and mat these must be included in the 7 kilos.

Arrive in Cusco

The airport in Cusco is currently quite small and only for domestic flights, so all international travelers by plane must disembark in Lima and go through Customs. Even if your flight to Cusco is the same day by the same airline, you must pick up your bags in Lima and then register them again.

The bst way to get to Cusco is by air and there are several airline options. LATAM tends to be the most expensive, but it has more flight options. But you also have PERUVIAN, AVIANCA, STAR PERU, LC PERU to choose according to your preference. Expect flight delays or cancellations, due to the high altitude of Cusco, tends to be difficult to land so that on rainy days you can paralyze air traffic. Bus tours are always available and although the journey may be long, especially from Lima, Peru buses are well maintained and are comfortable. This option is recommended if you come from a city closer to Cusco like Puno or Arequipa. Buses from Lima will take around 20 hours to arrive to Cusco.

Pick Up from The Hotels.

We pick up all our clients from the hotel for all tours. While your hotel is in the center of the city of Cusco, we will coordinate this pick up with the guide at the information session. Pick-up times may vary between 20 and 30 minutes depending on traffic conditions and hotel locations.

Cusco is an ancient city with cobblestone streets and very narrow corridors. Very small hotels and Air BNBs are often located on streets that cars cannot pass through. They are also usually located on the side of the hill, with long and steep climbs to the property, difficult to maneuver with luggage. We recommend that you do not stay in one of these places and try to find places where there is easy access to carry your bags.

Leaving Machu Picchu requires a lot of logistics, but everything is included in your journey.

From Machu Picchu Ruins to Machu Picchu Pueblo, you will take a 25-minute bus. The buses are in order of arrival and you can take any of those in turn.

From Machu Picchu Pueblo, you will take a train to Ollantaytambo or Poroy station. Your guide will give you your train tickets. Make sure you get to the platform 30 minutes ahead of time.

• The train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo is 2 hours.
• The train from Aguas Calientes to Poroy is 3.5 hours.

Once you arrive at the train station, look for our staff with a PPT sign. He will take you to the Plaza San Francisco, Cusco.

• The trip on the van from Ollantaytambo to Plaza de San Francisco is 2 hours
• Travel by van from Poroy to San Francisco Plaza is 30 minutes

Once you arrive at the Plaza San Francisco our staff will be waiting for you to separate you and send in pre-paid taxis to your respective hotels.

Entrance fees to Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu now has two hours to visit: morning or afternoon. Your ticket will be for a single entry, in the morning, once your time is done, the guards will ask you to leave.

Morning turn: 6AM – 12PM

Afternoon turn: 12PM – 5:30 PM

NOTE: If you have tickets to climb to Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain, you will have additional time until 2:30 PM. And you can re-enter for a single time as long as it is within the time of re-entry (05 hours from the first entry)

If you want to spend all day at Machu Picchu, we can add a ticket for the afternoon group to your reservation for $ 50 per person.

Huayna Picchu / Machu Picchu Mountain

Machu Picchu is more beautiful when viewed from above, so it is very popular to hike one of the mountains next to the ruins after your guided tour.

Huayna Picchu is the most popular and must be booked in advance … it sells very fast. This hike takes approximately 50 minutes to the top and 40 minutes downhill to the bottom. There are 2 schedules or groups to enter this mountain. The first group is 8-p am and the second is 10 am to 11 am. Again, this refers to when you can start your hike and normally we reserve the second option so you can first enjoy your tour with your guide in Machu Picchu. This walk will be done on your own, but your guide will show you where to start.

The Machu Picchu mountain is a little longer and less popular. It takes 2 hours to reach the top and 1.5 hours to reach the bottom. There are also 2 visiting hours: from 7-8 am and from 9 am to 10 am and we usually buy for the second group.

Health Concerns

It is important that you be honest with your guide about any health problems you may suffer. Although the guides are not medical professionals, they are trained in first aid. We also work with a clinic in Cusco that can help our team.

You are responsible for evaluating if a trek is suitable for you. You should consult your doctor to confirm your physical condition to travel and participate in any planned activity. You should seek advice from your doctor about vaccinations and medical precautions. Peru Private Tours will not provide medical advice. It is your responsibility to assess the risks and requirements of each aspect of the Tour based on your own circumstances, limitations, fitness level and medical requirements.

If during the trek you get sick of extreme altitude or any other illness that not allows you to continuing with the journey, but you want to visit Machu Picchu by train, we will work with you to coordinate this trip. This will be a new trip and may involve additional costs. We will use as much of the logistics purchased from the original route to keep rates low.

If you experience problems while walking and cannot continue, a porter will escort you to the nearest road and wait while a car comes to pick you up and take you to the nearest health clinic.

Group trips

Group tours are made up of different types of people, with different walking skills and ages. By accepting a group trip, you understand that some people may be slower or faster than you. Everyone can make their own pace for the walk, the guide will work through the group to spend time with everyone. Groups can request some modifications to the tour and the guide will work with everyone to make the best decision for the group.

Strikes

Unfortunately, strikes are very common in Peru and can cause many interruptions in our Tours. Roads are often blocked, trains stopped. We will do everything possible to operate your Tour, even before the start date. Some tours may be canceled under these circumstances. Our Operations Department will coordinate with you in this situation. Your safety is always our main concern and will determine how we decide.

Lost Items

You are responsible for your personal items throughout the Tour. Be diligent about where you leave your stuff and remember to remove all items from our vans, tents, restaurant, etc. Do not leave anything involuntary while walking. Other hikers or teams can pick it up without knowing to whom it belongs.

Weather

The climate in Cusco and Machu Picchu is unpredictable. In general, the dry season in Cusco is from April to October, but this does not prevent the rain from falling in June or the sun coming out in December, just prepare for any weather condition. No matter which month you take the hike or excursion, or which tour you are on, make sure you have adequate clothing that includes a waterproof jacket, pants, poncho and waterproof gloves.

Also be prepared for four seasons in a day. Many of the excursions through the Andes involve many microclimates and you will have to be prepared for all seasons. The layers are always key because they are easy to adjust to different temperatures. And the nights will always be cold, so get ready with a warm jacket.

Altitude sickness

As soon as the people reserve the trip to Peru, specifically to Cusco, they begin to wonder about altitude sickness. High altitudes contains less oxygen than at sea level and forces your body to work harder to get the oxygen it needs. For few days at high altitude your body adjusts to the least amount of oxygen in the air.

The first symptoms of altitude sickness may be; headache, fatigue, followed by loss of appetite, nausea or vomit, dizziness, trouble sleeping, difficulty breathing during exercise. If any of these effects worsen, contact our office and we will help you get to a doctor.

For farther information about altitude sicknes clic HERE

Travel insurance

To protect your travel investment, we recommend buying travel insurance. Getting travel insurance before leaving home is highly recommended and very easy. There are many insurance companies depending on your country of origin and at different prices according to your time of stay, take some time to review them and hire the one that best suits you. This is an excellent way to protect yourself while visiting Peru.

Community

At Peru Private Tours (PPT) we are proud of the work we do for our community. This is the main objective for our company. We are working directly with the villages to help them meet the needs of their families. We support the children of the villages by giving them school supplies, books and clothes.

We buy all our food from farmers and local markets and serve the freshest ingredients. We offer constant training for all our team: guides, porters, chefs and drivers. We are a family born in the Andes and we want to work with them and for them. That is why once a year we bring our porters and their families to Machu Picchu. We want our team to know the world wonder, since they work tirelessly at the doors of this place without ever visiting it and showing them this place is our greatest honor.

WHAT YOU SHOULD CARRY

THE MOST IMPORTANT:

• Original passport – It must be the same one you sent us in the reservation.
•  Current student card. – (if you have booked as a student)
• Immigration card (delivered on the plane when entering Peru)
•  Good backpack (the smaller, the better)
• Water bottle: a water tank like the Camelback is recommended, enough for at least 2-3 liters.
• Comfortable mountain shoes (light with good soles).

FOR YOUR DUFFLE BAG:

The porters will carry a maximum of 7 kg of your personal items including the sleeping bag and Air Matra if you bring or rent one from our office. The last 2 items weigh in total 3.5 kilos. If you rent our sleeping bag and Matra together, you only have up to 4 kilos of personal equipment allowed in the duffel bag.

•  2-3 long-sleeved shirts by preference. Very important to cover the sun and mosquitoes.                  
• 2-3 hiking pants. Above all, in rainy season it will use almost one per day.
• 4 sets of underwear.
• 4 sets of hiking socks. We are sure that you will use one per day.
• 1 warm jacket: it is very cold at night.
• 1 rain jacket and rain pants. Especially if your walk is scheduled from October to March.
• 1 wool cap. Very important for the evenings
• Head lamp: essential to move in the campsites at night.
• waterproof gloves (even if they are ski gloves, take them) They will help you a lot on rainy and cold days.
• Comfortable shoes for the camp. You will surely want to take off your trekking shoes at the end of the day, flips flops are great
• shoes for walking. Waterproof shoes and with good grip on the soles is better.
• Waterproof jacket. The lighter the better, we will provide you with plastic rain ponchos.
• Quick drying towel. We provide you with small ones, if you bring a little bigger one better.
• Small bottle of soap: We provide you with small bottles and disinfectant alcohol.
• Battery charger: There’s no place to plug it in while you’re walking! Better, well-charged batteries.
• Large plastic bags: will help keep your belongings clean and dry.
• Sleeping bag: We recommend at least for -10 Cº

PERSONAL CARE ITEMS:

• Sunscreen. Very important, use it every day.
• Facial moisturizer. The climate in the Andes is quite dry.
• Insect repellent. In all walks we always pass through the jungle where there are mosquitoes.
• Hand sanitizer. We will provide one, but you can bring yours.
• Toothbrush and paste. Very important for the walk.
• Toilet paper: In each camp and lunch place we provide one, but not during the walk.
• Personal medication. Do not forget to bring them with you, especially if they are medicines for daily use.
• First aid kit: Band-Aids, mole skin, etc.

WITHIN YOUR DAILY BACKPACK:

Backpacks can be any size for hiking, but we always recommend the smaller ones. Inside Machu Picchu, you will not be allowed to enter backpacks larger than 35 L. If it is larger, you must leave it at the citadel door.

• Water: You are responsible for your first morning water only, as we will not have time to filter the water until your first lunch. From then on we will provide you with water every day. Except the last day. (day of visit to Machu Picchu)
• 1 sun hat Radiation at high altitudes is much stronger, the cap helps protect.
•  Rainwear. Especially lightweight waterproofs.
•  Wool cap. Especially for the days where we reached a lot of altitude.
• Camera. With the battery fully charged as there will be no place to charge.
• Music (iPhone). Optional.
• Hand sanitizer
• Toilet paper and small plastic waste bag. In each camp we will put a plastic bag to collect the waste.
• Extra money for souvenirs, drinks and tips. If it is in soles much better.
• Ear plugs. Very essential to rest calm and without any noise around.

Another advantage of booking with Peru Private Tours (PPT) is that we will provide you with the best camping equipment and fresh and quality food, probably one of the best you will have during your stay in Peru.

CAMPING EQUIPMENTS

We have the best camping equipment, we use 4 people tents for only between 2 people, so you will have a comfortable and spacious space to store your belongings inside the tent. Likewise, we have spacious dining tents where you can enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner, we do not use pre-built places that almost all agencies use and that are very cold, we take comfortable chairs and tables for your comfort. All the equipment that you rent from our office is of the highest quality, our sleeping bags are in the shape of a mummy to make them more warm and hold temperatures of up to -10 Cº. The air matras have a thickness of 1 ½ inch and the walking sticks are light and retractable. You can review more detailed information about our camping equipment HERE

WATER

Our camping team will provide you with water every day, you will only take your own water for the first day of hiking until lunch time, from this point we filter, boil and cool water every day and We will provide according to the quantity you need. We recommend carrying a water bag or bottles of 2 to 3 liters so you have enough.

FOODS

All our walks have a professional chef included, one specialized in high mountain cuisine who prepares delicious dishes that you would have never imagined trying on an adventure route. We will provide breakfast, lunch and dinner in a family style where all meals will be in large trays in the middle and from there everyone will be served whatever they want, all will be served hot and fresh. We also offer snacks every morning after breakfast and tea time with snacks, chocolate, coffee, etc. Before each dinner. The key to enjoy a walk is to be well fed and that’s what we take care of.

We gladly cater for food restrictions, it does not matter if you are vegetarian, celiac, gluten free, it will always be a pleasure for us to serve you.

More information about our meals you can check HERE

Our porters are responsible for bringing our camping equipment, food, belongings, etc.

Our porters whom we affectionately call the super porters. They are the reason and pride of our company, without their hard work and help, it would be impossible to make the walks in different places, for us more than part of the team is our family and they are the reason for us to be different from other companies.

Our porters

The owner and founder of Peru Private Tours (PPT) was born in one of the communities where most of our porters come today from. He worked on the Inca trail as a porter from 2006 to 2008 and knows the hard work of being a porter, walking every day with a heavy load in the back and when arriving at the camp where instead of rest, we continue working to prepare everything for our visitors. Likewise, he lived in his own flesh as some companies treated and paid better to their porters than others, however, not enough was done for them and their families. We could not have a company without them and that is precisely why we want them as our family, we want to know them, listen to them, help them in everything that is within our reach to improve the quality of their lives, their children and their families in general.

All our porters range from 18 to 50 years old and come from different communities near Parobamba, where the founder of the company was born, we employ around 50 porters. Quechua is their main language and many of them do not speak Spanish, being a porter is a secondary economic activity for them because they are mainly farmers.

• Inca Cancha Community 10 porters
• Yuraq Turuyoc Community 15 porters
• Parobamba Community 20 porters
• Bombón Community 5 porters

Our commitment to our porters.

As we said at the beginning we could not exist without our porters and they have promised us that they will work hard and do everything they can to make our visitors live a wonderful and unique experience, so we too have committed ourselves to do everything necessary and everything possible to help them and improve the quality of their lives. Besides doing everything possible to make your work at less as hard as possible at once the most comfortable possible.

The communities where our porters live are 3 to 4 hours away from Cusco, what we do is provide everything they need before, during and after the treks. To enter the Inca Trail, the porters must pay an entrance of S /. 45 soles or $. 15 dollars, we pay that entrance very apart from their payment for work that we always try to be better than any other company. The payment for their job is made by the last day of the walk directly in cash avoiding that they have to make a trip to our offices, so they can leave quickly with their relatives. All of them have health insurance that covers medical care because of their hard work, unfortunately this is not common since they are free workers and they are not on the payroll, even so, we want them to be healthy and strong and we hope that other companies do the same. We provide them with all the necessary equipment so that they can carry out their job in the most optimal way possible. We visit their communities to provide them with basic needs such as toothpastes, brushes, soap and school supplies for their children.

This is only the beginning for us, because we have so much to give back to them for the enormous job they do, we are sure that all this will continue, it would not be possible to do all this without the support of our clients who often send us donations of any kind.

Porters meals.

Our porters eat as much as you do on the walk, our chef is responsible for buying enough food for everyone and prepares enough food so that we are all well fed at the end of the day. When you see that we serve large quantities of food, none of this is wasted because they will share it with pleasure, in addition to the products that we bought and have not finished, the porters will distribute at the end of the walk and taken home to enjoy it with the family, we make a new purchase for each walk.

How much does a porter carry?

Today there are government regulations that protect porters and associations of porters that enforce the rules, according to the latest agreement a porter cannot carry more than 25 kilos for the agency. Our porters cannot carry more than 20 kilos in total, 15 kilos for the company and 5 kilos of their personal belongings, we consider that 25 kilos are too much weight so we have our own internal norm that we make respect through the bosses of the porter. That is why it is so important that you keep the weight of your duffle bag that you send with us below the allowed 7 kilos. You will clearly see that other porters of other companies clearly carry more weight than ours.