INCA TRAIL

UGM rules oblige you to contract the services of a registered travel agency or registered official guide to enter the Inca Trail. There are no exceptions to this rule and transgression will result in expulsion from the area and the loss of any payments made for permits etc.

This rule was established in order to safeguard the historical patrimony and the eco-system on the Inca Trail. It also regulates the number of visitors that may enter the area on a daily basis, as well as the minimum time required on the trail.
We recommend that you contract the services of an agency that offers complete packages with all services included, i.e. equipment, food, cooks, porters, guides, entrance fees and reservations. All these costs are specified in the packages offered by the different agencies, which sometimes may seem high in comparison with only contracting an official guide, but many times the guide services do not include all costs.

Included in the agency package is the entrance ticket to the Inca Trail as well as the entrance to the Machu Picchu ruins themselves.

The best season to visit the Inca Trail is from May through October. The rest of the year there are less visitors due to the harsher climate with heavy rains and some parts of the trail may become very slippery and dangerous.
The Machu Picchu administration charges per person for trail maintenance (ticket which includes the right of entrance to the Sanctuary). There are toilet facilities and a shelter at Wiñay Wayna, where the visitor can also see some of the most spectacular sets of cultivation terraces in all Peru.

HIRE PORTERS

You can also find them in the villages of Chilca and Wayllabamba. They are generally from the high parts of Ollantaytambo, from the farmer communities of Willoq and Patankancha.

These natives generally wear their colourful folk costumes and are very popular with the travellers.

It is important to make clear that the caravans are organised in accordance with the number of travellers and for each tourist there are two porters: one that carries the food for the four day planned trip, and the other carries tents and sleeping bags.
Once on the trail there is no assistance to be hired and thus it is important to make the necessary contacts beforehand.

The whole trail is well marked and you will meet many other travellers along the road. You will also enjoy a variety of awesome views and microclimates that should catch the fancy of even the most exiguous traveller.

The campsites will change according to your progress, but we advise to set aside four days for the trip.

PERU