Trailblazer Guide Books

Trailblazer guidebooks provide practical information on specific routes in less accessible parts of the world.
 — Wanderlust

With a tour group or on your own?

In 2001 the Peruvian authorities outlawed independent trekking in the Machu Picchu Historical Sanctuary and brought in a series of strict regulations as to who could trek the trails to Machu Picchu and how they could tackle them. For a full breakdown of the regulations see box pp216-17 but, essentially, you can now only tackle the classic Inca Trail or any trek that joins it by signing up with a tour company or taking an accredited, licensed guide. When the laws were first introduced, it was still possible to sneak onto the trail without paying. Since then the authorities have tightened up security and clamped down on people not abiding by the rules. Don’t attempt the classic Inca Trail without a guide or without paying the proper fees. It’s highly unlikely that you’ll get away with it and all you’re really doing is freeloading. Yes, it is expensive to trek the Inca Trail (see box p14) but the costs of maintaining the route are high and the regulations prevent overcrowding, excessive damage and erosion and help to reduce littering. In actual fact the costs are pretty reasonable for a four-day, supported trek. Besides, almost whatever price you pay, it’s still worth it.    For those who don’t want to be constrained by the regulations, however, there are plenty of options. If you still want to trek to Machu Picchu take the Santa Teresa trek (see p31) which is as yet largely free from regulations. Alternatively, head to the far less-visited ruins at Vilcabamba (see p32) or Choquequirao (see p33). For the really adventurous there are also some longer routes that link the various sites (see pp33-5), all of which can be done independently.

HOW TO BOOK

With the advent of tight restrictions on the number of people able to start the Inca Trail each day, your first priority on deciding to tackle the trek is to book as far in advance as possible. Long gone are the days of being able to turn up in Cusco with nothing arranged and put together a trek there and then. Around 200 tourists a day are able to begin the walk to Machu Picchu and each of these must have a permit that has been secured and paid for well in advance. Competition for these limited places is fierce and the agencies battling for your business often find they can’t offer places for the dates you want if you don’t plan ahead.
    Ultimately you should try and make a reservation as far in advance as possible once you know your travel dates; during the peak season from July to August you ought to have things in place up to five months ahead of your proposed departure date. Bear in mind that the departure dates aren’t flexible though and you are not allowed to change the name or passport details on the permit. Also, although Machu Picchu is open year-round, the classic Inca Trail is closed throughout February.
    Your second priority ought to be choosing an agency. Take time over this as it is an important decision: they are, after all, the ones who will arrange everything, supply the equipment and assign you a guide. Only licensed Peruvian agencies are entitled to sell permits, so you will have to make a reservation either directly with one of them, or through a foreign tour company. By booking direct over the internet or by phone you will potentially save yourself money by cutting out the middleman. You will also be dealing directly with the people who will be running and arranging your trip. You can take some satisfaction from the knowledge that whilst the money probably isn’t going to the most destitute Peruvians, the money you spend on your trek will at least be going to support the local economy rather than into the pockets of company outside Peru. For a list of the more-established, respected agencies in Cusco with secure online facilities see pp179-86. Alternatively, for the sake of convenience, you may wish to sign up with a foreign tour operator who will make all the arrangements on your behalf, for a fee. However, they will rarely offer you just a trek and nothing else. Airport transfers and accommodation in Cusco will nearly always be included in the package. For a bit extra they’ll probably even organize your international flights meaning that you can save yourself a considerable amount of time and hassle. For a selection of those who offer the Inca Trail amongst their activities see pp17-20.
    If you fall foul of the regulations and are unable to organize a permit for the dates that you targeted, don’t worry, simply check out the alternative route options that are outlined on p30 and covered in detail later in this book. Whatever you do, do not be tempted to purchase tours or treks from sales people working in the airports or bus stations. Reputable companies do not operate like this. Always make a final reservation and conduct all payments in an agency office, making sure to ask for a written receipt and contract.

GROUP SERVICE OR PRIVATE SERVICE TREK

There are two main types of trek: ‘group service’ and ‘private service’. The standard group service is the more popular and involves joining a group of trekkers from all over the world, so it can be a very social way of walking. However, you can end up with people of very mixed abilities and interests, meaning you may have to walk slower than you’d usually like. The maximum group size is 16 people, though typically there will be 12-14 on the trail. If the group is larger than eight people, the regulations state that there must be two guides. That said, the trend is for smaller groups as it becomes harder for agencies to secure permits, although the cheaper companies bond together to form large groups. This is the cheapest way of doing the trek. Typically, travelling in a group of 12-14, a trek costs US$540-600; the actual amount depends on the agency and level of service provided. The basic maths ought to prove it’s not feasible to run a quality trek for less than US$540; see box opposite. At the other end of the scale, prices can double if you book with a foreign tour operator.
    The other option is to take a private-service trek, which is laid on for just you and your friends. Inevitably, if there are only a few of you this is a much more expensive option as the cost of the guide, cook and porters has to be split between just a handful of trekkers. For larger groups, cost is less of an issue. Two people on a private-service trek might expect to pay US$1300 each, whilst four trekkers would pay US$800 and six people expect to cough up US$650 each. Groups of 8-14 people should anticipate spending US$540-620. The maximum group size is still 16, for which each person would pay around US$520. Prices can again vary widely from company to company depending on the sort of service offered. In addition to smaller groups, you will also receive more attention, probably be treated better and enjoy greater comforts than the group-service can offer. By booking a private-service you are also more likely to get the departure dates you want as the agency can close the booking as soon as you sign up; with a group-service they can’t confirm the permits until they are ready to book the entire group, so whilst waiting for the last spaces to be filled may occasionally find they’ve missed the boat and all the permits have been taken. If that’s the case, the trek will be cancelled or they will attempt to offer you alternative dates. Ultimately, you get what you pay for.

VISITING MACHU PICCHU WITHOUT DOING A TREK

It is, of course, entirely possible to visit the ruins at Machu Picchu without undertaking any of the treks described here. Most of the companies listed in Cusco and abroad offer basic tours of the ruins and will arrange to shuttle you from Cusco to Aguas Calientes and from there up to the site itself.
    It is equally easy, and potentially cheaper, to get to the ruins simply by using public transport. There is a train service from Cusco to Aguas Calientes and a bus service from there to Machu Picchu. For those on a really low budget there is also now a more arduous, more time-consuming but very cheap way of accessing Aguas Calientes by bus followed by a short section of easy walking (see p187).

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