Inca Trail Popularity - Sometimes You Need to Book Too Early to Get a Space in Inca Trail
Inca trail is one of the most visited trails in South America.
Because of its growing popularity, it was getting overcrowded.
Peruvian government has introduced a new rule to protect the trail from over use.
New rules restrict the number of trekkers on the trail.
From 2005 all the new rules came into effect.
Since then to get a space in Inca trail is getting more and more difficult.
Now a day you have to reserve a place three months in advance if you are planning to visit during high season.
New Rule for Inca trail Peruvian government has introduced the new rule in 2002 (Resolution N° 02- 2003-UGM-CD).
But government started to enforce all sections of this rule from 2005.
New regulations imply that in a day maximum number of people enters to Inca trail can be 500.
Of which only 200 are trekker, others are porter, cooks and guides.
Another important feature of this rule is that all trekking companies that operate the Inca Trail must have an operating license which is issued every year in March.
Also all the trekking companies have to be local, and have to have an office in Peru.
Booking early Since only 500 people can enter the trail each day, spaces are filled up very quickly.
During the months of high season (April to September) all the 500 spaces filled up two/three months in advance.
If you are thinking that once you reach Peru, you will choose an operator and hike the trail, then you would be disappointed and may have to come back without hiking Inca trail.
So you have to reserve a space well in advance.
Check availability online Good thing is that now you can check availability of Inca trail online up to December next year, from where you can get information on how many spaces left for a particular day.
So you can decide well in advance and then make a reservation on your suitable date.
Also remember that availability applies not to any agency, I mean some may try to convince you that they will make some space for you on emergency basis.
Please do not believe anyone with that lure.
Any Agency you choose will have the same availability.
Actually availability is controlled by the Peruvian National Institute of Culture.
Only they are able to manage and authorize the access to the Inca Trail.
Their web site is.
http://www.
inc-cusco.
gob.
pe.
Only problem is it is written in Spanish.
But still you can check with goggle translator.
Therefore, it is useless to contact another Agency if the date you want is not available.
Do not be happy if you see lot of spaces still available around your suitable date.
You may think, you can finalize later, but later when you will come back to your computer you may find all spaces gone.
Some agencies group their requests together and it is not unusual to see 40 spaces go away in only 5 minutes.
Sometimes you will find 100 spaces left and within a hour, no spaces left.
Choosing an operator If you are planning to visit Inca trail, fix a date and check online whether that date is available.
Then you have to go through most difficult part- choosing a tour operator.
There are so many operators and so many packages; it is difficult to choose one from them.
But you have to choose one.
As without a tour operator practically it is not possible to hike the trail.
According to the new rule, if you hike independently you need to hire a professional guide.
But it is difficult to get a professional guide just for yourself.
Touring operators do not like to leave their qualified guides.
Even if you can manage a guide, rule states that you can not take porters or cook.
So you have to carry your own staff, equipments, tent, and you have to cook yourself, if you hike independently.
So it is better to choose a licensed tour operator.
You can check different website and select one operator.
There is around 140 licensed tour operators.
Different tour operators offer different prices.
It ranges from 300.
00 US $ to even $ 1000.
00.
Some tour operators are very expensive, but their service is better also.
Before you select an operator, you should know the actual expenses for hiking a trail, which items are included in the packages and which are not.
Also check whether the tour operator is a local company or not, because it has to be a local company according to the rule.
It may happen that you book your place with a overseas operator, but that company can not operate themself, so they will engage again another local company.
So it is better if you can choose the local company yourself.
Making reservation Once an operator is selected, you have to book a date with that company.
Provide them your particulars like, your name, age and passport number, then they will buy the permit for you.
You have to pay booking money through pay pal or through credit card.
Payment procedure varies operators to operators.
Once you get the permit it can not be refunded.
Since the permit is under your name, only you can travel with it.
During the time of the travel at the entrance of the Inca trail, authority checks the permit and passport.
Your name and passport number on the permit and on the passport must match otherwise they will not allow you to get in.
So you have to be careful on small issues.
Alternative trail If you really do not want to wait too long, then there are some alternative trail for which there is no restriction, no permit is required.
For classic Inca trail ( four days), Short Inca trail ( two days) or 7 days Salkantay trail(Mollepata - Salkantay - Wayllabamba - Machu Picchu) you must need to book in advance.
But for 7 day Salkantay trail (Mollepata- Salkantay - Santa Teresa - Machu Picchu), Ausangate, Lares Valley or Choquequirao trail you do not need any permit, so you can get a space easily.
Because of its growing popularity, it was getting overcrowded.
Peruvian government has introduced a new rule to protect the trail from over use.
New rules restrict the number of trekkers on the trail.
From 2005 all the new rules came into effect.
Since then to get a space in Inca trail is getting more and more difficult.
Now a day you have to reserve a place three months in advance if you are planning to visit during high season.
New Rule for Inca trail Peruvian government has introduced the new rule in 2002 (Resolution N° 02- 2003-UGM-CD).
But government started to enforce all sections of this rule from 2005.
New regulations imply that in a day maximum number of people enters to Inca trail can be 500.
Of which only 200 are trekker, others are porter, cooks and guides.
Another important feature of this rule is that all trekking companies that operate the Inca Trail must have an operating license which is issued every year in March.
Also all the trekking companies have to be local, and have to have an office in Peru.
Booking early Since only 500 people can enter the trail each day, spaces are filled up very quickly.
During the months of high season (April to September) all the 500 spaces filled up two/three months in advance.
If you are thinking that once you reach Peru, you will choose an operator and hike the trail, then you would be disappointed and may have to come back without hiking Inca trail.
So you have to reserve a space well in advance.
Check availability online Good thing is that now you can check availability of Inca trail online up to December next year, from where you can get information on how many spaces left for a particular day.
So you can decide well in advance and then make a reservation on your suitable date.
Also remember that availability applies not to any agency, I mean some may try to convince you that they will make some space for you on emergency basis.
Please do not believe anyone with that lure.
Any Agency you choose will have the same availability.
Actually availability is controlled by the Peruvian National Institute of Culture.
Only they are able to manage and authorize the access to the Inca Trail.
Their web site is.
http://www.
inc-cusco.
gob.
pe.
Only problem is it is written in Spanish.
But still you can check with goggle translator.
Therefore, it is useless to contact another Agency if the date you want is not available.
Do not be happy if you see lot of spaces still available around your suitable date.
You may think, you can finalize later, but later when you will come back to your computer you may find all spaces gone.
Some agencies group their requests together and it is not unusual to see 40 spaces go away in only 5 minutes.
Sometimes you will find 100 spaces left and within a hour, no spaces left.
Choosing an operator If you are planning to visit Inca trail, fix a date and check online whether that date is available.
Then you have to go through most difficult part- choosing a tour operator.
There are so many operators and so many packages; it is difficult to choose one from them.
But you have to choose one.
As without a tour operator practically it is not possible to hike the trail.
According to the new rule, if you hike independently you need to hire a professional guide.
But it is difficult to get a professional guide just for yourself.
Touring operators do not like to leave their qualified guides.
Even if you can manage a guide, rule states that you can not take porters or cook.
So you have to carry your own staff, equipments, tent, and you have to cook yourself, if you hike independently.
So it is better to choose a licensed tour operator.
You can check different website and select one operator.
There is around 140 licensed tour operators.
Different tour operators offer different prices.
It ranges from 300.
00 US $ to even $ 1000.
00.
Some tour operators are very expensive, but their service is better also.
Before you select an operator, you should know the actual expenses for hiking a trail, which items are included in the packages and which are not.
Also check whether the tour operator is a local company or not, because it has to be a local company according to the rule.
It may happen that you book your place with a overseas operator, but that company can not operate themself, so they will engage again another local company.
So it is better if you can choose the local company yourself.
Making reservation Once an operator is selected, you have to book a date with that company.
Provide them your particulars like, your name, age and passport number, then they will buy the permit for you.
You have to pay booking money through pay pal or through credit card.
Payment procedure varies operators to operators.
Once you get the permit it can not be refunded.
Since the permit is under your name, only you can travel with it.
During the time of the travel at the entrance of the Inca trail, authority checks the permit and passport.
Your name and passport number on the permit and on the passport must match otherwise they will not allow you to get in.
So you have to be careful on small issues.
Alternative trail If you really do not want to wait too long, then there are some alternative trail for which there is no restriction, no permit is required.
For classic Inca trail ( four days), Short Inca trail ( two days) or 7 days Salkantay trail(Mollepata - Salkantay - Wayllabamba - Machu Picchu) you must need to book in advance.
But for 7 day Salkantay trail (Mollepata- Salkantay - Santa Teresa - Machu Picchu), Ausangate, Lares Valley or Choquequirao trail you do not need any permit, so you can get a space easily.