Machu Picchu Travel Forum

Hi
We're looking to hike the Inca Trail in April. Trying to decide on a tour company. We've looked at: Llama Path, All Trek, Indiana Expeditions. They seem to offer good prices and a tour that fits our schedule.
Has anyone used these groups? Or suggest another?
We have 9 days total. We want to hike up and train down.
One more question: how long does it usually take to acclimatize to the elevation?
Any advice or tips would be great!
Thanks!

Hi Lauren,

I was in Cusco/MP a couple of months ago and used All Trek. We had a very good experience on the two day train tour--we didn't do the hike. I would imagine that they would be just as reputable on that, tho. We went to their office in Cusco to get our tickets/instructions. They picked us up in plenty of time to get to the train station. Someone met us at the train when we arrived in Aguas Calientes and took us to our hotel. We (3 of us) had our own knowledgable tour guide in MP. I would use them again. Oh, and the people in the office were very nice.

I forgot to mention that if you want to hike, you should go ahead and make your plans yesterday! We wanted to do the Inka 2 day short trail hike, but Ursula in the office told me that it is usually a 4 or 5 month wait to get a permit from the government to hike the trail.

If you have trouble with altitude, you might want to take diamox in advance. Cusco is at 12,500 feet. I have never had problems with altitude, so it didn't bother me. My friends had headaches, so they had to drink the coca leaf tea. You can also buy the leaves and chew then swallow them. Works faster, but tastes like crap. There's another herbal medicine they take called Soroche. You can get it in any pharmacy in Lima. Don't know if it works, tho.
Have a great adventure!

No, we used Peru Treks & Adventure for our Inca Trail adventure in September of 2007. Please see my write-up of this trekking provider in my general Peru page as well as info on trek availability, walking poles, etc. Proper acclimatization should be done for 3 days in Cusco prior to Inca Trail trek. See my Cusco page for more info on alleviating altitude sickness. Goodluck & enjoy beautiful Peru!