Booking Inca Trail from Peruvian company

paddylonglegs

Hey,
Wondering has anyone booked packages for the Inca Trail outside Ireland, but specifically in Peru?

just doing some research into the Inca trail and found peru treks do a 4 day package for $425 (270Euro) http://www.perutreks.com/inca_trail_04d_prices.html

Compare this to gap adventures who you book with trailfinders,its 600Euro.Now the gap adventures trip is an 8 day but the only extra seems to be a flight from Lima to Cusco,which I'm sure you could do over land and take in the sites(or correct me if i'm wrong) or atleast the long bus ride.

Anyone with experience on this?

Cheers

P.S just looking at map from Lima to Cusco - might be a bit of a trek. Would like to hear if it is only possible by flight

Glowing

I'm not sure about Peru Treks - but we booked ours (from Ireland) with Llama Path - they were surperb! Cost about 350 dollars - worth every penny. Great guides, fantastic food and fab tents and equipment. Thought the porters were as well kitted out, if not better than SAS or Peru Treks ...

I wouldn't bother with the 8 day thing - you'll probably want time to chill out in Cuscu before attempting the trek, the altitude is a killer. Lima to Cusco (although I didn't do it myself) I'm pretty certain is an overnight bus ..... you can stop off in a couple of places along the way if you're not short on time.

paddylonglegs

Glowing wrote: »

I'm not sure about Peru Treks - but we booked ours (from Ireland) with Llama Path - they were surperb! Cost about 350 dollars - worth every penny. Great guides, fantastic food and fab tents and equipment. Thought the porters were as well kitted out, if not better than SAS or Peru Treks ...

I wouldn't bother with the 8 day thing - you'll probably want time to chill out in Cuscu before attempting the trek, the altitude is a killer. Lima to Cusco (although I didn't do it myself) I'm pretty certain is an overnight bus ..... you can stop off in a couple of places along the way if you're not short on time.

Checked out peru bus service from lima to cusco.Its a 19 hour journey but check out the seats! http://www.go2peru.com/ecs2_ing.htm .Thanks for the tip on llama path,will check them out too.They recommend a few days in cusco to climatize so might do just that.

Neamhshuntasach

I'll second Llama Path. But i've also heard good reports about Peru Treks.

I'll be doing it again this year and what i'll do is go with a local operator who are much much cheaper and brilliant as well. And i'll give the porter the extra money as a tip that would otherwise go into some big companies pockets. Seeing how some of the porters are treated is horrendous.

Glowing

Neamhshuntasach wrote: »

Seeing how some of the porters are treated is horrendous.

You're right there - we did a lot of research before we chose Llama Path and were very happy with our choice. I'd hate to have done the trek with a dodgy company and condone the exploitation of these poor porters - what they do every day is amazing, to think we are dragging ourselves up the side of a mountain nearly dying with exhaustion, and they sprint up the side like a gazelle with a bleedin' gas canister on their backs! They deserve to be well treated and well paid!

Glowing

paddylonglegs wrote: »

Checked out peru bus service from lima to cusco.Its a 19 hour journey but check out the seats! http://www.go2peru.com/ecs2_ing.htm .Thanks for the tip on llama path,will check them out too.They recommend a few days in cusco to climatize so might do just that.

Yeah Cruz del Sur are one of the better companies - nearly didn't want to get off the bus at the end! So comfy! :pac:

Aurora Borealis

Glowing wrote: »

Yeah Cruz del Sur are one of the better companies - nearly didn't want to get off the bus at the end! So comfy! :pac:

+1

Full Cama all the way!

paddylonglegs

Glowing wrote: »

Yeah Cruz del Sur are one of the better companies - nearly didn't want to get off the bus at the end! So comfy! :pac:

ha ha.I know they look so good. And I tend to have a bit of a bingo adiction problem too,better budget for it!

Two baths with chemical treatment
Direct trip - non stop.
Breakfast, lunch and / or dinner.
Attention aboard by hostess
VCR Video on board, with a cinema films releases
Environmental music.
Air conditioned and heating.
Individual light of reading.
Prizes (bingo and special raffles).

dory

Also, you could fly. The scenery is great from the plane also. I booked with LAN, two days in advance and it was $57 from Lima to Cusco. I was told the bus is longer than 19 hour, closer to 25, but I never did it myself so can't say for sure.

preddy

Hey im heading to Cusco in Sept hows the weather then?
Will be spending 6 nights in Cusco wanting to see the sights but am not into the whole trekking thing, how far up does the Train go and what can we see without camping out and Trekking more then an Hour?

Glowing

preddy wrote: »

Hey im heading to Cusco in Sept hows the weather then?
Will be spending 6 nights in Cusco wanting to see the sights but am not into the whole trekking thing, how far up does the Train go and what can we see without camping out and Trekking more then an Hour?

It'll take you a lot more than an hour to see Macchu Piccu, even if the train brings you to the top!

Honestly, you'd be missing out!!

preddy

Well i meant we didnt want to do a 2-3 hour trek just to get there.
But looks like we will be booking something like this tour.
http://www.chimuadventures.com/ireland/Cusco%20and%20Machu%20Picchu%20Luxury%20Tour

With some modfications that will reduce the price thats the luxury version.

Glowing

Oh my god! 890 euro!!!!!!!!!!! That's so expensive! You're going to Peru!!!! Honestly, you could do it yourself for a quarter of that (for 2!). Book into a nice hotel yourself, book train tickets in advance to Macchu Picchu, and organise a tour for when you get there. Trust me, it won't be as glamourous as they make it sound!!! Even if you do go for a less luxurious version, it'll still be a rip off!!
Take the advice or leave it, but trust me, i've been there!

Meathlass

You can just get the train to MP, then stay in the village of Agua Calientes where there is a shuttle bus to and from the site about 30 mins or so - no trekking involved. You also buy your tickets for the site in the village itself, you can't buy the tickets at MP. I don't think I spent 980 euros for the whole month I was in Peru!

paddylonglegs

Meathlass wrote: »

You can just get the train to MP, then stay in the village of Agua Calientes where there is a shuttle bus to and from the site about 30 mins or so - no trekking involved. You also buy your tickets for the site in the village itself, you can't buy the tickets at MP. I don't think I spent 980 euros for the whole month I was in Peru!

Meathlass,what can you buy a ticket for in the village?I thought you needed to book Inca Trail months in advance?

preddy

Well as I said we will be booking our own hotels so that will know off most of that amount and going to take out the first day of tour to do ourselves , but arnt there limited tickets available to MP?
Is the Sacred Valley the same?

We like the aiport pickups and a guided tour, SA is the only hotel and luxury part of our RTW trip

Meathlass

preddy wrote: »

Well as I said we will be booking our own hotels so that will know off most of that amount and going to take out the first day of tour to do ourselves , but arnt there limited tickets available to MP?
Is the Sacred Valley the same?

We like the aiport pickups and a guided tour, SA is the only hotel and luxury part of our RTW trip

No limited tickets to MP, just for the Inca Trail which is the 3 day trek which you said you're not doing. Sacred Valley is a collection of different sites; you buy a ticket for each one so no problems there either with availibility. The only issue is the train tickets can book out fast. I got around this by taking the bus to Ollyantambo, seeing the Inca site there and getting the evening train to Agua Calientes, staying the whole day in MP and getting the 5am ish train back to Cusco the next day. Perfect timeframe for me. I got to spend the whole day in MP which considering the price you pay for the ticket felt like it was worth it.