Any recommendations on CHEAP tours?? (I'm finding most are about 350$) Any HUGE difference between the 2 day and the 4 day trek?

Forgive silly question - must people join a tour to see Machu Picchu?

Hey Jenna, check the South America forum for more info on MP. Just do a Search and type in "Machu Picchu" for the keyword search. The topic has been covered many times over.

As far as "cheap" tours, be aware that generally, cheap tours come with a price. That is the inhumane treatment of porters, the men who work on the mountain. A lot of times, you will see mistreatment, or you may not even see it -- behind closed tents, groups of men huddled together, sleeping side by side. Lack of proper gear and whatnot. Please do your research before going with a 'cheap' company...

For the classic 4 day trek, you have to go with a guide/company. To see MP on your own (no trekking), you don't need a tour -- just take the train from Cusco to Aguas Calientes, walk or bus up to MP, and explore on your own...now back to the South America forums...

Mim,

Since 2001, the government has made it mandatory that hikers be a part of a group led by a licensed tour operator. You can pay more to travel alone or with a friend (still with a licensed guide), or you can deal with 10-12 other tourists like yourself on the journey.

Hope that helps...better late than never

Cristi

Christi,

Thanks for answering that. All this time I had just figured that when I do get around to going to Peru I would just find the trail and follow it - I'm a bit of a "spur of the moment" kind of person and don't tend to plan much. Obviously I will plan things a bit more when I go to Peru someday soon, thanks to this bit of info.

This is a good article from the NY Times, written in November, which sums it up nicely. Nepal and the Everest trails are slowly becoming this way, yet no matter how many restrictions or how much money they charge, nothing has happened with the trash and lack of common sense. While it's tough for those who want to travel there, it's a wise move on the part of Peru to step up.

As for the trek itself, unless you are in a big group, you are looking at no less than $400pp for a couple days; however, read the fine print because quite a few treks offered by the groups at the end of the article use the train to Aguas Calientes and then a bus to the ruins - which kinda defeats the purpose of the whole experience and gives me that 'just drive up to the top of Glacier Point in Yosemite and say you summitted' feeling.

As for me, I want to tough it out and have the mindset of this girl (my new personal hero) - “I twisted my ankles, I wrecked my knees descending a rock-strewn hillside with no path for an hour, and I fell on a cactus while bouldering. I am so glad I went.” Not sure if my partner has the same sense of 'fun'.

If you want to see MP, and trekking is not to your taste or ability, the train/bus option is completely valid IMO. For this you don't need a tour group or guide.

Taking the late train, staying overnight in AC, and then the early morning bus ride (or hike) up to MP means less people at the site until the mid-morning train arrives.

I'm glad that I did it before 2001.
The problem with tour-less trekking is not the trekking as such, it's the idiots who don't know how to behave while in nature. I can honestly say that so far, I have carried every piece of garbage I created on a mountain, off the mountain again.
And as for the tour group part, I think in vast aspects the Peruvian government just realized that they can skim even more money of MP - which is aboslutely fine and their good right. However, selling this as 'environment protection' is a bit hypocritical. Peruvians, as most other 2nd and 3rd world countries which have to worry about more immediate problems than pollution, never really struck me as extremely aware and concerned about garbage.

quote:

Machu Picchu is a UNESCO World Heritage site. As Peru’s most visited tourist attraction and major revenue generator, it is continually threatened by economic and commercial forces. In the late 1990s, the Peruvian government granted concessions to allow the construction of a cable car to the ruins and development of a luxury hotel, including a tourist complex with boutiques and restaurants. These plans were met with protests from scientists, academics and the Peruvian public, worried that the greater numbers of visitors would pose tremendous physical burdens on the ruins.

A growing number of people visit Machu Picchu (400,000 in 2003[7]), For this reason, there were protests against a plan to build a further bridge to the site[8] and a no-fly zone exists in the area.[9] UNESCO is considering putting Machu Picchu on its list of endangered World Heritage Sites.[8]

Damage to the site due to usage has occurred. In September 2000 a centuries-old sundial at Machu Picchu was damaged by the J. Walter Thompson advertising agency while filming an advertisement for Cusqueña beer.[3] - Wikipedia

I had a really good guide, over the 4 days he told us the history of the Incas. and he told it in a very good way, 1 book says this, 1 book says this, i think this is what really happened. by the time we finally got there on the last day the place was that much more special.

It's an old thread (while I'm new on this board), but I thought I'll add my 2 cents anyway.
There are alternatives.
Either you want to see MP, or you want to do the trail, and see MP. The latter is much better in my opinion, because it combines both.
Inca trail is the most popular trek, but not the only one.
I did Salkantay trail, which is one day longer (5 d, 4 n), and it's a longer walk - altogether 88 km. It alse ends at Aguas Calientes and the last day is visiting MP.
I didn't pay US$ 350-400 what people usually pay for Inca trail. Much less.
Someone here mentioned also "inhumane treatment of porters". I didn't see that problem, as on Salkantay trail we had mules (those are not used on Inca trail). We had a guide and three other guys, who took care of all procticalities, including cooking.
There is also at least one more trek to MP, Lares.

I just thought, some of you might be interesting in looking at other options.