i got a quote from amazing peru for the 4 day inka trail...is this price just wayyy too high??

What does that include? Airfare to Cusco? Hotel in Cusco? other side trips?

I did the trail in 1998 for $70.

no, no airfare...everything else: porters, food, train fare, gear, a guide.

prices have gone up a lot since 1998...

I did the trail for $270 in 2004 (that's with the student discount). It seems to go up every year, but shouldn't be *that* much. Try getting quotes from other companies like United Mice, SAS, Andean Life, etc...Search the threads here as there are many posts about the Inca trail.

good luck!

Was that for a private tour? I've seen prices that high for something really high end like that, but standard prices are running in the $300-400 range now for group tours.

I paid $300 last October. When are you going? If it's not during the busy season, you might want to hold out on buying your ticket until you get to Cusco so you can bargain more. Otherwise, it's probably a good idea to buy it online beforehand.

Either way, that's way too much to pay. Andean Life currently sells tickets online for $315-$330:
http://www.andeanlife.com/incatrail.htm

thanks for links!

question: what was your experience like with this andean life company?
i read that the less your inka trek costs, the less enjoyable your experience will be. im not sure how true this is and i want to make sure i book with a reputable company that treats their porters well...

btw...im planning on being in cuzco in mid july. yep, peak season.

Andean life was amazing. By the time we got to our campsite, the tents were already set up and our meals were cooked. All I had to do when I got there was eat and crash, and boy did I ever eat. We had way more food than I could handle. Honestly, I wouldn't even consider it to be an adventurous trek, but a luxurious cultural experience.

I don't want to make this sound like a commercial, so I must say that I've also heard the same great things about United Mice and SAS.

As far as porters being treated well, that's a tough one for me to answer. I'm not quite sure what you mean. More money? Their own tents and other nice camping gear? On my tour, nobody was whipping them or yelling at them or anything like that, but they don't exactly have the most glamorous job, either. They slept in the cooking tent side-by-side, but that seemed largly necessary to cut back on weight. After all, they have to carry all of your camping gear and some stuff of their own. I'm not sure how much money they got paid, but we had the opportunity to tip them at the end.

From what I found, cost has nothing to do with your experience. For example, I was hanging out with 2 Brits in Cusco who booked their Inca Trail tickets from England and paid 300 pounds (almost twice as much as me). Their experience seemed the same as mine, and at the end, they found themselves wondering why they paid double for the same thing.

My $70 trip in '98 included all porters, gear, food, train, etc. The only thing I brought was a small pack, a few changes of clothes, and a water filter. At each camp site, the tents were set up and the food was cooking.

I booked the trip in Cusco and paid cash at the tour company offices. It was somewhat of a fly-by-night operation, as we stopped at a small village on the way to the trail head to pick up the porters and buy the food; however, it was still a great trip, the gear was all in good shape, and the food was excellent. One interesting point was that none our porters spoke spanish, only quechua.

If you're on a budget, you can get a mucher cheaper fare by purchasing in Cusco.

$70 was possible back in 1998, but not anymore due to increasing government restrictions. True, you could probably bargain for a much cheaper ticket than $300 in Cusco, but it's a huge risk in July. You'd have to get really lucky and take the place of a last-minute cancellation, and considering the down payment of $100, I don't think there are too many cancellations.

The $630 you were quoted is outrageous. I just did the 4-day Inca Trail 4 weeks ago and it was $300 US (with ISIC card discount and a personal porter). I think it has gone up slightly (maybe $30 US) as of May 1st because the entry fee has increased. Peru Treks is amazing - up there with Andean Life and SAS - www.perutreks.com but you have to book well in advance. Anyhow, you can always show up in Cusco (but might have to wait a few days for a tour) or book through a travel agent a couple weeks in advance anywhere in South America. The cheapest I heard was $240 US but the going rate is around $300 US. The folks that paid $240 US had quite small groups (2-4 people) but had a great time nonetheless. I ran into many, many people and we compared prices. This very up to date pricing.

Peru Treks is who I just got done with. I agree, they were amazing. We had new, good tents, a good condition charter bus to get us to the trailhead, absolutely phenomenal food in abundance, great guides, and the porters were treated well. The guides said they were very happy with their employer, and the porters, while some of them may not have been thrilled by the actual job of lugging around someone else's crap, were happy with their treatment at least. Also, the owner is very concerned with porter's rights and helping the community. He personally pays the salaries of several teachers for the children of some of the more rural communities that can't make it to a larger city for schooling every day. It also helps that they were one of the least expensive.

And, in case it wasn't clear before... the food was fucking out of hand awesome. I ate better on the trail than I do at home.

Oh, and if you plan on going any time soon, forget about it. High season is just starting, and there were tons of people in Cusco that just showed up hoping to find something, and everything's booked (I just got back 3 days ago). A few did get lucky, but most were talking of coming back in a few months or just skipping the trail, just taking the train to Machu Picchu.

Hey Jenin,

i am going to do the inca trail in june, and i will pay $220 with the best guides and porters apparently.

I know a peruvian guy who was working in the Spanish School of CUzco and i become a friend of him, he knows everything and can get better prices than tour operators.

If you need, i can give you his email ... he is on MSN frequently.

I am going to stay in a family in Cuzco 3 weeks + take private spanish class + visit and do to inca trail.

After that, i go in Ayacucho for a 3-weeks volunteer work in an orphanage ... and this is only a part of my trip, i leave NY wednesday.

I just discovered this website nowwwww ... grrrrrrrr

Take care.

For the classic 4-day Inca Trail, the most common and economical service--pooled standard-class treks--range between $150 and $250 per person, including entrance fees ($50) and return by tourist ("Backpacker") train ($25).

I paid 135 US with South American Travel in late 2003. Independent trekkers join a mixed group of travelers; groups tend to be between 12 and 16 people (maximum 20) with guaranteed daily departures. The cost includes a bus (or train) to Km 88 to begin the trek, an English-speaking guide, tents, mattresses, three daily meals, and porters that carry all common equipment. Tips for porters or guides are extra.

Make sure to ask how many in the group and ask to meet them the day before or when you pay. I was lucky to be in a small group with 2 irish Guys, two mature fun Aussies and an English Girl. You dont want to be stck with 15-20 competitive Israelis Guys running up the mountain..

Rgs
SC
http://www.irish-guy.com

hmmm...how long does it take peru treks or andean life to respond to an email for reservation?? i sent a couple of emails earlier this week and still havent heard back. im worried that the spots are getting booked...