Inca Trail 2019 Book Now

Why booking early is so important to do this amazing hike…
Hiking the Inca Trail is a bucket list worthy event, but it involves a lot of advance planning. In order to hike this amazing trail, you must book through a licensed operator, like Cusco Journeys, to secure permits for your trek. Permits are extremely limited and sell out almost immediately. Here are some answers to the most common questions about this process…

What do I need to hike the Inca Trail?

You NEED a permit from the government in order to hike the Inca Trail.

How do I obtain a permit?

A licensed Inca Trail Tour Operator, such as Cusco Journeys, must do so on your behalf.

How many permits does the government give out?

The government issues 500 permits per day for the Inca Trail. EVERYONE needs a permit, including your crew, which means that only about 200 – 300 visitors will be able to start this hike every day.

Do I need a permit for each day of the trek?

No, you only need a permit for your START date.

Once I book a permit, can I change my start date?

No. The government does not allow us to change any dates for permits. If you need to change your date, you will need to purchase a new permit and your new date is likely going to be sold out.

When do I need to book my trek?

ASAP. The day that the government releases next years permits, which should be early October, most of March, April, May and June will be sold out. Because of the limited number of permits, they sell out extremely quickly.

Shouldn’t I wait until October to book then?

Definitely not! If you know that you want to do this hike, booking soon will ensure you get a permit. The government is changing the rules all the time about when they will release permits and you want all your details in our system so we are ready for the moment we are notified. Plus, booking now ensures you get our current prices for next years trek.

Am I guaranteed to get my start date?

Unfortunately no, but by booking with a trusted company like Cusco Journeys, you are in the best hands to make this happen. For the last three years we have been 99% successful in getting everyone’s first choice for a start date. But giving us a back up or two for possible starts does help us make sure that you get to do this hike. We will always work to get your top choice and notify you if this doesn’t happen (which will not be the case). If we weren’t successful at all, which has NEVER happened, we will refund your money entirely – 100%.

What makes Cusco Journeys better at this process?

We are already working to organize our early bookings and those who booked first will be reserved by us first (another good reason to book now). The day we are notified of the release date, we work to get a few of our satellite offices around Cusco equipped with the highest speed internet to make sure that we have a huge, organized team all working hard to get you to Machu Picchu. No other company has our success rate.

HOW TO MAXIMIZE YOUR CHANCE OF OBTAINING YOUR INCA TRAIL PERMITS 2019?

After we receive both your BOOKING FORM and booking deposit via PAYPAL, we will put your reservation in queue for your requested preferred date. Once permits are released, we will be ready with all required information to secure your Inca Trail permits before they sell out. Although, we cannot guarantee the successful reservation of your Inca Trail permits for a particular date at this point, we can rely on our 95% efficiency of securing our clients´ first date preferences as in previous years.

Below are some tips on how to maximize your chances of obtaining your Inca Trail permit for your preferred dates:

1. Provide all required details via your BOOKING FORM. We must have 100 % accurate passport information for all travellers in your party. If you are in the process of renewing your passport, send us your old passport information and we can later update it with your new passport number.
2. Provide us with your first (preferred), second (alternative) and third (alternative) date choices on which to start your Inca Trail hike.
3. Be flexible regarding trek starting dates and wait to make all other travel plans and arrangements for after your Inca Trail trek is 100% confirmed.

The most important aspect of this process is obtaining your Inca Trail permits. Additional arrangements pertaining to additional tours, extra nights, upgrade services, equipment rental or dietary restrictions may all be confirmed once we have your Inca Trail permit in our hands!
Please note that once we secure an Inca Trail permit under your name and details, it is 100% non-refundable and non-transferable. The Ministry of Culture (regulating body of the Inca Trail) does not allow for any name, passport number or date changes.