In the latter half of the 20th century, the Inca Trail was unregulated and in many ways over-run. You can hear horror stories of the overcrowded campsites, the trash and human waste lining the trail, and the general misuse of the historical resource. Just as with Machu Picchu itself, though, the Peruvian government has recognized the importance of protecting that resource, and has therefore implemented a strict permitting system to limit the number of travelers on the trail at any one time, where they camp, what happens to their waste, and how the local porters are paid and protected from exploitation. While it can be frustrating for folks who miss out on the permits, or folks seeking to do the trail on a ridiculously shoestring budget, the system is working! I was truly impressed with the state of the trail, the degree to which so many hikers can be distributed evenly and safely on the trail, and the orderliness of the entire operation.
The Peruvian government actually issues 500 permits for each day of the year (200 actual travelers and 300 porters/guides/cooks) – except February. These permits go on sale each October for the following year. The most prime dates (May through July) can sell out within a matter of days, or even hours! So it is imperative that folks plan for this trip well in advance. I recommend having the dates selected, the deposits paid, and passport details shared with our Operations Team by September 1st of the year prior to your trip. This allows us to have a local representative securing permits for you on the first day those permits are released.
Adventure Life is my favorite travel company due to their genuine care for their customers. They make every effort to ensure a wonderful travel experience for you. Their personal touch really gives the customer a lot of confidence with their travel plans and the trip leaders are always outstanding. They are truly consistent and accountable with the great service they provide. I can't thank Adventure Life enough for the incredible trips I have enjoyed thanks to them and their attention to detail.
Tim Duffy
1 day ago
Kevin Moore working with me and providing very timely answers to all my questions.
Sharon Worsham
1 day ago
Adventure Life coordinated all our domestic air travel in Argentina as well as
Multiple tours in four cities. Every thing went perfectly smooth. All the local companies were on schedule and very professional. We will surely use Adventure Life on future travels.
customer
2 days ago
Franny helped us put together a great itinerary, was very responsive and so helpful. We ended up not being able to use Adventure Life for our trip, but would definitely use them in the future.
Sara Grosch
2 days ago
Jess H helped plan an incredible holiday to Costa Rica for us. She was great from the start, she really listened to what we wanted from the trip and took into account mobility issues by arranging different excursions. The whole planning process was easy and stress free even with us being in the UK and them being in the US. I would highly recommend using Adventure Life to anyone thinking of planning a trip. They are also priced very competitively which made it even better.