If you wish to reach Machu Picchu the ancient way, then you may want to consider hiking the Inca Trail. Advanced booking is recommended during the months of May through September. The Peruvian government regulates the daily number of people entering the trail and the Machu Picchu Sanctuary in order to protect the delicate environment surrounding the trail. As a result, INRENA (National Institute of Natural Resources) allows only 500 trekkers per day. The tour operators are forced to adhere to those numbers and once those daily spots are filled, you’re out of luck!

For us, hiking the Inca Trail was a spur of the moment decision last April 2006, and was very lucky to find two spots. I combed through the various websites of companies specializing in Inca Trail tours, and was overwhelmed with the multitude of tour operators offering a similar type of service, prices ranging from $1,600 pp to the relatively inexpensive packages offered by Peru Gateway.

On April 6, I contacted Peru Gateway Travel by completing an Inquiry form on their website. Less than two hours later, a representative (Patricia) replied by email stating they had two spots for a 4 day/3 nights trek, leaving Cuzco on June 1. I asked her to hold the spots just for a few hours to see if I could book an award flight on Continental, and then contact my husband. Patricia was accommodating held the spots until 9:30 am on April 7, at which point, I had to commit.

Getting a yes from hubby was easy and finding two award seats on Continental a breeze. LAN Peru is a Continental partner airline, but unfortunately, that segment was sold-out, and we had to purchase the Lima/Cuzco/Lima ticket separately.

Disclaimer: This review covers only the services received from this company, and does not address the Inca Trail experience.

Who is Peru Gateway Travel?

Peru Gateway Travel is located in Lima, Peru and they specialize in trips to Peru and other Latin American countries. Contacting them by email and by telephone through their toll free numbers (available for North America, UK, and Australia) is simple. The staff writes and speaks English fluently; communication was never a problem. I experienced almost immediate replies to my emails, and the staff is very professional.

Peru Gateway is listed on Frommer’s Recommended Escorted Tour Operators, so, I felt at ease booking with this company

Pricing a package:

My request stated that we wanted to stay in Cuzco three nights (1 night prior the Trek and 2 nights after) and required air transportation from Lima/Cuzco/Lima.

Within an hour or so, she presented a proposal by email. The price of US$689.00 pp, double occupancy, included:

~ 1 night in Lima, Peru at a 3-start hotel in Miraflores (Continental’s flight lands around 10:45 pm), reception at the Lima airport, transfer to the hotel, and transfer again to airport for the morning flight to Cuzco.

~ 4 days/3 nights fully escorted (with porters, cooks, and bilingual guides). The number of trekkers in our group would not exceed 16 trekkers.

~ Shared porters carry personal items weighing up to 18 lbs.

~ Tents (for two persons) and camping equipment (to include a thin foam mattress)

~ Bus transportation from Cuzco to the head of the Inca Trail (Km 82)

~ Entrance tickets to the Inca Trail and Sanctuary.

~ 3 night’s accommodation at the Emperador Plaza**, a 3-star Cuzco hotel.

~ Flight Lima/Cuzco/Lima on LAN Peru.

~ Pick-up at the airport and transfer to hotel in Cuzco.

~ Bus ticket to Aguas Calientes, and train tickets to Cuzco upon completion of the Inca Trail,

~ And, finally, transfer to the Cuzco airport upon completion of the trip.

Excluded:

Sleeping bags (can be rented in Cuzco).


Booking the tour:

After securing our air tickets from Houston/Lima/Houston, I was comfortable booking this tour. Peru Gateway requires a 50% payment upon booking the tour and the remainder is collected in Peru. Via email, I was directed to make a payment through their payment website (www.orquidea.net/booking), run by “InternetSecure,” a payment processing company from Ontario, Canada. Almost instantly I received a receipt giving me a transaction number and a short description of my package. Refund of your deposit is available, the amount depending on the number of days before the actual tour starts.

After the deposit was paid, we received an email detailing our tour’s inclusions and exclusions, an outline of daily itinerary, and a checklist of recommended items to bring.

One week before arrival, we received an email with the names of two Peru Gateway representatives, including their personal cellular phone numbers. They would meet us at the airport in Lima and in Cuzco.


What we received for $689.00 pp:

1. Arrival – Lima–May 31.

Our flight landed 15 minutes ahead of AA; going through immigration was a breeze! As promised, a husband/wife team was waiting for us outside of Customs, with our names on a piece of paper. They introduced themselves and quickly helped us with our luggage.

A driver was on stand-by, and we were quickly picked-up. The driver, Renato, a very chatty fellow, took us to our hotel in Miraflores. The Hotel Carmel is a 3-star hotel, with a nice little lobby, pleasant staff, and very clean, modest rooms.

Our pick-up was at 07:00 am the next morning, so there isn’t much we can say about this hotel, except that it was clean, and we were told it’s about 1 block away from the beach. Breakfast was included, but due the early pick-up, we could not eat in, The Front Desk employee offered us coffee and juice while waiting for our ride.

2. June 1-Lima/Cuzco

The Hotel is only 20-minutes from the airport. Renato parked in the domestic terminal, and helped us with our luggage to the LAN Peru Counter. Renato was extremely courteous, and helpful.

3. Arrival in Cuzco

Ileana, a Peru Gateway Travel representative was waiting at the baggage area. She had our names on a piece of paper, and spotting her was easy, in spite of the chaos in the baggage area. Once we collected our luggage, we followed her to a car and were driven to our hotel, the Emperador Plaza. This hotel is very clean, comfortable and I'd stay here again, independent of a tour.

Payment of the 50% balance of the tour was collected after we checked in. Ileana carried a wireless credit card processing gadget and processed our payment on the spot. She suggested that we settle-in for about one hour, and our guide, Wimba, would be ringing us to meet us and give us instructions for the Inca Trail trek, starting the next day.

Wimba, a 23 years old guide (but looked 17), spoke English with confidence, and was very friendly. He requested to see our equipment to make sure we had everything we needed, if not, he could suggest a couple of outfitters. Everything was in order, and he announced pick-up was at 06:00 the next morning. We would be driven to a central location were a large tourist bus would pick up the various groups going on the Inca Trail. Pick-up was on time.

4. June 2–June 5 - Cuzco–Inca Trail

We stored our other luggage at the hotel, since we were returning after the trek. On time, the ever-cheerful Wimba picked-us up, and were driven to the bus, one of those large, tourist buses. At the time we boarded, there were some trekkers on the bus, but still picked up others at various hotels.

We also picked up about 15 young men, some who turned out to be our porters. Then we stopped at a store to pick up food supplies, then they were loaded on the bus, and lastly, the bus driver drove to a gas station. All this activity was very annoying, because we started at 6:00 am and we didn’t get on the road to Km 82 until 8:00. Turns out, the bus had groups from various tour companies, not just Peru Gateway. In fact, our group from Peru Gateway had only four guests, and two more people from another company joined our group. We also gained another guide, Yerson.

Our group consisted of six guests, two guides, and eight porters.

Quality of Guides, Skill, and Experience:

Guides were very enthusiastic about the outdoors, the Trail, and spoke enough English to explain the history of what we were seeing, etc.

Each guide has worked as a guide for about 3 years and conducts at least 40 tours a year, both in the Andes and the Amazon.

Quality/Quantity of Meals:

Meals were high in carbohydrates (needed), with some protein (usually from egg, chicken or fish), and the flavors were pleasant. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner were served at a campsite, where the porters set-up a kitchen and a tent with a table and chairs, to shield us from the cold wind or sun while eating. Only one day, when we crossed the highest point in the trail (4,300 meters), a kitchen was not set-up and we were told that our lunch would be eaten at the pass, while we took a ½ hour break. Lunch consisted of an apple, an energy bar, and hot tea or water. We had brought our own energy bars, and other light snacks, so we were fine. I didn’t hear any complaints.

For our last dinner, the cook prepared magnificent and exquisite paella, a banana flambé, and a small cake.

Drinking Water:

We were asked to bring water for the first day of trekking, and thereafter, water would be boiled every night and our bottles would be filled. Each day, we each carried two bottles (a total of 4 liters of water).

Camping Equipment:

Tents:

Our tent was brand-new. The porters would pick-up camp after we had packed our sleeping bags and backpacks. They were very efficient.

Mattresses:

Were extremely thin, so, I’d suggest bringing a light, narrow, inflatable mattress (ex: typed use for pools) for the rocky surfaces. Inflatable pillows: a blessing!

Porters:

Bless their hearts. They were the heroes in this expedition! Not only carried our 18 lbs., they carried at least another 22 lbs of camp equipment, food supplies, and other items. They usually left camp after us, and would pass us about an hour later at a jog. Then they’d wait for us at the next campsite, looking fresh and rested!

Porters would wake up everyone at 05:30, and the person doing it would say “Buenos Dias” and waited a few seconds; then he’d partially unzip the tent-flap and stick his hands inside, holding two cups of hot coca-leaf tea (a necessity in the high altitudes).

Tips (Gratuities):

The guides asked us if we wanted to give a tip at the end of the tour, to be distributed among the porters. We (the guests) discussed the amount amongst ourselves, and agreed that $40 per couple would be suitable. A total of $120 was divided into 8 porters. The guides were tipped separately; and we didn’t discuss that amount. For your information, porters earn about US$30 for a 4/3 night tour, and the guides about $20 a day. Usually porters run five consecutive tours, before taking a month off to go to their highland villages (only porters who live in the higher elevations are hired).

On the third night, after we had finished our dinner, Wimba announced the porters would entertain us with songs from their villages; after the show, they received their tips... they seemed pleased!

Evaluations:

Before leaving the hotel to go to the airport, Ileana gave us an evaluation form and asked to complete it before leaving for the airport. The questions were basic, and we had no complaints about the Tour Company and guides, other than the bus taking us all over Cuzco on the first morning.


MY SUGGESTIONS FOR A PLEASANT TRIP:

Boots:

Your most important piece of equipment: a very comfortable, sturdy pair of hiking boots. Buy the best boot you can afford, and start wearing them right away to break them in. I purchased a pair of Vasque boots from Sierra Trading Co. as they were on sale. After the third walk it was clear these boots were going to cause problems with blisters, etc. I requested to send them back, and they took them, no questions asked. I bought a second, more costly pair of Vasque boots from REI; they felt good from the moment I put them on! Use a silk sock liner and then wear wool socks made specifically for hiking. Sneakers won’t do because you need ankle support and a sturdy, hard toe box.

Walking poles:

I purchased a set of travel-friendly (folding) graphite sticks at REI. My husband and I used one each, and were at times very handy when negotiating the terrain. Be sure the stick has a rubber tip. The INRENA police almost confiscated mine because he said I was damaging the trail by poking the ground with the metal point. Our guide told him it had probably fallen off!

Sleeping bags:

May through September is winter in the Andes. We purchased our sleeping bags to insulate to Zero-degrees Fahrenheit. Each bag weighed 4.5lbs and was a little bulky. When we showed up with our gear at the meeting place, others in the group laughed, saying we didn’t need such heavy sleeping bags. Guess what? During the three nights on the mountain, at the high altitudes, the night temperatures dropped to 28-30F, and we slept comfortably. Invariably, while eating breakfast someone would comment how cold the night had been! Ha! Guess who laughed then?

Dress Properly:

Dress in layers as you’ll need to take off clothing during the day, and start layering again as the afternoon progresses. “Cool Max” fabric is spectacular because it wicks sweat away; clothing made specifically for the outdoors is very useful. Everything you pack in the backpack (including the weight of the backpack), must not exceed 18-lbs, unless you want to carry it. For the cold evenings you’ll need a jacket, a woolen hat, gloves, and sandals/and or sneakers to give your feet a rest while at the campsite.

A lightweight hat, sun glasses AND sunscreen are an absolute must, because you will burn at such high altitudes!


Altitude sickness (“Soroche” in Peru):

Why suffer? Ask your doctor if you’re a candidate for a medicine called “Diomox.” Certain individuals cannot take this medication; obviously only your doctor can decide if this is right for you. For us, it was a wonderful medicine! We only experienced a mild headache the first day in Cuzco, and after that, nothing. We stopped taking the medicine after three days, as a physically fit body acclimates quickly to the altitude.


Your Present Fitness Level:

This is a rigorous field trip. If you’re not in good physical shape, you will be miserable. However, if you plan your trip at least 6 months ahead and start a vigorous training program, walking with your hiking boots (let your feet get accustomed to them) at least three times a week, 2 hours plus in duration, you’ll do fine. If you live in the flatlands (such as Houston), hit the Stairmaster, run, bike, and get your lungs fit! We saw many people leaning into the mountain walls gasping for air, vomiting and just plain miserable. This is a journey of a lifetime. Don’t let poor physical fitness ruin the experience!


Summary:

All escorted tours require big deposits and predetermine the hotels you’ll be staying in (you can still upgrade a hotel and pay the difference). Letting someone else (who speaks the host country’s language and is familiar with local laws) worry about the logistics of trekking across the Andes is wonderful. Tour companies such as Peru Gateway, provide peace of mind, and take away the worry of details such as permits, passes, etc.

At the campsites you’ll invariably meet people traveling with other tour companies, starting with the expensive operators such as Aber_crombie-&Fitch. We saved at least 60% by booking with Peru Gateway!

Regardless of the tour operator you book with, remember: everyone walks the same trails, sleeps on the ground, in a tent, uses the same public bathroom facilities, and perhaps, the only difference may be that their sleeping tents are more colorful or a tad larger, the tent where they take their meals is larger, and the food perhaps a little fancier. Oh, yes, and the very expensive operators have a porter carrying a portable toilet that’s set up inside a tent; how weird is that?

I recommend this tour company. The guides were terrific, very knowledgeable, and always cheerful! They did an outstanding job! The food was also very good and plentiful. Communications with Peru Gateway prior to the tour and the total package price were excellent.

Peru Gateway toll free telephones: 888/671-2852 or 01/444-3027.

www.peru-explorer.com ~ also has an extensive roster of Peru tours and a good selection of hotels.


Thank you for reading!

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Thanks to Chris (cr01) for setting up this link!



©Reginafug 2007

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"**See my review of the Emperador Plaza http://http://www.epinions.com/content_384793218692 "


Recommended: Yes

Best Suited For: Friends
Tour format: Walking
Tour length: Several Days
Tour type: Group