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Predeparture Information Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

INTRODUCTION

The Inca Pachacuti (or Pachacutec) built a mighty royal highway to link his capital Cusco to his secluded sacred center at Machu Picchu, taking an awe-inspiring route over high mountain passes. He followed the way of the Apus, the snow peaks sacred to the Incas which dominate the scenery, vanishing and re-appearing around curves and over ridges as we follow this most astounding of treks. At points along the way Pachacuti (or Pachacutec) built small, exquisite settlements clustered upon jagged outcrops, always with sweeping views of the stunning landscape.

Amazingly, all of this survived the Spanish conquest and the hundreds of years of abandonment and neglect that followed. Today the area is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a Peruvian government protected reserve of immense archaeological and environmental importance. For this spectacular route is both a journey through Inca history and a dazzling sample of Peru’s incredible biodiversity.

We take this challenging trek across high, treeless passes up to 4,200 m (13,776 ft), and down through multi-layered zones of cloud-forest, culminating at the threshold of the Sun Gate where we face the final unforgettable view down to Machu Picchu and the Urubamba river.

InkaNatura Travel takes care of all the details and provides a top quality guide to the trail and Machu Picchu, so that you can relax and get the most out of this memorable experience.

THE NATURE IN MACHU PICCHU
The Machu Picchu area and surroundings are forested, tropical and rainy. It is found in the middle of steeply sloped mountains and flanked by a profound canyon that Urubamba river forms.

Machu Picchu harbors within its boundaries a diverse fauna and fauna that includes:

• Different mammals like the bobcat, the puma and the endangered spectacled bear. As a cloud forest area there is a wide variety of reptiles

• Different species of insects like more than 700 species of butterflies.

• Around 415 species of birds including the gracious and colorful hummingbirds, ducks, eagles, parrots, quetzals, Toucans, manakins, tanagers, etc.

• More than 190 species of orchids.

This important part of Peru has become an important stopover for nature lovers and birdwatchers. Our guides will let you know more about this that we consider as an important part of the experience and learn about the good relation and respect of the Incas with their environment.

WEATHER.
The Andean weather can be unpredictable, despite the sharp divide between dry and wet seasons. The dry season runs from May to October or November (the best time for this amazing trek); the rainy season goes from December through April. Nevertheless, in the forested fringes of the Amazon basin where Machu Picchu lies, showers are not uncommon at any time of year. Therefore rain pants and jacket are essential gear that should always be in your daypack.

Daytime temperatures can vary greatly, from about 10ºC/50ºF to 28ºC/82ºF with nighttime temperatures from 10ºC/50ºF down to around 0ºC/32ºF, though seldom much lower.

SERVICES INCLUDED:

• Transportation to and from the city of departure.
• A predeparture information meeting and valuable Inca Trail map.
• Overnight in The North face or Eureka tents including comfortable sleeping pads.
• A duffle bag to store your luggage during the trek (please return upon your arrival in Cusco)
• Meals according to the itinerary and a last lunch in a restaurant before returning to Cusco
• Bottled water to refill your canteen.

• Bilingual guide on the trek and in Machu Picchu
• Equipped with a first aid kit
• An oxygen tank
• Excellent cartographies
• Porters
• Kitchen crew
• provisions

NOT INCLUDED:
Meals in the cities, alcoholic beverages, extras, tips, taxes, laundry service, additional tours, insurance and airline tickets (where applicable), sleeping bags, hiking boots and other personal gear or items.

Inca Trail and Machu Picchu entrance fee and train ticket back to Cusco or Ollantaytambo. If the train available is only to Ollantaytambo the transfer to Cusco is not included.

GENERAL CONDITIONS

• Complete name of the passengers and age.
• Passport number and Nationality.
• Occupation.
• Any special food requirements (Vegetarian, low salt, low fat, diabetic or other)
• Any special medical requirements.
• Any special interest (birds, plants, stars, etc)

PRE-DEPARTURE BRIEFING.

One day before departure our representative in Cusco will contact the clients to provide information and answer any questions they might have about their Inca trail. We must be informed in which hotels the clients are staying and the date of their arrival. If you have a tour operator in Lima or Cusco please inform us.

If you do not have an operator in Cusco our office CAN take care of the reconfirmation of any domestic flights to Lima or other cities. Please ask for further information when you make your reservation.

WHAT TO BRING

We recommend:

SLEEPING BAGS
InkaNatura travel rents high quality The North Face or Eureka sleeping bags (Model: Snow Shoe - Temp rating 0F / -18 C)

The costs are: USD 28 per person for the 4 days trek program and 5 days trek program. Our service includes a clean sleeping bag liner for the trek program. Please inform us on time to reserve one of them for you.

For private service we will include the sleeping bags at no cost.

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Although the trek is rated as moderate, we strongly suggest spending at least two nights before the start of the trek to totally adjust to the altitude.
• Do some exercise before you go.
• Altitude at the Inca Trail: Minimum 2430 m / Maximum 4200 m
• Keep hydrated. Drink Plenty of water that also helps to acclimatize to the altitude
• The paving on the trail is irregular. Please be careful with your steps.
• The maximum kilogram per person: 13.5 pounds / 6 kilograms which you have to store in the provided duffle bag
• We recommend combining the Inca trail program with an Amazon adventure in the species rich rainforests of Tambopata or Manu.
• The booking system managed by the UGM (Management office for Machu Picchu Sanctuary) is complicated and allows just 500 people including tourists, guides, porters and cooks. That is why is important to make the booking as soon including the personal information
• No refund will be possible for any unused part of the tour or entrance fee bought in advanced.
• Entrance fee can not be transferred to another traveller. This is prohibited by law.
• Park authorities may occasionally designate different campsites than those indicated.
• All trash produced during the trek will return to Cusco.
• If you get a new passport after you have reserved a permit for one of our Inca trail programs, please inform us before arrival to make the necessary arrangements with the UGM. Please help us to avoid any inconvenient for your Inca trail experience.
• If you need to know more about Altitude sickness visit our Travel Essentials area

INKANATURA TRAVEL contacts:
Our office contacts are:

In addition our staff can be contacted 24 hours a day at the following cellular numbers

If you are in Lima and have any problem, please do not hesitate to contact us to help you.

PORTERS
For InkaNatura Travel, every person plays an important role during the trek. The porters, who live in the nearby communities of Willoq, Patacancha and Ocongate, are not an exception. As a responsible and ethical tour operator our staff is well paid and a balanced, protein rich diet is provided for each staff member. The result is that they are happy to go that extra step to keep clients feeling their best.

Our guide will introduce you the porters formally, please tell them a little bit about yourselves. If a porter gets sick our guide will take care of him

Tips for porters should be handed out during the last night all the trekkers and porters are together in a celebratory goodbye dinner. Tips for guides and other crew members are normally treated separately.

Here we would like to include some suggestions for your interaction with the porters:

• Spend time with your porters. They have some amazing stories to tell. Try and learn a few words of Quechua – see glossary below.
• Offer them your coca leaves and snacks. If you’re finding day two of the Inca Trail hard, think how tough they’re finding it with up to 25 kg on their backs.
• Don’t overload your porter. Do not give your pack to a porter who already has a load. If he carries more than 25 kg, not only is it bad for his health but he and the agency will receive a substantial fine.
• Tip your porter. Most groups collect at dinner on the last night of the trail and then give it to the porters. Remember to take adequate small change in order to tip porters individually. Please let your group know that 30 soles per porter is a recommended minimum and it's best to deal separately with porters that carry individuals' bags. Tip porters directly. Some tourists feel that this "ceremony" is degrading for the porters but they themselves feel that it shows appreciation of their work.

IT’S GOOD TO TALK!

Amaze your porter with your knowledge of Quechua! Here’s the Inka Porter Project’s beginner’s guide to greetings and goodbyes as well as basic courtesies.

SUGGESTED READINGS

If you are interested to know more about the Inca Trail, Cusco and Machu Picchu InkaNatura travel recommends the following readings:

Lost City of the Incas, The Story of Machu Picchu and its Builders
by Hiram Bingham EXPLORATION • 2001

This classic account is a gripping story of exploration, archaeology and natural history — and still an outstanding overview of the site itself. With original expedition photographs. Originally published in 1952, the book is still an excellent account, not only of the expedition but also of the site itself.

The Inca Trail, Cuzco & Machu Picchu
By Richard Danbury GUIDEBOOK • 2005
A practical guide to planning and walking the Inca Trail with good maps, lots of travel information, photographs and a brief overview of Inca culture and history. Not just for those hiking the Inca Trail, it's an excellent compact guide to Cusco, Machu Picchu, Lima and surroundings. This fully revised second edition includes the seven-to-ten day hike to Vilcabamba

The Incas, People of the Sun
by Carmen Bernard EXPLORATION • 1994
This jewel of a book features hundreds of archival drawings and photographs, a chronology and long excerpts from the journals of early explorers. It's a guide to the ancient monuments, daily life of the Incas, and history of exploration.

The Incas and their Ancestors, The Archaeology of Peru
By Michael Moseley ARCHAEOLOGY • 2001
An outstanding survey of the archaeology of the Inca, Moche and Nasca civilizations. With hundreds of color illustrations and line drawings, it's an in-depth look at the ancient cultures and history of Peru, the best general introduction to the subject.

Machu Picchu Historical Sanctuary,
by Peter Frost & Jim Bartle. Nuevas Imagenes, Lima, 1998. Color photos and text about Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail.

Exploring Cusco,
by Peter Frost. Nuevas Imagenes, Lima, 1999.
A guide to the Cusco region with detailed chapters on Machu Picchu and the Inca trail.

A Field Guide to the Birds of Machu Picchu,
by Barry Walker, illustrations by Jon Fjeldså. Profonanpe, Lima 2,001.
All the birds you will see (375 species!), and everything about them, fully illustrated in color.

Machu Picchu, the Sacred Center,
by Johan Reinhard. Instituto Machu Picchu, Lima 2002.
A scholarly look at Machu Picchu by the famous high altitude archaeologist, through the lens of Inca religion and mountain worship

A Field Guide to the Birds of Peru
By James Clements • Noam Shany • Dana Gardner (Illustrator) • Eustace Barnes (Illustrator) FIELD GUIDE • 2001
A comprehensive field guide to the birds of Peru with color plates illustrating almost 1,800 species. Long-anticipated, it covers the diversity of birds and habitats from the Amazon to Andes and Pacific coast. Admirably compact, short descriptions of each species focus on identification, habitat and distribution. With a gazetteer of localities and both English and Spanish names.

INTERNET SITES

You will find more information about the Inca Trail, Cusco and Machu Picchu at the following Web site:

The Inka Trail
www.archaeology.org/online/features/peru/inka.html

ABOUT INKANATURA TRAVEL
InkaNatura Travel is a versatile Peruvian tour operator in different nature and archaeology areas. With offices in Lima, Cusco, Puerto Maldonado and Chiclayo, InkaNatura is there to serve you. Every detail is meticulously planned, and every service is carefully monitored.

The Inca trail offerings from InkaNatura Travel complement or extensive portfolio of Wildlife and nature destinations like Manu and Tambopata where we have several outstanding lodges: Manu Wildlife Center, Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge, Sandoval Lake Lodge and Heath River Wildlife Center. Conde Nast Traveler (Dec 2002) described Manu Wildlife center as “The finest wildlife lodge in all the Amazon” and Sandoval Lake Lodge as “The budget rainforest alternative to Manu” Our lodges are accessible via short light flight from Cusco, and provide attractions like macaw clay licks, tapir clay licks, Giant Otters, canopy platforms and much more. 

There are a limited number of tour operators authorized to operate the Inca Trail. InkaNatura Travel is one of these and in just three years of Inca Trail operations has been recognized by the Government Tourism Office as one of the two BEST tour operators in the area, in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

InkaNatura Travel is proud to be member of important organizations like: International Ecotourism Society, Latin America Travel Association (UK), Sustainable Travel International, Adventure Travel (USA), Tropical Nature, Tourism for tomorrow and works with the following sustainable travel standards:

• Educate our clients and provide them with opportunities to make meaningful connections with local people.
• Be Culturally Sensitive. Respect the values, customs and beliefs of the local people we visit. Foster a greater understanding of their culture and their environmental issues.
• Generate Economic Benefits. Buy locally produced goods, become a patron of locally owned businesses, and enhance the well being of host communities.
• Be Environmentally Friendly. Conserve natural resources when traveling just as we do at home and in your offices. Offset carbon emissions from airline and land travel.
• Make positive Contributions to the conservation and preservation of natural and cultural heritage and to the maintenance of the Peru’s biodiversity.

CONDITIONS AND RESPONSABILITY
InkaNatura Travel and / or their employees act only as agents for the passenger in regard to travel, whether by car, boat, or airplane and assume no liability for injury, damage, loss, accident, delay, or irregularity that may be caused either by reasons of defect in the vehicle or for any reasons engaged in conveying the client or carrying out the arrangements of the tour. They can accept no responsibility for losses or additional expenses due to delay or changes in air or other services, sickness, weather, strike, war, quarantine, or other causes. All such expenses will have to be borne by the passenger.

InkaNatura Travel HAS THE RIGHT:

1. to make any change in the itinerary when deemed necessary or caused by changes in air schedules.
2. to accept or decline any persons as members of a tour.

If you would like additional information, please send an email to:
postmaster@inkanatura.com.pe

or visit

www.inkanatura.com