Briefing with guide in Cusco some days before trek starts.
Private tourist transportation from the hotel to Km. 82.
Camping equipment (Professional tents, Doite, Kailas Model or Eureka tent).
Liggeunderlag
Meals during the excursion (3 D, 3 A, 3 C and 3 Snacks / Vegetarian option).
Professional bilingual guide.
Cook and assistant.
Porters for camping and food equipment.

Team of porters to transport camping material and food (Each participant carries his backpack with his personal things including the sleeping bag and mat).
Cooking material and camping equipment for collaborators (porters).
Entrance to the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu Sanctuary.
Bus down from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes.
Tourist Train in Expedition service from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo and bus to Cusco.
First aid and oxygen bag.

• Breakfast on the first day and last lunch in Aguas Calientes (4th day).
• Sleeping bag (If you do not have this, we offer it for USD 20.00 for the 4 days).
• Packpack. The participant must bring their own backpack with their personal belongings including the sleeping bag and mat.

• Route: Km 82 – Ayapata – Chaquicocha – Wiñaywayna.
• Altitude: 2050 – 4200 meters.
• High season: March – January.
• Closed: Closed for the month of February.
• Difficulty: Normal / Difficult.

• Rasmussen Travel will not make any refund if the participant decides to cancel the trip or gives up continuing on the Inca Trail (Except for the entrance to Machu Picchu and the train ticket from Aguas Calientes to Cusco).
• The participant must declare if he/she has any illness or personal treatment, and he/she must bring his/her own medication.
• Rasmussen Travel will not be responsible for natural problems (Landslides) or other problems, in case of strikes and delayed train departures.
• All participants must bring their original passport and, if applicable, university card.

• Backpack
• Sleeping bag
• Clothing for warm and cold weather such as a waterproof jacket
• Fleece, trekking pants and shoes
• Polo shirts, rain poncho, hat, scarf, sunscreen, insect repellent and disinfectant alcohol gel
• Bottle of water and disinfectant tablet
• Camera (wrapped in a plastic bag), flashlight and batteries
• Small snack selected as a bar of chocolates and dried fruits
• Original passport, Student ID (with the current year and the person must be under 25 years old) and extra money in soles

Rasmussen Travels partner is one of the only companies to pick you up directly from your hotel. As long as your hotel is in the center of Cusco city, we will coordinate this pickup based on a time that your guide will discuss at the briefing. Pick up times may vary 30 – 45 minutes based on traffic conditions and previous pickups.

Cusco is an old city with cobblestoned streets and very narrow passageways. Smaller hotels and Airbnbs are often located on streets that cars can´t pass through. They also are frequently on hillsides with long steep climbs, making it difficult to carry luggage. We highly recommend that you book accommodations with better access.

The circuit hikers take is Circiut 3.

We request you be honest with your guide about any health conditions or concerns you might have. While our guides are not medical professionals, they do have first-aid training. We also work with a clinic in Cusco that can help assist our team.

You are responsible for assessing whether Inca Trait to Machu Picchu is suitable for you. We recommend you to consult your physician to confirm your fitness for travel and participation in any planned activities. You should seek your physician’s advice on vaccinations and medical precautions.

We will not provide medical advice. It is your responsibility to assess the risks and requirements of each aspect of the Tour based on your unique circumstances, limitations, fitness level, and medical requirements.

If you develop extreme altitude sickness or any other illness that prevents you from hiking, and you still wish to visit Machu Picchu by train, we will work with you to coordinate this trip. Since this will be a new trip, it may require additional fees. We will use as much of the original itinerary to keep costs low.

If you experience issues while hiking and can not continue, a porter will accompany you to the closest road and wait while a car comes to pick you up and bring you to the nearest health clinic.

Group tours are made up of all different types of people, with various hiking skills and ages. By agreeing to a group tour, you agree that some people might be slower or faster than you are.

Everyone can go at their own pace for the trek, and the guide will work with the group to spend time with everyone. Groups might request some modifications to the tour, and the guide will work with everyone to make the best decision for the group.

Unfortunately, strikes are frequent in Peru and can disrupt our tours. Roads are often blocked, and trains stopped. We will make sure your trek continues as planned, even if that means leaving the night before your start date.

Under these circumstances, tours might need to be canceled. But our operations department will coordinate with you in this situation. Your safety is always our top concern and will dictate how we decide.

You are responsible for your items throughout the Tour. Please be diligent about where you leave your things and remember to remove all items from our vans, your tents, restaurant, etc.

Do not leave anything unintended during your hike. Other trekkers or teams might pick it up not knowing whos it is.

Tipping is part of the tradition of any trek to Machu Picchu. While we pay good wages to our entire team, anything extra is always appreciated. Please know that this is not obligatory and that you should never feel pressured into this.

Typically the participants in a group pool their tipping money together for the porters and chef. The amount recommended is different per trek and listed below.

For the guide, this is more personal and needs to be decided based on your relationship with them and done separately from the group. Porters and Chefs prefer soles if possible. Guides are happy with U.S. dollars, Peruvian Soles, or even your credit card.

Of course, the weather is unpredictable. Typically the dry season in Cusco is from April through October, but this does not stop rain from falling in June or the sun from coming out in December so just be prepared.

No matter what month you are doing the trek, make sure that you have rain gear that includes a waterproof jacket, pants, poncho, and waterproof gloves. Many people forget about gloves, but being cold and wet makes hiking very unpleasant.

Also, prepare for four seasons. Several of the treks through the Andes involve various microclimates and you will need to be prepared. Layers are always key since they are easy to adjust to different temperature changes. Be prepared with a warm packable down jacket since the evening will be cold.

It’s also important to note that the weather can change a listed itinerary. There are times that routes become impassable, and our guides will be forced for your safety to rework your tour.

As soon as people book their trip to Peru, specifically Cusco, they start wondering about altitude sickness. The air at high altitudes contains less oxygen than at sea level and forces your body to work harder to get the oxygen it needs.

Over several days at high altitude, your body adjusts to the lower amount of oxygen in the air. For this reason, we always recommend spending at least two days in Cusco before beginning any trek in the Andes. Cusco is a marvelous city with lots to do, so if you have more time to acclimate you won´t be bored.

With altitude sickness, you may first feel like you have the flu or a hangover. You may have a headache, tiredness, loss of appetite, nausea or vomiting, dizziness, trouble sleeping, trouble breathing during exercise. If any of these effects become severe, please contact our office, and we will help you get to a doctor.

Inca Trail Altitude Sickness:

Most of the time, these symptoms will be mild. We always recommend easing into activity slowly, allowing your body to adjust. Drink plenty of fluids such as water or coca tea. Coca tea has been used since ancient times to help prevent altitude sickness.

Leaves from the Coca Plant contain alkaloids that help bring oxygen into your blood, helping your body avoid the effects of altitude sickness. Avoid drinking a lot of alcohol and coffee. They will cause you to urinate more often and become dehydrated. Avoid smoking. Smoking makes it more difficult for your body to get oxygen. Avoid sleeping pills. They may cause shallow breathing at night, making it more difficult for your body to absorb oxygen while you sleep.

Remember the trek to Machu Picchu is not a race. Even those in the best shape will suffer from altitude sickness if they race to the top of the mountain too quickly. Go slow, and it will give your body time to adjust to the elevation.

Your healthcare provider may prescribe medications, such as acetazolamide and dexamethasone, to help prevent altitude sickness. Start the medicine two days before you get to a high altitude. Continue to take it while you are at high altitude.

You must remember that this is your holiday and you do not want to stress out about the possibility of getting sick from the mountains. Do everything slowly and drink lots of water, and enjoy the coca tea. If anything does happen and you, unfortunately, get sick, let your guide know right away. Our guides are trained to help you get through it.