The Inca Trail: Peru Trekking Holiday

Our Clients’ Reviews

Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It's the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you're interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers. Any feedback collected (Good or bad) from Exodus clients is posted straight onto our website - totally unedited. Read more...

Average Review Rating: from 79 reviews.

Lesley Keddy

THE INCA TRAIL

Written July 2010
I enjoyed this trip but there are a few changes that could be made to make it much better.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Walking through the Sun Gate and seeing Machu Picchu.
What did you think of your group leader?
Fabrizzio was very enthusiastic about the Incas and their culture.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Check the flights before you book and if necessary book them separately. The group flight went via Houston which meant we ended up in Lima very late. It would also be worth looking at flying to Cuzco and meeting the group there as with the flights as they currently are there is no time to do anything in Lima before your trek. I felt I did not pack right for this trip (my fault - no-one else's!) Do make sure you take a 3 seasons sleeping bag whatever the time of year as it does get cold on the trek at night. I was too cold. I went in July and it was very cold in the mornings and evenings but warm during the day so take some of those trousers that you can zip off.
Essential Items: 3 seasons sleeping bag, insect repellent (don't be fooled by no insects in Cuzco!), hand gel, wet wipes, torch (head torch best), sun hat (I didn't take one and got heat stroke), bandana, warm fleece, lightweight waterproof as well as a warmer jacket, Poles!!, flip flops or crocs for changing into when you reach camp each night. Sun Lotion. Swimsuit (for the Hot Springs in Aguas Calientes).
Not Essential but useful: ear plugs!! Also - I hasten to add that this is not for the trek! The hotel do not have any hairdryers so take a travel one with you for when you are staying in Cuzco if you like to blow dry your hair.
Also if you can take with you kit that you are happy to leave the porters would be very grateful - i.e. hiking trousers, trainers, fleeces etc.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
The Sacred Valley Tour you are offered on the first day is a lot of sitting in a minibus. You only visit 2 sites. I would be tempted to miss this out another time and perhaps just organise a private tour to visit the sites you most want to see - there is plenty on offer in Cuzco town. When you first arrive in Cuzco the altitude WILL hit you - however after one day we all felt a lot better. If you don't like your room at the Tikawasi complain to the guide - apparently not all rooms are the same quality. I was very disappointed with my room - the shower was very grubby and we were at road level which although it is a small road was very noisy. I got put in the same room when I returned. I did complain to Exodus about this and apparently I should have mentioned it to the guide which I didn't as I assumed all rooms were the same. I know others were disappointed with their rooms too. On your free day in Lima do organise to go on a tour - it is a long boring day otherwise. I went on a cycle ride around the city organised by Bike Tours of Lima (Google them) and was very pleased I had. Although I enjoyed this trip I did think it was very expensive for the quality offered i.e. hotel in Cuzco, indirect flights etc. Do consider the land only option although I think Exodus are looking at changing the airline they currently use. I also think this trip could be improved by offering a night in a hotel as standard in Aguas Calientes as the camp site was by a river (lots of mozzies) and was also very noisy (barking dogs!). The Hot Springs in Aguas Calientes are really not worth the visit - very dirty and noisy and canoodling couples! However the bar is very good.I travelled with a lovely group of people which made the trip for me.

Exodus Response
Hi Lesley,
Thanks for your feedback on the trip. I'm glad you enjoyed the trek and that Fabrizzio looked after you on the trip. Also, the advice about the porters is very useful - although we do try our best to ensure that they are fully equipped for all conditions on the trek, a full season of working on the Inca Trail certainly takes its toll on trekking gear and donations of clothing are always welcome!
The itinerary for the trip is changing quite substantially for 2011 as a result of customer feedback, and the long day in Lima has been avoided with the change in international flights. The trip now leaves Cuzco in the afternoon of day 10 and flies to Lima with a wait of around 2.5 hours before the international flight leaves. Of course, if you want to extend the trip and explore Lima our sales team will certainly be able to book your flights to suit your requirements.
The night at the Puente Ruinas campsite will remain part of the itinerary, as it allows us to get straight to camp quickly following the trek and also means a slightly later start up to Machu Picchu the next day, but, as in previous years, we continue to offer the option to exchange this for a night in a hotel in Aguas Calientes for an extra fee.
Having stayed at the Tikawasi, I appreciate that some rooms can be a little noisier than others, even though the road outside is not a major one, but as you have recommended, a quick word with the tour leader should help if you're not happy with the room.
Thanks again for your comments on the trip - we always welcome feedback on our holidays as it helps us to continually improve the trips.
Regards,
Tim Fearn (Exodus Peru manager)

- Exodus Staff
Helen Luff

THE INCA TRAIL

Written June 2010
This is a challenging trip, but well worth it. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Beautiful scenery, amazing people and Machu Picchu.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Without a doubt arriving at Machu Picchu. The picture postcard viewpoint does not disappoint. I had such high expectations I was a little worried it might fail to meet them but they were totally surpassed. It really is spectacular. Our time there was all too short. We chose to climb Wayna Picchu, the biggest challenge by far and not for the faint hearted. You can opt out of this and spend more time exploring the site.
What did you think of your group leader?
Brilliant. Cesar has a wealth of knowledge and an obvious love for Cusco and the trail. He was really supportive when the going got tough (Day 2!).
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Water, water and more water. You need to drink a lot to help acclimatise on arrival in Cusco. On the trail also, although the temperature was not too hot, the altitude, dry air and exertion make for thirsty work. Eat all the snacks and lunches, you really need the fuel. I found walking poles essential. You cannot take too many photo's of Machu Picchu. Even the most amazing pictures I've seen don't do it justice so take as many as possible so you have a few you're least disappointed with!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Just a special mention for the porters; they are super human! How they produce such amazing meals in the middle of nowhere, how they carry such heavy packs while jogging down the hills and I don't even want to know how they deal with the toilet tent. They are humbling and motivating and more than worthy of a generous tip!
Leanne Berkeley

THE INCA TRAIL

Written May 2010
Everything that you would expect and more! Our guide was a brilliant ambassador for Peru, the pace of the trip was perfect and the scenary stunning. We were extremely well looked after by the support staff with great meals, and our needs well attended to.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Reaching the summit at Dead Womans Pass
Reaching the Sun Gate and gaining our first views of Machu Picchu
The views from the campsite at dusk in the Cloud Forest
What did you think of your group leader?
Juan was the best guide I have had on any Exodus tour to date, and I have been on about 5 now. He had a great sense of humour, was very knowledgeable about the area, flora and fauna, gave us extremely valuable advice about acclimatisation and kept a very steady pace allowing us to arrive in Machu Picchu at a time of day that allowed us to see it without the tourist swarm.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Take plenty of warm clothing for the night time and a hot water bottle. Ground was very hard, cold and damp in most of the camp grounds.
The two days planned for acclimatisation in Cusco are certainly needed. Our arrival was delayed by 24hrs which meant we lost a day. Fortunately no members of the group were sick but we did feel the effects. Juan was able to give us plenty of good advice about how to combat the symptoms.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
We did the Amazon extension and found this to be great in terms of the wildlife, and overall experience however the guide was a bit disappointing. He was very knowledgeable but not nearly as engaging as Juan who set an extremely high standard.
I would never travel Iberia again. Our flight from Heathrow to Madrid was delayed which was beyond anyones control, but the Iberia/BA/LAN codeshare was appalling as no one would take ownership for the issue and the ground staff were extremely inefficient when it came to accommodating us in Madrid and then again in Lima as a result of the connection failures. This was all beyond Exodus' control and we did appreciate the fact that they acknowledged the disruption to our trip, however I would reconsider the carrier. The service on the long sector of the flight was very bad with the most basic of features on any plane I have travelled on before.
Giles Bradford

THE INCA TRAIL

Written April 2010
After an amazing couple of weeks in Bolivia, I was initially concerned as to whether the Inca Trail and touristy Cuzco were going to be a bit of a come down... coupled with concerns about the uncertainty of the route being open after all the rain, the less than enthusiastic welcome brief from our guide revealed my worst fears: "The local authorities have changed the rules..."; "this might cost you some more"; "we're not sure that the passes will get you into Machu Picchu". Oh dear. So, all credit to Cesar, the Exodus guide and his stalwart team of guys that did all the running in the background, that this trip turned out to be not only better than his somewhat cautious opening brief implied, but indeed the highlight of our month in South America. Read on...
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Two particular points stick in my mind: firstly the arrival at camp 3, some 3900 metres atop a craggy peak. Yet again the porters had worked their magic and we had the best pitch on the site. But the views. Oh, the views. Words can't do it justice, and as good as my photos are, they simply cannot capture the awe with which we stood on top of that hill watching the ever changing clouds, the plunging valleys and graceful caps. At the time, the most beautiful place in the world. But it was the second highlight that really did it for us... Standing at Winyay Wayna, stunning itself: "For those of you that want to go ahead, its about half an hour to 50 really steep steps, then ten minutes further to the sun gate. Wait there." Off we headed, virtually at the trot in anticipation that we were finally going to get to see, with a bit of luck, the raison d'etre for the trip - MP. And we weren't disappointed. Knowing that most groups get to the sun gate at early morning, our guide, Cesar, was adamant that lunchtime was a much better option becuase it was much more likely that the cloud would have dispersed. And he was right. I am rarely dumbfounded. But this was one of those rare occasions. The first glimpse of Machu Picchu - to actually be there and be privileged enough to see it in its majestic setting... words fail me... you need to see it for yourselves...
What did you think of your group leader?
Cesar's initial brief infuriated me. We had paid a lot of money for this. What I realise in hindsight is that his expectation management was spot on. And from that point on he was faultless. Encyclopaedical knowledge of all things Inca, and of course of the area itself; the knowledge to get us to the sun gate at a much more likely time to see MP; and endless enthusiasm. Brilliant.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Go for an early season trip. Warmer, no mozzies, and of course much less busy. I can't see why you'd want to go at any other time.
Richard Barham

THE INCA TRAIL

Written April 2010
Some of those '100 Places to See Before You Die' don't live up to expectations - This one does!
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Climbing Wayna Picchu (the smaller peak on the other side) and looking back down on Machu Puicchu. The unbelievable ruins along ther way. Walking what appeared to be a virtually deserted trail - I had worried it would be busy - but it was very quiet. When we came across ruins we usually had it just to our small group.
What did you think of your group leader?
Rene was excellent - a native from Cuzco - he knew all there was to know about the local culture, religion, wildlife, flora and the trail itself.We were very lucky - there were only five of us in the group and so it was a very special trip for all of us
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Go on all the extra trip and excursions you can whilst in Cuzco - You'll probably only be there once so go for it! The picture of the last supper in the cathedral with the disciples eating guinnea pig was a classic!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Thanks to Exodus and our guide Rene. The hotel in Cuzco was great. The porters and food on the trip was first class - what I've come to expect from Exodus! A chance to meet great people too!
Go for it and enjoy the fantastic scenery, the history, the people, the challenge and the reward of going to Macchu Picchu - Fantastic!
Nicola Owen

THE INCA TRAIL

Written November 2009
An excellent trip, so amazing, the exodus team are all true professionals and couldn't look after you better, I would recommend this to everyone and anyone who likes walking and can appreciate amazing scenery
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Finding myself on my own walking a long a path with a huge drop, surrounded by amazing scenery, the beauty of a guide at the front and the back means you can change between the two dependant on your speed and the terrain, this meant on several occasions of going between the two I was on my own, which meant I could enjoy the outstanding beauty in silence - amazing.
In the jungle, seeing the animals in there natural habitat, takes your breath away, we were lucky and saw so many animals, which for a second didn't see us, it was amazing, monkeys jumping from tree to tree, caimans in the river, wow.
What did you think of your group leader?
The group leaders were brilliant, we had Ceasar at the front and Wilson at the back, I spent more time with Wilson who was great, no matter how slow we went, he never pushed us, looked after us at every step, his knowledge of plants, the country, the people was great so I learnt a lot from him, we created a team Wilson within the group and I think he may lead groups in the future, which I hope he does as he is a great asset to the team.
Ceasar was also wonderful as were all the Exodus staff, they look after you so well, you wouldn't think you were camping at times.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Definately do some walking before you go, but a general fitness is OK. Take sanitiser hand gel, andrex on a roll toilet paper, factor 50, a bladder, a hat and some snacks. I didn't require any of my first aid kit but gave most stuff away so take a small one including dehydration sachets.
And most importantly don't push yourself, I took my time and spent most of it at the back with 'Team Wilson' but none of us were ill, those at the front were. Its not a race, I loved the slow pace at the back and learnt more from our guide.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I didn't really want to go on this trip (as get bad travel sickness) but went for a friend, and had an amazing time, it wasn't as hard as I thought and although tired, the amazing scenery made up for the many steps, its definately a once in a lifetime and worth every penny. The team look after you really well, including food, accomodation, travel etc. In regards to the travelling it wasn' that bad, I used tablets and sickness bands.
We did the jungle after the Inca as an add on, and it was definately the right decision, although very hot and humid we were lucky and saw a lot of animals, including a anaconda, sloth, caimans, racoon, wild boar and many monkeys, spiders etc. The jungle also gives you plenty of time to catch up on your sleep as you can't do anything in the heat in the afternoon, except sleep, I highly reccomend it after the Inca Trail.
Ruth Richardson

mountains, ruins and jungle!

Written November 2009
A trip of contrasts, spending 3nights/4 days in the amazon rainforest (amazon extension) before heading into the mountainous terrain of the Andes and of course finishing with Machu Pichu which speaks for itself.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Getting over Dead woman's pass! It is amazing how much the altitude saps the energy from you and as much as you want to keep going, you are reduced to just getting to the next corner and stopping to breathe, before maybe then completing another ten steps and stopping to get your breath back again.
The sun gate was fantastic as it was not only sunny, but also symbolised the end of some hard walking, as well as providing us with our first sights of Machu Pichu.
Travelling down the Amazon in our motorised boat as the rain torrented down and thunder rumbled was exciting! Not sure how the driver could see where he was going!
What did you think of your group leader?
Karlos took his responsibilities seriously and was dilegent and organised throughout the trip. It was great to see him relax a little when drinking Pisco Sours in the hot springs!! The assistant guides, Jesus and Wilson were excellent - friendly, hard working and keen to ensure our every need was met. The porters do an amazing job lugging 25kg of luggage/equipment across the same tracks that we only had to lug ourselves across, without so much as a grumble.
In the Amazon, our guide was knowledable, organised and friendly. He ensured our stay went smoothly and we got the most out of it.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
The amount recommended for tips on the trip notes should be doubled. We gave $45 for porters, chef, driver... and then $10 for each assistant guide and $20 for the guide (other than the guide himself these were the amounts recommended to us by him) Those involved certainly earned their tips. (You can order Peruvian soles in the UK before travel which I found useful, however you need $ as well as both currencies are used throughout the trip)
I wasn't sure whether to take and even use walking poles. I took one with me and on day two started using it and was very pleased that I did. If you have poles take them and use them, if not hire them when there.
Toilets played a significant roll in the trip. Chemical toilets are provided which involve two seats in each cubicle with two bin bag lined buckets below these seats. One seat is for number ones, the other for number twos. This means you could end up sitting alongside .(I'll leave this to your imagination) At each camp site there was some form of static toilet facility. These included long drops, squats and broken flush toilets. It is debatable as to whether the smell in these toilets was preferable to the up close and personal smell you got at times in the chemical toilets! This said, we all got through the experience, either by overcoming our inhibitions, resorting to toilet humour or just not going at all! Do take toilet roll with you and always have some to hand.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
The kit bags provided by exodus are the ones that the porters carry. This means that you need to have an additional bag/rucksac/case with you in which to leave stuff at the hotel. The 10kg limit was more reasonable than we thought, as by the time you've realised that taking toiletries (except for toothpaste and brush) isn't necessary and taken this weight out of your bag, a few changes of clothes don't weigh all that much. Wet wipes were very useful in keeping clean (they can be bought in Cusco but it's probably easier to get some before travelling)
For the amazon a second bag was again needed, so that luggage could be left at the hotel.
The altitude affected most of the group to a greater or lesser extent and the day in Cusco before beginning the trail was appreciated. We met a group who hadn't spent this day and several of them were very sick. Most of us just experienced the occasional headache, which was easily relieved with some ibuprofen or a bowl of soup! You will be told to keep drinking water - it is well worth doing this despite the toilet dilema it then creates!

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The Inca Trail

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mountains, ruins and jungle!