Seventeen Questions to Get Answered before Choosing a Tour Operator for the Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
- Is the Company a fully licensed tour operator for the Inca Trail including their guides?
- Does the tour operator actually do the services you are contracting them to provide or do they farm you off to another 3rd party to provide the service for you.
- Does the company participate in trip advisor? How are their reviews?
- Does the tour operator fully guarantee 100% the quality of all of the services they will provide?
- What is the minimum persons required to book for example 2 persons and is it guaranteed that you will trek even if no more persons join the group.
- What is the maximum amount of persons allowed to join the trek or tour? The quality of a trek or tour changes based on group size. If it is a large group of 10 or more persons how many guides will there be?
- If you book and make your deposit is it guaranteed you will trek or will your booking be cancelled if they do not get a sufficiently large enough group?
- What is included and what is not included? Are there hidden costs or additional costs that are not included such as entrances, transfers etc.
- Are all of their guides University trained with 5 year degrees in tourism and do they speak fluent English? Also are they trained in all aspects of guiding including being “First Aid trained” by medical doctors?
- Does the tour operator have satellite phones, and carry first aid supplies and oxygen tanks on all of their treks to protect their trekkers.
- What is the quality of food provided, is it fresh cooked food of high quality of just a dry sandwich and fruit.
- What type of accommodations are provided? Is it a hostel or an actual hotel?
- What time are the train connections? Are they train times that get you back to Cusco at a reasonable hour or are they very late or early times that are less expensive for the tour operator.
- How are transfers done? Are all transfers included? Are you picked up from your hotel? Are the transfers in a modern tourist van with private chauffeurs of the company or is it mass transportation, such as a large bus.
- Do they pick you up at the airport and transfer you to your hotel for free, no added cost.
- Does the tour operator provide all of their guides a true living wage? Do they provide them with uniforms at no charge and do they care for their needs.
- Does the tour operator work hard to protect the environment, do social projects for local people in need and work to make tourism sustainable in their local region?