I visited Machu Picchu in November 2016, and it was surprisingly easy- both physically and in regard to planning and booking the trip. My not-so-secret secret? I traveled with Intrepid on their Inca Trail Express tour.

Though the name of the tour is called “Inca Trail Express”, you don’t have to hike the Inca Trail if you don’t want to. When you sign up for the tour, you can choose if you want to hike or not, in which case you will travel by train to Aguas Calientes and then by bus to reach the site of Machu Picchu. Not only was the trip by train very easy and required minimal physical effort on my part, what made the whole experience even easier was that all logistics, tickets, ground transportation, and accommodation were coordinated by Intrepid. 

If you choose to do option that I did (taking the train instead of hiking), the trip allows for more leisure time to acclimate to the altitude in Cusco. And if you choose to hike, Intrepid still makes it very easy by coordinating all the necessary permitting. Because I didn’t plan to or want to hike the Inca Trail and Intrepid didn’t have to coordinate a permit for me, I was able to request and confirm my spot on the tour at the last minute- just eight days before the departure was set to take off.

The Benefits of Booking Your Trip to Machu Picchu with Intrepid Travel

Apart from it being easy to book your travel arrangements, there are many other benefits to booking Intrepid Travel’s Inca Trail Express trip, including:

1. The groups are small

Intrepid’s Inca Trail Express trips are capped at 16 travelers and its itinerary offers a good amount of free time in addition to scheduled activities, meaning you get the best of both worlds: the benefit of group rates while maintaining a size small enough to allow you to make meaningful connections to the destination. Because in this particular itinerary the travelers that hike and the travelers that don’t will part ways before eventually reconvening, the amount of people you’ll be traveling with will be less than 16 on some of the days.

2. The costs are reasonable

The seven-day Inca Trail Express trip that originates in Cusco, travels through the Sacred Valley, visits Machu Picchu, and ends back in Cusco starts at just $1250 USD. This cost includes your accommodation, ground transportation, guided tours, entrance fees, community visits, and even some meals. Considering the immense value of not having to coordinate any of this yourself, the trip cost is certainly worth it yet still notably less compared to other tour providers that don’t offer as much.

3. You’ll travel with a local guide

Intrepid prioritizes authentic experiences, and their knowledgable trip leaders provide valuable insight and perspective as they guide you through the destination. Intrepid’s local leaders can give recommendations on how to spend your free time if you’re in need of guidance, and can also help with translation. Your leader on an Inca Trail Express trip can also steer you away from unintentionally supporting harmful tourism practices that unfortunately take place in Cusco and the Sacred Valley.

4. You’ll support the local economy

In addition to prioritizing authentic experiences, Intrepid engages in community-based tourism that benefits local economies and fosters meaningful connections in each of their destinations. The itinerary of the Inca Trail Express trip includes a community visit while exploring the Sacred Valley, and all vendors throughout the trip including accommodations are locally-owned and operated, ensuring that your travel investments are directly supporting the local economy.

5. You’ll know exactly what to expect

The biggest benefit to traveling with a tour company like Intrepid is that they are reputable, established, and have been operating for decades. Their trips in Peru and around the world are well-researched, run smoothly, and their local operators are well-equipped to handle or accommodate any travel hiccups. Intrepid also shares reviews from past travelers on each trip page and clearly details their entire itineraries so you can decide if the style and pace of the trip is right for you. You can find all details and the full description of the Inca Trail Express trip on the Intrepid website here.

6. You can choose a trip that fits your schedule

There are departures scheduled for Intrepid’s Inca Trail Express trip all year long. Rather than having to adjust your schedule around a dream trip to Machu Picchu, or regretfully miss out on an opportunity because of a scheduling conflict, you can simply choose one of their departures that works well for you.

7. You can join as a solo traveler

If you don’t want to wait for your travel buddy or significant other to become available so you can plan a trip to Machu Picchu, you don’t have to! In fact, I’ve noticed that a majority of other travelers I’ve met on past Intrepid trips (Morocco, Sri Lanka, Jordan, and Peru), were solo. Just because you’re traveling with others in a group tour doesn’t mean you’re not a solo traveler- I like to define solo traveler as someone who makes their own decisions about how, when, and why they travel, and joining an Intrepid trip as a solo traveler is a practical way to visit a bucket-list destination without having to wait for anyone else.

8. Intrepid attracts travelers with good attitudes

Of all the Intrepid trips I’ve been on, something I’ve noticed that remains consistent is the great attitude of the other travelers. The style of small-group adventure travel that Intrepid fosters tends to attract good-natured, easy-going, adventurous, repeat travelers that are passionate about expanding horizons and learning new things. Chances are, if you join an Intrepid trip, you’ll be in good company- and who knows, and maybe you’ll see me out there!

9. If you only want to travel with women, Intrepid has an option for that!

Intrepid recently relaunched a special trip category of Women’s Expeditions that are designed to take female travelers into the diverse lives of women around the world. Their Women’s Expedition in Peru is an industry first, because not only are the trip leaders and travelers all female, but all porters along the Inca Trail are also female. The itinerary for the Women’s Expedition in Peru is different from the Inca Trail Express trip that I’ve referenced in this article, and offers more inclusions for experiences and activities that benefit local women. You can read more about the relaunch of Intrepid Travel’s Women’s Expeditions and the other destinations where they are offered here.

Are you planning a trip to Machu Picchu and have a question about my experience with Intrepid Travel? Let me know in the comments below!

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