The Inca trail is scattered with ancient monuments and Incan sites and is definitely worth the effort; however, you should book the tour a lot in advance. There is no fixed time on how early to book; what you have to do is book early, the earlier, the better as long as you find available spaces for the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.
Since 2001, the Peruvian government has instituted a quota system on how many travelers can be on the Inca trail on any given day and the passes now sell out months in advance during the high season. Availability for the Inca Trail can be checked at our website or at the Instituto Nacional de Cultura Cusco website itself. You must book with a tour operator well in advance of when you wish to walk the Inca trail, as it is not allowed to organize your own trip. Don’t expect to pick up last-minute cancellations either, as tour organizers must register client passport numbers with the government, and they are strictly checked at control points on the Inca trail.
The Inca Trail is part of the Machu Picchu Sanctuary, a protected area of 32,592 hectares, managed by the National Institute of Natural Resources, INRENA. Every visitor must obey park regulations prohibiting littering, cutting or damaging trees, removing or damaging stones of ruins and the Inca Trail, removing plants, killing animals, lighting open fires or camping in the archeological sites (Only authorized campsites can be used).
At TOUR IN PERU, we are proud to provide daily departure tours to Machu Picchu; this means you can go any day you want as long as there is availability of spaces “Tickets are sold on a first-come and first-served basis.”
