Classic Machu Picchu tour

Planet

Our classic Cusco & Machu Picchu itinerary has a heavy focus on environmentally responsible travel and organic, local agriculture. We work with local partners that have an eye toward eco conservation and protection of the landscape, especially in regards to the trekking portion of our trip. The hike is no-trace camping, and organic compost is separated from other trash. We also work with restaurants and farms for organic, local foods that are also culturally appropriate in the Andes region including many native varieties of potatoes, vegetables, corn and quinoa.

Any time we buy snacks for the road, we look for fresh and local bites; in Peru this might be fresh fruits, toasted corn, or sweet potato chips.

On all of our trips, we focus on reduction of plastic and make sure that water jugs are available for refilling personal reusable water bottles. In the event of waste, recycle and composting, we direct client to the appropriate bins and disposal method. In Peru, safe, filtered water is easily available at our accommodations and restaurants. We also provide guests with a special discount code for a Grayl water filter if they'd like to reduce plastic waste even more by drinking filtered tap water.

People

This trip prioritizes locally-owned suppliers including our boutique hotels, trekking porters, local guides, transportation providers, and restaurants. Our accommodations are locally owned and many have community partnerships, such as hotel partners that also have an organic farm, distillery, and coffee roaster.

We work with the same local tour guide on each trip, and he has a deep knowledge of Incan culture and its role in society today and provides in-depth perspective and context as we learn about the unique place we're visiting.

We also visit a local school that has a Quechua language & cultural preservation program and offers scholarships to kids in the community that otherwise couldn’t afford to attend. 5% of trip sales are donated to the school for their scholarship program. We believe that a sound understanding of the local culture and community is essential to a transformative travel experience.

For the Inca Trail hike, we work with a local operator that provides fair, competitive wages to its guides and porters.