For the Inca trail, I wouldn't be surprised if the advance notice is necessary. It used to be that you could hike it yourself, or with pretty much any guide you felt like hiring. You no longer can do that - you have to hire a certified guide for the trail, and there aren't a huge number of them, so they probably book up their groups well in advance, just to know what to plan on. The official guide fees are set fees, so if a particular tour operator is charging you more than another, they're just adding an extra fee for themselves - book through someone else.
Originally Posted by
neuromancer
Hi everybody,
does anyone have experience with the Inca trail from Cusco to Machu Picchu? I am planning to do this trip, but some things are not clear. When checking the websites of agencies, it looks like you have to book and pay 1 month in advance due to regulations. Is it just a way to make tourists pay more when they book the most expensive tour operators from abroad? Or I can go to Cusco and book there, like, 2 days in advance?
Does this apply to the Inca trail only, or every other visit to Machu Picchu, for example by train?
If I really have to book in advance, where would you recommend?
Thank you very much,
Neuromancer