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Here in Cusco, tourism season is organized this way: it goes from March to January the following year; high season is from March to early November (almost no rain) and many people come anyway in November, December and January (rainy season). Every February the Inca Trails are closed for maintenance works. Finally, starting this year, all tickets for the Inca Trails will begin to be sold in October. Here we’re going to clarify all this information for you, and showing in the process our top alternatives to the Classic 4-Day Inca Trail.

Suppose you really want to do the Classic 4-Day Inca Trail in 2018… say sometime between March and June, which would be on high season; then of course you shouldn’t wait until October to start booking your tickets, remember that the Classic 4-Day Inca Trail is the most demanded tour in Peru, actually for 2017 it is sold out until early November. So, you may contact us in early August and provide all the data we need in order to start asking for permits with the Peruvian government office which controls the Inca Trails. We have a very high rate of successful booking for the Inca Trails, however, given that there are only about 500 permits per day (including those for porters, helpers and all related staff which are required for the Trail), sometimes it is not possible to obtain all tickets that we are required.

Now if you really want to visit Peru and do the Classic 4-Day Inca Trail and for the reasons mentioned above the Trail is not available, then you still can visit Peru in 2018… because you really feel like taking a vacation! And we have top alternatives.

On this particular situation, we can assure that Peru has so many wonderful places and tours to offer, top alternatives, that they can surely make up for the Classic 4-Day Inca Trail; in fact, Peru offers archaeological sites with so massive constructions that there is talk among some researchers that they may have been built using alien technology… although we think this is too much out of the box, it speaks for the awe and wonder those sites inspire.

We have a complete grid of internet resources, which begins with the website, it is very user-friendly and provides all information you need for your great vacation in Peru in 2018, allows you to instantly contact us and also to link to our other sources like Tripadvisor and YouTube, so you can have a full, whole multimedia vision of our top alternatives and what your visit to Peru will be like.

Here’s a list of all the top alternatives we offer instead of the Classic 4-Day Inca Trail:

1.- Direct Tours to Machu Picchu:

We have wonderful packages going straight to the magnificent Inca citadel, either by bus or train, or combining both. In 2018 you may want to experience traveling on elegant, top class trains like the Vistadome (panoramic ceiling and windows and all the comfort you look for on vacation) or the Hiram Bingham Luxury Train (a 5-star one) on which you will enjoy the most beautiful landscapes with all the comfort and the best on board service. All tours in Machu Picchu are professionally guided and take from 2:30 to 3:00 hours, and some of them even include extra time for you to continue exploring the citadel on your own itinerary. Some of these packages also include hiking the Huayna Picchu, one of the brother mountains at the citadel, from where you’ll have priceless views of the site and its surroundings. All are available on a daily basis.

2.- Other Inca Trails:

The Short 2-Day Inca Trail has more availability and is a top alternative for the Classic 4-Day Inca Trail; it’s hiking on day 1 from 9 am to 4 pm, and the Machu Picchu tour on day 2, but no camping at night. Now for those adventurers who are looking for a challenge bigger than the Classic 4-Day Inca Trail, we have the Salkantay Trek (5 days and 4 nights) and the Lares Trek (4 days and 3 nights), which are hikes that will take you through the most demanding terrains of the Andes, the most demanding weather conditions, and the highest altitudes. You can check our online resources for more information about these top alternatives in 2018! And more important, except for the Short 2-Day Inca Trail, we have daily departures.

3.- Tours in Cusco City and Nearby Attractions:

Cusco city is a place full of history and natural beauty, and so are its surrounding areas like the Sacred Valley of the Incas and the megalithic Sacsayhuaman site; we have daily departures for these tours which are done on a very relaxed pace, with the best logistics and comfort, professionally guided, these are classic tours for you to see, learn, enjoy and take tons of pictures of the amazing remains the Inca empire left in the Cusco region, as well as its wonderful, energizing nature.

4.- Titicaca Lake Tours:

Even on higher altitudes than Cusco, practically touching the blue, wide sky, there is the Titicaca Lake, which offers landscapes of stunning beauty, very relaxing motor boat journeys around the Lake and its islands and also the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful folklore of the people who live there, which preserves traditions that date back to Inca times and earlier. Daily departures for these top alternatives.

5.- Tours in Lima and Arequipa:

Also daily departures for touring Peru’s two larger cities in 2018; Lima offers all the comforts of a contemporary, cosmopolite city, and on top of it, you can also explore its Inca remains and enjoy an adventure visiting the islands and natural reserves close to the coastline. Arequipa is also a modern town, with unforgettable landscapes and attractions, like the Santa Catalina Convent (a must for all visitors) and the Misti volcano – inactive but with a majestic presence. Also we offer the Colca Canyon tour, an adventure exploring this geographical attraction which also has plenty of typical flora and fauna.Top alternatives mixing urban and natural touring.

6.- Peru Travel Packages:

These are extended tours that include Machu Picchu, but are really comprehensive in terms of covering the most of the attractions Andean nature and Inca archaeological remains can offer. Even more, they can reach Lima and the Titicaca Lake area. Really something to consider for 2018! Available daily. These packages can be totally personalized for our travelers’ best convenience: you can choose the itineraries, type of accommodations, schedules and so on.

So there is plenty of top traveling to do in Peru! We hope this article is useful for those who aren’t doing the Classic 4-Day Inca Trail for 2018’s first half. Remember we have very helpful and interesting multimedia additional information on all our internet resources.


You do have many top alternatives instead of the Classic 4-Day Inca Trail! Contact our professional staff to choose a wonderful package for your dream vacation in 2018!