To apply for the student discount, the valid documentation is a university identification card, which must contain the following information:

1. Name of the University
2. Full Name of the student, the name must match the personal information in your passport
3. Photo of the student
4. Student Identification Number
5. Expiration date (must be valid throughout your trip)

If the university identification card does not possess all of the abovementioned information, the Ministry of Culture will not grant the discount. 

Once you have made your reservation, and have registered as a student, you must bring your original university identification card (NOT a copy) to the hike to access the Inka Trail. On the contrary, you will not be able to access the Inka Trail and will loose your permit, as your student registration will be invalid.

For all of our hikes, we have implemented a first-aid kit equipped with all medical times needed for an emergency.

Among the items in our first-aid kits you will find: hydrogen peroxide, tincture of iodine, germicidal soap, cotton, gauze, bandages (small, medium, and large), medical adhesive tape, medical gloves, bronchodilators (pills or inhalers), analgesics for muscle soreness (cream), analgesics for stomach pains, antipyretics, anti-allergy medicine, anti-inflammatories, antispasmodics, oral rehydration salts, laxatives, ophtalmic drops, creams or liquids for long-term relief from sun exposure, creams or liquids for long-term relief from burns, limb immobilizers, blood pressure monitor, and thermometer.

IMPORTANT: Keep in mind that only a medical professional can write up a medical prescription. Our guides do NOT have the power to prescribe a treatment for clients. For this reason, throughout the hike, all pharmaceuticals will be administerd under your consent and under your own responsibilty.

If you have a medical prescription, it is recommended you bring your own medication(s).

If you have medical restrictions for some or all the activities detailed in your booking. Please contact your doctor and inquire about the risks of doing said activities

For hikers who are traveling to Cusco from places at sea level, we recommend you arrive 2 or 3 days before the start of your tour. The two most common illnesses that afflict tourists are: altitude sickness (soroche) and stomach pains, which are due to slow digestion. 

Regarding altitude sickness, the symptoms that may manifest include: headaches and nausea. There are pills you can take in order to counter the effect of altitude sickness. 

Consult with your doctor. If the symtomps persist, we highly recommend the use of supplemental oxygen. For these types of inconveniences, we have at our disposal the necessary equipment and count with the support of  trained personnel to assist clients immediately.

Regarding stomach pains, it is recommended to drink a sufficient amount of water (from 3 to 5 liters a day). This is very important as the body needs this to stay hydrated. We especially recommend drinking hot beverages, such as coca tea. During your first two days in Cusco, we also recommend you eat soups, vegetables, carbohydrates (no fried foods or heavy meals), as well as candies, chocolates, cookies, and fruit, all of which are foods that are easy to digest. Do not consume alcoholic drinks or smoke cigarettes.

You must sleep as much as possible (an average of 8 hours a day) and you should refrain from excercising too much. Try to always keep your body warm and wear warm clothes to protect yourself from the cold. Throughout your acclimatisation period, you should never forget the following: eat right and drink lots of liquids.

Clients must inform their travel agencies of any medical restrictions they may have prior to the start of their trip. Examples of medical restrictions include: allergies, special diets, any medication the client is currently taking, and health problems. In case of severe medical restrictions, we recommend you check with your doctor so that they can approve your participation in the hike. The information that you send to us will be very important as it will help us devise a plan so that you can have a more pleasant and worry-free trip.

The use of sunscreen is very necessary given Peru’s proximity to the Equator. Bear in mind that the sun’s rays are stronger at high altitude. Due to the fact that the equatorial sun is significantly stronger in intensity from what most visitors are used to enduring, the risk of sunburns is doubly serious. Bring a hat/cap as well as sunscreen for your face and lips. Wear high-quality sunglasses to protect your eyes. 

Also, bring insect repellent as you will definitely encounter mosquitos during the third and fourth day of the hike.

There are no restrictions, with regards to a client’s physical condition, for this hike. However, it is strongly recommended that clients be in good physical condition.

If you have any medical restrictions, we recommend you check with your doctor so that they can approve your participation in the hike.

Clients must inform their travel agencies of any medical restrictions they may have prior to the start of their trip. Examples of medical restrictions include: allergies, special diets, any medication the client is currently taking, health problems, or any medical condition that has to be notified in order to devise a plan so that you can have a more pleasant and worry-free trip.

The weather varies considerably, with two well-defined seasons: rainy season from November to March and dry season from April to October. However, in recent years, the weather has been changing substantially and the seasons are not as well-defined as before, most often than not resulting in rains during the dry season.

In the rainy season, temperatures may fluctuate between 5ºC and 30ºC during the day; while in the dry season, temperatures range between -5ºC and 35ºC throughout the day. In June, July, and August, there may be sub-zero temperatures due to winter frosts. 

The lowest temperatures will be experienced at night-time, both in the city as well as during the hike.

Throughout the day, the cold will not be an inconvenience as you will always be in motion and thus, will not feel it a lot. However, the temperatures will drop at night-time.

There are portable bathrooms available for use at different points throughout the hike. The portable bathrooms consist of a tent and a toilet with a water pump. It is also important to know that there are public bathrooms available for use, set up by the Government, which will be located in the following points:

FIRST DAY

1. Km 104, start of the hike-
2. In Wiñayhuayna – first campsite, dry toilet (no fee).

SECOND DAY

1. In Machupicchu, the hotel has set up public bathrooms. You have to pay a fee to use these. 

TIPS are benevolent gestures of gratitude on behalf of clients towards the expedition crew, as well as to cooks and porters. Tips are absolutely voluntary, you may choose to give tips and you may choose not to, and there are no fixed rates. Tips are voluntary as the expedition staff earns a good salary for the services rendered.

However, it is necessary to provide clients with a reference point regarding  how much should one tip, based off of experiences with previous clients in the past years.

For cooks, approximately $30. This amount is shared by all members of the group.

For each porter, approximately $25. This amount is shared by all members of the group.

If you wish to stay an extra night in Aguas Calientes after your hike, you must consider the following:

Train Ride Back: When making the tour reservations, inform the necessary parties in order to appropiately schedule your return by train. In case you decide to change your return date after the reservation has been made and, consequently, the train tickets have already been purchased, scheduling a new date and time for your train ride back to Cusco will be subjected to the availability of tickets of the train company.

Hotel: There you will find a wide variety of hotels belonging to different tiers, which range from 1 to 5 stars and include all price ranges. During peak tourist season, we recommend you book your hotel ahead of time. If you need help with this, we will be ready to assist you in any way possible.

Food: There you will find a wide variety of tourist and local restaurants of different sizes. In tourist restaurants, the price of entrées will fluctuate between $8 to $30 approximately. In local restaraunts, the price will range between $5 to $8 approximately.

If you require assistance with making your hotel reservation in Aguas Calientes, we can do so free of charge. Again, it is worth noting that, in Aguas Calientes, there is a wide variety of hotels belonging to different tiers. In Aguas Calientes you may also make use of and enjoy the town’s thermal baths.

Protests and national strikes are strategic measures taken by people from a given region or province. In these situations, WAYKI TREK’s main priority is to protect our clients. For this reason, we will take preventative measures if these situations arise. These measures, however, may: alter already agreed-upon itineraries or generate changes in the itinerary. In extreme cases, we will have to cancel and reschedule the tour. We ask clients to please bear this in mind and follow any procedures dictated by the company as we only do it to protect our clients.

On the first day of the hike, clients must bring their own water, which can be purchased in the city or at Km. 104. After our first lunch, if you do want to purchase water, you can do it in Machu Picchu, or Aguas Calientes town .

Throughout the Inca trail 2 days, You just need to have your devices very well charged because you will walk around 5 hour until arriving machupicchu and Aguas Calientes where you will be able to recarge youdevices.

*This service may have an additional cost, as it is not a regular service. Consult with your guide.

You will be able to find sales stalls at different points throughout the hike, where you can purchase water, coca-cola, chocolates, cookies, and other basic food items from locals. These services will only be available on the first and second day. On the second day, the last of these stops will be in Llulluchapampa, at mid-mountain, before crossing the mountain’s highest pass.

Another place where you will be able to buy things is in Machu Picchu. There, the hotel you will be staying in has a small shop where you can buy water, sodas, and sandwiches.

There are two entrance shifts for Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain, the first one is at 7:00am and the second one is at 10:00am. We recommend you make your reservations in advance as there are only 200 available spots for each shift. 

Before booking, however, you must consider the following:

If you are on the 4-day Inka Trail;

The plausibility of booking tickets for Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu mountain the day you get to Machu Picchu depends on which campsite you’re staying in on your last night. There are two campsite options on the last night: Wiñaywayna and Phuyupatamarca. If your campsite is located in Wiñayhuayna, it is possible to make the reservations the day we get to Machu Picchu, although there may be some time constraints. If your campsite is located in Phuyupatamarca, we do not recommend waiting to book your tickets until we get to Machu Picchu as we will be arriving relatively late (10:30am approximately).

Itinerary for Huayna Picchu visit on the fourth day or the day you get to Machu Picchu:

On that day, we will be running on a tight schedule as we will be leaving the Wiñayhuayna campsite only after the main control gate opens. The schedule is as following:

5:30am to 5:40 am : Departure from the Wiñayhuayna campsite and start of the hike.

6:20am to 7:00 am: Arrival at the Sun Gate (Intipunku)

10 min to 30min : Break and time for taking pictures at the Sun Gate. The group will collectively decide for how long we will stay here.

7:10am to 7: 50am: Arrival at the citadel of Machu Picchu , break and time for taking pictures from the upper part of the citadel, an approximate of 20 to 30 minutes. 

7:40am to 8:20am: Departure to the main checkpoint, where they record all Inka Trail arrivals, put away backpacks and use restrooms, this will take around 20 to 30 minutes.

8:20am – 9:00am: Re-entry to Machupicchu for the guided tour, the tour usually lasts 2 hours.

10:30 – 11:00am: Guided tour.

This itinerary will depend on the clients’ paces throughout the hike and the breaks they take at the abovementioned places.

Following this itinerary, if you choose to visit Huayna Picchu, you will be obliged to abandon the guided tour midway in order to make it to the 10:00am entrance shift to Huayna Picchu.

We recommend, however, you climb Huayna Picchu the next day on any of the two entrance shifts so that you can enjoy a calm, pleasant, and stress-free visit of the citadel. To pick the appropriate entrance shift to Huayna Picchu you must also keep in mind the time of your train ride back to Cusco.

For hikes that have the option of spending the night in Aguas Calientes:

With this option, you can start heading to Machu Picchu as early as 6am. After the guided tour of the citadel, you may climb Huayna Picchu on the 10am entrance shift.

Bring only what is necessary and leave the rest in your hotel. Necessary items include:

• A hiking backpack (10-15 liters of gear capacity). According to ministerial regulations, travelers are permitted to enter the citadel with backpacks that measure up to 40 x 35 x 20 cm and weigh between 23-30 liters. However, we strongly suggest our clients to bring a hiking packpack that weighs a maximum of 15 liters.
• A sleeping bag that can, at a bare minimum, withstand -5ºC temperatures. Sleeping bags may be synthetic or made of down. If you do not have a sleeping bag, you can rent one from WAYKI TREK.
• Trekking poles with a rubber base. You can bring your own or rent them from WAYKI TREK.
• Clothing items for the hike: Hiking boots, waterproof pants, waterproof shorts, t-shirts, a light sweater, a rain jacket, loungewear and pajamas for the campsites, socks, sandalas, hat/cap, sunglasses, and underwear. With regards to loungewear and pajamas, the following should be kept in mind: these clothing items should be made from cotton to warm you up, especially on the first two nights. Wearing lightweight clothing will also make you feel more comfortable and relaxed on the hike. To this end, clothing made from waterproof materials is also very good as it ensures that rain and sweat dry off fast. You should also bring a warm jacket and clothes made from a thick cotton blend for the low temperatures that you may encounter in the campsites at night.
• Three plastic bags so that you can separate clothes in your backpack (clean, wet, and dirty clothes).
• If you stay an extra night in Aguas Calientes: do not hesitate to bring a clean change of clothes so that, after the hike, you can take a refreshing shower. In addition, do not forget to bring a bathing suit if you want to visit the town’s thermal baths.
• Personal hygiene items. You should bring enough of these to last you for the entire hike: Towel, soap, toothpaste, tootbrush, wet wipes.
• Medicine: If you have a medical prescription, bring your medication(s). Finally, bring anti-blister gel to prevent from outbursts on the soles of the feet due to the long hiking days.
• Self-recharging LED flashlight (they will be used every night at the campsites), which don’t have a negative environmental impact.
• Digital camera with an external memory of 2 to 4 GB (optional)
• Sunglasses with UV-ray protection
• 60 SPF (UVB-UVA) waterproof sunscreen
• Insect repellent in cream form, NOT in waterproof spray form.
• Swiss knife
• Water bottle
• Pocket money to purchase beverages throughout the hike (optional). If you choose to stay an extra night in Aguas Calientes, you should remember to bring cash as the money in the local ATM’s runs out really fast due to high demand. If you decide not to stay and you just want to have lunch in Aguas Calientes, bring cash to avoid the same inconvenience. Preferably, bring local currency (Peruvian nuevos Soles).

1. Before the start of the trek (Km 82) we will go through a control point where you will have to show the passport that was used to make the booking of the trail. All of the information must match the information on the permits. This will be verified by government staff. Only after this verification is done, will you be granted access to the Inca Trail. In the event that the information does not match their and our records, you will be denied entry. (Ministry of culture regulation).
   IMPORTANT: if you have made your booking with an old passport and then you have obtained a new one with a different number, please contact WAYKI TREK as soon as possible to modify this information. This procedure has to be done no later than 1 week prior your trip. Otherwise the modification will have a penalty fee and will generate a big inconvenience to change it at the very last minute.
2. Every section of the trail is marked as to show our trekkers the route where they must remain. This is done with the purpose to protect the environment of the area. If you become curious about a specific area outside of the marked one, please reach out to your tour guide before.
3. The campsites are determined beforehand by the government. These are also mentioned in the permits or admission tickets that you will receive. We must adhere with the regulations, respect fellow trekkers, and avoid unruly behavior.
4. Please deposit all garbage in the containers located in each campsite. If you have the need to dispose of any kind of garbage during the trek please advise the porters as they carry a plastic bag for this purpose.
5. Bonfires are strictly PROHIBITED by government regulation. The area where the Inca trail is located is a very vulnerable ecosystem and has suffered several fires in years past that have greatly damaged some areas of the trail. We want to avoid similar incidents from happening again.
6. It is also FORBIDDEN to climb or attempt to climb any walls on the archeological sites, pick up flowers that are indigenous to the area, hunt animals, or take stones from the archeological sites. This type of behavior will be prosecuted by the local authorities and the government.
7. Firearms are prohibited on the trail. It is also prohibited to take, carry or possess alcoholic beverages while on the trail. At the entrance of the Inca trail, during the first control point you and your belongings will be inspected to guarantee that said items do not enter the trail. We must also respect other fellow trekkers doing the route and the trail itself as the area is a historic sanctuary.8
8. In the event of an emergency, please reach out immediately to your tour guide, or to any Inca Trail staff located along the route. They can assist you in any type of emergency.

IMPORTANT: the tour guide MUST follow the company policy in regards of treatment of passengers and assistance. Which was previously agreed from both parts. 

9. The trail is pretty safe, however you must follow the instructions given by your tour guide and ALWAYS BE ALERT. There are sections of the trail which are 3 meters wide and then there are others which are very narrow. Along the trail, you will see mountains, deep valleys, rivers, e.g. this natural trail is a very beautiful place. If you’d like to stop to contemplate the landscape and scenery, you must come to a complete stop, and then continue with the trek.

The government will only allow us to update passport numbers if we have a copy of both the previous and current passport. If you no longer have your previous passport, any government form of identification will be accepted, provided that the First and Last Name are the same.

Most people travel to Cusco by air. Please note that the Cusco airport operates national flights only. Therefore, if you come directly from abroad to Lima, you are going to need to pick up your bags at the airport and re-check them for your flight to Cusco. There are four airlines that fly back and forth between Lima and Cusco: LATAM Airlines, AVIANCA Airlines, Star Peru, and Peruvian Airlines. All of these airlines offer similar schedules and flight services, but we generally recommend LATAM Airlines. You also have the option of travelling to Cusco by land. Please keep in mind that it takes approximately 24 hours to get from Lima to Cusco. If you have any questions or want more information on the matter, please consult with WAYKI’s sales representatives.

While you can stay at any hotel in Cusco, it is becoming increasingly difficult to travel in the city by car. In WAYKI TREK, we commit ourselves to picking you up from your place of lodging, be it in the city center or in the surrounding areas, specially now that it has become increasingly popular to stay in apartments or in rooms within houses. In the event that our vehicle cannot access your place of lodging, our staff will help and orient you to the nearest point with vehicular access.

Of course. You can stay anywhere in the Sacred Valley. However, you must keep in mind that the INKA TRAIL route is Cusco-Urubamba-Ollantaytambo. If your hotel is located in this route, we will coordinate a specific time for your pick-up (at no additional cost). If your hotel is located outside this route, you must contact WAYKI’s sales representatives to coordinate a time for your pick-up (at an additional cost).

If you do not wish to stay in Cusco, we strongly suggest you stay in Ollantaytambo. Those that wish to stay in Ollantaytambo will be able to sleep a little bit more as we will be picking you up approximately 1.5 hours after the pick-up time in Cusco. That being said, we will coordinate a briefing session ahead of our trip. In the worst of cases, we will schedule multiple briefing sessions according to our clients’ accomodations. If you have any questions or want more information on the matter, please consult with WAYKI’s sales representatives.

Most hotels, and even homes in Peru, are now equipped with standard US plug sockets.

Although you do not need to complete any specific kind of training for the Cusco treks, we suggest that the best way to prepare yourself physically is to exercise on the treadmill, selecting the steep slopes configuration, as well as going up and down stairs or using the stairmaster. Please keep in mind that you will need between 2 to 3 days in Cusco before the start date of your trek.

We always recommend using the lightest possible trekking shoes. Those that provide ankle support are very useful, especially for inexperienced hikers, as you will be going up and down a lot of stairs made by our ancestors, the Incas.

No. However, walking sticks are always useful for hikers, specially when completing this trek.  This is because there are a lot of trails that vary in altitude and are not always straight. Thus when you are in these trails, using walking sticks can really help relieve the accumulated pressure in your knees as well as help you climb the mountain. In addition, our walking sticks are adjustable. As such, when you are not using them, you can shorten the walking sticks so that they do not bother you. For those who want to bring their own walking sticks, make sure that they have rubber tips or park rangers will not allow you to use them. In case you forgot to bring them from your home country, you may purchase rubber tips in Cusco.

All luggage that is not necessary for the trek must stay in Cusco. All hotels in Cusco are quite used to, and prepared for, storing luggage. In the event that you have nowhere to store your luggage, you may leave your bags in our offices until our advendure ends. We will make sure your bags are stored safely, do not worry!