Inca Trail to Machu Picchu with Alpaca Expeditions | Tips and Suggestions

In this video, we break down our 4 day/ 3 night trek to Machu Picchu with Alpaca Expeditions. Included in the video is a checklist of packing recommendations from Alpaca Expeditions, what’s included/not included in the trek, tipping suggestions, rental options, a breakdown of the provided duffel bags the porters carry, our tips, FAQ and gear recommendations. If you’re planning a trek to Machu Picchu, this is the perfect video for you!
Day 1- 1:40
Day 2- 3:02
Day 3- 6:09
Day 4- 9:10
Alpaca Expeditions checklist- 11:54
Tipping- 12:30
What’s included in trek- 13:22
Not included in trek- 14:29
Rentals- 14:36
Map- 15:40
Duffel Bags- 15:57
Our Tips- 17:05
FAQ- 18:47
Gear Recommendations- 24:46
Our guides were Isao, Sergio (both Spanish/English speaking guides) & Ceprian (Spanish speaking guide). All 3 guides were great and made us feel comfortable throughout the trek. They are highly recommended!
Check out part 1 of our trek here: • Hiking the Inca Trail ...
We hope you find this video helpful, please consider liking and subscribing to our channel! Thank you!

[@joshuataylor7312]

Thank you for this great video! Very informative!

[@yeseniaromero3186]

Great tips! Thanks !!!

[@traveladdicts2019]

Such an informative video. You really present things well. Thank you very much.

[@Castaways_Travel]

Thanks! It was our first time trying a video like this and there was just so much information. We hoped it would be helpful to anyone doing the trek.

[@TreknEats]

Nice and informative video! 👍🏽

[@AhmedAli-vq7mc]

Life savers. Thank you. Never slept in a sleeping bag and was dreading it as I get so warm and sleep on my side. I’ll get the portable blanket like you suggested. I’m also doing the trail first week of May

[@Castaways_Travel]

We’re glad it was a helpful tip. We’ve definitely done it several times since. I can’t believe it’s been a year for us already! Have a great trek! The weather in May last year was perfect for us.

[@Stella-rv8kg]

very helpfull

[@kw8282]

Excellent video🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@Castaways_Travel]

🙏🏽 Thank you. We hope it was helpful.

[@clwang0389]

Hey! Great video - super informative. Would love to know what you guys did to prep from a fitness perspective! Thanks!

[@Castaways_Travel]

Thanks! I don’t think we did much more than we usually do. Maybe we were a little more adamant about our workout routines but nothing crazy. But legs and lungs are what I recommend you focus on if you’re going to train for it. And ACCLIMATE. Super important We just finished the TMB in Europe and I did 6 months of intense training with an elevation mask on the peloton for that one and I truly felt like it paid off. Especially on those steep inclines. So I can definitely recommend biking to help with your cardio endurance. Hope that helps! Thank you for watching!!

[@zamus2004]

Thanks

[@hpiner]

This was a wonderful, informative video. I've watched tons, and really appreciate how much info you provided. We are planning to go the last week of April next year, so similar weather (I would hope, as you all didn't mention rain). But, one burning question, you mention you didn't acclimate long enough and suggest people do. I would love to know how long you were in Cusco before heading out on the trek? We've seen 2-3 days and I'm struggling to do better than flying in two mornings before we trek, so just about 48 hours. Thanks again for the video. Also, one of the pros of AE was the portable potty they say they bring along. Sorry to hear they didn't bring one.

[@Castaways_Travel]

Thanks for watching! We’re glad it was helpful. It really only rained once for a few hours on our trek and we were already at our last campsite early by then. Perfect napping weather 👌🏽. We landed in Lima on a Friday, flew in to Cusco the next day on Saturday and started the trail on that Sunday. We literally went straight to the AE offices from the airport and were even a few minutes late to our AE briefing because our flight was a little delayed. One short night at a great hostel we stayed at, El Balcon, and a very early wake up the next morning to start the trail. Definitely nowhere near enough time for proper acclimating. Two days seems to be the minimum recommendation so you should be okay there.

[@Mysticcycles]

Those guys work so hard! Please tip!

[@Denisse2ecu]

Excellent video! Can't wait to experience the same. I have a question about bug spray. Does any work better than others?

[@Castaways_Travel]

We have always used deet on our clothing and skin for our outdoor adventures and it worked well for us in Peru. Some prefer Permethrin. Deet is a repellent whereas Permethrin is highly toxic and usually kills the insect and is typically used on gear and clothing and can last much longer. Either will work just depends on your personal preference. Thank you for watching and good luck on you trip. It’s going to be amazing!

[@mullettv3445]

Thank you for making this video, my wife and I have a trip scheduled for Oct 2023. Quick question, what size pack did you take LITER size? Thanks

[@Castaways_Travel]

Glad it was helpful. I actually don’t know the exact sizes of our backpacks. They aren’t hiking specific just regular molle “tactical” type backpacks. If I had to guess I’d say mine was around 30l and hers was around 20l. Mine is from 5.11. Have a great trip!

[@C_Brucehard]

Great video! I am hiking the trail this coming Tuesday. You recommend just a light jacket and a medium jacket to layer and carry while hiking? I have a light jacket and a nano-puff Patagonia I am going to bring. I generally get pretty hot pretty quickly while hiking.

[@Castaways_Travel]

Thanks! You should be good with just those. I think I only brought my puffy jacket and a thin long sleeve pullover. I used the puffy jacket a lot but it was only really cold in the mornings and at night but like you said you warm up quickly when the sun comes out and you start hiking with a significant elevation gain. You’d probably even be good with just a good puffy jacket and a hat/gloves if you’re looking to save some space.

[@C_Brucehard]

@@Castaways_Travel thank you!

[@Seedsinarizona]

such great info!! What state did you travel to Lima from and what airlines did you use??

[@Castaways_Travel]

Thanks! We hope it’s helpful for anyone trekking with AE. We came from Texas and flew with Spirit Airlines to Lima and then with Viva Air to Cusco. I’ve been told that Viva Air doesn’t exist anymore though or has been absorbed.

[@maverickcorner]

Thank you for the detailed information..How did you fly into Cusco and/or from where.Any recommendation is appreciated

[@Castaways_Travel]

We’re glad it was helpful! We flew into Lima and then took a round trip to Cusco with the airline Viva Air. We really didn’t know much about them at the time but we were glad we chose them when we kept reading about all these cancellations with LATAM. If you’re on the Alpaca Expeditions Facebook page you can search LATAM and read all the horror stories about last minute cancellations. If you decide to go with Viva Air just make sure you print out your boarding pass before you get to the airport as they can charge you for not having a hard copy. And if you check any bags make sure you do so online. It is 4x cheaper to pay for a checked bag online with Viva Air. Don’t forget to translate the fine print and see if the checked baggage puts you in a tier for skipping the line at check in. We didn’t even realize we had this perk and could have skipped the line had we known and read more carefully. Thanks for watching!

[@sylvia3867]

I loved your video. It’s so informative and answered so many questions I had while planning our trip, one of which was the showers! Thank you very much for making it.

[@Castaways_Travel]

You are welcome! We are glad it was helpful to you and jealous everyone seems to be planning their treks soon. Have a great trip! It’s going to be awesome.

[@jessy5453]

thank you for this amazing video ( I also watched your actual hike video too, which is even better) My husband and I are going next month, finally!! One question in regards to tipping (we are also booked with Alpaca Expeditions) since we are not sure how many porters we will have, I believe it will be 2 chefs, would $150 (USD) be enough for both chefs and porters? I am having a hard time figuring this out. We don't want to undertip but wasn't sure if that is a good amount or if it should be more. Thank you again for the great info and glad you had an amazing time

[@Castaways_Travel]

Hey! We’re glad you enjoyed the video. We hoped it would be helpful for those hiking with Alpaca Expeditions. Again, tipping is pretty subjective and everyone is going to have a different opinion settling on one standard amount, but like I said the overwhelming consensus is that you will more than likely want to tip more than you originally planned. I suggest you just bring enough cash in case you feel the same. I think we wound up tipping around $360 grand total and originally planned for around $250. We planned $100 for our guide but didn’t account for the two assistant guides on our trek so we split another $100 between them. I think we gave $60 to the porter pot and $100 for the chefs, because of how impressed we were with the meals and because of how he took care of Courtney on her birthday with that amazing two tiered cake! I think $200+ is a good number for tips and probably a good starting point. Thanks for watching. Have a great trip!

[@jessy5453]

@@Castaways_Travel Awesome! thank you, this really puts things in perspective, I certainly do not want to undertip. Alpaca seems to do an incredible job at making sure everyone has a great time. I appreciate the assistance and will certainly take your advice, THANK YOU! please keep making more videos :)

[@jamesclark9806]

Thank you for the recap. I’m considering this trip through Alpaca. Curious how much time, if any, you got to explore Manchu Picchu after the guided tour? Did you find this to be enough? I did notice that you were able to take another trip. Thank you, James.

[@Castaways_Travel]

I don’t think we were afforded any time to explore on our own after the guided tour. I think the tour was enough but it certainly would have been nicer to have more time but I think they have to keep a strict schedule to catch the train back to Ollantaytambo in time. I’m not sure what second trip you’re referring to.

[@jamesclark9806]

Thank you for the response! I’m watching so many different videos that I got them confused. Sorry…there was one where it was super cloudy the day they got off the trail, but they went back up on a clear day.

[@Castaways_Travel]

Ah. Yeah that’s actually pretty common. I think we even had to wait a few minutes for it to clear but we got lucky with perfect weather once it did. We highly recommend Alpaca Expeditions and are hoping to do another trek with them again someday. Thanks for watching!

[@leslybarahona80]

Thanks guys love your video!! Can you please tell me which bag did you use ? I’m doing the Inca trial in June but I’m not sure if to get 30 liters bag or 40s ! Hope you can help thanks a lot !

[@Castaways_Travel]

We just used regular day packs with chest straps for our trek since there are porters included with Alpaca Expeditions. The porters can carry up to 7kg or 15 pounds of anything you want. If you rent the sleeping pad and sleeping bag from them this will take up half (3.5kg or 7 pounds) of your total allotted weight. We used our day packs for extra socks, snacks, a lightweight rain jacket, a lightweight jacket, sunscreen, insect repellent, headlamps, camera equipment/batteries, a little first aid gear, and we each had a camelback of water. Mine carried 3 liters of water and Courtney’s camelback carried 2 liters. We also carried our personal hygiene gear in our day packs with toothbrushes, toothpaste and Dude Wipes. Our daypacks were sufficient for the Inca Trail with porters. Just make sure if you go the day pack route your pack at least has a chest strap. If you decide to go with hiking backpacks I am sure 30 liters would be more than enough. Also, once you get to Machu Picchu, large backpacks are not permitted and you would have to pay for it to be stored while you are inside. We paid a few soles for the storage anyway just to be free of our packs for a while but some people like to keep theirs with them. A 40 liter pack would probably be too big to take inside Machu Picchu and would need to be stored. I hope that was helpful. Thanks for watching!

[@cancunale1]

@@Castaways_Travel how much did it cost to rent a sleeping pad and bag from them? debating on renting one to have more space for other things in my bag.

[@Castaways_Travel]

@@cancunale1 Sorry, I just saw this! For some reason KZbin isn't notifying me about replies. The Alpaca Expeditions rental costs are as follows: Walking Sticks: $15 per person Sleeping Bags: $20 per person Air Sleeping Pad: $15 per person

[@rodrigoflores6990]

great video, I do have a question. so tipping is something you don't want to cheap out since these people make the trip so much better. but you mention tipping is about 60 soles per helper and double for the chef. and you said is about 16/20 helpers and a cook, so we are talking about $300 usd per individual person in the group or this is collected from the whole group?

[@Castaways_Travel]

Thank you! Great question. The opinions on tipping are pretty all over the place, so there’s no black and white answer but the general consensus is that by the end of the trek you will have the urge to tip a lot more than you anticipated. Like you mentioned, Alpaca Expeditions suggests that each porter receives approximately 60 soles per person and double that for the chef ($15 USD per porter and $30 for the chef) AFTER the groups money is pooled. You will decide with your group whether to tip as a group or individually. We decided to tip as a group so this is how we did the math: There were 16 porters total so 16 porters times 60 soles each equals 960 soles. And there were 14 of us total so 960 divided by 14 equals 68 soles. So because Courtney and I were tipping for two we were suggested to tip at least 136 soles (about $35 USD) to the porter pool from the both of us. We wound up tipping a bit more than the suggestion by Alpaca Expeditions. The AE brochure never mentions tipping your guides which you will of course want to do. I believe we tipped $100 USD to our main guide. $100 to split between our two assistant guides. $50 to the porter pool and $100 to the chef. So $350 total from the both of us. We wanted to tip the chef well for making Courtney’s birthday so special with the cake. Hope that helps. Have a great trek and thanks for watching!

[@sherrygibson9964]

Hi! What tour company did you use for the sand dunes, boat, oasis trip???

[@Castaways_Travel]

It was an Airbnb experience. We had a lot of opinions about it. I replied to a similar question on our other Peru video and it was pretty long winded so I’ll just copy that here. Hope it helps! We did a long one day tour of Paracas and Huacachina from Lima that wound up taking almost 20 hours. Most of the tour was spent driving around in a small van to those locations because they are so far apart. We only spent a few short hours in Paracas on the boat tour. It was okay, but I would not travel to Paracas just for the tour of the Ballestas Islands. Our second stop was the Oasis town in Huacachina with sand dunes, off roading and sand dune boogey boarding. It was much more fun, but since these locations are so far apart, we did not get to spend much time there either because we had to begin the long drive back already. If we had to do it again, we would take a tour that only went to the Huacachina or even spend a night in the Oasis town. It seemed like there was still much to explore that we did not get a chance to even begin to do. We do not recommend seeing all those places in one day. It’s too many things that are too far apart from each other to enjoy in just one day. Try finding an Airbnb experience that only goes to the Oasis. If you have to choose between Paracas and Hucachina we feel like the Oasis in Huacachina was more fun with more to explore.

[@katherinenevill2966]

HI! I am going in June and was wondering where you recommend staying in Cusco?

[@Castaways_Travel]

Hi! We stayed at a little place called El Balcon for $38 USD a night. It was about a 5-10 min walk away from Plaza de Armas and the Alpaca Expeditions headquarters. Check it out on Google. Its a charming little spot with great reviews. Breakfast included. Have fun on your trek! It’s going to be amazing.

[@shawnpennington8757]

I have a fear of heights, or more specifically, of sheer drop off edges. Are there parts of the trail where there is danger of falling off the trail? As long as I have a good 3' where I can hug the mountainside, I'll be okay, but if there are parts of the path where it's a narrow strip, I'd really struggle. I am 55 and have let fear stop me from so many things in life that I don't want this to be one more of those things. Any insight would be very much appreciated. Thanks!

[@Castaways_Travel]

The Inca Trail can get a little technical in certain potions but I wouldn’t say it’s something that should deter anyone from attempting it. With proper gear (walking sticks and hiking boots), taking it as slow as you need and paying attention to your surroundings, I’m sure you could do it. There are small sections of the trail where more focus is needed but it’s all still very doable. One of the great things about Alpaca Expeditions is their amazing guides. You will never feel rushed and they will be there with you ever step of the way to help you if you are feeling insecure about any parts. I remember with us specifically we were a little anxious about what they affectionately refer to as the “gringo killer.” It’s a very steep set of stairs on the very last morning just before you reach the sun gate. One of our guides was with us and even held out walking sticks for us so we could scramble up the stairs with ease. They are truly amazing. I would recommend you join the Alpaca Expeditions Facebook group. It truly is a knowledgeable and encouraging community and I’m sure you get in contact with a ton of people your age (some a whole lot older) or those who had the same concerns before their trek who you could speak to first hand about their experience. I hope you decide to do it. It’s absolutely the trip of a lifetime and I’m positive you could do it and definitely won’t regret it. Thanks for watching!

[@jamielaymon4861]

how did you charge your camera and phones to take pictures and videos? What is your suggestion for the best camera to take?

[@Castaways_Travel]

I use a small power bank when I travel. It’s the Poseidon by a brand called Dark Energy. We only film with a GoPro and have not experimented with any other cameras yet. So for the GoPro I just utilize the feature where you hit the record button to turn the camera on and begin filming immediately and then hit the record button again to stop filming and shut the camera off. This saves the battery life. Even with filming on the trail all day I don’t think I ever ran through a whole GoPro battery but I’ll usually keep at least one or two extra batteries handy. They are small and lightweight. At night I would use the power bank to top off the GoPro battery and one iPhone and we left another phone off with full battery until we reached Machu Picchu. So, in short we used a GoPro camera and one iPhone and topped off both batteries at night with a small power bank. The power bank was more than enough to handle that job every night for a few days.

[@simonefongkong134]

What size back pack did you take

[@Castaways_Travel]

Since the porters were carrying most of our belongings, we both just had regular day packs. They were not hiking specific. No waist straps. Just “tactical” molle style backpacks. If I had to guess I’d say mine was around 30l and hers was around 20l. Mine was from 5.11. You really don’t need much in your day pack except water, snacks, maybe a down jacket and a change of socks. Your porters will have everything else ready for you at each campsite so a day pack is really only for what you want immediate access to during the hikes each day. I’d say spare yourself the weight and give anything you don’t need to them, the lighter the better. Hope that helps! Thanks for watching.

[@francisrizzicorleone5687]

Omg 😱

[@Castaways_Travel]

😱

[@PearLcarolinejaneara6760]

Did you book the Inca trail on line before you fly to Peru?

[@Castaways_Travel]

Of course! It’s the whole reason we went. They fill up fast so book as soon as you can.

[@PearLcarolinejaneara6760]

@@Castaways_Travel what month did you go? Some videos I watched,,seems raining all the time

[@Castaways_Travel]

@@PearLcarolinejaneara6760 We went early May. It only rained once for a few hours.