A big part of your experience on the Inca Trail is influenced by the company you trek with. The best Inca Trail tours are run by licensed companies with years of experience. These experts all but guarantee an unforgettable hike to Machu Picchu
How To Choose the Best Inca Trail Tour Company?
Good Reviews
With sites like TripAdvisor, Google Reviews and travel forums, it is easy these days to get unbiased feedback on good trekking and travel companies. It is worth a 5-minute search to check the reputation of the tour operator.
Consistency is key. Companies with 95%-99% good reviews are generally considered a safe bet.
What Travel Companies do you Recommend?
Orange Nation has been a Licensed Inca Trail Tour Operator since 2018. All companies managing the Inca Trail must be certified and have an Inca Trail operator’s license. This license is issued annually each December and Orange Nation is licensed for the up-coming year of 2025 and 2026.
Our licenses as an Official Travel Agency (DMC) & Inca Trail Operator is under the name of Orange Nation E.I.R.L. We are registered on the official Government web site: www.machupicchu.gob.pe.
Getting licensed by the government is a complicated and stringent process for the protection of tourists and our archeological sites. The government evaluates the entire business operation and office site and if all taxes were paid. They also check the tour guides, porters, chefs, camping equipment, first aid equipment and preparedness and if we are we part of the union. Companies that do not have one, its because they cannot meet the standards required by the government.
BEFORE BOOKING WITH A TRAVEL AGENCY, IT IS VITAL TO UNDERSTAND THIS:
HERE’S WHY BOOKING WITH A LICENSED INCA TRAIL TOUR OPERATOR IS SO IMPORTANT!
The amount of registered direct local tour operators that run, sell, and operate their own Inca Trail packages is limited! Orange Nation is one of the primary companies that are able to do this.
The most important thing is that not all agencies are licensed tour operators. Thus their operation and quality of services has not been evaluated by the government because they cannot meet the standards.
There are two types of companies that will try to sell you an Inca trail package: registered tour operators and middle men, otherwise known as endosars.
If you book with a company that is a middle man, you will pay higher prices. There is no way to know the quality of the service being provided by the third party servicers that they use because they normally do not tell you which tour operator will conduct your tour.
A licensed tour operator can guarantee 100% of their services because they are providing all of the services directly with their own guides, chefs, porters, and drivers etc.
If you book with a licensed tour operator, the sales consultant that you speak with are the ones you will be working with directly, so if you have any concerns you can go to them and get your needs met quickly.
Please feel free to search our website: www.orange-nation.com We do have the most competitive prices and unique tours and packages in Cusco!
RECOMMENDED LOCAL TOUR OPERATOR FOR INCA TRAIL IN 2026 / 2027
Orange Nation Peru believes in community upliftment and ethical tourism. Building and strengthening ties with isolated villages that have limited resources and employment opportunities. It was created with the intension to create long term growth and sustainability to the previously disadvantaged communities we trek through. Some of our porters, cooks and horseman own a small share of the company and benefit from profit sharing at the end of each financial year.
SAM Corporations is a family-owned tour agency based in Peru, which provides personalized attention to each client’s needs from the very beginning to the very end of our treks and tours. We want you to feel that your needs and desires are important to us. We work hard with all the details because we want you to have the best travel experience possible.. They rated as the #1 Tour Operator on TripAdvisor.
www.samcorporations.com
More Inca Trail Tour Operators to consider
The following tour operators are on our watch list too. Those companies have mostly good reviews on trip advisor.
Sam Travel Peru
“Our company’s mission and goals are to lead by example by being a socially responsible tour operator. As we trek through the Andes day after day, we want to share our love, respect and commitment to our local communities and surrounding environment by holding events such as our annual clean up campaigns. We raise awareness and also help maintain our beautiful and pristine trails by removing all the litter from the trails and regenerating our forests.
Web site: https://www.samtravelperu.com/
Orange Nation Perú
Orange Nation Peru is a company that has a social responsibility to contribute to the well-being of society and the environment in which it operates. As a socially responsible organization, Orange Nation Peru strives to create a positive impact on the communities its serves by running a variety of educational workshops.
Web site: https://orangenationperu.com/
Glamping Peru Treks
We aim to have a positive impact in all the communities we visit. Through our training sessions and social projects, we empower women, indigenous communities and the youth. We are committed to working in a way that is socially and environmentally conscious with the aim of promoting a positive change.
Web site: https://glampingperutreks.com/
Sam Corporations
It’s important to us that our communities and staff benefit from tourism and are able to sustain themselves. A Peruvian based business that helps to create employment throughout Peru and helps to alleviate poverty. Our goal is touch the most untouched and hard to reach areas in Peru.
Web site: https://www.samcorporations.com/
69 Explorer
Welcome to 69 Explorer, a premier tour operator based in the heart of Cusco, Peru. As a company born and nurtured in the lap of the Andes, we specialize in creating unforgettable travel experiences in one of the world’s most enchanting destinations
Web site: https://69explorer.com/
How to know if a Tour Operator is good?
We recommend seeing their reviews on trip advisor, google and other platforms before booking your trip to the Inca Trail. Each company offers a different type of service. Some lead large groups others lead small groups. Their price varies on the size of the group they bring.
Note: Believe it or not, all travel agencies offer the Inca trail, even though they do not have a permit. Those who do not have permission, only pass their passengers to companies that have permission. It is not advisable to book with them.
Now you know about the Inca Trail operator, are you ready to take up the challenge with Orange Nation Peru?
Contact us, and you could soon be enjoying one of the world’s most iconic and remarkable walking trails to Machu Picchu!
