Peru Machu Picchu Tours

All the tour packages of SAM Travel Peru arrive at Machu Picchu Citadel, one of the 7th wonders of the world. You are transported by train through panoramic mountains, rivers and valleys as you pass by ancient cites of the Inca, eventually arriving at Aguas Calientes. There you take the shuttle bus up the mountain to Machu Picchu to begin your guided tour of the natural world and the thriving culture of the Inca people who once resided there. Be sure to allow yourself to take in the mystery and majesty of this mountain citadel.

With SAM Travel Peru you get to choose from various tour packages to Machu Picchu that may include Cusco City, the Sacred Valley of the Incas, or the latest attraction of Rainbow Mountain. You can also choose as a part of you tour to hike to Machu Picchu starting at KM 104 on the last 1/3 if the Inca Trail, arriving to Machu Picchu through the famous Sun Gate. You get to choose your tour that best fits your needs. If needed SAM Travel can even customize your tour for you and your family. If you want a Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu tour or just a simple trip to the ancient citadel via Vistadome train, just let us know your preference.

We advise you to book a tour with us as soon as possible to make sure that you get the date you want. One of the hike options you can choose from is the Inca Trail trek.

This trek is one of the 10 best hikes in the world. The Incas built this path more than 900 years ago to connect Machu Picchu to their capital city of Cusco. This hike provides adventurers with spectacular views of the glacial peaks of the Andes and tropical forests as they journey along the 26-mile historical trail via the Sun Gate to get to the renowned UNESCO heritage site.

Apart from the four-day classic Inca Trail, we provide one-, two- and five-day options to travelers. The one- and two-day treks cover the last third of the Inca trek and pass through the Sun Gate to enter Machu Picchu.

MACHU PICCHU CITADEL: All visitors will now be limited to 4 hour visiting sessions. Tickets to Machu Picchu will be divided into three daily sessions: early morning (6AM – 9AM), late morning (9AM – 12PM) and early afternoon (12PM – 3PM). Within these sessions, visitors must choose a specific hour to visit. This is to regulate and reduce visitor traffic within the citadel– each hour will be limited to 600 visitors.
HUAYNA PICCHU OR MACHU PICCHU MOUNTAIN: The new regulations have a direct impact on: Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain (not to be confused with the citadel itself). To enjoy your tour of the citadel and hike the additional mountains, you will need to purchase an extra entrance ticket to the ruins extending your time allowed inside. These tickets can sell out 2 to 4 months in advance. Plus, this means that Huayna Picchu tickets will go up from $35 per person to $75 per person.
SHORT INCA TRAIL PERMITS: To protect this historical trek, the Peruvian government heavily regulates it. There are only 500 permits issued per day for the short Inca Trail. In past years there were usually enough permits for the short Inca Trail trek, however due to the high demand in the months of May through September, some dates are now selling out.

Booking one of our Machu Picchu tours at the last minute is possible during the off-peak season. However, we discourage you from doing this in the high season. Certain tour options, such as your preferred time of day to enter Machu Picchu and tickets to Machu Picchu or Huayna Picchu Mountain, might be unavailable during this time. When it comes to transportation options, you may need to take an early or late train, as other tourists may take up the best time slots. If your Machu Picchu trip involves traversing the short Inca trail, the permits you need may not be available with a last-minute booking

Remember that you need to be flexible with your dates and times if you book at the last minute. If you have set dates for great treks, such as the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu journey, we advise you to book with us as soon as you can. Feel free to get in touch with our expert staff for assistance. They’ll inform you of the available schedules for your journey to Machu Picchu.

***Read why to book early above

We’ll need your full name, date of birth, gender, nationality and passport number. All your personal details must match what’s on your passport. After booking, send us a copy of your passport. You may also provide us with a copy of your driver’s license.

If you’re renewing your passport, you can book with your driver’s license number or old passport number. We’ll make the updates once you have your new passport.

If you’re in the process of getting a passport for the first time, you can use the information found on your driver’s license to book with us. Then email us a photo of both your driver’s license and your new passport. We’ll take care of updating the permit information at the government office. Also, please bring these two documents when you come to Peru.
If you have an expiring passport, you can use your current passport to book the tour. Once you get your renewed passport, email a picture of both your old and new passport. We’ll update the details for you. When you visit Peru, please bring your old passport as well as your new one.

Yes, it is possible to do some tours without a tour provider. However, purchasing tickets and entrances have become much more complicated due to new regulations for Machu Picchu Citadel and the increased tourist traffic. It has become very complicated to coordinate all the entrance times, trains, and transfers required to be able to experience a hazzle free tour. If you wish to trek the short Inca Trail as a part of your tour, please note that the government of Peru strictly controls the Inca Trail. This hike can only be booked by a fully licensed tour operator. SAM Travel Peru Alpaca is a 100% licensed Inca Trail tour operator by the government here in Cusco, Peru. (Not all tour operators can do the Inca Trail)

***Please read above all the reasons under why booking early is important to fully understand why it is difficult to be able to do a coordinated tour to Machu Picchu without a knowledgeable tour operator

SAM Travel specializes in small intimate groups of 2 to 8 persons! We want to guarantee the best possible experience for all our clients who choose to tour with us. Small groups allow you to get to know better the individuals touring with you and to receive lots of individual attention from your guide. We want you enjoy your touring experience and make memories that will last a life time. Also, unlike other tour companies, if 2 persons book we guarantee you go even if no other people book. You book, pay your deposit, you go!

YES, you absolutely can book a private tour at an additional cost! The cost varies depending on the size of your private group. A private tour means that you will have your own personal guide, van, driver and only the members of your group will be part of the entire tour group. Of course there will be other tour groups from SAM Travel and other travel agencies at the sites you visit or on the Inca Trail.

Booking with SAM Travel is easy. All you need to do is click on the BOOK NOW link and follow the instructions. If you have questions, please chat with us or give us a call using the phone numbers on the top of the main page for the Peru office or the USA office.

***Please be sure you have all your passport information ready when you book and send us a copy of your passport via email afterwards. (see earlier instructions if you do not yet have a passport or it will expire before the trek begins. It is still possible to book now!

As soon as we receive your completed booking form and your $200 deposit per person, we will email you a confirmation

WHY BOOK WITH SAM TRAVEL?

SAM Travel was born of our love for sharing these beautiful places with travelers. Our owner ( Saúl Alvarez ) went from porter to guide to business owner, without losing sight of his roots. We know how to show you the most beautiful places and give you the most authentic experiences. For Sam Travel our guides are the most important in the business, they all are fluent in Ingles and passoinated about teh culture. They are all trained and retrained in first aid and carry satellite phones for any emergency to be connected to a medical professional when or if needed. We can guarantee our guides will make you feel like hiking with your own family or friends

EXPERT Direct & 100% Local Tour operaor

All our Tours & Treks are provided only by SAM Travel Peru staff and professional guides. What that means for you is that SAM Travel Peru will never pass you onto another company or 3rd Party .

Our Camping Equipment

Enjoy a good night sleep in our 4 season igloo waterproof, spacious and professional EUREKA tent. All our tents are 4 person tents. ONLY 2 people will sleep in each, leaving lots of room to spread out comfortably and store your duffel bag.

Small Groups for Big Wows

To ensure a more personalized service for our guests, at SAM Travel Peru we have a policy that our groups will not exceed 8 people. This fact alone sets us apart from other companies that operate departures with bigger groups..

Unique Tours & Trekking Packages for all budgets

We have the most customized tours and packages for all budgets. They are created to meet our clients’ desires and needs when looking for something unique in a travel experience.

Gourmet and Hearty Meals

SAM TRAVEL PERÚ has one of the most outstanding meal services. Our chefs have been highly trained to prepare the best peruavian food our treks.

Our Commitment to the Environment

SAM Travel Peru has annual clean-up campaigns that creates awareness towards people across the planet that have the same desires to help protect the environment. It is our commitment in creating a positive and sustainable contribution towards the quality of life for rural Andean communities. .

Join the thousands of satisfied customers who rate us #1 on TripAdvisor

Bernie s 2023/03/02

Had a great trip with our guide Ray Herrera and driver Alfredo. Lots of good experiences in a short period of time 4 days. Learnt a lot not just about the main tourist destinations but Peru in general by Ray. Ray has a passion for Inca history and local produce. Ray knows all the good photo spots and we managed the sun out every day .. Good culture and if you want to get on a tour ask for Ray at Sams Travel = amazing

Tanya H 2023/03/02

Ray was our Tour Guide and Alfredo was our driver for a 4 day tour we did with SAM Travel Peru. Ray's knowledge of the history of Cusco and Machu Picchu was outstanding. Ray was very accommodating with all our needs. He stayed alongside us when trekking and helped where he could. His sense of humour was pleasant to be around. Ray spoke very good English. He is such a nice guy. I would strongly recommend Ray to be your tour guide to visit Machu Picchu. Ray explained everyday what the plans were for the next day, which was reassuring what we needed to take etc

Captanjack 2023/01/012

Our 1 day tour thru the Sacred Vally with Danny was wonderful. He was very knowledgeable and able to answer all our questions in detail. I would recommend asking for him personally if you are able.

Sherry 2022/12/26

We booked the Classic Cusco to Machu Picchu tour with SAM travel which we really had a good experience. SAM travel is very responsive during the communication and cater to our changes needed. Our guide is Ray who is also an very awesome guide. He is knowledgeable, patient, humorous as well reliable, he help us take many good photos and also go extra mile to help with our request. Thanks Ray! Thanks SAM travel that gave us good memories in Peru! Highly recommend if you consider booking any tour in Cusco.

Reviews by Trip Advisor

5.0 3,252 opiniones

C Clark 2023/01/20

Wow. We had such an incredible experience in Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. Our guide, Dayvit, is the most knowledgeable guide we have ever had. He has such an extensive knowledge of the history and is very friendly and helpful. If you are planning a trip to Peru, I highly recommend SAM travel and be sure to request Dayvit!

Emma Dinzebach Clark 2023/01/10

2 day tour sacred valley / Machu Picchu highly recommend! David was the best tour guide. He knows an incredible amount about Incan culture and is personable and funny. He also kept us up to date on a political situation happening when we were there and was informative. Overall, this tour checks all the boxes. Thank you!

Nupur Joshi 2023/01/02

We used SAM Travel for a 2D/1N trip from Cusco to Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu on Dec 25-26, 2022. The team was good with communication from the start - both Saul and Junior were very helpful and professional with answering any questions and clearing up any misunderstandings. Our guide, Miguel, was prompt, pleasant, and quite knowledgeable. We enjoyed his company and insight over the 2 day trip and recommend him to anyone booking with SAM Travel.

Xueying Chen 2022/12/20

Reviews by Google

5.0 217 opinions

Brandon Slater 2022/09/30

My wife and I just completed two excursions with SAM Travel Peru and we absolutely loved them. We did the 4 Day Salkantay Wilderness + Machu Picchu and then the 2-Day Rainbow Mountain + 7 Lakes trek with guide Carlos Estrada, chefs Nerio & Lucio, and horseman Unarato. Over the last 6 days we have learned so much about the Inca culture, discovered some of the most incredible sights, and ate delicious food every step of the way. We would definitely recommend SAM Travel (especially with Carlos!) to anyone that wants an incredible Peruvian adventure. The Wilderness trek is a much quieter trail than the standard Salkantay and goes a bit higher elevation, but camping at the base of Salkantay was incredible. Carlos's guided tour through Machu Picchu was so informative. We would have missed so much without him taking the time to share his knowledge.

Kellie Taylor 2022/04/06

Big thanks to David he was an amazing tour guide who really cared for our group. He allowed us to go at our own pace and was a brilliant photographer He was really funny and is full of interesting information & his passion for his inca ancestors is very obvious and warming. He also brought us to great restaurants! This company are very good and from what I can recall were cheaper than most. Thank you!

Mike Geelhoed 2021/06/10

They took care of everything! Saul the owner is very responsive and helpful. Johnny our guide was fantastic, as were our chef, assistant chef and horsemen. I can’t recommend them highly enough and will definitely use them again if we return to Peru!

Janice-Kaneki Chen 2020/01/28

Three of us decided to choose Sam Travel Peru, reason being is it is a local travel company that help indegenious communities. We picked Lares Trek 4D3N to have cultural experience while hiking. Good foods provided by talented Mario Chef! Johnny is our tour guide, very helpful tour guide. He even helped me to carry my daypack as I was too exhausted to carry it on day 1 hiking. Strongly recommend to those like to have local experience while hiking.

Reviews by Facebook

5.0 60 opinions

Peru Machu Picchu Tours