Taking a Tour to Machu Picchu? Use a Local Peruvian Tour Company

Written by: Sam Travel | 26 July, 2024
Machu PIccu 2025 - Travel Agency Cusco

If you’re planning trek or tour to Machu Picchu, choosing a local Peruvian tour agency can make a substantial difference in the success of your trip.

This trip is life-changing for virtually everyone who visits but, when you experience these wonders through the eyes of a local guide, you won’t believe how much richer the adventure becomes.

Not only do local Peruvian tour operators have invaluable insight but they also give back to their community and take exceptional care of this sensitive environment. And, with new Machu Picchu entrance restrictions and schedules in place, you risk missing out if your tour guide isn’t up to speed with these new protocols.

Local Machu Picchu tour agency

Peruvian Tour Operators Provide Authenticity & an Insider’s View

Anyone can lead a tour or trek but, when your guides are local, you enjoy a more authentic adventure. Seeing the sights through a local’s eyes is an experience you will never forget.

Local tour operators and guides know how and where to take their clients off the beaten path and, whenever possible, they are willing to be flexible to provide a truly customized experience. Larger tour companies simply aren’t willing or able to accommodate those requests or stray from the usual script.

Local Machu Picchu Trekking Companies Give Back to the Community

When you choose a locally owned and operated Peruvian tour operator, you can rest assured that your dollars will stay in the community and benefit its residents.

Rather than take advantage of inexpensive local labor, as many foreign companies do, local companies understand the importance of taking care of their staff. They also understand how fragile the Andean eco-system is and how to best preserve the environment while still providing an exceptional trek or tour experience for their clients.

Why Choose SAM Travel Peru for Your Machu Picchu Trek?

When you book with SAM Travel Peru, your adventure guide will take you on a tour that is unique to our company. Our college-educated guides are expert English speakers trained in CPR, first-aid and the treatment of altitude sickness. We are focused on safety at all times, with satellite phones and emergency horses at the ready.

We take our social responsibility to our community and the environment very seriously and pay all our team members – from guides and chefs to our porters – a true living wage.

With the new regulations for entering Machu Picchu now in place, it is critical that you choose a tour operator who understands these stringent and potentially confusing rules. As the top tour operator in Peru, we coordinate our tour schedules appropriately to provide guests with the experience they came for.

Visit our website to learn more about the upcoming four-day classic Inca Trail trek. Booking depends on the new entrance restrictions and the availability of permits. Contact us today to learn more about our local Peruvian-led treks and tours to Machu Picchu.

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.

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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

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.

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Cheri Buccino April 21, 2024
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Powerful! This journey tests your humanity and leaves you in awe of yourself and the beauty that Pachamama provides. April 2024 We conquered the Inca trail and it was only made possible with the help and guidance from our expert guides Jean Pierre (JP) and Jimmy. The knowledge these gentlemen shared was admired by all of our group and the envy of other trail hikers who stopped to listen. The hike has many layers of challenges including language barriers, altitude sensitivities and food specifications. The team at Sam travel exceeded the needs and went above to ensure our comforts were met. A special mention must be made to Mario, the Chef who somehow performed magic with nutritious flavourful meals to satisfy even the pickiest consumers and Francesco who was our lead porter who orchestrated the harmony that happened behind the scenes to get everything done. Nothing less than marvellous from this team. Thank you to each of the group who made our trek a remarkable experience.

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Bhavana Lalwani April 18, 2024
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Jose and Henry were great guides for our first time exploring machu pichu! They were very attentive and kept everything on a smooth schedule. Highly recommend!

RY
Ryan April 9, 2024
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The whole experience was amazing. Ray, our guide answered all of our questions and definitely had our best interest in mind the whole time. Timothy the cook made fantastic food and somehow found a way to prepare a birthday cake with no notice! Boni our head porter and his whole crew were kind, accommodating, and had such upbeat attitudes which really made the experience great!

Isabel Batteria April 17, 2024
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I spent two days with Sam Travel’s guide Raymier, who guided us through the one-day 12-km stretch of the Inca trail and then took us to Machu Picchu the next day. In my group, I was always the last one on the trail because I come from the coast and I’m not used to altitudes, and honestly I could also have prepared physically a little better. Raymier respected my pace, never rushed me, and supported me throughout the ardous trail. He had much knowledge to share. I speak Spanish, but ended up in an English tour, and Ray’s English was very good. He was funny, respectful, and versatile. He knew where to take all the best photos and patiently took photos of all of us. I would trust Sam Travel again especially if I was lucky enough to have Ray as a guide again.

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