Are there bathrooms on the Inca Trail?
Of course. Along the way there are many opportunities to stop at a facility when nature calls. When you first begin the trek, the bathroom facilities are managed by locals and you need to pay to use them. A sole will grant you entry and the bathrooms are generally clean.
By the time you leave lunch the first day, you will notice the bathroom conditions start to deteriorate. You will no longer need to pay for the facility, but you will have to deal with piles of dirty tissue. The later in the day you use the facility, the worse the condition will be.
All the toilets are squatters and you are not allowed to flush any paper – which is fine since they rarely offer you any paper – make sure to have some on you. There are often bins in the bathroom that you are meant to leave your dirty paper in. Bathrooms are not regularly cleaned and the paper quickly builds up. Once full, people start throwing the tissue anywhere on the ground, where it ends up piling around where you are meant to have your feet.
WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
In Tripadvisor
We had a wonderful time with Juan visiting the Inca sites in Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. Juan is very knowledgeable about the history and prehistory of the Inca civilization. He also knew all the best spots for pictures! We really appreciated his expertise.
In general: What an experience! Great guides, chefs, and porters. Alpaca Expeditions is a green company that pays close attention to their carbon footprint, sources their food locally, and has various programs that give back to their community. Bonus: they have a portable toilet that is well maintained and stocked with TP at all times. My personal experience: This is long, but hopefully helpful if you have any reservations about whether you can accomplish this trek! I arrived in Cuzco to acclimate 3 days early…however, I unfortunately succumbed to the altitude on day one of the actual hike and got worse on day 2 and 3. It is not lost on me that I was ONLY able to complete the trek because of the Alpaca team. The chef team, led by Cecilio, were very accommodating to my needs and prepared different teas to try to help me. Our groups guides, Alvin and Yojhan, were beyond encouraging and made sure I was safe the whole time. One of them was always with me even though I took twice as long as the rest of the group. >_< I can’t stress enough how important it is to have the right team supporting you in any situation. Their company’s back bone is stellar, but their actions during the hike showed me their heart is unbeatable.
I recently completed the 4-day Inca Trail with Alpaca Expeditions alongside my teenage daughters, and it exceeded every expectation. The weather was perfect all four days, which made the stunning views even better. Our guides, Yojhan and Alvin, were true experts, sharing deep insights into Incan history, the wildlife, and the flora and fauna of the area. They were incredibly patient and answered every question we had about Peru and more. From the start, they encouraged us to keep smiles on our faces and told us we’d become a “super family” by the end—and that is exactly what happened. The “super porters” worked tirelessly, and our chef Cecilio and his assistant cooked incredible meals for us along the way. Everything went perfectly to plan, and we finished the expedition with celebratory toasts and a shared album for photos with our new friends. I cannot recommend this team highly enough!
Muy buena experiencia con Alvin y Yojhan haciendo el camino Inka clásico. La comida que nos hizo Cecilio y Angelito estaba impresionante. Repetiría seguro!
The 4 day Inca trip was the best trip i have had in my lifetime. Beyond the scenic scenery everything has been well planned through. Alvin and Yohan were there for any possible inquries and shared a lot of nice insights along the inca trail. The food was better than any regular meal you can grab in town and was served three times a day by the amazing chef Cecilo and his crew. If you don’t do this trip you miss out.
Best time ever!
Our guide was Ismael and we had the best time, he showed us all of the local plants, taught us all about the Incan ruins and I came back home with much more knowledge. Octavio was our chef and the best meals and I got to experience the local food here, also a few people in our group had some allergies to certain foods and Octavio delivered with theist own dishes. Thank you to alpaca expeditions for making this trip unforgettable.
Trip of a lifetime
For sometime, I had wanted to hike to Machu Picchu; however, those plans were first thwarted by the Pandemic in 2020 and then delayed by other commitments. In July, I finally managed to participate and I was not left disappointed.
All of the arrangements on this stretch of my trip — the trek, accommodation along the trek, two guides, three porters, three excellent meals prepared fresh each day by two chefs, all transportation, and my entry tickets to the site were efficiently organized by Alpaca Expeditions – Peru Tour Operator. I chose this company because they are 100% Peruvian owned and managed, and hire many Andean women among their staff. They were also great at communicating via WhatsApp in advance of my trip, have great reviews, and work with small groups. Besides the beauty of the trek and sites along the way, our guides — Americo and David — were stars. They took us to a coffee plantation with a hands-on workshop, fruit farms, improvised World Cup watch parties, and gave lectures on Incan history, Quechua, Andean food, flora and fauna.
I would highly recommend Alpaca Expeditions as they have exceeded their reputations.
Amazing tour!!!
Absolutely incredible tour!!! Nilton and Kenyo were such awesome guides. They were so passionate about Peru’s history and knew so much! Really good English too. Everything was planned perfectly for the tour and ran smoothly. We would recommend them to anyone!
Amazing 5-Day Choquequirao Trek with Alpaca Expeditions!
Our family of five had an incredible experience on the 5-day, 4-night Choquequirao trek with Alpaca Expeditions. From the moment the trek began, everything was organized perfectly, and the entire team went above and beyond to make it a memorable adventure.
Our guide, Celio, was outstanding. He was knowledgeable, professional, patient, and so much fun to spend five days with. He shared fascinating stories about the local culture, and the surrounding nature, while always making sure everyone in our family was safe, comfortable, and enjoying the journey. His encouragement and positive attitude made even the toughest climbs enjoyable.
The food was great! Every meal exceeded our expectations, and we were amazed by the quality and variety of dishes the chefs prepared in such remote locations. It felt like we were eating at a restaurant in the middle of the mountains.
Choquequirao itself is an unforgettable destination, and experiencing it with Alpaca Expeditions made it even more special. We can’t thank Celio, the chefs, and the muleteers enough for their hard work and kindness throughout the trek.
If you’re considering hiking to Choquequirao, we wholeheartedly recommend Alpaca Expeditions. They exceeded our expectations in every way, and our family will cherish this experience for a lifetime.
2-Day Guided Tour
My wife and my two-day Sacred Valley / Machu Picchu tour with Alpaca Expeditions was excellent. Our group included 8 people and stopped at an alpaca / llama sanctuary, Pisaq site, lunch at Urubamba, Ollantaytambo site, then train to Aguas Calientes (where we stayed), and Machu Picchu. The hotel that Alpaca Expeditions uses for all trekkers / groups was clean and spacious.
David, our guide, was very friendly and knowledgeable and provided great cultural, historical, and geographic information at each of our stops. He also efficiently managed the logistics of our trip such as the transport, meals, and accommodations. We appreciated his unique perspective as a local of this region.