Alpaca Expeditions

A Local Trekking Operator in Cusco

Alpaca Expeditions runs its own treks and tours in the Cusco region of Peru, with its own guides, chefs and porters. The About page calls it a "100% Local Peruvian Tour Operator" and says "Cusco is our home." Its office is on Heladeros Street 157 in Cusco. Everything it sells starts from Cusco: the Inca Trail and alternative treks to Machu Picchu, Rainbow Mountain and Ausangate, day tours in the Sacred Valley, and multi-day Peru packages that, according to the About page, can take in Lima, Lake Titicaca and the Amazon as well.

The founder's story is the heart of the About page. Raúl Colque grew up in the Andean community of Sequerracay near Cusco, worked for more than five years as a porter on the Inca Trail, Salkantay and Lares routes, studied tourism and English, and became "the first porter to graduate as an Official Licensed Tour Guide" among the porters studying tourism. He founded Alpaca Expeditions in 2013, and the page says that by the end of 2017 it employed more than 300 people.

The Trek Range

The Inca Trail comes in several forms. The About page lists 2, 4, 5 and 7-day options: the Inca Trail (Classic) 4D/3N as a group or private trek, a 5D/4N expedition, short 2D/1N versions with camping or a hotel, a women-only short trek, and the Inca Trail + Salkantay Trek 7D/6N. Luxury versions include a Luxury Inca Trail 4D/3N and 2D/1N.

For those without an Inca Trail permit, or who want quieter paths, the alternative treks include the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu with Sky Domes Experience 5D/4N (marked a best seller), a Sacred Valley and Salkantay 6D/5N, a Women's Only Salkantay Trek 7D/6N, the Lares Trek 4D/3N, Ausangate and Rainbow Mountain treks, Choquequirao and Huchuy Qosqo. The FAQ explains that alternative treks "first became popular for those who were not able to secure a permit."

Day tours from Cusco cover the Sacred Valley, Maras and Moray, Humantay Lake, a Cusco city tour and Rainbow Mountain with the Red Valley, and train tours reach Machu Picchu for those who would rather not hike. Longer packages run up to Gates to Peru 14D/13N and Exploring Peru 16D/15N.

What the Trek Includes

The FAQ is detailed. Porters carry each hiker's duffel from campsite to campsite, while hikers carry their own day pack; duffels are only accessible at breakfast and dinner because "the speed of the porters being faster than that of the groups." All meals and snacks are included "up until the last lunch," prepared by a chef from fresh ingredients bought in the Cusco market, and boiled water is provided at every meal. The About page says the chefs can cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and other diets. On the private Inca Trail, the FAQ lists foam and air sleeping pads, pillows, private toilet tents, warm showers and "some alcoholic drinks," with a final lunch at Indio Feliz in Aguas Calientes.

On the classic trek, the FAQ says hikers reach the Sun Gate at about 6:30 a.m., walk another hour to Machu Picchu, have a two-hour guided tour and then about three hours on their own. The return is by train to Ollantaytambo and an Alpaca Expeditions bus to Cusco, arriving between 7 and 11 p.m.

The FAQ also answers the timing questions trekkers tend to ask. The dry season runs from May to September and the rainy season from October to April, though it notes the weather has been less predictable in recent years. Sunrise is around 7:20 a.m. from May to September, so a sunrise at the Sun Gate is possible then, while from October to April the sun is up before the group arrives. For a side hike, Huayna Picchu rises about 300 meters above the ruins and takes about two hours up and down. Hikers are told to carry two to three liters of water, a light day pack, layers and some snacks of their own, with a daily snack supplied.

According to the About page, the guides are Cusco natives, "Certified in high-mountain safety and advanced first aid," and trilingual in English, Spanish and Quechua. It says its porters are local men and women aged 18 to 55 from farming communities, paid "fair wages." These are the company's own statements. The About page also describes a B2B side, working with travel agencies, tour operators, schools and special interest groups, and the site's menu links pages on its licenses, awards, social projects, an Equality Matters program and its "AE súper porters," part of what the company calls its Green Machine team.

Booking and Terms

Bookings for Inca Trail 2027 departures are open, under a banner reading "Secure your spot on the Inca Trail 2027." The FAQ also notes that Huayna Picchu tickets cost $75 per person, need booking at least three months ahead, and are capped at 400 climbers a day. Student discounts apply to anyone with a valid university student card or aged 17 or younger. Tips for guides, cooks and porters are not included in the price and are "not mandatory."

Contact runs through office phones (+51 84 254278 and +51 84 657759), a USA representative line (202-550-8534), WhatsApp, an owner's WhatsApp, an emergency number and email. The office opens Monday to Sunday with a lunch break, and the sales team works Monday to Saturday.

Reviews, Gaps and Who It Suits

The FAQ page claims "31,844+ 5-Star Reviews," "5x World Travel Awards" and "4 ISO Certifications," and the site shows ratings of 5.0 on Tripadvisor and Google. These are the company's own figures.

The About and FAQ pages do not list trek prices, the deposit or the cancellation policy, and they do not give a maximum group size for the group departures. Those have to come from the individual trek pages or the booking process.

Alpaca Expeditions suits hikers who want to do the Inca Trail or an alternative trek with a Cusco company that stresses porter welfare, full camp service and choice of format, from women-only groups to private and luxury treks. It suits less well anyone who wants to compare posted prices on the general pages or who is looking for trekking outside the Cusco region.