Classic Inca Trail para Machu Picchu

We just returned from the 4 day Inca trail hike. This was the most challenging and most magical experience of our lives. I took my daughter for the hike to celebrate her college graduation. The customer service right from the beginning was 5 star. Prompt and friendly communication on any topic. The best part of our trip was our guide, Auki. He is hands down one of the most intelligent, genuine, and funny people we have ever met. You can tell how much he cares about the South American culture, the community, and the Incan heritage. He was a walking encyclopedia of history at every ruins site, and especially at Machu Picchu. As we had a private tour, we spent a lot of time with him one on one. We miss him already. Not only did he expand our minds and enlighten us on the Incan culture, and cheer us on, but I walked away with a great friend for life. Whether we needed to slow down to catch our breath or “put the hammer down” he was there with us every step of the journey, it truly felt like a family of 3. My daughter and I still talk about him at least once a day. We had so many laughs. Thanks Popi!! Also wanted to send a shout out to Lucio, our chef. From the first time we met him when the driver picked us up for the tour, he was always smiling. He’s such a nice guy, he loves what he does, and he’s very good at it. The meals he prepared for us over 4 days were some of the best meals we have ever eaten. The best part was seeing the joy on his face every time we ate, and seeing how much we loved his meals. When we returned to camp each night, he was always there waiting for us with a warm welcome, a dance; and that incredible smile. Thank you Sam Travel, this trip was absolutely perfect start to finish, and something that my daughter and I will never forget!! For the porters, Sulpayki!!! You guys are warriors.

I cannot say enough positive things about about our guide Elias Usca and Sam Travel Peru. From the pick up to our final goodbye, the service and knowledge of our guide, our porters, and our trail chef Edy exceeded expectations. Our porters carried our extra baggage to every camp site, set up quickly, broke down quickly and anticipated our needs, even with the language barrier. I have never had a group in the service industry work harder! Our Chef Edy created restaurant quality meals out of a tent with a propane tank and a few pots. And for Elias Usca our guide. He was funny, incredibly knowledgeable and worked with our group to create unity and encourage when the miles and elevation got really tough. It was truly sad to say goodbye at the end of our trip. I would 100% book with Sam Travel again!

Elias Usca is the Inca genius. This guy is AMAZING! Funny, always smiling, very knowledgeable about EVERYTHING (places, fona, animals, history). Elias Usca is a must to have for your travel (ask for him to be your guide). He made our group laugh all the time and will make our trip that much better. He became a friend more than a guide. Truly grateful for his love for his history and he shared it so beautifully. Thanks Elias Usca for making this the trip of a lifetime.

This trip was amazing!! Such a unique experience the best way to get to Machu Picchu. It is a tough hike, so be prepared, but it is so worth it. Elias Usca was the best guide! He is very knowledgeable, knows his history and grew up in the area. He was fun, funny and made the trip awesome every step of the way. The porters were first class and efficiently made it possible for us to move along the trail and made for the most comfortable camping experience I’ve ever had. Our chef, Eddie, made amazing meals and I could not believe I was eating in a tent in the Andes Mountains. Every meal felt like a fancy restaurant. When you book this trip, ask for Elias Usca. You will be glad you did.

Elias Usca is an amazing tour guide! Very friendly, knowledgeable and met the needs of our group. We were well taken care of. Perfect balance of humor, good communication, and deep care for history. Our porters were also fantastic and Eddie our chef made delicious meals! Such a memorable experience! Highly recommend SAM travel!

Can’t recommend this tour and our guide enough! We immediately felt so comfortable and secure with guide Elias Esca. He was not only ever knowledgeable, but also extremely personable and confident. He treated us like family from the beginning! The trail is absolutely stunning. It was hard, beautiful, and worth every step! We could not have enjoyed it nearly as much without the amazing team of hard working porters and our chef Eddie! We loved every moment and highly recommend this hike and this team! #happyllamas!

We travelled in June during the anniversary of Cusco. Our guide, Elias Usca, was amazing!!! So informative, supportive and entertaining g during the whole hike, can’t recommend him enough!! The hike and Inca ruins were incredible and the history was fascinating, we had plenty of time to explore many ruins along the trail. Our chef, Eddie, was phenomenal, didn’t expect to eat so well on the trail! And the porters were great! Would definitely recommend Sam Travel and Elias to anyone!

I can’t say enough about how great everything was! From the office staff to the guide, cook and porters! This was my wife’s bucket list trip. We brought one of sons with us, Ben, 26 years old. With Sam Travels’ help, we had the best experience we could ever have imagined! Our guide, Bruno, was awesome!!!He was very knowledgeable about the Inca and explained everything we needed to know on the trail. Our cook and porters - Julio cesar - Cook - BEST COOK ON THE TRAIL! Furtunato Tomas Basilio Benicno Dionicio Gregorio were all great handling our needs throughout the hike!

Just good! I liked the schedule, Edwin Arqque is a great guide! He knew everything and organized everything so well! He is a warmhearted man and always ready to help us! The foods are great and porters did great jobs!

We had a great experience with our guide, Edwin Arqque, and the hardy porters with SAM travel! It was challenging but rewarding multi-day trek through the Andes. Clear skies every day in mid June was a major plus. Overall I have a much better appreciation for the Inca and their history. Also it's a lot of steps up and down. A lot.