As many other tourist cities, the Cusco tourist business is monopolized by large foreign companies who do not share the history of the area or have a passion for our people. As Machu Picchu grows in popularity, more and more foreign companies are operating tours in our backyard, bringing all the profit back to their homes. However, we are proud to say that Alpaca Expeditions is a 100% PERUVIAN business based in Cusco city which was the heart of the Inca empire and the closest city of Machu Picchu.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF TRAVELING TROUGH A LOCAL COMPANY?
Nobody knows the land and the people like locals. Everyone who operates our tours has been raised in the valley surrounding Cusco and understands how this city operates. In case there are any logistic issues such as flight cancellations, train stoppages, an unexpected strike occurs, we are all here on the ground ready to help and adjust the plans. And if someone ends up with altitude sickness, we have been taught many family secrets on how to help. Our relationship with this city can not be replicated and its helpful to properly serve our clients. Other than the benefits to you, the client, there are many for Cusco as well. Every penny we earn is then spent back in our home. We can pay all our people higher wages because we don’t have the high overhead of maintaining many offices and huge staff.
IS IT SAFE TO TRUST A LOCAL PERUVIAN COMPANY?
You can 100% trust us as your tour provider. Since 2012, Alpaca Expeditions has been a licensed tour and Inca trail tour provider. All of our guides are also licensed by the Ministry of Culture. And our past clients are the most vocal, happy group constantly writing reviews on TripAdvisor, Google and even our Facebook site. We appreciate that trusting a local company might be difficult at first, but we will very hard to maintain that trust and make this your best vacation yet.
IS IT SAFE TO SEND MY MY MONEY AND BOOK WITH PERUVIAN COMPANY?
Absolutely YES. Our reputation is everything to us and we work hard to maintain our top spot on TripAdvisor. As soon as you contact us from the first time, you will receive a response within 24 hours. Once you book your tour with us, we will send you an invoice and all details with a booking number for easy reference. If you ever have any problems or questions about the trip, we are available by email, phone (US and Peruvian numbers) or by chat. Once you arrive to Cusco we will be ready with all logistics required for you and ready to go. Your job is to stay positive, take your time and ENJOY THE LIFETIME EXPERIENCE.
HOW DO I BOOK WITH A LOCAL COMPANY LIKE ALPACA EXPEDITION FROM A WESTERN COUNTRY
Easy! First contact one of our sales team to make sure your preferred start date is available. Once you have your start date settled, fill in our booking form found on this website. Make sure you have your passports ready, we will need all your details including your passport number you will be traveling to Peru with. Finally pay your $200 per person deposit (might be higher for larger itineraries) through PayPal. We will purchase any permits needed immediately and once they are in our hands, send you a complete invoice and confirmation note, again repeating all details you submitted to make sure we have everything correct. 2-4 weeks before your tour, we will reach out to you once more time with a detailed Trip Reminder.
WHAT HAPPENS IF THE COMPANY DOES NOT MANAGE TO GET MY PERMITS ? DO THEY KEEP MY MONEY?
Not at all. Firstly, we typically get all preferred start date permits for our clients. If by any chance we are not successful getting your permit for any of the days you have chosen, we will refund your money completely. Once the permits are purchased and your trip has been confirmed, this is when the deposit is no longer refundable. Since the government will not refund the cost for the permits to us, we enforce this rule, but if you end up getting sick and unable to do the trek, we will absolutely provide a letter to your insurance company to help you get some money back.
WHY SHOULD I TRAVEL WITH A PERUVIAN COMPANY LIKE ALPACA EXPEDITIONS?
Trips, particularly treks, through the Andes is quite different than other type of travelling. And if you are choosing to do the Inca Trail you NEED a tour operator. So choosing a local company full of passion like Alpaca helps Cusco region and the people here and also provides a lot of value to you the client. For example:
Helps local economy
Creates jobs for locals then to their families
We treat the best our staff
Believe strongly in porter welfare (known as green machine)
Sustainable tour operator
Environmentally friendly company
We go back to our Andean children way doing social projects
We work hard in quality of service.
WHO OWNS ALPACA EXPEDITIONS?
Raul Ccolque Ccolque, the owner and director of Alpaca Expeditions, was born in one small village near sacred valley. He was raised speaking quechua – the local language. His parents still live on his family farm coming into the city once a week to sell their vegetables. He studied his elementary and high school in the same village and when he graduated he went to the army as he always dreamed of being a police officer. Along the way, a friend from his village invited him to be a porter on the Inca Trail and he immediately changed his focus, falling in love with the sounds of the tourists – their language, their habits. He immediately enrolled in the University studying tourism and English. Once he graduated from University, he worked in a local companies office for a bit and finally became a tour guide. Working in all these different capacities in tourism and for several companies, he always felt the companies were too focused on money and less on people. He created Alpaca Expeditions with the sole purpose of doing better. Providing a better life for all those who are associated with the company. Today he is lucky to work along his brother and sister, both work in the office of Alpaca. And along some of the hardest working men and women of Cusco region. We are also one of the first agencies to employ female guides including trekking guides…giving everyone the ability to make their lives better with these amazing jobs.
When Mr. Ccolque started Alpaca Expeditions in 2012, he wanted to be a leading travel tour operator with better ethics and customer service. He had the following goals:
Be the first local operator competing with foreign companies
Provide more respectable jobs for porters, guides, drivers, cooks, and other providers
Help Andean children with their education and health
Leave this earth in better condition focusing on being an ecofriendly company
WHO IS THE ALPACA EXPEDITIONS STAFF?
Alpaca Expeditions has been growing year by year, not only in number of clients, also the number of employees. By the end of 2017, we are so happy to employ more than 300 people.
Our Guides
Our guides are considered the best guides in the business. Well respected for the amazing job they do on the tours, our guides are known to be the most informative and qualified guides. They all have degree in tourism and English, some of them have additional degrees in history and archeology. We have about 50 guides in total who are the perfect combination of smart, informative, fun, happy, and organized who believe strongly in their leadership role. They are all trained and re-trained in first aid and carry satellite phones for any emergency to be connected to true medical professional when or if needed.
You don’t image how tasty the food is on our treks. It is said so often that the meals they have prepared by the Alpaca Expeditions chefs are the best meals people have in Peru (and Peru has some amazing food). The main difference with mountain cooking and meals in a restaurant is the preparation. Here on the mountains our chefs have basic conditions and use a combination of skill and magic to make the most delicious dishes and lots of options, even for those who have food restrictions such as vegetarians, allergies, vegans, and kosher. Our company employs about 50 chefs in total.
Our Porters
Our porters are known as the “Green Machine” of the Inca trail. They will blow you away. They are the hardest working people in the company. They will carry all your belongings, all the food, tents – all logistical equipment. We thank them for this hard work by making sure they have the best treatment here in Cusco. All hiking gear including shoes, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, and meals are provided free of charge from the company. We provide better wages than any company in Cusco so they can live from the wages and provide for their families. We are proud to say that we have at least 200 porters in total and they come from different villages from Cusco region, such as Pisaq, Lares, Calca and Ollantaytambo. Every February we take our porters and their families on a tour to Machu Picchu, which is most of the time the first time they have ever been inside to see the ruins. Its always an amazing thing to witness their faces the first time.
Alpaca Expeditions Recognitions
ISO (International Organization for Standardization)
In the pursuit to stand out from the rest, Alpaca Expeditions has obtained four ISOs plus our carbon footprint certificate to date. These achievements result from our efforts to implement the internationally-recognized integrated management system. They also represent our commitment to all of our clients and staff of operating sustainability and responsibility in every way possible.
World Travel Awards
Alpaca Expeditions is internationally recognized as a leading tourism company in Peru. As proof, we have been awarded the World Travel Award for Peru´s Best Tour Operator 2021 for the second time.
TRIPADVISOR RECOGNITIONS
Our goal at Alpaca Expeditions is to create the best experience for all of our clients. We create journeys that are to be remembered for a lifetime. Journeys you can be proud of and can share with everybody around you.
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Hotel to Hotel service
Regarding the transportation provided by Alpaca Expeditions, we are committed to delivering a quality service. We strive to ensure that passengers feel supported throughout their journey. To achieve this, we coordinate closely with our guides and representatives to ensure timely pick-up at the start of their tours. Additionally, we have representatives responsible for escorting our passengers to their hotels at the conclusion of any tour.
Our drivers are not only trained in customer service but also come properly uniformed, and many are fluent in English.
Typically, all transportation types are included in each of our services. For instance, if you have booked a trekking tour, we will pick you up early, typically between 4 AM and 5 AM.
When visiting Cusco, it's important to note that traffic here is generally moderate. However, there are peak traffic times, such as between 7 AM and 8 AM, which coincide with school hours, and in the evening between 6:00 PM and 8:00 PM. Therefore, if you have a flight during these times, it's crucial to be at the airport at least 2 hours in advance. The drivers of Alpaca Expeditions ensure their vehicles are prepared with all necessities before each service. They are acutely aware that delays can lead to missed trains, flights, or other connections. Consequently, they are always more than punctual, arriving at least 10 minutes before the scheduled time for any service, understanding the responsibility they carry in executing these tasks.
Personal Porter of 7KG
Remember that Alpaca Expeditions offers an extra 7 kg allowance for your personal belongings on any of our tours. We include a personal porter who is responsible for carrying your duffel bag without any additional fee. You will not have access to your duffel bag until you reach your evening campsite. The bag should not exceed 7 kg, which includes 4 kg for clothes and 3 kg for your sleeping bag and sleeping mat.
When you visit our Alpaca Expeditions office, you will receive your duffel bags at your briefing. The porters will carry them and return them to you at each campsite. The bags measure 66 cm in length and 36 cm in width (approximately 2 ft long by 1 ft wide). Porters will carry up to 7 kg of your personal items, which must include your sleeping bag and air mat (if you bring or rent one). From us, these two items weigh a combined total of 3.5 kg.
Each Alpaca Expeditions porter is paid directly after each trek, allowing them to return home more quickly. They receive better wages than our competitors, health insurance, and all their equipment free of charge, including hiking boots, pants, jerseys, fleeces, jackets, hats, flashlights, sleeping bags, and high-quality food. We ensure each of our porters has a comfortable bed in a pleasant room to sleep in before and after each trek. We also visit the communities they live in, providing toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, and other necessary supplies to their families, along with books for their children.
This is just the beginning for us, and we are always looking for ways to do more.
While the government allows each porter to carry up to 25 kg, we limit this to 20 kg to prioritize their health and safety. Each porter carries up to 15 kg of company equipment and 5 kg of personal items. This is why it is crucial to keep your personal duffel bag weight under our 7 kg limit. You might see other companies allowing their porters to carry more than the allotted weight, but at Alpaca Expeditions, we strictly adhere to these limits to ensure our porters' well-being.
Clases de Cocina
Alpaca Expeditions offers its passengers the chance to experience local cooking. We aim to immerse trekkers in Inca life by walking them through the original Inca paths and teaching them about Inca culture. Food is a significant part of Inca life, making it a special element in any tour or trek with Alpaca Expeditions.
In 2022, Alpaca Expeditions introduced a cooking class as part of each of our treks, conducted by our amazing trekking chefs and interpreted by our guides.
We will transform your dining tent into a makeshift kitchen, providing all the necessary supplies to prepare a Peruvian specialty. Your chef will guide you step by step through the process of making a traditional Peruvian meal, such as Lomo Saltado, and share some essential mountain cooking tips.
Peru is recognized as a top culinary destination, largely thanks to the popularity of our renowned beef dish, Lomo Saltado. This is most often the meal you will learn to cook, but there is also the opportunity to learn how to prepare other dishes like traditional Peruvian ceviche or even our signature drink, the pisco sour.
Cooking Class on the Inca Trail: These classes are voluntary and designed to be a fun, educational experience. Our clients consistently marvel at the amazing ability of our chefs to create culinary magic on a mountaintop. As you learn to prepare and cook Peruvian specialties, you will also see firsthand how such elaborate meals can be created on a small campsite stove.
Enjoy a cooking class in the mountains and be sure to take plenty of photos, just in case your friends won't believe your incredible experience.
Satellite Phones
The best way to hike in the mountains of Peru is to completely disconnect from technology, especially the internet and cell phones. The most impressive and exciting aspect is the opportunity to experience the true and wonderful nature that we often miss when we are at home, watching TV or absorbed in our cell phones during our leisure time. The feeling of being disconnected from work and the daily routine left at home is incredible.
However, this remoteness means limited access to emergency resources. That's why Alpaca Expeditions has invested in satellite phones for every trek.
We are prepared to assist you in case of any emergency, particularly health-related issues. For this reason, Alpaca Expeditions has invested in satellite phones, as they are one of the most crucial tools for any operator trekking in remote areas where telephone or television signals are absent. This means that every guide on our treks will be equipped with a fully charged satellite phone as well as radios. While these are primarily for emergencies, we allow our clients to use them at any time.
We ask that you cover the cost, which is $2.50 per minute. This fee can be paid in cash at our office or via PayPal once you have completed the trek.
Being just a phone call away from any doctor, hospital, or friend helps everyone feel assured of their safety. Radios, which all our guides carry, have limited reach, so Alpaca Expeditions includes satellite phones to ensure that we can connect no matter where we are on the mountain.
Portable private toilet
We understand that our clients will need restroom facilities at various times and locations during their journey. Along the Inca Trail, there are restrooms available, particularly those belonging to the communities near the trail. Alpaca Expeditions provides portable toilets to enhance this service, which will be set up at each meal site or campsite.
As with any mountain trip where we are exposed to nature, it is possible to use natural areas as restrooms. However, it is crucial to be mindful of the waste we generate, such as toilet paper or wet wipes used for cleaning. These should be carried with us and not discarded on the ground or left along the trail. Remember, the Inca Trail is a protected area overseen by a government institution. In places where garbage bins are unavailable, particularly at our camps, we provide special plastic bags for waste. Our porter team will be responsible for carrying out our waste.
Please be aware that although there are designated bathrooms for men and women, in practice, both genders often use the same facilities. Functionally, there is no significant difference between men's and women's bathrooms. Therefore, it is common for people of all genders to use whichever bathroom is available.
