It depends on how you travel, so here is the list: 

• By train: a private guide, private transfers, the Vistadome Observatory, upgraded hotels in Cusco and Aguas Calientes, and every ticket, train and bus arranged for you.
• On the Luxury Inca Trail: your own guide, chef and porters, walk-in tents with queen or twin beds, hot showers and private toilets at every camp, a massage therapist in camp, and permits and Machu Picchu entry included.
• On the luxury alternative treks: glamping camps, a Pachamanca feast on the Salkantay, a massage at the end and a hotel night before Machu Picchu. What doesn't change is the mountain: trail, altitude and weather are the same for everyone.

Yes. The Luxury Inca Trail and our luxury alternative treks run as private departures: your own guide, chef and crew, at your group's pace. The luxury train tours include a private guide and private transfers. The "from" price on each tour is per person and depends on how many of you travel, so send us your dates and group size and we'll reply with an exact quote, every inclusion listed, before you pay anything.

As early as you can. The Inca Trail is limited to about 500 people a day including guides and porters, which leaves roughly 200 places for hikers; permits are tied to your passport and can't be changed, and May to September sells out six to eight months ahead. Luxury departures also need campsites secured for the walk-in tents, and Hiram Bingham seats and the better hotels in Aguas Calientes fill fast in high season. For weather, April to October is dry and clear; November to March is greener and quieter, with afternoon showers. The Inca Trail closes every February for maintenance; train tours run all year. Check live dates on our Inca Trail availability page.

What you pay for is the time on board. The Hiram Bingham, run by Belmond, carries fewer than 85 guests in 1920s-style Pullman cars and includes brunch on the way up, a four-course dinner on the way back, drinks, live music, afternoon tea at the Sanctuary Lodge by the entrance and exclusive buses up to the citadel. From January to April it leaves from the Sacred Valley with a road transfer from Cusco. It costs about three times our Observatory day tour, and it's the right choice when the journey is part of the celebration. The Vistadome Observatory has panoramic windows, an open-air observatory balcony, a bar car with live Andean music, and snacks and drinks at your seat; it's the train on our 2-day luxury tour and the Luxury Inca Trail, and for most travelers it's plenty. Full comparison in our guide to trains from Cusco to Machu Picchu.

Comfortable enough to sleep well, which is the point. Your tent is tall enough to stand in, with a queen or twin bed, duvet and pillows, a private toilet and a hot shower every evening, and a massage therapist travels with the camp. Your chef cooks three meals a day plus hot drinks, and porters carry your duffel, so you walk with a daypack. Two things we don't dress up: the trail is still 42 km with Dead Woman's Pass at 4,215 m on day two, and nights at altitude are cold. The bed helps with both. Details on the Luxury Inca Trail 4 Days page.

Choose the Luxury Inca Trail if walking into Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate, past Inca sites no road reaches, is what you came for; it needs a permit, so dates come first. Choose the Luxury Salkantay Trek for bigger landscapes (Humantay Lake, the glacier, a 4,630 m pass), no permit, glamping camps and a hotel night before Machu Picchu. Salkantay is longer, 64 km over five days, and a touch harder on the legs; the Inca Trail has more history under your feet. If your Inca Trail dates are gone, Salkantay is the answer we give most often.

For the train tours, you need to be comfortable walking two to three hours on uneven stone paths and stairs inside Machu Picchu. For the luxury treks, think six to eight hours of walking a day for several days; first-time trekkers finish every season, and the ones who enjoy it trained for a couple of months. Altitude is the real variable: Cusco sits at 3,400 m, so arrive two or three days before any hike, drink more water than you think you need, keep alcohol light and tell your guide the moment you feel off. Every trek carries oxygen and a first-aid kit, and the pace is set for your group, not a timetable. If you have a medical condition, talk to your doctor first; this short MedlinePlus guide to altitude sickness is worth five minutes.

Several, and none of them feel like a consolation prize. The 2-day luxury tour (Sacred Valley, luxury hotel in Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu with a private guide) is the simplest. The 4- and 5-day luxury packages add Cusco and, on the 5-day, Rainbow Mountain, with hotels every night. And if you'd like one day of real hiking, the Luxury Short Inca Trail gives you the Sun Gate arrival and a top hotel instead of a tent.

We work with a short list of upgraded 4-star hotels: in Cusco, Costa del Sol, Novotel and Hilton Garden Inn; in the Sacred Valley, Casa Andina, Del Pilar and Sonesta Posadas del Inca; in Aguas Calientes, Tierra Viva, El Mapi and Hatun Inti Boutique. We name the exact property in your quote so you can approve it before you pay. If you have a favorite, or want a specific suite, a spa or a particular view, tell us and we'll price the upgrade. The itinerary stays the same; only where you sleep changes.

Travel light between Cusco and Machu Picchu. Trains allow one bag of up to 8 kg per passenger and the Hiram Bingham doesn't accept large suitcases, so leave your luggage at your Cusco hotel; on the 2-day tours an overnight bag is enough. Inside Machu Picchu you need your passport and a small daypack (maximum 40 × 35 × 20 cm) with water, sunscreen and a rain layer. On the luxury treks, porters or horses carry your duffel and you walk with a daypack. Our Inca Trail packing list covers the rest, and we send the version for your specific tour with your confirmation.

Step one: we check permits, hotels, train seats and campsites for your dates. Step two: you confirm with a deposit of USD 800 per person, which we use to buy your permits, tickets and train seats. Step three: we confirm, usually within 24 hours; if something isn't available and you don't want an alternative, your deposit comes back in full. Once permits, Machu Picchu tickets and train seats are issued in your name they can't be refunded or transferred, so we recommend travel insurance that covers hiking at altitude. Full terms on our Terms and Conditions page.

Yes, and many luxury trips start that way: a different hotel, an extra night in the Sacred Valley, the Amazon or Lake Titicaca after Machu Picchu, or two of these tours joined into one itinerary. Tell us your dates, your pace and what the trip is for, and we'll shape it from there. Start on our Tailor Made page or write to us on WhatsApp.