Inca Trail – Terms and Conditions

CANCELLATION OF THE INCA TRAIL TREK BY THE CLIENT

Please note that the trek deposit is non-refundable. The deposit is used to reserve space within the group. Once we have made a trek reservation with the government authorities we unable to change any details of the reservation (your name, passport number or departure date). If you have to cancel your trek booking government authorities will not let us fill your cancelled spaces with other clients. We have to depart with a smaller less-economic group. The trek permit once purchased is non-refundable & non-transferable.

  1. Trek cancellation prior to 7 p.m. two days prior to trek departure (after having paid the trek deposit) will result in loss of trek deposit. All other payments will be refunded in full. Note that if the trek balance is not received prior to 7 p.m. two days before trek departure. The trek will be deemed to have been cancelled and the deposit cannot be returned.
  2. Once we have bought the trek permits, we cannot substitute other trekkers in your place if you have to cancel. The Classic Inca Trail trek permit, bus ticket and train ticket will not be returned.

Trek cancellation

Trek cancellation between 7pm two days before trek departure and prior to actual trek departure (i.e. once you have paid for the trek in full): The unused Inca Trail trek permit will be returned as well as the train ticket from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo, along with the bus ticket from Machu Picchu down to Aguas Calientes.

  1. If you have hired the services of a porter, we cannot refund your payment and the porter will continue on the Inca Trail as originally contracted to do so. If you have rented a sleeping bag we will refund this amount in full.
  2. Once you have started the Inca Trail (i.e. once you board the bus in the morning) we can only return your train ticket from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo and your bus ticket from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes. We cannot make any cash refunds. Failure to be able to continue with the trek will be treated as a cancellation. Any costs associated with returning to Cusco or returning to Ollantaytambo and then continuing to Aguas Calientes and then onto Machu Picchu is your responsibility. These costs include all transport costs (you, the guide and any others accompanying you), hotel accommodation and any medical expenses (thankfully this is a very rare event).

In the event of any trek cancellation Top Peru Trips will be happy to cooperate in providing any necessary documentation to enable a legitimate insurance claim.

CANCELLATION OF THE INCA TRAIL TREK BY TOP PERU TRIPS

It should be noted Top Peru Trips is a professional and responsible tour operator with an excellent reputation for quality service. We have no intention of cancelling any of our clients trek reservations and can confirm that to date Top Peru Trips has been lucky never to have had to cancel a trek due to either failure to purchase the trek permits for the group in time or due to matters outside of our control such as strikes or landslides.

  1. Cancellation of a trek due to failure to purchase your Inca Trail trek permit: In the event that Top Peru Trips has to cancel your trek due to failure or inability to purchase your trek permit, we will notify you by email as soon as we become aware of such matters. We will hold your deposit payment for your collection in our Cusco office. If you are unable to come to the office we will return it to you by Western Union less the transfer charges related with sending it to you.
  2. Cancellation of Trek due to matters outside of the control of Top Peru Trips (Force Majeure). See section 7 below. If in the event that Top Peru Trips has to cancel your trek due to Force Majeure, Top Peru Trips will do its best to offer an alternative 4 day trek of similar value in place of the Inca trail to Machu Picchu.If Top Peru Trips is unable to offer an alternative trek (i.e. a strike or road block prevents the group from leaving Cusco) then we will refund only the proportion of the cost of the trek that has not already been spent or committed to operating the trek. The amount spent or committed to operating the trek could include, but is not limited to, entrances fees, train tickets, guide and porter wages, contracted buses, perishable goods etc You will have to reclaim the remaining proportion on your travel insurance.

Unfortunately the trek deposit will not be refunded to clients if the trek is cancelled due to Force Majeure although Top Peru Trips will provide clients with suitable documentation so that clients can claim a refund from their insurance companies.

PRICES AND SURCHARGES

As we publish our prices well in advance, we may occasionally be faced with significant cost increases due to factors over which we have no control. As such we reserve the right to impose surcharges (or price decreases) up to 2 days before departure due to increases in Inca Trail trek permits (entrance fee), unfavorable exchange rates, increases in train fares or other transport costs, taxes, or if government action should require us to do so.

Our Inca Trail trek prices are based upon the following third party costs which are outside of our control:

  1. Inca Trail entrance fee is 265 Peruvian Soles per person, (about $95.00 U.S.) and 45 Peruvian Soles for each of our porters. The price paid for the entrance fee is clearly marked on the trek permit. The Peruvian government has not indicated that it will increase the costs of the Inca Trail entrance fee in 2015 although there always remains this possibility.
  2. Included in the price of the trek is the return on the train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo. We purchase tickets in the expedition tourist train which currently costs $70.00 U.S. per person. Peru Rail has not yet published their prices for 2016. (Details of service and price can be checked on the Peru Rail website www.perurail.com).
Train Company

The Peru Rail website states that they reserve the right to change the price at anytime. There is also the possibility that Peru Rail will no longer sell a one-way ticket and will only sell return tickets i.e. Ollantaytambo – Aguas Calientes – Ollantaytambo. If this is the case it is possible that the price of the ticket could double. This situation is unlikely. We will try to do everything in our control to keep the price of the ticket to as low as possible but clients must be prepared for such increases in the price of the train ticket. Peru Rail currently runs a monopoly service so we don’t have an alternative (Peru Rail is 50% owned by Orient Express, a British company which is registered in Bermuda and listed in the NY stock exchange). The price paid for the train ticket is clearly marked on the ticket.

  1. Local sales taxes known as IGV are included in the price of the Inca Trail trek. The currently rate of IGV is 17%. It is not anticipated that this rate will increase during 2016.
  2. Exchange Rate.

The Inca Trail trek price for 2015 is based on an exchange rate of 1 USD = 3.25 Peruvian Soles. Although we accept payment for the trek in US dollars the majority of our expenses are in Peruvian Soles (trek permits, office & porter wages, food, taxes).

Top Peru Trips will absorb any change in costs up to 15 points difference from 3.35. I.e. if the exchange rate falls to 3.0 we will not ask you to pay any additional surcharge. If however the value of the US dollar falls below 3.0 we will ask you to pay a $20.00 U.S. surcharge, if the value falls below 2.65 we will ask you to pay a $30.00 U.S. surcharge, below 3.0 we will ask you to pay a $30.00 U.S. surcharge etc. Top Peru Trips will have to show any calculations to clearly justify such surcharges.

If any of the third party costs listed above change to increase the cost of the trek we will immediately update the trek price listed on our website (apart from the exchange rate which can continue to go up and down throughout the year so the website will not be updated to reflect these cost changes). Clients will be liable for paying any increased cost of the Inca Trail trek upon arrival in Cusco.

ACCEPTANCE OF RISK

Top Peru Trips trek itineraries have been designed to provide participants with an exposure to the true nature of the environment visited and therefore involve an element of personal risk and exposure to potential hazards over and above those associated with normal “package” holidays. The client acknowledges that the nature of the tour is adventurous and that such activities may involve a significant amount of personal risk.

AUTHORITY ON TOUR

At all times the decision of the company’s guide or representative will be final on all matters likely to endanger the safety and well being of the tour group. The client must at all times strictly comply with the laws, customs, and foreign exchange and drug regulations of Peru. Should the client fail to comply with the above, or should the client interfere with the well being of the group then the guide or company representative may order the client to leave the tour without recourse to any refund.

TRAVEL DOCUMENTS

The client must be in possession of a valid passport and all visas required for the duration of the journey. Any information or advice given by the company on visas, vaccinations, climate, clothing, baggage, special equipment, etc is given in good faith but without responsibility on the part of the company.

We will buy your Inca Trail trek permit using the passport numbers that you send us with your trek booking application. You must bring these same passports with you to Cusco and take them on the Inca Trail. If the number in your passport is different from the number on the trek permit, the government authorities will not allow you to start the trek and you will not be entitled to a refund.

FACTORS OUTSIDE THE COMPANY’S CONTROL (FORCE MAJEURE)

The company will do its best to minimize the effects of matters outside its control, but cannot accept any liability for these matters which include political disputes, industrial action, unforeseeable climate, road blocks, landslides on the Inca Trail, problems with the railway between Aguas Calientes and Cusco, delayed trains etc. In order to avoid strike action which has been planned on certain days the group may have to depart for the Inca Trail in the evening before the planned trek departure date.

Top Peru Trips will not be responsible for any costs associated with unused or partly used accommodation services due to this earlier than planned departure. Failure to agree to depart at this earlier time will be considered a trek cancellation by the client. If all or part of the Inca Trail or Machu Picchu is closed due to Force Majeure then Top Peru Trips will do its best to provide an alternative trek itinerary of similar value. Unfortunately the trek deposit will not be refunded to clients if the trek is cancelled due to Force Majeure although Top Peru Trips will provide clients with suitable documentation so that clients can claim a refund from their insurance companies.

Travel Insurence

It is the client’s responsibility for obtaining sufficient personal travel insurance. The client is willing to accept full responsibility for insurance up to limits that the client may require. This insurance must cover personal accident, medical expenses, air ambulance, loss of effects, repatriation costs and all other expenses which might arise as a result of loss, damage, injury delay or inconvenience occurring to the client. It is important that all clients have personal travel insurance. When obtaining travel insurance the client must ensure that the insurer is aware of the type of travel to be undertaken.

RESPONSIBILITY

The Company shall not be liable for any damage or loss if the failure to carry out the contract is: 1) attributable to the client 2) attributable to a third party unconnected with the provision of the services contracted for and the event is unforeseeable or unavoidable 3) due to unforeseen and unusual circumstances beyond the company’s control, consequence which could not have been avoided even if all due care had to be exercised. 4) Due to political disputes, industrial action, climate or other matters of a similar nature and any other force majeure. 5) Due to an event which the company, even with all due care could not foresee or forestall.

Any liability is limited to the full price paid for the tour. In all cases the company specifically excludes all liability for indirect or consequential loss or expense, including loss of profits.