OVERVIEW
The Inca Jungle route passes through the Machu Picchu Historical Sanctuary, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that encompasses both the archaeological heritage of the Inca civilization and one of the most biodiverse cloud forest ecosystems in South America. Operating tour departures through this landscape every day of the year is a responsibility that we approach with the seriousness it deserves.
Responsible tourism in a protected area is not a marketing position. It is a set of daily operational decisions that either contribute to the preservation of the place or erode it gradually over time. We have built our operations around the former.
- OUR ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITMENTS
We eliminated single-use plastic from all our tour operations. Travelers on all Inca Jungle departures receive a reusable water bottle at the start of the tour and are provided with refill points at each accommodation stop. Our guides carry waste bags throughout the trek and collect any material left on the trail by our group or by other visitors. We do not leave the route in worse condition than we found it.
We use biodegradable soaps and cleaning products at all accommodation stops where cooking and cleaning take place under our management. We brief all travelers on the environmental regulations of the Machu Picchu Historical Sanctuary before the tour begins and explain the reasoning behind each rule rather than simply listing them as restrictions.
We limit group sizes to a maximum of 12 travelers per departure. This is below the maximum permitted by the regulations governing the route and reflects our judgment about the point at which a group becomes large enough to meaningfully impact the trail environment and the experience of other travelers on it.
We support the porters and support staff who work on our tours with wages that meet or exceed the standards set by the Peruvian trekking industry guidelines, proper equipment including rain gear, appropriate footwear, and load limits that protect their physical health.
- OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES
The communities along the Inca Jungle route, in Santa María, Santa Teresa, and the smaller settlements between them, depend on tourism as a primary source of economic activity. We direct as much of that economic activity as possible toward local providers: the guesthouses and lodges where our travelers sleep, the restaurants where meals are served, the local artisans whose products are available in the markets of Aguas Calientes and along the route.
We employ guides and support staff from Cusco and the Sacred Valley communities. We train them, pay them fairly, and invest in their professional development. The economic benefit of the tourism we facilitate does not stop at our office door.
- CERTIFICATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS
Inca Jungle is a fully licensed tour operator registered with MINCETUR, Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism. We hold all required permits for operating adventure tourism activities in the Cusco region including mountain biking operations on the Abra Málaga descent and rafting on the Urubamba River. Our guides are licensed by AGOTUR and our rafting guides hold current certifications in swift water rescue and wilderness first aid.
We are members of Peru’s responsible tourism network and participate in the ongoing dialogue between operators, government agencies, and conservation organizations about the sustainable management of visitor access to the Machu Picchu Historical Sanctuary.
