Our treks pass through protected areas, Inca sites and farming communities, and we want to leave them as we found them. These are the practices our guides, cooks and porters follow on every trip, and how you can help.
Leave No Trace on every trek
Before each trek, your guide explains the Leave No Trace principles: stay on the trail, do not pick plants or feed animals, and take all your rubbish with you. Our team packs out all the rubbish from our camps, and we ask travelers to carry their own off the trail.
Less plastic, less waste
We use reusable and recyclable products wherever we can, and solar lamps at camp. Bring a reusable water bottle instead of buying plastic ones, and keep wrappers and wet wipes in your bag until you can throw them away in town.
Locally sourced food
Our cooks use locally sourced products for the meals on our treks. The food is fresher, it travels less, and the money stays with producers in the region. Tell us about vegetarian, vegan or other dietary needs when you book, and our cooks will plan the menu around them.
Respect for Inca sites and nature
We ask travelers not to climb or sit on Inca walls and to follow the routes and rules of each site. At Machu Picchu, visitors follow one-way routes and food is not allowed inside; read how Machu Picchu tickets work.
Along the way our guides point out the plants and animals of each area and explain why these places are protected. Learn more about the flora and the wildlife of the Inca Trail.
Reforestation in the Machu Picchu Sanctuary
On 30 November 2024 we took part in “Sembrando Oxígeno”, a reforestation day at Piscacucho, the Km 82 starting point of the Classic Inca Trail. It was part of the initiative “One million trees for the Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary and its buffer zone”, and SERNANP, which manages the sanctuary, recognized us as a “Hincha de la Conservación” (conservation supporter).
People as well as places
Sustainable travel is also about the people who make each trip possible. Read how we work with our team and with local communities on our socially conscious travel page.