The Peruvian government limits Inca Trail traffic to 500 people per day, including guides, cooks and porters who must carry all food, tents, etc. No pack animals are allowed on the Inca Trail as their hooves would damage the ancient stone paths.
The ratio of support staff to hikers is about 6 to 1, so actually, there are not very many entrance permits for hikers! Every hiker must sign up through an authorized travel agent, usually months in advance since spots sell out very quickly.
Planning and reserving your spot with months of anticipation is critical to trekking the famous Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. especially for the high-demand months from March to September.
Also, dates around holidays sell out very quickly, just hours after being released. All entrance spots are typically sold out 6 – 8 months in advance. This means that we need our list of trekkers and all your required data ready to book openings as soon as they become available, typically in the middle of December.