Camping trip to Machu Pichu on a tight budget

I am planning to travel in May/June but due to the nature of my studies it is almost impossible for me to know the dates I will be free. Since the Inca trail tour is sold out well in advance I am not sure if I will be able to get it.

Its already sold out til August.

I was just wondering if I book a tour right now will the permit be for specific dates or will most tour operators be able send me on the tour on another date as long as the permit is reserved?

Yes. The permit for Machu Picchu is for a select date. Usually the last day of a four day tour/hike. Its non transferable.

What I want to know is if the Inca trail tour is sold out will I be able to book these alternative treks at the last moment or after I arrive in Peru?

Yeah. They're actually a lot cheaper to book in Cusco then if you booked them online or through a travel agency online. Wait til your in Cusco. The only thing you may miss out on is the hike up to Huayna Picchu (but that sells out in advance).

I was also wondering if I will be able to do this trip in less than a week or if that is too short a time since most tours recommend arriving a few days early to acclimatize. While I could spend more time the limiting factor for me is the budget. A rough idea about the daily expense for a single traveler staying in budget hotels/hostels would be very helpful. For a one week trip I want to spend at max $100 per day after I arrive in Peru excluding the cost of the tour. I am assuming this would be doable?

Altitude has different effects on everyone. If you are doing a 'trip to peru'. I'd recommend going lima up to arequipa and then onto cusco. As this will help you acclimitise a bit quicker. MP is actually 'low' in terms of Cusco. But if your doing any hike that is over 3000m then you may need to acclimtise.

As for budget in Peru - its one of the cheapest places in South America to travel (sans Bolivia which is by far the cheapest). You could budget anywhere from 30-50 dollars per day. A hostel should be about 10USD/Day. Meals can be anywhere from 10 soles per day to 15 soles per day (go to the local market for a set menu) or a lot of restaurants away from the tourist areas will have a lunch set menu which will be no more than 20 soles per day. As long as you don't eat out often and if you do you go to cheap spots you'll be fine with 100 per day.

Assuming your not doing the Inca trail but one of the other treks (jungle, salkantay, lares) $700 is a huge budget and should cover all costs including the trek.

The main issue you have is time. With 7 days in Peru you are realistically going to lose the first and last getting to/from Lima/Cusco. Gives you 5 days. Add in an acclimatisation day (really 2 would be better) and a full day at mp and that's only 3 days left for the trek.

Personally I would look at basing in Cusco/sacred valley and doing day trips as it seems like a more efficient way of time than the trek and you will see a bigger range of things.

@trent84
Thanks a lot! That was extremely helpful. I can still see some availability for the Inca tour on some websites for June. But given that I am not certain of the dates I think I will just skip it and do one of the other treks when I am there. Do you have any recommendations among the alternatives? I am thinking the Lares trek for now.

I would certainly like to do the Huayna Picchu hike. Hopefully I can find the tickets if I book a month or so in advance.

@james2020
Thanks for the reply! I can certainly spend more time in Peru if that is possible in the same budget. I was cutting down on the time because I assumed it would be too expensive. Maybe I will spend more time in Lima or take some more day trips in addition to the camping tour.

If Huayna Picchu is sold out hike up MP Montana. That is what we did (chose to do) and it was amazing.

We didn't even spend $100 a day for two people. Not even close. Your biggest expense will be the trek. So you can stay longer. If you want to do a high altitude trek make sure you stay overnight in Cusco for at least 2 nights before the trek. MP is great but there are many other great sites in the area. Amazing scenery too. Don't miss Chinchero, Moray, the Maras salineras, Ollantaytambo, Pisac, Sacsayhuaman... Before your trek you could easily spend an extra 4 days in the area. I also recommend Arequipa (nice city) and the Colca Canyon. We went trekking in the canyon on our own.

We didn't do a trek. Maybe next time. We took a shuttle to Santa Teresa, a minibus to Lucmabamba and we hiked (day hike) from Lucmabamba to Llactapata to Hidroelectrica to Aguas Calientes. Two treks that appeal to me but that don't go to MP (but neither does Lares really as it ends in Ollantaytambo from where you take a train to Aguas Calientes) are Ausangate (but it is very high altitude... the highest I have hiked is 4,200m and this trek goes over 5,000m) and Choquequirao (it is possible to go on to MP). Lares sounds like a good trek for people who want cultural interaction as well.

Thanks! @soniaberode
Since my budget seems sufficient I will certainly stay longer now and am doing some more research into places I can visit while acclimatizing. In fact if I can save a bit more I would love to take an Amazon tour or maybe see the Nazca lines. I probably wont be able to come to Peru again so I might as well do everything I can.

Btw did any of you had any issues with altitude sickness? I am not the fittest person but have hiked at around 7000-8000 ft without any issues so I think I should be fine as Machu Pichu seems to be around the same elevation.

I can still see some availability for the Inca tour on some websites for June

When the government website says 0 permits for that month, there are zero permits for that month. Go to http://www.machupicchu.gob.pe/ and click on queries and click on camino inca in the drop down menu. June has zero permits available. There are a few for the 'shortened camino inca starting at km104. But that is a 2 day version of the trail. The costs of the Camino Inca is going to be about 600 USD for the 4 day version. Probably half for the 2 day version.

Do you have any recommendations among the alternatives? I am thinking the Lares trek for now.
It depends. Lares is great for a more cultural trek. Salkantay is great for a more scenic kinda trek. And Jungle is more adventurous. Salkantay and Jungle both end up in Santa Terese where you walk the train tracks to Aguas Caliente. The Lares finishes near Ollantaytambo and you'll have to catch a train to Aguas Caliente. All trips will stay overnight in Aguas Caliente before your visit to Machu Picchu.

Btw did any of you had any issues with altitude sickness? I am not the fittest person but have hiked at around 7000-8000 ft without any issues so I think I should be fine as Machu Pichu seems to be around the same elevation.

Everyone is different. So I have no idea how you'll react to the altitude. As for you've hiked at 8000ft (2,400 or so metres - I'm australian so im gonna use metric) is fine for around MP. But if you do the Salkantay or Lares (or Inca Trail), you'll go well over 4,000m on them. And be over 3,000m for a lot of the trek. That can be a real pain in the butt hiking at that atlitude. If you are planning on spending time in Peru, I'd recommend going from Lima up to Arequipa (which is about 2,300 masl) and doing the Colca Canyon trek. Then heading over to Cusco from there (cusco is 3300 masl). So doing day trips around the Sacred Valley and Cusco will help you get used to the altitude. Or go from Areuipa down to Lake Tititcaca and then up to Cusco. It'll slowly get you used to the elevation.

If you do start with Cusco and you want to do a high elevation trek you should be in Cusco for at least 2 nights before the trek. And/or talk to your doctor about taking Diamox. When I am at 3,500 to 4,200m (that is the highest I have hiked to)I have at times felt nauseous and I have also had a headache. I take Ibuprofen. The worst I have felt was actually in Peru, at Cumbemayo near Cajamarca (3,500m), where I suddenly felt very nauseous. Luckily we were just about to go down to Cajamarca. It was weird because I have been higher without much of a problem. It can hit anyone and at any time.

Well, I though you had a problem with your budget but not. Almost is luxury spend 100 dollars per day, here the hassle would be if you can realize or find tickets for Inca Trail because this tour is well known.
If you don't booking the tour months before, you cannot realize that, so I see that also you are interesting about Lares Trek. This one is available almost every day.
For the acclimatization normally is recommended a couple of days, but a rest and coca tea you'll be fine.S

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