Frequently Asqued Questions

Saga is the tour operator behind your Peru experience. Saga means to expand, to improve, to learn, to grow and continue. This is our philosophy. As experts in creating unforgettable experiences, our team is strongly committed to these principles, always on the lookout for new and stimulating journeys through Peru. Visit our About Us page for more information.

When you return home from a trip, you have photos and vague recollections that quickly fade in the face of routine. When you return home from a personalized travel experience with Saga, you have indelible memories of places, activities, and people that were deeply meaningful to you. Travel takes you places and shows you sites. Travel experiences are deeply personal; they let you delve into all of the human senses; they offer you relaxation or invigoration if that’s the ticket; they provide a new perspective with alternative horizons. In working with Saga, you are enlisting the help of experts who not only have extensive knowledge of Peru travel, but who are also masters of turning your requirements, interests, and personality into an unforgettable travel experience. Visit The Saga Difference page for more information.

Saga is a tour operator. We arrange comprehensive tours that include hotels, sightseeing with private guides and/or drivers, airport and train station transfers, visas, and regional transportation (internal flights, private drivers, train tickets, etc.). Tour operators work with travel agents and personal travelers. Once you are ready to start planning a trip, please reach out to us or have your preferred travel agent contact us, at info@sagamachupicchu.com.

Our  guides have been carefully selected for their knowledge, professionalism, experience, and ability to effectively manage groups with finesse. We work exclusively with guides who are local to the destination and are licensed and/or certified in accordance with the government regulations of their country. All are fluent in Spanish and English, and some also speak the local indigenous languages.

Every trip arranged by Saga is completely tailor-made. While you may find sample itineraries to inspire you on our website, no stone is left unturned in our quest to deliver exceptional personalized private tours to Peru. We take your wants, needs, time constraints, budget, and personal travel style into account to deliver experiences that are far from standard.

All tour prices are based on the services detailed in each tour’s itinerary. Services are sold as a complete package and Saga is not able to provide a breakdown of the component costs of a trip. However, as your trip is completely personalized, we are able to provide an array of accommodation options and services to fit all budgets.

This depends on how far in advance you prefer to plan. We book last-minute trips all the time and we also arrange tours that are planned years in advance. Major considerations are visa requirements, holiday and festival availability, and seasonal demand (ex. “dry season” in Peru).

Your Travel Designer will plan activities to make your special day one to remember, whether it’s a candlelight dinner, side-by-side massages, a sunset horseback ride, OR  a shaman ceremony. Our honeymooners receive extra perks and amenities—e.g., complimentary spa treatments, and room upgrades—in addition to the flexibility of touring with your own private guides and drivers, top rooms in Peru’s best hotels and resorts, and other services that are standard on all of our tours.

Family travel is one of our specialties. Our Travel Designers can recommend certain hotels and destinations that we highly recommended and are ideal for children.

Please note that hotels are very strict about the number of people who can stay in one room. Usually, a maximum of three adults are allowed in one room, except in specific cases such as ‘family rooms’. Please note that children of a certain age (usually 10 or 12 years, depending on the hotel) are considered as adults.

Our travel experts have lived overseas for years and we pride ourselves in having the expert knowledge to take you to places that are not frequented by many tourists. For example, you can visit a small Andean village far from the tourist centers, stay in a local home, or dine with a local family.

Detailed packing lists separated by activity and country are sent along with your personalized itinerary once it has been confirmed.

People in Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador tend to dress quite casually, although they will dress up for special occasions such as church, weddings, and very special dinners. As a visitor, you are not expected to dress up, even in the fancier hotels and restaurants, although you are welcome to do so should you wish to. Visitors to some churches are asked to wear long pants or skirts rather than shorts.

We provide vehicles big enough for you and your luggage to fit comfortably. We do not generally place a limit on luggage, although if your group is bigger than 6 people and you all plan to bring large amounts of luggage, please let us know to ensure that the vehicle we provide has enough space.

Ideally, let us know as soon as possible. Generally, you need to let us know at least 45 days in advance to make changes. That gives us enough time to change dates and give other adjustments/options.

It is very situational. We do our best to work with clients if things happen outside of their control, though there may be additional costs incurred. We also recommend getting travel insurance for any issues that may come up before and during your travel.

In general, our tours and transfers are private for you and your travel companions, but there are some instances where this is not the case… for example:

• Treks in Peru: 1 guide for up to 16 people in group service
• Tambopata jungle lodges: 1 guide per 10 guests, except in Tambopata Research Center, where there is 1 guide per 6 guests.
• Inka Express bus: 1 guide for the whole bus (up to 40 passengers)
• Catamaran tour on Lake Titicaca: 1 guide per 10 guests; buses for up to 40 passengers
• Islas Ballestas: 40 passenger boat
• Nazca Lines: 12 passengers in the plane

This depends on the size of your travel group and where you are. The general guidelines according to party size are:

• 1-2: Four-wheel drive vehicle, such as a Toyota Landcruiser or Hyundai H1 or Mercedes Sprinter-type vehicle
• 3-8: Mercedes Sprinter-type vehicle
• 9 or more: Mini-bus

Almost all accommodations in South America have Wi-Fi throughout their facilities and the vast majority also have at least one computer available for client use.

Some important things to note:

In some hotels in the Sacred Valley and Aguas Calientes, the internet can be slow, mostly in the rooms, but sometimes this is true in the main areas and even the ‘business centers’.

In most jungle lodges, there is little or no access to the internet.

Since the cell service is poor on the treks, clients will not be able to access the internet most of the time, even if they have data on their phones.

You will always find better exchange rates in-country than trying to do so outside. If you want to have some local currency with you on arrival, change only a small amount in your home country or at the airport.

In Peru, exchange rates are much better in the exchange houses than in banks.

Any dollar bills that you want to exchange must be in pristine condition, otherwise, they will be exchanged for a lower rate or rejected. $1 bills are generally not accepted or exchanged well below the going rate.

Check any money that you receive carefully for any rips and tears as well as for validity. False bills are relatively common in both countries

In the majority of places you are visiting (including all larger towns in the Sacred Valley and Aguas Calientes. there are cash machines from which you can withdraw cash from your account at home. You can withdraw in either dollars or the local currency. Sometimes withdrawing dollars has reduced charges (check with your bank).

Many hotels and larger restaurants and stores (or those parts of groups/chains) will accept payment by credit card.

Tips are not included in your price. Tipping is not obligatory in South America, but is a kind gesture, gratefully received, when you feel the service merits it. You can tip larger amounts (e.g. $10 upwards) in US dollars, but smaller amounts should be in local currency, otherwise, the person you are tipping won’t be able to exchange them

Quotes usually include domestic flights, accommodation for each night, all breakfasts, some other meals, entrance tickets, transport, and guide services for included tours. Water will also be provided in the vehicle and most hotels.

Some examples of additional expenses are restrooms, additional meals, water, or snacks not included in your itinerary, tips, souvenirs, laundry, taxis for transport during your free time, tours/entrance fees to attractions not specified in your itinerary, travel insurance, and visa fees.

Saga personnel are always available to contact in the case of an emergency, 24 hours a day. You will be given contact numbers  in your Detailed Itinerary, so that you can call them should the need arise.

Citizens of the USA, Canada, the European Union, Australia and New Zealand do not need a visa to enter Peru for tourism purposes. Citizens of certain Asian countries such as China, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand and Singapore, as well as Israel don’t need visas. Check the full list for clients from other countries not listed here.

Indian citizens (who do not possess a US/Canadian/EU passport) DO require a visa which should be obtained from a Peruvian Embassy/Consulate in the client’s home country.

Passport Validity: passports should be valid on entry to Peru, there is no minimum validity requirement after entry.

Spring runs from September to October, and temperatures are cool to warm. It rains often, but not as much as in the rainy season or in November. December to February make the summer months in Peru. This is the midst of the rainy season in the mountains and the rainforest of Peru. The hottest weather in Peru is in February. Autumn is from March to May, and in these months one can expect less rain than in the wet season, and it can be a very special time to visit as everything is green and fresh after the wet season with smaller crowds.

The ideal time to visit is June to August, which forms the winter season in Peru. Rainfall is at the minimum amount and this provides clear skies for day- and nighttime sightseeing. On the Peruvian coast the temperatures tend to be quite cool, with no pronounced temperature fluctuations, and in the mountains, it is dry with warm temperatures during the day. Temperatures can get below zero in the higher altitudes during the night.

There is no road to Aguas Calientes, the town at the base of Machu Picchu, but you can get there by train or on foot. Saga clients travel in one of the following ways:

Train from Ollantaytambo and back to Ollantaytambo or Poroy (Cusco)

Train from Poroy (Cusco) and back

4 day Inca Trail hike (82km) (4 days hiking with 3 nights camping, arriving into Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate) and return by train to Ollantaytambo/Poroy.

1 day Inca Trail hike (104km) (train to 104km and 6hr (approx.) hike to Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate) and return by train to Ollantaytambo/Poroy.

We drive our clients by private car to the station they will de part from and pick them up to bring them to their Cusco hotel on the way back. Approximate car journey times:

Hotel Sacred Valley to Ollantaytambo station, 20-40 minutes

Hotel Cusco to Ollantaytambo station, 2 hours

Hotel Cusco to Poroy station, 30 minutes

Saga takes care of purchasing your entry tickets to Machu Picchu. Each ticket is linked to a specific name for a particular date and are not transferable or refundable.

The following types of tickets are available:

Machu Picchu Only

This is the most popular ticket and provides entrance to the main site and attractions such as the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Three Windows, the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the Condor, the Main Square, the agricultural area, and walk to the Inca bridge or ascend to the Intipunku (The Gate of the Sun of Machu Picchu).

Machu Picchu + Huayna Picchu

The Huayna Picchu tickets are the most difficult to secure and must be booked sometimes with months of anticipation. The ticket provides access to Huayna Picchu mountain and The Temple of the Moon. Keep in mind that this trek is not for the faint of heart as people who are scared of heights or suffer from vertigo are discouraged from making the climb.

Machu Picchu + Mountain

This ticket allows entry to a hiking route leading up to the Machu Picchu mountain (Old Mountain) and the archaeological buildings found at the main site.

Machu Picchu + Huchuy Picchu

The Huchuy Picchu mountain is located next to Huayna Picchu and gives excellent views to the north side of Machu Picchu. The hike up takes approximately one hour and is suitable for people of all ages.

It is unusual for tickets to the main site to sell out (although recently it has happened more for last minute trips), and the same goes for Machu Picchu Mountain, but Huayna Picchu tickets do sell out several months beforehand, especially the 10:00 a.m. timeslot, so keep this in mind before planning your trip.