Beautiful Cusco…
There is nothing more overwhelming than picking a tour group for a once in a lifetime trip, particularly when there are hundreds, if not thousands to choose from. The short Peruvian men will try to charm you with their impressive English and their fancy maps and promise you lots of wonderful things. (One smooth-talking chap promised me an orchid-paved trek to Machu Picchu. I saw one. But I figured he was lying anyway.) But here’s the catch- how can you tell the good tour operators from the ones who’ll scam you? Who will give you a great trip for a great price? Who will take your money and run? I was in Cusco for over a week and purchased about four different tours from different operators. My advice is…
1. Shop around.
Don’t be afraid to get a variety of different quotes and itineraries. Many operators will promise you similar packages but prices can vary. Stand your ground and don’t be pressured into handing over any money until you’re satisfied you’ve got the right trip.
2. Try before you buy.
I purchased some smaller day trips with a couple of different operators before I handed over a wad of cash for my longer, more expensive Machu Picchu trip. This way I could discern how the operators worked and what the standards were. I actually found that many tour companies just sub-contract the work out, so you wind up with people who’ve signed up with different companies anyway.
3. Be smart.
Mark and I met a couple of different people who had paid literally hundreds of dollars more for the exact same tour than we had. Refer to number one and don’t get conned into spending more than you should. Tours are expensive yes, but find out the median price before you hand over too much. Be wary of operators who will tack on tax and service charges after they’ve quoted you a price. They’ll shrug their shoulders and say, “We have to add it on after,” but this isn’t necessarily the case. Every operator I visited, bar one, always gave me an upfront, all-inclusive price. Run from anybody who tries to add on extra tax.
4. Be wary.
If you’re sitting in a dingy office with broken air-conditioning and a non-functioning computer, don’t be surprised if the luxury tour you’re booking isn’t all that. If you’re after a specific type of experience have a look online and find some recommendations for other companies, otherwise be prepared to have an identical experience to everybody else. Lonely Planet and Trip Advisor both have company reviews and your hotel or hostel should be able to recommend some reliable groups as well.
5. Manage your expectations.
If you’ve paid next to nothing for a full day’s trip prepare yourself for the fact that you might not be traveling in style. Most of the buses we traveled on were small, hot and stuffy and often we were encouraged to buy souviners from pre-organised market stops. Sometimes lunch is included, often it’s not.
And lastly,
6. Get a receipt.
Always get a receipt and contact details from your tour operator. If anything ever goes wrong you have a right to report the operator to the tourist police for dodgy practices. A written, detailed itinerary also helps. One trip I took denied that I should be provided lunch, despite the fact that my itinerary (and receipt) clearly stated that I was entitled to it. Get written confirmation for everything you pay for. Just in case.
