Trust and how we work

A real operator, since 2006

Highland Adventures has planned and coordinated complete South America trips since 2006. Here is how we work, what we control, and what we do not.

The broker model

We are a tour broker, not a ticket seller. We plan complete trips and coordinate the licensed operators, guides, hotels, and transport that deliver them, arranging Machu Picchu access through official channels as part of a whole itinerary. We do not sell standalone tickets or permits. Our job is the judgment and the coordination: the right plan, arranged through the right people, run without gaps.

Read the full commercial disclosure.

What we control, and what our partners control

Being honest about this is the whole point of working with a broker who has done it for years. We are straight about where our control ends and an official body’s begins.

Highland controls

Which circuit, route, and dates we recommend for your trip
Which operators, guides, and hotels we put in front of you
The quality and coordination of the itinerary end to end
How clearly we explain the current rules and their limits
Your point of contact and support before and during the trip

Partners and authorities control

Whether entry tickets and permits are available for your dates
Ticket rules, circuit assignments, quotas, and closures
Government pricing, platform uptime, and official processing
On-the-ground operations run by the licensed local operator
Weather, transport disruptions, and other external events

How we vet operators and partners

Inca Trail permits can only be purchased by operators licensed by the Peruvian authorities, and we work only with licensed operators and reputable hotels and transport providers. We check licensing and standing, we use partners with a track record we can stand behind, and we coordinate the handoffs ourselves rather than leaving them to chance. We do not describe any partner as an “official partner” beyond what their license actually supports.

Support during your trip

Before you travel you have a direct point of contact on our team, and your final documents include the local support contacts for each part of the trip. If something goes wrong on the ground, you are not left to sort it out in a second language alone: we and the local operator step in to help resolve it.

Payment security

You reserve with a card deposit and pay the balance by bank transfer before travel. Card payments are handled by a PCI-compliant payment processor; Highland never stores your full card details. Every payment is against a written plan with clear amounts and dates, so you always know what you are paying for before you pay it.

Changes and cancellations

The exact change and cancellation terms are set out in your written proposal before any payment, so nothing is a surprise. Some government tickets and permits are date-bound and non-refundable by the authorities themselves, and we tell you which parts of your trip carry that risk before you commit, rather than after.

Reviews and traveler photos

We publish real traveler reviews and photos only when we have the traveler’s permission to use them. We would rather show you fewer, genuine stories than fill this page with stock images or reviews we cannot stand behind. Verified reviews and photos appear here as those permissions are confirmed.