We had an exceptional experience with Evolution Treks! Although there was an initial permitting issue, the team handled it professionally, adjusted the schedule, and went above and beyond to ensure we had a great experience.
My wife and I hiked the Inca Trail with our guide, Jacquie, who truly elevated the experience. She was incredibly knowledgeable about the history of the ruins and genuinely invested in making sure everyone enjoyed the trek.
What stood out most was how Evolution Treks treats its staff and porters. Compared with other companies on the trail, the difference was clear. The extra cost was absolutely worth knowing that the people supporting our journey are treated fairly and valued. The Evolution crew seemed genuinely happy, enthusiastic, and supportive of one another, which was wonderful to see.
Our chef, Nicolas, was also incredible and added to an already fantastic experience. We wholeheartedly recommend Evolution Treks to anyone considering the Inca Trail!
Salkantak at age 70. No problem.
My daughter and I walked the Salkantay trek with one other guest and guide Beli, horseman Roberto, Chef Guillermo, Assistant Dayse and Assistant Chef Roli. Could not have asked for a better crew. They treated us like family, making sure we were up to the task of a 15,000 foot vertical, and helping us decide when the rain might have made it unsafe to hike down. Guillermo works his magic in the kitchen — delicious, multi course meals with fresh vegetables and local Peruvian specialities. Dayse and Roli assisted with food, camp set up, and cleanup. I really appreciated the hot coca tea brought to the tent at day break.My duffle traveled with Roberto and his mule. What a blessing to only have to carry a waist/fanny pack. Can’t rave enough about Beli!!! He was always checking in on how were were doing/feeling. And his knowledge about the culture and history of the area and its people was exceptional. Quite the educator. And now a friend. Hats off to Evolution for hiring an excellent staff.
Salkantay Trek
Trekking to Machu Picchu has been a dream for my mom and I was more than happy to join her. I was tasked with figuring out the trek and tour company we’d be using. It was overwhelming to find a group that prioritized their staff’s welfare. I’m so grateful that my research led me to Evolution Treks their communication over WhatsApp was fast and responsive. The trek itself was incredible and I’m thankful for the staff who were able to make everything happen. Beli was our guide for 5 days. He expertly managed our group taking into account different hiking speeds, trail conditions, educating us on culture/flora/fauna, and ensuring we made it to Machu Picchu safely. I enjoyed our conversations and it felt within the first day I felt as if I had known Beli for much longer. Guillermo our chef was fantastic! I’m a pescatarian and everyone else in the group was an omnivore. Guillermo was able to not only accommodate my dietary restrictions but also make meals on the road that are nicer than anything I’ve made for myself. I never felt hungry and was amazed how we never ate the same meal twice ever! The food (and drinks) were delicious. The rest of the crew was also incredible. Daysy and Roli ensured our tents were always set up before we got to the campsite. They both were busy as sous chefs in the kitchen and cheerleaders for the trekkers always greeting us with high fives when we made it to camp. Daysy also helped me practice my Spanish and I enjoyed our time together and hope to see her guiding some day soon. Finally, Roberto! If not for Roberto I don’t think mom and I would have made it through the trek. Roberto expertly managed the mules so we only had to worry about bringing our water, extra layers and day snacks for the day. Again, it was an incredible trek and want to say thanks again!
We decided to do a Short Inca Trail with Evolution Treks due to their reputation for ethical treatment of all the people employed. It was all well organised and our guide made sure we had the best possible chance to experience and appreciate Machu Picchu. The company was also very helpful and informative when the accident on the Aguas Calientes - Ollantaytambo railway caused our return train to be significantly delayed. Highly recommended!
My family and I worked closely with Miguel, at Evolution Trek, to customize our entire Peruvian vacation. He was helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable throughout the entire process. Many local guides guided us throughout our vacation. Edson and Barnaby, our guides for the first and second day, were experts on history and the archaeological sites they showed us. Roberto, our guide for the third day, provided us with a more spiritual focused theory on Incan customs, traditions, and architecture. I appreciated that Miguel provided us with different guides, allowing us to learn about their own theories and interpretations of Peruvian History.
Through working with Miguel, we decided to book the five-day four-night luxury Inca Trail Expedition. Luxury was an understatement. Dionses and Daisy, two of our porters, ensured that our tents were clean and cozy each night and we had a personal restroom tent with a portable toilet inside of it! We had amazing food, fantastic guides, and good spirited porters.
Fernando and is his assistant Sergio curated amazing meals. Since all of the food has to be carried, I was nervous about what we would be eating. Fernando provided us with exceptional, filling, and delicious three course meals every day.
Our Inca Trail guide and his assistant, Marco and Edwin, knew the answer to every question we threw at them. Marco was knowledgeable about the flora and fauna and Peruvian history. He explained to us the history of the Incas and the cultures that came before them. Both were also great at lifting our spirits during the more intense hiking days. Marco was exceptionally patient and he and Edwin remained in good humor throughout the whole trip.
One very important distinction that separates Evolution Trek from other touring companies is their treatment of their porters and their hiring of women porters. Evolution Trek provides modern ergonomic backpacking equipment for their porters and strictly limits the weight that they carry, even below the government maximums. On the trail, we noticed porters from other companies struggling under the weight of their backpacks. Evolution Trek was the only company, that we saw during our 5 days, that had women porters. Furthermore, Evolution Trek provides their porters tents, something that is not standard in the industry.
Our trip to Peru was amazing and we are thankful that we chose a company leading the charge for better and safer working conditions for porters. I could not recommend Evolution Trek enough.
Hiking Machu Picchu has long been a bucket list item for me and the experience did not disappoint! We went with the 3 night 4 day experience guided by Evolution. The cost was competitive to higher cost peer companies, but the mission to integrate social change and promote gender diversity resonated with me. Examples of them making a difference includes first to employ female porters, providing structured hiking backpacks for the porters instead of essentially large sacks which shifts weight and destabilizes the porters as they run, sleeping accommodations instead of having porters sleep uncovered on the ground, and providing the option of supportive hiking boots for ankle support instead of not (many non-evolution porters wore sandals!).
The accommodations were great with rented gear that all worked, including poles, sleeping bag, liner, tent, and pad. The food was fresh, delicious and never got us sick! Guillermo the head chef served hot breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with a tea happy hour as well. We ate in a spacious tent with camping chairs.
Our patient guide Marco (celebrating 725 tours) gave us plenty of information around the sites, mostly physically at Machu Picchu, without overwhelming us and allowed us to explore on our own. You should be aware that just cause you hiked forever you do not have a ticket to ALL three circuits so spend as much time as you like in the park before leaving! It’s also worth contextualizing experience. Our experience with Marco differed from what is described online with Sarah. Marco asked us (coerced?) to write a review prior to leaving the restaurant the company has a deal with, and comparing Marco to Sarah reviews reveals some differences. I think probably Marco feeling ill contributed a lot to him not developing rapport and being absent a bunch, but admitting to us he doesn’t always remember the clients names anymore was interesting.
Besides the ancient and spiritually powerful Inca Trail itself, the best part of the experience were the porters. Lead by Rosa, they all were personable and up-beat throughout the experience. They spoke in broken English and we spoke in broken Spanish and together we were able to understand some things about each other. The team obviously liked each other, and also worked together seamlessly. It was a camaraderie not seen in other porter groups.
Overall I’d give this experience 4 stars. For the very discerning, ultraluxury focused, i’ll contextualize this experience with the psychological experiment feeding monkeys grapes. Both monkey groups are happy to perform tasks and receive grapes, until one monkey receives marshmallows instead. This drives the grape receiving monkey crazy and it refuses to perform further tasks and throws a fit. The correlation here is that this escalating arms war of luxury accommodation between companies has some setting up full mattresses and porting private toilets for guests and their waste. This is done on the backs of porters and exploits the indigenous people who are forced to meet an increasingly divergent experience to what “hiking to Machu Picchu” means to me. That notwithstanding, simple things like a duffle or a T-shirt done for nearly every other company would be nice for the price point and would not tax the porters. Evolution delivered a grit-luxury experience that was 4/5 would recommend and delivered on my dream to hike/immerse myself in the Inca Trail while prioritizing the wellbeing of the porters. I recommend this company for a higher priced gritty experience which I think does so in a sustainable way.
Five stars for the porters and chefs, one star for our guide, averaged to three.
There really aren't words to describe how amazing the porters are. They are the heart of the operation, without question. They carry impossible loads at unbelievable speeds, and they genuinely seemed to be a tight-knit group who enjoyed working together, a camaraderie I didn't necessarily see in other groups. The food was outstanding. The chef and assistant chef prepared gourmet meals each evening that would rival many fine restaurants.
I chose Evolution because of how they described their treatment of porters, and I did see that their porters had tents every night, unlike porters from other groups we saw sleeping on cement under whatever overhang they could find. I also chose them because they say they were the first company to hire women porters. We had an incredible woman porter in our group, Rosa. I didn't love that she seemed to be paraded around, to her own discomfort, as proof. Giving women the opportunity is enough. They shouldn't have to perform being a woman for tourists.
I had hoped for more from our guide, Marco, who honestly did the bare minimum. He was clearly sick with a cold, and I'm grateful he powered through, but we spent roughly 40% of the trek without a guide. He would stay behind and tell us he'd catch up, with directions like "if the path forks, always stay right." Outside the ruins, he taught us exactly one thing on the trail, about the white insects used to make red dye. At camp, he went straight to his tent and didn't reappear until dinner. When he was with us, he often walked right behind us to speed us up while repeatedly telling us how patient he was. He would offer us a choice between two options when it was obvious only one was acceptable. Then at Machu Picchu, the pacing flipped: he spent so long on his tour that we had no time left to explore on our own.
He never asked us a single question, not even "where are you from?" Conversation was mostly him monologuing about how bad other companies were. One moment stuck with me. When a porter hurt his ankle, my partner, who is a doctor, offered to help. Marco instead asked him for pills for his own sore throat, and over the four days he went through all of our Advil. I've been on countless tours and have never had a less engaged guide.
One practical warning: our group was supposed to be eight, but a family of five cancelled at the last minute, leaving just three of us. We were asked to cover that family's share of tips, so the company's suggested tip of around 10% of the tour price became roughly a third. The porters and chefs absolutely deserve it, but be aware that cancellations can make this a much more expensive trip. When I did the trail 20 years ago as a broke student, that would have been impossible.
Also worth knowing: I assumed all "classic Inca Trail" trips followed the same daily schedule. They don't. Companies split the distance differently, with some putting the longest day first and others saving it for last. If you have a preference, check the day-by-day route before booking.
Overall, I would consider Evolution again, but only if I could be sure we wouldn't have the same guide. It comes with fewer frills at a higher price, but I felt good knowing our porters were treated better than those with other companies.
Grit-Luxury on the Inca Trail: 4 Stars for Evolution Treks and Their Porters
Hiking Machu Picchu has long been a bucket list item for me and the experience did not disappoint! We went with the 3 night 4 day experience guided by Evolution. The cost was competitive to higher cost peer companies, but the mission to integrate social change and promote gender diversity resonated with me. Examples of them making a difference includes first to employ female porters, providing structured hiking backpacks for the porters instead of essentially large sacks which shifts weight and destabilizes the porters as they run, sleeping accommodations instead of having porters sleep uncovered on the ground, and providing the option of supportive hiking boots for ankle support instead of not (many non-evolution porters wore sandals!). The accommodations were great with rented gear that all worked, including poles, sleeping bag, liner, tent, and pad. The food was fresh, delicious and never got us sick! Guillermo the head chef served hot breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with a tea happy hour as well. We ate in a spacious tent with camping chairs. Our patient guide Marco (celebrating 725 tours) gave us plenty of information around the sites, mostly physically at Machu Picchu, without overwhelming us and allowed us to explore on our own. You should be aware that just cause you hiked forever you do not have a ticket to ALL three circuits so spend as much time as you like in the park before leaving! It’s also worth contextualizing experience. Our experience with Marco differed from what is described online with Sarah. Marco asked us (coerced?) to write a review prior to leaving the restaurant the company has a deal with, and comparing Marco to Sarah reviews reveals some differences. I think probably Marco feeling ill contributed a lot to him not developing rapport and being absent a bunch, but admitting to us he doesn’t always remember the clients names anymore was interesting. Besides the ancient and spiritually powerful Inca Trail itself, the best part of the experience were the porters. Lead by Rosa, they all were personable and up-beat throughout the experience. They spoke in broken English and we spoke in broken Spanish and together we were able to understand some things about each other. The team obviously liked each other, and also worked together seamlessly. It was a camaraderie not seen in other porter groups. Overall I’d give this experience 4 stars. For the very discerning, ultraluxury focused, i’ll contextualize this experience with the psychological experiment feeding monkeys grapes. Both monkey groups are happy to perform tasks and receive grapes, until one monkey receives marshmallows instead. This drives the grape receiving monkey crazy and it refuses to perform further tasks and throws a fit. The correlation here is that this escalating arms war of luxury accommodation between companies has some setting up full mattresses and porting private toilets for guests and their waste. This is done on the backs of porters and exploits the indigenous people who are forced to meet an increasingly divergent experience to what “hiking Machu Picchu” means to me. That notwithstanding, simple things like a duffle or a T-shirt done for nearly every other company would be nice for the price point and would not tax the porters. Evolution delivered a grit-luxury experience that was 4/5 would recommend and delivered on my dream to hike/immerse myself in the Inca Trail while prioritizing the wellbeing of the porters. I recommend this company for a higher priced gritty experience which I think does so in a sustainable way.
Five-star porters and chefs, one-star guide
Five stars for the porters and chefs, one star for our guide, averaged to three. There really aren't words to describe how amazing the porters are. They are the heart of the operation, without question. They carry impossible loads at unbelievable speeds, and they genuinely seemed to be a tight-knit group who enjoyed working together, a camaraderie I didn't necessarily see in other groups. The food was outstanding. The chef and assistant chef prepared gourmet meals each evening that would rival many fine restaurants. I chose Evolution because of how they described their treatment of porters, and I did see that their porters had tents every night, unlike porters from other groups we saw sleeping on cement under whatever overhang they could find. I also chose them because they say they were the first company to hire women porters. We had an incredible woman porter in our group, Rosa. I didn't love that she seemed to be paraded around, to her own discomfort, as proof. Giving women the opportunity is enough. They shouldn't have to perform being a woman for tourists. I had hoped for more from our guide, Marco, who honestly did the bare minimum. He was clearly sick with a cold, and I'm grateful he powered through, but we spent roughly 40% of the trek without a guide. He would stay behind and tell us he'd catch up, with directions like "if the path forks, always stay right." Outside the ruins, he taught us exactly one thing on the trail, about the white insects used to make red dye. At camp, he went straight to his tent and didn't reappear until dinner. When he was with us, he often walked right behind us to speed us up while repeatedly telling us how patient he was. He would offer us a choice between two options when it was obvious only one was acceptable. Then at Machu Picchu, the pacing flipped: he spent so long on his tour that we had no time left to explore on our own. He never asked us a single question, not even "where are you from?" Conversation was mostly him monologuing about how bad other companies were. One moment stuck with me. When a porter hurt his ankle, my partner, who is a doctor, offered to help. Marco instead asked him for pills for his own sore throat, and over the four days he went through all of our Advil. I've been on countless tours and have never had a less engaged guide. One practical warning: our group was supposed to be eight, but a family of five cancelled at the last minute, leaving just three of us. We were asked to cover that family's share of tips, so the company's suggested tip of around 10% of the tour price became roughly a third. The porters and chefs absolutely deserve it, but be aware that cancellations can make this a much more expensive trip. When I did the trail 20 years ago as a broke student, that would have been impossible. Also worth knowing: I assumed all "classic Inca Trail" trips followed the same daily schedule. They don't. Companies split the distance differently, with some putting the longest day first and others saving it for last. If you have a preference, check the day-by-day route before booking. Overall, I would consider Evolution again, but only if I could be sure we wouldn't have the same guide. It comes with fewer frills at a higher price, but I felt good knowing our porters were treated better than those with other companies.
Their porters are incredibly nice and hardworking. It was genuinely lovely seeing them at the end of the day of hiking when we walked into camp and they had everything all ready for us. They are provided with proper gear such as backpacks with lumbar support, more supportive shoes, have weight limits of how much they can carry and are given tent spaces to sleep in at night which you’ll see the other porters from competing companies on the ground under the stars and under tarps to give them barely any protection from the elements, you’ll also see them hiking in less than ideal shoes with their hands along their back to ease the load. So. That’s why we’re here and the mission we’re happy to support. I hope the porters all get the raises they deserve. The food was also incredible so huge shoutout to the chef and assistant chef. We had plenty to eat at every meal.
Evolution Treks Peru provided us with a truly inspiring and incredible experience.
We had a few separate adventures with them during our time in Peru, including day trips as well as a trek through the Salkantay wilderness.
On the Salkantay trek, Mariel did an incredible job orchestrating around timelines, baggage delivery, weather patterns, dietary restrictions, and altitude sicknesses, to ensure the entire group had a wonderful time at every step. Her assistant guide, Maxuel, also helped us along the way, teaching us more about the area, animals and some quechua lingo.
Every meal cooked by chef Rolly was incredible! My memorable meals from Peru were from that trek. And the entire Evolution crew - the horsemen, porter, assistant chef were all so friendly and made such an incredible effort to make our trip special. It was especially nice to see them taken well-care of - good gear, ergonomic packs, and training and supporting careers in the outdoors for women.
Hiram led us on an incredible trek to Machu Picchu via the short Inca trail and then gave us a tour of the site. He is incredibly knowledgeable, helpful, and patient and provided us with such an amazing tour.
I’d highly recommend Evolution Treks if you’re traveling to Peru! They hire great people and truly care about their staff and sharing Peru with others!
Excellent team for Inca Trail. Margot, Guelliermo, Rene, Louisa, Victor, Vicente and
Rosmel really went above and beyond for us. Highly recommend Evolution Treks.
Our Inca Trail journey was truly unforgettable thanks to the team at Evaluation. Miguel planned the perfect itinerary.
We acclimatized in the Sacred valley and learned so much from our guides Edson and Barnaby. Stephanie our driver was super kind and accommodating.
Our 4 day hike to Machu Picchu went better than we could have even imagined. Our guides Marco (la leyenda) and Edwin (the future leyenda) were incredible. Marco answered all of our questions with his encyclopedic amount of knowledge. He and Edwin made us laugh and forget we were going up endless stairs. They were both infinitely patient with us which is, in my opinion, the best trait in a guide. The food was so delicious and gourmet that the food in our 5 star hotel paled in comparison. Our chefs were Fernando and his brother Sergio, and I can’t even imagine what they could do with a professional kitchen.
However, The most important members of the team that made it all possible was the porters who worked under Fernando and Sergio. They are the most hardworking and strongest group of people we have ever seen. Even though the porters are the most integral to the tour, they are often the most exploited. Evolution is actively changing the standards for the industry by giving the porters the best equipment, hiring women, and respecting the maximum weight limit that the porters are legally allowed to carry.
These men and women seem superhuman but they still need to have their health and wellbeing protected by their employers. Evolution provided their porters with tents to sleep in and ergonomic backpacks, which we had not seen with other companies.
Our family booked with evolution because of their customer service, organization, and care for their workers. We saw incredible landscapes and got to rest in a camp were we were treated like family. The positive camp environment could only be attributed to the fair treatment of the porters and guides. Thank you to everyone at evolution for making this the best trip of our lives.
What an incredible experience with Evolution Treks! I did the 3 day Salkantay trek which was seamless from start to finish. The route, organization and knowledge along the away from our guide, Mariel and her assistant, Maxuel, was amazing. They altered our itinerary part way through to account for weather with no stress or concern. Everything flowed perfectly.
The food cooked by our chef, Rolly, was delicious and restaurant quality even when on the side of a snowy mountain! It kept us all well fuelled to complete the treks each day. All the Evolution crew were so friendly and really made this trip even more special.
It’s clear that Evolution look after their staff, with good gear, backpacks and tents for all and training for young Peruvians and women which is a fantastic model. I highly recommend Evolution Treks if you’re planning a trip to Peru, they won’t disappoint!
Just did the 4 day 3 night Inca Trail.
This was honestly one of the best experiences ever. Knew it would be physically tough but the team made it feel so much easier!
Sara our guide was such a queen, so knowledgeable about the trail, Inca history, Quechua culture and language and the local area. She was also so hilarious, going to miss her big personality!
Rosalio and the porters were incredible, their job is so tough and they do so well setting up camp and carrying everything between sites with such strength and speed! Really appreciated their service and hospitality.
Nicolás the chef, seriously such good food at every meal. Felt so full and nourished and energised by every single meal, never had such good camp food! Going to be thinking about some of the food we had for a longggg time.
Overall I couldn't fault a thing, everything was so well organised, the small group was such a nice way to bond and motivate each other, and I would 110% recommend this group to anyone looking to do the Inca Trail!
Thanks so much team!! Sulpayki, Tupananchiskama ❤️
A truly unforgettable trip!
We (one couple) had booked the general 4 Day Inca Trail Tour but when we arrived for our pre-Trek presentation, our guide Jacqueline told us that the other couple had to cancel on short notice (altitude sickness, so definitely get there a few days early to acclimatize) so our general trek turned into a private one.
They picked us up the next morning around 5am from the hotel and from there it was about a 2 hour ride to the starting point of the Inca Trail. While we appreciated having the benefits of a "private" trek, we obviously wouldn't have minded sharing the experience with a group - up to 8 people - but when we got to the base camp we could see one the biggest differences between Evolution and other companies. Some of the other groups were quite big, definitely more than 10, I'd say sometimes more than 20 people. Of course, if you're simply travelling in a big group then that makes sense but personally, I really prefer the smaller scale that Evolution offers, just feels more intimate and more connected in a sense. And, of course, the bigger the group the more porters so you're potentially talking about a total group size of 40-50 or more people.
The first day of hiking was not too bad and we felt pretty confident that about the rest of the trip, although it is wild how to see how one porter after the other practically runs by you while carrying a much larger backpack. The second day is brutal. It's 6 hours uphill, uneven old Inca stone steps and then 3 hours downhill, again uneven and pretty steep stone steps, but the hardest part really is the thin air. Worst case though, Jacqueline carried some oxygen with her and really let us set the pace which helped a lot. The third day is the longest day (kilometer wise) and starts with a somewhat steep ascent, but all in all not too horrible. The 'worst' part about the last day is that you'll have to get up around 3am but seeing Machu Picchu after getting to the Sun Gate absolutely makes up for it!
To "our" crew: it was a total of 8 people including 2 chefs (main and assistant) but we had also booked a private porter to carry a bit of our stuff, plus or guide Jacqueline of course. All of them were amazing and we really enjoyed our time with them. I don't know how our Chefs Abran and Augusto manged to cook up lunches and dinners the way they did after hiking for a few days already, but somehow they did! We always started with a delicious soup (noodle, rice, chicken) and then the main course, some protein, accompanied by rice or quinoa and a salad, etc. The culinary highlight was the apple pie they baked (how?) on our last night that was absolutely delicious. We sometimes felt bad because it was so much food and we didn't always manage to finish it all (the initial planning had been for 4 people though so I think that played a bit into it).
Last but not least, our guide Jacqueline. Super kind, super knowledgable and really an amazing guide. She let us walk at our own pace, but always close enough to point out interesting things or explain facts about archaelogical sites that we visited while hiking and, since it was just the two of us, she almost turned into our personal photographer (not sure if you can always do that if it's more people). Jacqueline's real time to shine is on the last day though, when she guides you through Machu Picchu and really did a wonderful job highlighting the most interesting points, explaining building features and really bringing one of the Wonders of the World a little bit alive.
Would we do the trek again? Maybe, definitely with more preparation because it really is physically demanding. Would we book Evolution Trek again? Absolutely. The entire crew made sure that we have an amazing time and experience a wonderful trip - thank you!
Just finished our 4 day / 3 night classic Inca trail with Evolution Treks.
Hands down one of the best experiences I've had. The trek itself is one thing, but the service provided by the team really made the experience.
The porters are superhuman, it's really humbling struggling to breathe and seeing them run past you. ET's reputation as porter allies and empowerers of women is why we chose them. Head porter, Rosalio, kept us well cared for at camp and got us out of bed with coca tea every morning.
Chef Nicolás kept us well fed and whipped up some seriously impressive feasts at high altitude. A humble guy with big talent who kept ready to hit the trail and recover.
Our guide Sara was so knowledgeable and welcoming. She taught us so much about Quecha people, language, the importance of the sites on the trail and the flora & fauna we might encounter.
It's hard but it's not impossible and if you're on the fence then I'd say just book it.
We did the Salkantay 3-day trek with Mariel & Maxuel as our guides and had an amazing time. The scenery is incredible, like nothing I’ve ever experienced. The first two days are completely off the beaten path, away from other groups and completely immersed in nature. Mariel & Maxuel did a great job making sure we arrived at each point safely and happily, even during very challenging parts of the hike. Chef Rolly made unbelievable meals even at the top of the mountain. We had an amazing time and wish we could do it all again.
Our group did the 5-day Salkantay and Short Inca Trail with Evolution Treks. I couldn't have asked for a better experience.
Our guides, Mariel, Edwin and Jacqueline were incredibly knowledgeable, professional, and friendly. They took the time to share information and their unique insights of Incan history, local wildlife and nature, as well as contemporary Peruvian culture. Their passion and expertise really enriched our experience. Furthermore, they were so kind and attentive - we always felt supported by them, which we were very grateful for when we were struggling with the altitude, crossing streams, and trekking down glaciers! Their positive attitudes and patience made even the most challenging parts of our hike fun and memorable.
I also cannot speak about this experience without highlighting the incredible food. We could not believe how our chefs were able to create such delicious, fresh and plentiful meals on the trail. Some of the best meals we had during our trip to Peru were during the trek!
I think what really sets Evolution Trek apart is their commitment to ethical and responsible trekking and tourism. Their focus on empowering women, across all roles (e.g. porters, chefs, guides) shown through from the start to finish of our experience. It was also wonderful to see all members of our trekking crew, including porters and horsemen, being treated with respect and care for their livelihoods and wellbeing.
This was an unforgettable adventure that was even more meaningful knowing that we did it with such an ethical organization. If you're looking for an adventure that is not only amazing but also makes you feel good about who you are traveling with, I would recommend Evolution Treks without hesitation.
We had a fantastic experience on our private 5-day/4-night Inca Trail with Evolution Treks Peru. We chose the company largely because of its approach to porter welfare, and after seeing firsthand how demanding the work is, I’d strongly recommend researching how companies treat their porters—not just comparing price and itinerary. Evolution provides appropriate gear, tents, and weight limits, and we saw firsthand that the team worked hard to minimize unnecessary setup and breakdown.
Our guide, Marco, has completed the trail hundreds of times and was incredibly knowledgeable about Inca history and the sites along the way. He also gave us plenty of space to hike at our own pace. The food from chef Abraham and his team was outstanding, which was especially impressive considering we were camping. Abraham even made a birthday cake for our group, and the team was extremely attentive to our dietary restrictions. Julio was also incredibly kind and helpful around camp, and the daily coffee delivered to our tents was such a thoughtful touch. The entire trekking team was warm, hardworking, and welcoming.
All of the trekking and logistics teams were excellent. The few issues we experienced were on the office/administrative side. Communication before the trek was sometimes difficult, with duplicate requests and some confusion around details such as final hotel and the final invoice. I would attribute this more to Evolution being a small business not bad intent, so just something to be on top of.
Overall, we had an incredible trek and would absolutely recommend Evolution based on the quality of the guides, food, porters, and trekking experience. I’d just recommend following up carefully with the office on administrative details and making sure everything regarding tipping and billing is clearly confirmed in advance.
Verified Company
