Updated Date:
Author: Yapa Explorers Editorial Team
Quick Summary: Yapa Explorers prices its tours in US dollars and, according to its own booking FAQ, accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, debit cards and PayPal. There is no published deposit-only plan for Machu Picchu tours, and in 2026 that is largely structural: Peru’s Ministry of Culture now requires entry tickets to be paid in full and issued in the visitor’s name at the moment of purchase. Budget separately for a handful of costs paid locally in Peruvian soles, such as the Boleto Turístico for Sacred Valley ruins, lunch in Aguas Calientes and tips. Read the cancellation terms before you pay, because the refund rules differ sharply between train tours, day tours and the Inca Trail.
Rather skip the logistics? Your Machu Picchu entry ticket, train, bus and a licensed guide are booked for you. If a circuit sells out or a train is late, we sort it out, not you.
Check dates for the 2 Day Machu Picchu Tour by Train → (from US$354). Or see the 1 Day Machu Picchu Tour by Train (from US$379).
Most people asking “how do I pay?” actually have three questions: what methods work, whether they can hold a spot with a deposit, and what the charge will look like on their statement. Here is the fast version, drawn from what Yapa Explorers publishes on its own site as of September 2026:
That is the skeleton. The rest of this guide explains why each piece works the way it does, and where travellers most often lose money without noticing.
The booking button on each tour page (“Check Availability”) opens Yapa’s online checkout, where you select a date and pay. Behind that, the accepted methods are the ones listed in the FAQ. Each has trade-offs worth knowing before you choose.
| Method | Accepted by Yapa? | What works well | What to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa / Mastercard credit card | Yes | Widest acceptance; chargeback rights through your card issuer if a service is not delivered | Foreign transaction fees if your card is not issued in USD |
| American Express | Yes (per Yapa FAQ) | Useful if it is your main travel card | Amex is not always accepted elsewhere in Peru, including on some official portals |
| Debit card | Yes | No credit needed | Weaker dispute protections than credit in many countries; money leaves your account immediately |
| PayPal | Yes | Keeps card details off the checkout; a second layer of dispute handling | PayPal applies its own conversion rate if you let it convert — often worse than your card’s |
| Bank transfer / wire | Not listed | — | If anyone asks you to wire money, confirm by email with the official address first |
| Cash on arrival | Not listed for tour balances | — | Cash is for excluded extras only (see below) |
A practical tip from our office in San Blas: if you have a choice, pay with a credit card that charges no foreign transaction fee. It gives you the strongest protection if something goes wrong and usually the best exchange rate. PayPal is a sensible second choice, particularly if you prefer not to type card details into a new website.
Travellers used to European or North American tour companies often expect a 10–30% deposit with the balance due later. For Machu Picchu, that model has largely disappeared, and the reason is not operator greed. It is how the tickets themselves are sold.
Machu Picchu entry is sold through Tuboleto, the Ministry of Culture’s official ticketing platform, which the government says is connected to the databases of Reniec, Migraciones, Mincetur and Sernanp. Tickets are personal, tied to a passport number, and non-transferable. In September 2026 the Ministry tightened this further: Resolución Ministerial N° 000333-2026-MC, published in El Peruano on September 11, 2026, amended the Inca Trail regulation to establish a model of direct sale, full payment, named identification and traceable permits. Parallel changes to the citadel rules require the full ticket price and the visitor’s name and document number at the point of purchase.
In plain terms, when you book, your operator is paying the government in full, in your name, that same day. A deposit would leave the operator carrying a named, non-refundable ticket on your behalf — which is exactly the practice the new rules are designed to stamp out. That is also why the Inca Trail is strictly non-refundable under Yapa’s Terms & Conditions: once your permit is issued with your passport details, nobody can resell it.
Day tours that do not involve a Machu Picchu ticket — the Sacred Valley Tour, the Sacred Valley Max or the Rainbow Mountain Tour — are not constrained by the same ticketing rules. They are still paid online at booking, but they come with much more forgiving cancellation terms (see the refund table further down). If you are unsure of your dates, these are the tours you can book early with the least financial risk.
We would rather you asked than guessed. If you are travelling on an uncertain itinerary, message the team on WhatsApp (+51 932 244 986, listed in the FAQ) or email info@yapaexplorers.com before paying. Ask two specific questions: “Is there any deposit option for my dates?” and “At what point is my Machu Picchu ticket purchased?” Get the answer in writing. For deeper background on how operators buy tickets on your behalf, our guide to how tour operators handle Machu Picchu ticket booking walks through the process step by step.
Yapa lists prices in US dollars. What you actually pay depends on the currency of your card and the choices you make at checkout.
A simple worked example: a $399 tour paid on a card with a 3% foreign transaction fee costs roughly $411 before any exchange-rate spread. On a no-fee card, it costs $399 plus whatever rate your bank applies. Over a two-person booking, the difference pays for a very good dinner in Cusco.
For locally paid costs, the Peruvian sol (PEN) is the currency that matters. Cusco’s tourist economy accepts US dollars in many places, but change is usually given in soles, and banks and shops often refuse torn, marked or very old dollar notes. Our Cusco Airport guide lists the BCP, Scotiabank, BBVA and GlobalNet ATMs on the arrivals floor — the easiest place to withdraw your first soles.
“All-inclusive” is only useful if you know where the edges are. Here is what is inside the price on Yapa’s most popular train tour, taken from the live tour page, and what sits outside it.
| Item | Included in the 2 Day Combo price? | How and when you pay |
|---|---|---|
| Machu Picchu entry ticket | Yes | Paid by Yapa at booking, in your name |
| Train to and from Aguas Calientes | Yes | Included |
| Aguas Calientes–citadel bus (round trip) | Yes | Included |
| Guide (Sacred Valley and 2-hour Machu Picchu tour) | Yes | Included |
| Hotel pickup in Cusco and central drop-off | Yes | Drop-off is in the Plaza Regocijo area, one block from the Plaza de Armas |
| 1 night basic hotel in Aguas Calientes, lunch in the Sacred Valley, 1 breakfast | Yes | Included |
| Boleto Turístico for Pisac and Ollantaytambo | No | About 70 soles per person, paid in Cusco before the tour |
| Lunch in Aguas Calientes on day two | No | Paid locally in soles |
| Huayna Picchu ticket | Optional add-on | $65, requested in advance and paid at booking |
| 3-star hotel upgrade | Optional add-on | $29 per person |
| Single room supplement | Optional add-on | $35 |
| Vistadome/360° upgrade on one train leg | Optional add-on | $65, subject to availability |
On the 4 Day Classic Inca Trail, the optional extras are different: private tent upgrade ($85), sleeping bag, air mattress and trekking poles ($20 each), an individual porter for 7 kg of your own gear ($95), and a Vistadome upgrade on the return ($65). The first day’s breakfast and last day’s lunch and dinner are not included.
“…great from the hotel, train/transfer service and meals included.” — Dushy G, Country not listed, January 2026
For a standard two-day Machu Picchu trip, we suggest carrying enough soles for:
Small notes are gold. Aguas Calientes vendors and bathroom attendants frequently cannot break a 100-sol note.
Two pricing levers are worth knowing before you pay:
Students with a valid university ID may also qualify for reduced Machu Picchu entry. Yapa’s FAQ confirms student discounts exist but that the physical ID must be carried to the site. Flag your student status before paying, because the ticket is issued at the student rate in your name and cannot be changed later.
This is the section people skip and later regret. Yapa’s Terms & Conditions split tours into three categories with very different rules:
| Tour type | Free date change | Cancellation charge | Refund after the deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Machu Picchu train tours (not Inca Trail) | Up to 6:00 pm Lima time, 30 days or more before the tour, subject to availability | 50% administration fee if cancelled 60 days or more before, by 6:00 pm Lima time | 100% no-show or cancellation fee after that point |
| Sacred Valley, Rainbow Mountain, Maras & Moray, City tours | Up to 6:00 pm Lima time the day before | 10% administration fee if cancelled by 6:00 pm Lima time the day before | 100% after that time |
| Inca Trail (2-day and 4-day) | Not possible | No refunds or name changes once booked | Not refundable |
All change and cancellation requests must be sent by email to info@yapaexplorers.com, including the tour name and reservation number. WhatsApp is fine for questions, but put anything involving money in an email so there is a timestamped record.
Two further policies sit on top of these terms:
The Terms also note that no travel insurance is included in any tour price. Because Machu Picchu and Inca Trail bookings carry high cancellation charges, a policy that covers trip cancellation for medical reasons is worth serious consideration.
Online payment fraud around Machu Picchu mostly targets independent ticket buyers, but tour bookings are not immune. A few habits eliminate nearly all of the risk:
Our local team has a blunt rule about price, too, and it echoes a point that experienced Peru operators make repeatedly: an ultra-cheap tour is rarely a bargain. When a price sits far below the market, the gap is usually covered by someone — an uninsured driver, an unpaid guide, or a missing ticket you discover at the gate. Paying a fair price to a formal company with a long public review record is the most reliable protection you can buy. Our guide on how to choose a Machu Picchu tour operator lists the specific questions that surface this before you hand over any money.
“…more expensive than the typical Salkantay tour… it is absolutely worth the money.” — Benny R, Hungary, August 2025
Tips are not built into Yapa’s prices, and there is no official rate. Many travellers tip their Machu Picchu guide at the end of the tour, and on multi-day treks it is customary to tip porters and cooks as a team, often at the farewell dinner. Give tips in soles, in an envelope if you want to keep it discreet, and hand porter tips directly to the crew rather than routing everything through one person.
There is a wider point here. Some premium international packages charge high prices yet rely on generous tips to make guide salaries workable. We think travellers should know what they are paying for: ask any operator, including us, how guides and porters are paid, and tip because the service earned it — not because the wage depends on it. Yapa’s own About Us page sets out its commitments on local hiring and fair pay, and our companion piece on porters and communities goes deeper into what Peru’s 2022 porter law actually requires.
If you book independently, you pay separately for the Machu Picchu ticket (in soles on the government portal), the train (PeruRail or Inca Rail, usually in USD), the Consettur bus, your Aguas Calientes hotel and a guide. That is five transactions, often in two currencies, each with its own refund policy. Independent booking can be cheaper, and many travellers do it successfully. What you give up is a single point of contact when one piece fails.
| Factor | Booking through Yapa | Booking everything yourself |
|---|---|---|
| Number of payments | One | Four to six |
| Currency | USD | Mix of PEN and USD |
| Who holds the Machu Picchu ticket | Issued in your name by the operator | Issued in your name by you |
| Refund rules | One set of Terms | Separate rules for each supplier |
| Support if a train is delayed | Operator coordinates | You coordinate |
| Total cost | Bundled price | Often lower, but varies with train class and season |
Consider booking independently if you are comfortable with Spanish-language portals and want maximum control over each component. Consider an operator if you would rather make one payment and have someone else manage the moving parts.
Can I pay a deposit to hold a Machu Picchu tour with Yapa?
Yapa does not publish a deposit-only option for Machu Picchu tours, and 2026 ticketing rules make deposits impractical for any operator, because entry tickets must be purchased in full and in the visitor’s name at the time of booking. If you have a specific reason to need flexibility, contact the team on WhatsApp or by email before paying and ask whether any deposit arrangement exists for your dates. Make sure any exception is confirmed in writing rather than in a voice message.
Is it better to pay by credit card or PayPal?
Both are accepted. A credit card with no foreign transaction fee usually gives the best combination of exchange rate and dispute protection. PayPal is a good alternative if you prefer not to enter card details on a new checkout, but avoid letting PayPal convert the currency for you, because its conversion rate is often worse than your card’s. Whichever you use, keep the receipt and reservation number together.
Do I need cash for anything if my tour is all-inclusive?
Yes, a modest amount. On the 2 Day Combo, the Boleto Turístico for Pisac and Ollantaytambo (about 70 soles per person) and lunch in Aguas Calientes are not included, and you will want small notes for bathrooms, snacks and tips. On the Classic Inca Trail, the first breakfast and final lunch and dinner are excluded. Withdraw soles from an ATM on arrival and keep a few small notes separate from your main wallet.
What happens to my money if Yapa cannot get my Machu Picchu ticket?
Yapa states in its published materials that if it cannot secure your entry ticket, it issues a full refund rather than a credit voucher. That situation is most likely on last-minute peak-season bookings, when the government’s daily allocation is exhausted. The best way to avoid it is to book early — the FAQ suggests at least a month ahead for train tours and six to eight months for the Inca Trail.
Can I change the name on my booking if a friend takes my place?
Generally, no. Machu Picchu and Inca Trail tickets are issued to a specific passport and are non-transferable under both Peruvian regulations and Yapa’s Terms. For Inca Trail bookings, name changes are explicitly impossible. Double-check every traveller’s name and passport number before you pay, because a spelling error is far easier to prevent than to fix.
Payment methods, prices, add-on costs and the group discount code in this article were taken from Yapa Explorers‘ live website in September 2026 and may change; as a workaround, confirm the current method list and total in writing via info@yapaexplorers.com before paying. Yapa does not publish whether it accepts bank transfers or offers any deposit arrangement, and exchange rates and card fees vary by bank, so check your own card’s foreign transaction terms and ask the team directly about any payment method not listed here.
