It’s one of the New Seven Wonders of The World, but for years, it was inaccessible to some in the world. Now, Machu Picchu is wheelchair-accessible, thanks to a tour company.
Wheel The World seeks to offer tours that “encourage touristic activities for people with disabilities, their friends, and family, raise awareness of people with disabilities as active people who search to live their life fully, and inspire with stories of overcoming, fellowship and love,” according to its website.
The company was founded in 2016 after two friends, one of whom uses a wheelchair, hiked in Patagonia, according to Insider. Silberstein, who has used a wheelchair since he had a car accident at age 18, raised $8,000 through a crowdfunding campaign to purchase a lightweight, foldable wheelchair.
“Accessible does not mean inclusive,” one of the founders, Camilo Navarro, told CNN Travel. “There are one billion people [in the world] with disabilities. But there’s not one main travel company dedicated to these users.”
A single-day ticket (which doesn’t include flights and other incidentals) can be as low as $398 while a multi-day trip can run travelers $1,225.
“Our mission at Wheel the World is to allow people with disabilities to be able to explore every single corner of the globe, so we were thrilled to partner with PEAK DMC to bring accessible adventure to Peru,” said founder Álvaro Silberstein, who uses a wheelchair, in a statement to Lonely Planet.
According to ScootAround, which provides mobility services, Sydney, Australia is the most wheelchair-accessible vacation destination with accessible options throughout the city.
Over 1.2 million people visited Machu Picchu in 2013, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.