I hiked Macchu Picchu while visiting Peru and the Galapagos Islands with a tour company. The altitude and the high number of steep steps make the full hike demanding even for people in good shape. If you are an experienced backpacker and want the real experience defiantly DIY it and bypass the sherpas. The sherpas are awesome people and work really hard but personally I want to be self sufficient and carry my own gear. Seeing the sunrise over Macchu Picchu on the last day was awesome.