Inca Trail Guide

Inca Trail Information

There are two factors that determine how enjoyable your hike to Machu Picchu is. First, your preparation; and second, your tour. You have to be prepared for the weather with proper clothing; to the altitude with proper acclimatization; and to the lenght and difficulty of the Inca trail with a moderate level of fitness. Therefore you have to be aware in advance of all these so you can get yourself ready for the hike of a lifetime by avoiding altitude sickness for example.

The first aspect to consider is the weather conditions on the Inca trail. They vary through the seasons but the most important is to know when does it rain on the trail. The rainy season starts in November and finishes in March, February being the rainiest month reason why the trail is closed this entire month. Temperatures are normally above 20ºC (70ºF) during day time and close to 0ºC (32ºF) at night time. The coldest days are from May to August.

Regarding difficulty, the lenght of the 4-day trail is 43 Kms (26 miles) with a maximum altitude of 4200 meters (13,500 ft) above sea level on the second day of the trek. The lowest point is Machu Picchu at 2,430 meters (7,970 feet). The Inca Trail is a fairly difficult trek and you should be prepared physically prior to starting it. You have to be moderately fit and active doing exercises regularly. If you do not do sports try to do long walks or go to the gym in the months leading up to the trek. But don't worry, the Inca trail is not mountain climbing and virtually everyone who starts the trek finishes it.

But by far the most important aspect to enjoy the Inca trail is proper acclimatization to the altitude. To do this you should plan to stay at least two nights in a place above 3,000 meters (10,000 feet) like Cusco, drink lot of fluids especially coca tea (infusion made of coca leaves), and avoid alcohol, smoking and heavy meals on the days before the hike. You can take medicine like Diamox or Sorojchi (it doesn't require prescription) to speed up the acclimatization process.

Also important is to know all the options available to hike the Inca trail and choose the one that fits better your level of fitness and your desires. There is a short trail that requires only half day walking to reach Machu Picchu. It does not involve camping either and is ideal for people who only wants a taste of the Inca trail but avoid the hard-work of the classic 4-day trek. The most popular trek is the 4-day Inca trail (a.k.a the Classic) but there is a longer trail (6-7 days) for the hardcore hikers. The later reaches higher altitudes along the path too.

Inca Trail Availability and Permits

Since 2002 new regulations and restrictions have taken place in order to protect the Inca trail and its natural environment, to improve quality standards in the tours, and to improve working conditions of the porters. Among the changes is the reduction of the number of people on the trail to 500 per day (roughly 200 tourists plus 300 guides, cooks and porters). Thereby the Inca trail permits are on high demand especially for the peak season (between May and September). It is recommended to book a tour for the Inca trail which includes the permit at least 4 to 6 months in advance.

What makes things more complicated booking the Inca trail is the non-changeable and non-refundable character of the permits. Thereby, once a booking for the Inca trail is confirmed and paid, the dates and names on the permit cannot be modified. Therefore, either you use it or loose it. Hence you should be 100% sure of the dates of your trip to Peru and when you will be in Cusco before booking the Inca trail.

Do you need a guide to hike the inca trail?
Another change is that tourists are not allowed hiking the Inca trail on their own anymore. They are required to either join a tour or hire an authorized guide who will do the paperwork and request the permits for you. The permits cannot be booked directly by the tourists, the request and purchase of permits has to be done in Cusco by an authorized tour operator or guide.

Advice for the Inca Trail

The tours on the Inca trail include everything except for personal items. Food, propane gas, burners, cooking pots, dishes and silverware, tents and foam pads are provided by the tour. And the guide is responsable to carry a first aid kit including a small oxygen tank for tourists struggling with the altitude.

What to bring for the Inca trail?
Your packing list starts with a backpack to carry the following: a sleeping bag rated for temperatures below 0ºC (32ºF), clothing for 4 days (t-shirts, underwear and socks), a water-proof jacket, a polar fleece, two pairs of long pants, hiking shoes or boots, light comfortable footwear for the campsites, and a hat or cap. You will also need to bring toiletries, a roll of toilet paper, a medium size towel, sun cream, lip balm, insect repellent, a flashlight and batteries for 3 nights. Finally, you will need a water container and pills to purify water during the trek. You should bring to the hike your passport and travel insurance information too.

What size backpack do you need for the Inca trail?
A 50-60 liters backpack should be more than enough to carry all your belongings on the Inca trail but it will depend on how much clothes you bring and how bulky your sleeping is. Normally a backpack of a tourist on the Inca trail weighs no more than 10 kilos (22 pounds). Remember that you will carry it for four days therefore, try to make it as light as possible. You do not have to bring all your luggage with you on the Inca trail. Your hotel in Cusco or your Inca trail tour operator will store your luggage until you are back free of charge.

Tips on the Inca trail
The guides, cooks and porters expect a tip from the tourists on top of their salaries. The guides should be tip according to their performance. But do not forget that the cooks and porters do all the hardwork. They carry up to 20 kilos (44 pounds) each of food supplies, camping gear and cooking equipment. They will also cook, wash the dishes and set the tents for you hence, you should tip them fairly. Try to make sure that each porter gets 20 US dollars as a combined tip from all the tourists in the group. For this purpose, take plenty of small change in "Soles" (Peruvian currency) and divide the collected tips in equal parts among the porters on the last evening of the hike.

Alternative Inca Trail

If you are too late to book the Inca trail and there is no availability for your travel dates, do not despair, there are other alternatives to hike to Machu Picchu. The most popular alternative to the Inca trail is the Salkantay trek. It is also a 4 days journey to Machu Picchu. In comparison to the Inca trail the former lacks of Inca ruins along the path; nonetheless, the scenery is more impressive. It is also higher but shorter.

The good news is that the Salkantay trek has fewer hikers on the trail despite the lack of restrictions. It is relatively easy to book a tour for this trek but it is expected in the near future that the authorities will impose some regulations and restrictions on it as well as a fee like on the Inca trail.