Check out the daily elevation increases and be better prepared for your trek. Your guide will take you on a 2.5-hour tour of the citadel, where you will learn about its fascinating history. Ok, now Youre Ready to Hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. The summit of Mount Kilimanjaro stands at 19,342 feet (5,895 meters), while the highest point of the Classic Inca Trail Route is 13,828 feet (4,215 meters). The G Adventures tour we joined is now 1029 per person (price update 2023), and this included two nights hotel accommodation in Cusco, one night hotel accommodation in Ollantaytambo, private transport, all meals on the Trail, our Inca Trail permit, camping equipment, entrance and a guided tour around Machu Picchu, a support team of 15 or so guides, porters, and chefs, and visits to several Planeterra local community enterprises and projects in the Sacred Valley. Inca Trail to Machu Picchu - Wikipedia What is the best time of year to hike the Inca Trail, How much does it cost to hike the Inca Trail, Can you do the Inca Trail without a guide, Do you need a permit to hike the Inca Trail. The highest point on the Inca Trail is Dead Woman's Pass. Secondly, for our G Adventures tour, we were each supplied with black duffel bags at the hotel. You wont be able to enter the Inca Trail nor Machu Picchu without it. Located in the Andes mountain range, the trail passes through several types of Andean environments including cloud forest and alpine tundra. Day 1 is relatively easy as there isnt much elevation gain and your legs are fresh and you feel like you can take on anything. However, as truly beautiful as the hike may be, the real reason for its popularity lies at the very end of this four day adventure; passing through the Sun Gate for that first magical sighting of Machu Picchu in the distance. We had always thought that hiking poles were only for old people and Austrians. The highest point is at Dead Woman's Pass, which is about halfway through the hike. Lastly, our guide told us that the nighttime temperatures in dry season drop significantly, so expect cold nights in the tent. To visit Machu Picchu at any time, whether you plan to hike for the day or for several nights, will require booking a permit. Headlamp (with extra batteries) or small flashlight to use at night while camping. The trail undulates, but overall ascends along the Cusichaka River. The overall distance of the Quarry Trail is about 26km (the Inca Trail is 43km) and the maximum altitude is 4,450m above sea level (the Inca Trail's highest point is Dead Woman's Pass at 4,215m). Home Blog The ULTIMATE Guide to Hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. From Aguas Calientes, either take the train back to Cusco or spend one night at an Aguas Calientes hotel and explore more of Machu Picchu the next day. All rights reserved. 12 Fast Facts About the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu The Inca Trails length is 26 miles (42 kilometers) of pure Peruvian power that connects several Incan archaeological sites: Runcuracay, Sayacmarca, Phuyuptamarca, Wiaywayna, and of course none other than the magnificent Machu Picchu ruins! Rest easy once you get to the campsite because the next day is likely to be the most unforgettable experience of your hiking existence (it was for me). A large number of these companies are only established to provide specific private tours in high season, with the rest offering year-round expeditions. The Inca Trail, How Long Is It? | Andean Trails Despite only including one day of hiking, this shorter hike is referred to as the 2-day Inca Trail because the hike to Machu Picchu is on Day 1 and the Machu Picchu tour is on Day 2. Its sensible to take this money in the form of smaller notes and coins. At 26 miles long, it's tempting for hikers to think that the Inca Trail is an easy hike. We went in July and the temperatures were great with a bit of rain on day 2. . 3: Its amazing the friendships that can come out of struggle and perseverance. The first 30 minutes of the trek is uphill, while the remainder of the trail is largely a descent. You can see full details on whats included in G Adventures Inca Trail Tour here. The highest point is Dead Woman's Pass at 4200 m. At its highest, the trail reaches 4200 m above sea level, so you should spend at least 2 days in Cusco acclimatizing before you start the trek. The highest point of the pass is 3,700m (12,136 ft). The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu can be hiked all year round, except for February when the trail is closed for maintenance. At a distance of 2.1km and600m below the pass is the campground Pakaymayu. Below are some suggestions on how much to tip the trekking team. Instead, view the Inca Trail as your challenge, your motivation, and your deadline to start walking more, to lose some weight, and to make some positive changes before you fly to Peru (and if you need some inspiration, read this womans story). As the trail nears Intipata, it affords views of the "Two Day" Inca Trail (aka "Camino Real de los Inkas" or "One Day Inca Trail"). Although it wasnt by any stretch the most physically challenging hike weve done in South America, its ascents and conditions provided enough of a task to make us both feel it. Inca Trail Information, Everything you must KNOW Before hiking Inca Trail The maximum trekking group size generally varies between 8 to 12 trekkers plus the trekking team. PLUS, you save money and the environment! The distances involved in hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Pichu are not that great. Your email address will not be published. A: The cost of hiking the Inca Trail varies depending on the tour operator and the length of the trek. On the first two days of the Trail, there are also local people who have set up toilets for trekkers (charging S/. The highest point you will reach on the Salkantay Trek is 4650 meters above sea level, while the highest point on the Inca Trail lies at 4215 meters. You should be able to walk for at least 23 hours at a time on varied terrain. Longer 5-day Inca Trail itineraries are also available for travelers with a bit more time for hiking to Machu Picchu. The Classic 4-day Inca Trail hike to Machu Picchu is arguably the most famous trail in all of South America. Lowest Elevation: All the same, heres some must-bring packing for the Inca Trail: Finally, remember to pack light! Permits sell out quickly, particularly those for the high season. Many trekkers also choose to hire a porter to carry personal belongings. A portable power bank is also useful. That means that if you book your accommodation, buy your gear, or sort your insurance through our link, we earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). The Inca Trail is open 11 months of the year (March through January). The altitude starts around 9,000 feet above sea level but the highest point on the Inca Trail is Dead Woman's Pass . If you are injury-prone or have had issues in the past think twice before committing to the full hike. Personally, I could have spent the whole day there just in awe of the ruins. Plan ahead . No, you can only hike the Inca Trail with a tour guide licensed for the Inca Trail. Trekkers head for the snow-capped mountains of the Vilcabamba Mountain Range. Cuzco Region Machu Picchu Peru. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. The biggest problem that comes with increasing elevations is altitude sickness. [3][6][8], Hiram Bingham III discovered the site, but left most of it covered with vegetation. The Inca Trail traverses a variety of climates: temperate highlands outside of the Sacred Valley; cold, arid puna at the highest elevations; and warm, humid, cloud forest valleys close to Machu Picchu. Rise early for the first day of your trek. Even before passing through the tunnel there are views down to the Willkanuta River, the first since leaving the river at Patallaqta. Private porters can be hired to carry either 18 lbs (8 kg) or 33 lbs (15 kg) of your personal belongings. Best tips before you hike the Inca trail to Machu Picchu There are also some ATMs in Aguas Calientes if you need to withdraw additional money. If youll be taking an Inca Trail tour in rainy season, a little more spontaneity is possible, unless you have very specific dates in mind where it makes sense to get your booking in sooner rather than later. By using these, you are directly supporting Along Dusty Roads to remain an independent travel blog, and to create free guides to help you travel more, travel better. Its required to begin the Inca Trail and to visit Machu Picchu. True Traveller and World Nomads are two respected travel insurers which we have used on South America trips who cover high altitude treks (just make double sure that youve selected the right option). As you can see Cusco is one of Peru's highest cites. Be a part of the solution and travel with a filter water bottle. May to September: dry season with good trail conditions. In this article, you can find everything you need to know about altitudes on the Inca Trail. If you dont invest in one of these excellent bottles, both of which weve tried and tested, then at least bring a refillable water bottle with you. The lowest point on the trail at Llactapata ruins is roughly 2250m (7,382ft). Its a nice build-up to the granddaddy of them all that follows on day 4. Pack a hat, strong sunblock, and glasses for protection against the sun. The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu (also known as Camino Inca or Camino Inka) is a hiking trail in Peru that terminates at Machu Picchu. Unfortunately, this is the day that things went south for a couple of members of our team. Hiking poles to help ease impact on knees on downhills. Even during the dry season there is the chance of rain, so make sure to bring a rain jacket or poncho. There is a bus which runs from Lima to Cusco, but it takes 24 hours and these days isnt worth taking as flights are so ubiquitous and affordable (trust us, we did this bus ride back in 2015!). The food was fantastic throughout the trip. Within the first hour of your day, you will reach the Runquraqay ruins. So much so, that permits generally sell out up to eight months in advance. The 4-Day Inca Trail hike to Machu Picchu is one of the magnificent hikes I have ever done. Please also be aware that permits are only issued with a tourists name and passport number and, once booked, they are non-changeable and non-transferable. Temperatures really drop at higher elevation when the sun sets. The campsite at Llulluch'apampa (Llulluchapampa) is located on this stretch of trail at 3,800 metres (12,500ft). 10 The Highest Point On The Inca Trail. The vast majority of costs will be covered in the up-front price of your tour, but there are a few costs along the way for which youll need to bring cash: Toilet entry fees (usually 1 sol, 2 soles at Machu Picchu). Booking far in advance is an absolute must. The Inca Trails most appealing sight is perhaps its natural beauty. If you need to pay for an additional porter to lighten your load and carry some of your things, you can do that for around $50-$100 USD. The trail reaches the pass at an elevation of 3950m. The trail continues through high cloud forest, undulating, sometimes steeply while affording increasingly dramatic viewpoints of mountains and dropoffs. Temperatures at night are also less chilly. With G Adventures, two chefs are included as part of the support staff, and the unanimous opinion of our group was that those two performed absolute miracles. In our group of 10, three people were feeling the altitude on the first day of the tour due to lack of acclimitisation, but with more time, water, and a healthy dose of coca tea (the age-old Peruvian cure!) Outstanding Inca Trail 2023 - Review of SAM Travel Peru - Tripadvisor If you do decide to go to Peru for the hike or just to see Machu Picchu, I recommend you brush up on some basic Spanish travel phrases. Yes, sadly the answer to the question Can you hike the Inca Trail without a guide?is a big fat depressingno. Once a permit is purchased for one person, the permit cannot be transferred to another individual. As an Amazon Associate, Machu Picchu Trek earns from qualifying purchases. Theres even a marathon!). Keep in mind, regardless of how much or how little you pay for your tour, the vast majority of that money does not go to the guys that do the heavy lifting. Unless you hire a private porter, youre expected to carry both pads and sleeping bags along the trek. Rain is likely during April and October and almost guaranteed between November and March making them a much less suitable time to walk to Machu Picchu the wet llamas are cute though! Some travel insurance policies do not cover adventure or high-elevation activities. Day 3 of the hike to Machu Picchu is no slouch and for most, its the day that the nagging soreness reminds you that you are human. After passing Pakaymayu the trail begins steeply ascending the other side of the valley. For your main and assistant guide, 25 - 50 soles for the former and 10 - 25 soles for the latter is advised per hiker. As the trail ascends toward Warmi Wausqa, or "Dead Woman's Pass", which resembles a supine woman, it passes through differing habitats, one of which is a cloud forest containing Polylepis trees. Its worth noting that not all standard off-the-shelf travel insurance policies will cover you for activities at altitude (including the Inca Trail), so you need to ensure that this is covered when buying your single or multi-trip policy. You can get a 15% discount on the Water-to-Go if you use this code at the checkout (ADR15), and read this post to find out about more ways about how to use less plastic when you travel. You can read more about altitude sickness in the Health + Safety section towards the bottom of this post. Being in decent shape, acclimatising, carrying out a few practice hikes at home, keeping yourself hydrated, wearing in your hiking boots, and taking out the correct travel insurance are essential to staying safe and healthy on this hike; if youve made it this far down in our Inca Trail Guide and taken our advice on board, then you should have very few issues once you hit the Trail. It is important to carefully review potential travel insurance policies to make sure that the Inca Trail portion will be covered. The name Wiay Wayna (forever young) (win-yay-way-na) is used to refer to both a hostelrestaurantcamp site and a set of Inca ruins. Once you arrive, you will then have half a day to explore the ruins of Machu Picchu before heading back to Cusco by train. The Inca Trail undulates between a low point of 2,250m/8,366ft and its highest point of 4,200m/13,780ft, with many peaks and troughs along the way. The vital stats. This pass has the highest elevation on the Inca Trail at 4,215m (13,829ft). 6.8 miles (11 km). The soreness really gets at you as you make your way down the mountainside. The exact itinerary for the hike may differ between various Inca Trail tour operators, but almost all groups follow a similar itinerary and have set times to leave to avoid overcrowding. I think doing the gruelling 4-day hike on the Inca Trail really gave us a greater appreciation for the ruins once we got there. Adams, Mark. However, using them is guaranteed make the hike easier for a number of people and result in fewer aches and pains during and post-Trail. So, whether youre heading there in high or low season and want to understand the camping and accommodation situation better, have no idea what to pack or how to get a permit, are worrying about whether youre fit enough, will get altitude sickness or if its too late to book a spot on a tour, then this post will provide you with all the necessary information answers from experienced fellow travellers (and, we hope, quite a bit of excitement and inspiration for the hike itself!). Only Inca Trail trekkers are awarded the privilege of arriving at Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate entrance. Nights are warmer compared to the dry season. The hike reaches its highest point at the Wiay Wayna ruins, which are located at 8,694 ft (2,650 m). Since 2002, access to the Inca Trail has been limited to 500 people per day (roughly split between 200 tourists and 300 accompanying guides and porters), no matter the time of year. We have summarized everything you need to know before embarking on this incredible journey. Pack animals are not allowed. To find out what clothes and footwear are best, read our Inca Trail Packing post. However, as mentioned earlier, a couple of our team members were really hurting by day 4 so it made hiking to the Sun Gate longer than anticipated and we certainly didnt see the sun come up.
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