What?

Backpacking the Inca Trail is a once-in-lifetime adventure. This spectacular trek takes you through a combination of Inca ruins, stunning mountain views, exotic vegetation and wildlife. The trail goes over high passes with unforgettable views. A reasonable level of fitness is highly recommended to take on this 4 day hike and most importantly, be well acclimatized to the altitude. We spent 2 extra days in Cusco before attempting the trek – this was a good thing, as someone in our group had altitude sickness for those 2 days. Coca tea can help alleviate altitude sickness and is offered everywhere within Cusco and can also be purchased on the trail.

Where?

The Inca Trail starts at km82 (82 kilometres along the railway from Cusco to Aguas Calientes) and treks high up into the mountains passing the Inca ruins of Llactapata, Runkurakay, Sayacmarca, Phuyupatamarca and Wiñay Wayna before finally arriving at Machu Picchu for sunrise on the 4th day of the trek.

How?

There are many agencies available and can easily be booked online – we went with Peru Treks and Adventure because their prices seemed most reasonable and they had mostly positive reviews on TripAdvisor. One of our friends was rejected by Peru Treks and Adventure because he had an expired passport when we booked with them. Even though the trip was booked 8 months in advance and he ended up getting a renewed passport within 2 days, it was too late, they couldn’t risk him not getting a new passport, so he was not able to join us. Just make sure everyone has a valid passport when booking with an agency.

My favorite food that was served on our Inca Trail tour:

Porter speed