Travel through the Sacred Valley on the Inca Trail trekking tour, passing by misty peaks, green terraces, and magnificent ancient monuments. In the midst of the majestic Andean highlands, you’ll savour hearty meals, endless sips of coca tea, and fascinating legend on your epic Machu Picchu journey. As you approach Inti Punku (the Sun Gate), you will enter Machu Picchu’s Sanctuary, one of the world’s most spectacular treasures. Furthermore, the inca trail trip would be one of the most adventurous experiences of your life, impossible to forget.
The Hike Starts
The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu offers a variety of trekking options. The Classic Inca Trail, on the other hand, is a three to five-day journey that takes an average of four days and three nights to complete. There is a shorter path to Machu Picchu for individuals who are short on time. This walk begins at Kilometer 104 on the Inca Trail and takes only one day to complete.
If you want to see Machu Picchu but don’t want to trek the Inca Trail, you can take a train from Cusco to Aguas Calientes, the town at Machu Picchu’s base, in little under four hours. The genuinely unparalleled Hiram Bingham train brings you down into the Urubamba gorge, past stunning highland vegetation and cloud-covered forests, for the most sumptuous choice. The train itself is almost like a time capsule, with rich, polished woods, excellent fabrics, and antique furnishings. The train’s large windows provide wonderful views on both sides (and above!) it. It will be difficult for you to get off the train at the end of this journey!
The Trek
The spectacular combination of Inca ruins, gorgeous mountains, unique vegetation, and incredible ecological variety draws many to this walk. The track winds through cloud forest, subtropical vegetation, and high passes with breathtaking views. The Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary is home to about 250 orchid species, as well as several unusual birds, mammals, and reptiles. Several species found on this trek are likewise threatened with extinction. A pair of spectacled bears were spotted, according to Peter Frost (author of Exploring Cusco).
Is It Expensive?
The standard Inca Trail walk costs roughly $500 per person on average (this generally includes transportation to the trailhead from Cusco, a guide, porters, three meals a day, hiking permits, entry to Machu Picchu, and tents). You can get it for even less money. However, there are a few more factors to consider when picking a tour operator than the listed sticker price: What is the total number of hikers in each group? During the walk, how often and how much food is provided? Finally, what is the company’s reputation for treating their porters?
Even while we often focus on low-cost travel, it’s important to remember that the lowest option isn’t necessarily the best. Cheaper Inca Trail businesses frequently offer larger groups (15-25 people), smaller meals, and/or no snacks. Some even have a negative rep for not providing appropriate support to their porters (i.e. lacking rain ponchos, jackets, or even proper hiking shoes). You can be startled by how many people on the internet listed snacks as a must-pack and-bring item because their workplace didn’t provide adequate food.
Is It Dangerous ?
Even while we often focus on low-cost travel, it’s important to remember that the lowest option isn’t necessarily the best. Cheaper Inca Trail businesses frequently offer larger groups (15-25 people), smaller meals, and/or no snacks. Some even have a negative rep for not providing appropriate support to their porters (i.e. lacking rain ponchos, jackets, or even proper hiking shoes). I was startled by how many people on the internet listed snacks as a must-pack and-bring item because their workplace didn’t provide adequate food.
Well, it’s not your average stroll down the road to the newsagents. Unless your newsagent happens to be at the end of a twenty-six-plus mile road that features steep inclines and descents, numerous stamina-sapping ‘staircases’, uneven ground, rough cobbly bits and tricksy switchbacks. Oh, and some of the most mind-blowingly beautiful natural and historic sights on earth.
The thing to bear in mind is that, whilst it’s no walk in the park, the Inca Trail is not a technical trek. You don’t need any special skills or equipment to complete it and, so long as you’re reasonably fit you’re in with a pretty good chance; it’s rare that anyone is forced to abandon the Inca Trail. That said, you are going to find it challenging, tiring, and a bit gruelling in places. As a result, you’re free to go.
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