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Hiking the Inca Trail is an experience which should inspire excitement, invoke a little bit of fear, stoke jealousy amongst your friends, and stir a sense of wander in your soul.
The Inca Trail is one of the most famous treks in the entire world, and is the best route in South America. It leads to one of the New Wonders of the World, Machu Picchu and follows along the trail that the Incas created all those hundreds of years ago.
Along the route you’ll get to see some fascinating archaeological sites that can only be accessed by foot. You’ll hike the trail accompanied by a knowledgeable guide who’ll inform you of all the important facts from history, as well as with tourists from across the globe. It’s a great chance to make new friends, too. The trail is tough in parts, but it’s well worth the challenge. Begin your adventure here! Contact us now to secure your spot on the mystical Inca Trail. Your journey to wonder awaits!
The Inca Trail is one of the most popular treks in the world, and
most definitely the most sought after in Peru. Perhaps you’ve
already booked your space or you’re still umming and ahhing.
Whatever the case, you likely have a lot of questions about the trek
and how to plan the perfect trip. Don’t worry. We’ve scoured the
internet and taken into consideration the questions we receive from
our trekkers to compile the ultimate list of Inca Trail FAQs.
Before reaching out with a general inquiry, we recommend you read
through this page to see if you can find the answer you’re looking
for, along with our Salkantay trekking information and Peru travel
information pages.
Salkantay Trekking rates the Inca Trail as a moderately difficult trek. This is because you’ll be hiking at high altitudes and along tough uphill climbs at some points. However, other days aren’t so challenging, which is why the overall difficulty rating is moderate.
We recommend you book your Inca Trail place as early as possible.
Most days sell out at least 3 months in advance for the low season
(Nov–Mar) and then 6 months in advance for the high season
(Apr–Oct).
Note: Even if you book before these suggested
periods, we cannot guarantee your place on the trail as there’s no
knowing exactly when they’ll sell out.
No. You don’t need to carry your trekking backpack or the duffel bag we provide you with. We have a team of porters who carry these for you. However, they go at a much faster pace, so you’ll need to carry a small backpack with the supplies you need during the day, like water, snacks, a camera, etc
Yes, of course. While you go on your trek, you can leave your extra luggage with us in our office where it will be safe and secure until you return. You can bring it with you when you attend the briefing, or you can bring it on the morning of the trek and our driver will bring it back to our offices. Speak to your guide and Salkantay representative at the briefing to organize for it to be dropped off at your hotel for your return. Alternatively, don’t hesitate to ask your hotel if they can keep it for you. Most will have a locked storage room and this might be easier for you if you’re returning to the same one.
There are four Inca Trail routes to choose from. These are known
as:
* The Salkantay & Inca Trail (7 Days)
* The Classic Inca Trail (4 Days)
* The Two Day Inca Trail (2 Days)
* The One Day Inca Trail (1 Day)
With The Inca Trail being one of the most popular treks worldwide, you might be worried about large crowds. You don’t need to worry. The Peruvian government wants to preserve the trail as much as possible, and they’ve put a limit to the number of trekkers who can hike each day. Only 500 people can enter the trail a day. In February, the Inca Trail is closed for cleaning and maintenance.
The maximum number of people in a group on our treks is 16. However, we can head out with a minimum of 2. It usually depends on the time of year and whether it’s high or low season.
On average, you’ll walk around 6 or 7 hours a day along the
Classic Inca Trail. If you want to take a closer look at each day
in detail, you can check out the itinerary on the Salkantay
Trekking website. Below is a quick overview of the distance you’ll
cover each day:
* DAY 1: 14 km / 8.7 mi
* DAY 2: 16 km / 9.94 mi
* DAY 3: 9 km / 5.59 mi
* DAY 4: 5 km / 3.11 mi
On the Inca Trail, we’ll set up tents every day at the campsite for you to sleep in.
The cost of the Inca Trail may vary depending on who you travel
with. With Salkantay Trekking, we have three options for hiking
the Inca Trail. The prices per person for a group tour are as
follows:
* ONE DAY INCA TRAIL — $400 USD
* SHORT INCA TRAIL 2 DAYS — $500 USD
* CLASSIC INCA TRAIL 4 DAYS — $650 USD
* PRIVATE INCA TRAIL 4 DAYS — $1000 USD
* SALKANTAY AND INCA TRAIL 7 DAYS — $1100 USD
On all of our routes, we provide you with the accommodation—in
this case tents—and a sleeping mat. But, if you need to hire other
pieces of equipment, we do have some available. Every item we use
is of the highest-quality and from the best brands around. There
are some pieces you can rent in advance or at the briefing. These
are:
* A sleeping bag for -15°C and a sleeping bag liner.
*
Thermarest luxury air mattress.
* Adjustable walking sticks.
If you already own these items, you’re able to take them on
the trek. You’ll just need to keep the weight restrictions in
mind.
The Inca Trail is moderately challenging and you’ll be hiking up
to some high altitudes. Trekking up to Dead Woman’s Pass (4,215 m
/ 13,829 ft) is the most difficult part of the trek. This day
you’ll also walk 16 km and for 10 hours. For this reason, we
suggest you do plenty of physical preparation to enjoy the trek as
much as you can and so it doesn’t pose too many challenges. Check
out these prep tips for the Inca Trail.
* Do plenty of cardiovascular exercise while you’re at home.
Include lots of hikes and ensure they’re over varied terrain and a
few days.
* Eat a well-balanced diet to give your body all
the right nutrients and energy it needs. While you’re on the
trail, we’ll be giving you highly nutritious meals.
* Make
sure you get to Cusco 2–3 days before your trek begins to allow
you to acclimate. Otherwise, you have a higher risk of getting
altitude sickness, which could ruin your trek.
* This is
exactly physical prep, but you must use worn-in hiking boots. New
ones can cause blisters and a lot of pain.
Yes. You’ll need to take water for the first morning, but after this, we’ll give you water at every meal. The water we provide is clean and safe to consume. We recommend you take a bottle you can refill or a Camelbak. Plastic bottles aren’t a good idea as they can ruin the route and we believe in sustainable tourism.
The food is often a highlight of the trip for many hikers. Every
single one of our chefs is professionally trained and they do an
incredible job of cooking some delicious meals in the middle of
the mountains.
We know that nutrition is extremely important on the trek as
you’ll be putting in a lot of physical effort and need plenty of
energy. For this reason, we’ve worked closely with trained chefs
and expert nutritionists to put the best menu possible together
for the Inca Trail.
At each meal, you’ll find an array of dishes for you to choose
what you want to eat. We use fresh, local ingredients to make some
traditional foods that’ll blow you away. If you suffer from
allergies or eat a special diet, just let us know at the briefing
or when you book and we’ll ensure you eat as well as everyone
else.
Not only do you get these outstanding meals; we also give you a
cloth bag and provide you with snacks each morning. You can eat
these at any stage in the day when you need an energy boost. You
also get “tea time” every afternoon with plenty of drinks and
snacks before dinner You definitely won’t be going hungry when you
join Salkantay Trekking on the Inca Trail.
Yes. We always recommend you take extra money in case of an emergency. You’ll also need some in Aguas Calientes if you want to enjoy the hot springs and for your last lunch before heading back to Cusco.
Yes. For the Inca Trail you need to reserve a special permit. Be aware that this needs to be done well in advance. The trek sells out months beforehand and there are only 500 places a day on the route.
Yes. If you’d like to enjoy the Inca Trail with your children, it’s definitely possible. We recommend they’re at least 8 years old and in excellent physical condition. We don’t recommend you travel with children on the trail if they aren’t accustomed to regular hiking and lots of physical exertion.
No. Along the Inca Trail, you won’t find anywhere with WiFi. The only place you’ll have internet access is if you visit a restaurant with WiFi in Aguas Calientes when you come down from Machu Picchu.
Yes. Salkantay Trekking takes portable trekking toilets with them along the way and you’ll also find very simple and rustic bathrooms at the campsites. You’ll need to make sure you take toilet paper in case there isn’t any.
No. Along the Inca Trail, there are no showers, so you’ll have to wait until you get back to Cusco.
No. On the Inca Trail, there isn’t the option of hiring an extra horse.
As you’ve seen, there are 4 different Inca Trails available. The
one day trek just takes you on a short part of the trail for a day
and then brings you back to Cusco. On the two day trek, you’ll
enjoy a short part of the Inca Trail and then spend the night in
Aguas Calientes. On the second day, you visit Machu Picchu.
The four day Inca Trail is the classic option and what most
trekkers opt for. You’ll be hiking along the original Inca Trail
and camping each night. You’ll enter Machu Picchu from the Sun
Gate and visit lots of archaeological sites along the way.
Finally, the seven day trek takes you along a part of the
Salkantay Trek before you join the Inca Trail. Then, you’ll be
visiting the many archaeological sites and entering Machu Picchu
through the Sun Gate. You’ll also be camping every night on this
trail.
The best times of year to trek the Inca Trail are April, May, September, and October. This is because they are on either side of the rainy season and also months where there aren’t quite so many tourists. The weather is very pleasant and you should get some amazing views of Machu Picchu.
Yes, you can, but only if we already have an Inca Trail group booked for that day. This is because we need a minimum of two people to open up a group tour.
Yes, you can, but only if we already have an Inca Trail group booked for that day. This is because we need a minimum of two people to open up a group tour.
The weather in Cusco is always unpredictable. Although there are
specific wet and dry seasons. It’s impossible to say exactly what
weather you’ll experience on the trek.
At the highest points, it’ll be pretty cold and you’ll need plenty
of warm clothes for the first night. After, you’ll be hiking into
lower altitudes as you get closer to Machu Picchu and you’ll feel
the climate get much warmer.
The rainy season in Peru is from the end of October to April, but
there’s always the chance that it might rain—whatever the season.
For this reason, we always recommend you take a rain jacket or
poncho as protection.
