Trekking the Inca Trail - A guide

ben on 2nd June 2010 | 1 comment

The Inca Trail has to be the most iconic trek in the world encompassing dense sub-tropical vegetation, stunning mountain scenery and finally building towards the first glimpse of Machu Picchu through Intipunku, the Gateway of the Sun. Our guide to trekking the Inca Trail covers everything you need to know to begin planning your trip.

When is the best time of year to trek the Inca Trail?

Peak season on the Inca Trail is May to September, coinciding with the western hemisphere's summer holidays. These months offer probably the best trekking conditions with fairly dry and sunny weather. However you will need to book as June, July and August tends to book out 3,4 or 5 months in advance.

October, November and December are also great months on the Inca Trail with fewer trekkers albeit with a fairly strong chance of rain on at least one day of the trek. Availability is also better, with spaces often available one month or less before departure.

The rainy season runs from January to March - so expect it to be fairly wet at times, however it is still perfectly feasible if you have good quality waterproof gear. Again Inca Trail permits are a lot easier to get hold of at this time of year. The Inca Trial is closed during the month of February each year for conservation projects - although Machu Picchu and alternative routes are open during February.

Online calendar for Inca Trail Permits

Availability is controlled by the Peruvian National Institute of Culture (www.inc-cusco.gob.pe). Their website is not going to win any awards for usability but it does contain information on Inca Trail permits availability if you look hard enough. Availability moves incredibly quickly so it is only really useful as an aid to planning. Your operator will book the permits for you.

1. Go to http://nahuidev.inc-cusco.gob.pe (note: the website is temperamental, if it doesn't work, try again later)
2. Click on "Ingresar Como Invitado" (Enter as a Guest)
3. Click on "Consultas" (top left hand side of the page)
4. Click on "Disponibilidad Camino Inca 2010" (left hand sidebar)
5. Where it says "Elija el mes para ver la disponibilidad" select you month from the drop down menu and then click  "Ver Disponibilidad"
6. The number of remaining spaces will display. The maximum number is 500 and this includes the trekking guides and porters, so roughly half are available for travellers. Once availability drops below 300 the remaining spaces tend to go pretty quickly, so don't assume that just because there are 250 spaces left on your date that you have loads of time to book.

 

How much does the Inca Trail cost?

Prices vary for the Inca Trail from $400 to $750 for the 4 day trek. This usually includes entrance fees, guide, tents (2 per tent), meals, porters (for the camping equipment, not personal gear) and the backpacker class tourist train back. At the lower end of the price range expect larger group sizes (16 people) and lower paid staff at the higher end expect smaller groups (8-12 people) and fixed departures - meaning that even if only two of you end up booking a particular date the trek will still go ahead just for you.

For those who like a few luxuries there are several premium inca trail options. Personal porter upgrades (aprox $60)give you a 7kg personal luggage allowance with the porters - meaning you can get away with only carrying a day pack, and on the return train journey you can upgrade from the backpacker train to the vistadome train (aprox $30) which resembles first class trains service with floor to ceiling windows.  Alternatively there are luxury inca trail treks for about double the price of the standard trek featuring such luxuries as inflatable beds, wine in the evening, 12kg luggage allowance and the coup de grace a masseuse on hand to ease those aches and pains.

Choosing a local operator for the Inca Trail

Only local companies are granted licences to operate on the trail so if you do book through GAP Adventures or other international operators, they will be using a local operator to carry out the trek - expect to be paying a higher rate for a similar service to that received from booking direct with local operators. Some international companies (such as Tourdust) act as agents for local operators and sell at the same rate you would pay if you contacted them directly. The advantages of booking through an international agent are that payment is easier and your money is usually protected in the case of the local operator going out of business (although you will always need to check this is the case).

Choosing which local operator to go with is a painstaking task, unfortunately Tripadvisor doesn't do a great job of collating reviews about tour operators, but if you are willing to trawl through the forums there are 3-5 companies which are consistently praised. Tourdust books through Pachamama Explorers for the following reasons:

1. Pachamama Explorers are consistently rated amongst the best operators on the Inca Trail. Try searching Tripadvisor for Pachamama Explorers
2. They have been operating in Peru for 12 years
3. They never pass their customers to other agencies (a common practice on the Inca Trail when minimum numbers aren't met, meaning you end up travelling with a different operator to that you booked)
4. All of their guides are officially licensed and have Tourism Degrees and are fully conversant in both English and Spanish, and also in the local dialect, Quechua.
5. All staff are paid professional wages and receive health insurance as part of their employment benefits.
6. A percentage of their profits foes towards their Pachamamas Children project
7. They are not the cheapest but are priced very competitively for a quality reliable operator.
8. Last, but certainly not least, Pachamama Explorers are run by Debbie, who is not only  incredibly friendly and helpful, but she is also incredibly responsible operator with a genuine care for her staff.  

Alternatives to the Inca Trail
If there are no Inca Trail permits available, or, like me, you would prefer to avoid the crowds, then there are a number of alternatives to the Inca Trail. None (except for the short Inca Trail) offer quite the same experience of Inca ruins and the spectacular approach to Machu Picchu via the Sun Gate, but are fantastic treks in their own right which include a day in Machu Picchu.

Short Inca Trail: A 2 day one night Inca Trail for those with less time or less inclination to trek for four days. This trek misses some of the best mountain scenery but does take in the spectacular approach to Machi Picchu. This trail is still subject to permits.

The Salkantay Trail: The 5 day / 4n night Salkantay Trail was named one of the 25 best Treks in the Worlds by National Geographic Adventure Magazine. Salkantay (Salcantay) is an incredibly beautiful if sometimes demanding trek that takes in a spectacular 4,600m pass over Salkantay itself. After three days of trekking  you are transported to a hotel in Aguas Calientes for a guided tour of Machu Picchu.  

Lares Valley: The Lares Valley trek takes you well off the beaten path through beautiful valleys and small traditional communities. The emphasis here is on exploring the villages, visiting the markets and seeing the locals produce wonderful hand-made textiles. After three days of trekking  you are transported to a hotel in Aguas Calientes for a guided tour of Machu Picchu. 

Choquequirao Trek: Choquequirao is often touted as the new Machu Picchu. It is believed to be the last refuge of the Incas and has gained in popularity since restrictions were placed on the Inca Trail. The trek itself takes in stunning mountain scenery and abundant inca ruins.

Great Resources for planning your Inca Trail trip:

If you are planning on trekking the Inca Trail the following sites are superb resources:
http://www.raingod.com/angus/Gallery/Photos/SouthAmerica/Peru/IncaTrail/ A virtual tour of the Inca Trail by Angus McIntyre
http://matadortrips.com/how-to-trek-the-inca-trail A guide by Richard McColl who has trekked the Inca Trail five times.
http://www.panoramas.dk/fullscreen6/f2-machu-picchu.html A 360 degree panoramo of Machu Picchu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2YBVlgqqco Michael Palin takes a tour around Machu Picchu.
The incredible shot of Machu Picchu was taken by Flickr user jayegirl99
An in depth guide to the history, stories and people of Machu Pichu, Peru and The Incas.

 

Comments (1)

1. Thanks for this excellent advice. It will really help a lot of people. I shared it with my friends on Facebook and Twitter because I know a lot of people need it.

   Max White 4th June 2010

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