Machu Picchu is one of those bucket-list activities people dream about. While most people visit on a day trip, you can also visit via the Inca Trail, a challenging multi-day hike through the jungles of Peru. In this guest post, my friend Gillian divulges the details of her trek while sharing some tips and suggestions to help you plan your trip to Machu Picchu.
Hiking to Machu Picchu along the Inca Trail in Peru remains the highlight of my year traveling. Looking out over the peaks of the Andes, and knowing that I hiked to get there filled me with joy and awe. I didn’t want to be anywhere else. I won’t lie, though — it took some work. A lot of work, in fact. But it was totally worth it.
Sitting some 2,500 meters (8,200 feet) above sea level, Machu Picchu was an Inca citadel built in the 15th century. The citadel was built as a royal estate, though it was used for less than 100 years before being abandoned due to the arrival of the Spanish, who were set on conquest.
It wasn’t until 1911 that the ruins were re-discovered by archeologist Hiram Bingham III. While the locals were familiar with the ruins, it wasn’t until Hiram trekked up the mountain for himself that he realized just how spectacular his (re)discovery was.
To slow the damage caused by tourism, the entrance of Machu Picchu is “limited” to 4,500 people per day heading into 2024, divided into 3 time slots of early morning tickets (6-8am), morning tickets (9-11am), and afternoon tickets (12-2pm). While that seems like a lot, tickets often sell out months in advance (especially for the hike). There are now 4 main different circuits, and you must be accompanied by a guide. For that reason, you’ll want to make sure you plan ahead, do your research, and book early!
Hiking the Inca Trail: Itinerary
To start things off, here is a detailed overview of what the actual hike is actually like:
Day 1
They broke us in easy on the first day with a gentle start along a wide path that passed through the Sacred Valley. Described as “Inca Flat,” the trail starts alongside the Urubamba River and meanders through the trees and scrub brush, slowly gaining altitude.
Our guide, Marco, stopped us at various points along the way to tell us the history of the trail, the ruins along the trail, and also the Incan people and their struggle to survive. Marco was passionate about his ancestors’ story, and as time went on, we realized that he was not just telling us stories that come from guidebooks…
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