{"id":4420,"date":"2022-01-06T09:29:52","date_gmt":"2022-01-06T14:29:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cuscojourneys.com\/blog\/?p=4420"},"modified":"2022-01-06T09:28:17","modified_gmt":"2022-01-06T14:28:17","slug":"walking-the-footsteps-of-the-incas-four-day-inca-trail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cuscojourneys.com\/blog\/walking-the-footsteps-of-the-incas-four-day-inca-trail","title":{"rendered":"Walking the Footsteps of the Incas: Four Day Inca Trail"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Walking<\/p>\n

The Inca Trail<\/strong> <\/a>is one of the main reasons why many people choose Peru for an adventure trip<\/strong>. It offers the rare chance to walk along old Incan paths, following the same sacred route from Cusco to\u00a0Machu Picchu<\/strong>\u00a0that the Inca took more than 500 years ago.<\/span><\/p>\n

Many people feel an almost mystical energy as they walk along the cobbled stones of the trail. It\u2019s humbling to imagine the suffering of those who had to carry all kinds of heavy items and equipment along this route.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is it like to Hike the Inca Trail<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Inca<\/p>\n

With steep inclines, sharp descents and constant changes in altitude, the trail is only suitable for people who are in reasonably good physical condition. There is also a shorter two-day alternative<\/strong> to the typically four- day trek<\/strong>, ideal for travelers who want a slightly less intense version of the experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s recommended that travelers take about two or three days to acclimate to the altitude before beginning the trek. The high elevation adds further challenge to what is already a serious trek. The trail includes two high passes, Warmiwa\u00f1usca, meaning Dead Woman\u2019s Pass, and a second one at Runkurakay. Warmiwa\u00f1usca is situated at a breathtaking 13,780 feet (4,215 meters) above sea level, while Runkurakay reaches 13,123 (4,000 meters).<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Classic<\/p>\n

The Inca Trail winds through various different landscapes and ecosystems, making it one of the most diverse treks in Peru<\/a>. Private Inca Trail tours begin in the lush\u00a0Sacred Valley<\/strong>\u00a0at an altitude of 9,000 feet (2,750 meters). The trail then leads upwards into the sparse highlands on the second day, where the landscape is harsher and contains minimal vegetation. Day three brings you to a beautiful cloud forest as you begin your descent toward Machu Picchu. This ever-changing landscape makes this trek especially memorable, plus offers some fantastic photo opportunities along the way.<\/span><\/p>\n

The flora and fauna you\u2019ll see during the trek further enhances the experience. You\u2019ll spot Andean orchids of all shapes, sizes and colors, and if you\u2019re lucky, you may catch a glimpse of the Andean spectacled bear. There are also a number of additional ruins to check out along the trail, heightening the anticipation for reaching the most impressive ruin of them all.<\/span><\/p>\n

Key Tips for Planning Your Inca Trail Journey to Machu Picchu<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Inca<\/p>\n

The popularity of the trail has led to concerns about the damage caused by large numbers of visitors. To help manage this issue, the Peruvian government began enforcing a limit of 500 visitors per day. This count includes both trekkers and support staff, such as guides, porters and cooks, which breaks down to about 200 trekkers and 300 staff per day. Keep in mind that permits for the trail are not transferrable or refundable once purchased, so it\u2019s important to be certain of your dates before you book.<\/span><\/p>\n

The best approach is to contact a tour operator to book the permits as soon as you decide when you\u2019ll be traveling to Peru. This is particularly essential during the high season months of June, July and August, when permits for certain dates can sell out five or six months in advance. To get a sense of the demand for permits on certain travel dates, you can go to<\/span>\u00a0www.machupicchu.gob.pe<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>and click on the \u201cConsultas\u201d tab.\u00a0 Select \u201cCamino Inka\u201d from the Centro Arqueologico drop down menu, and then the year (\u201cA\u00f1o\u201d) and month (\u201cMes\u201d) to see the number of permits still available for that time period. Keep in mind, however, that you will not be able to book your own permits because this can only be done by a licensed operator.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you end up being unable to get an Inca Trail permit<\/strong>, the\u00a0Salkantay Trek<\/strong> or Lares Trek<\/strong>\u00a0are both rewarding alternatives; however, the Inca Trail is ultimately unrivaled by any other trek in Peru.<\/span>\u00a0Classic private Inca Trail tours<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>provide the opportunity to spend four days walking in the footsteps of the Incas and connecting with this ancient civilization.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Inca<\/p>\n

Several details from transportation to hotel reservations go into planning a Peru trip.<\/span>\u00a0Contact us<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, and our Travel Advisors will use their travel expertise to plan a vacation customized just for you.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Inca Trail is one of the main reasons why many people choose Peru for an adventure trip. It offers the rare chance to walk along old Incan paths, following the same sacred route from Cusco to\u00a0Machu Picchu\u00a0that the Inca took more than 500 years ago. Many people feel an almost mystical energy as they […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4421,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[78],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trek-to-machu-picchu"],"views":856,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cuscojourneys.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4420","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cuscojourneys.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cuscojourneys.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cuscojourneys.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cuscojourneys.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4420"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.cuscojourneys.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4420\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4430,"href":"https:\/\/www.cuscojourneys.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4420\/revisions\/4430"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cuscojourneys.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4421"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cuscojourneys.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4420"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cuscojourneys.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4420"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cuscojourneys.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4420"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}