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Pros | The chance of rain, as the name would suggest, is significantly reduced and you can expect hot, dry mornings and afternoons.Ĭons | Dry season also coincides with high tourism season in Peru (June - August), so the Inca Trail will be at full capacity each day.

Each however, come with their own pros and cons. Peru has two seasons - dry and wet - and it is possible to do the Inca Trail in either.

What is the best time of year to hike the Inca Trail? This means that - although many of Peru’s best hikes, like the Colca Canyon, are possible to do independently - you can only do the Inca Trail with an approved tour company and spaces are capped. Securing a permit is only possible with an approved tour provider, who buy these daily permits in advance. This means it is necessary for everyone to obtain permits in advance to do the hike. Since 2002, access to the Inca Trail has been limited to 500 people per day (roughly split between 200 tourists and 300 accompanying guides and porters), no matter the time of year. What Are Inca Trail Permits And Do You Need a Guide?

The Inca Trail hike marked our second time visiting Machu Picchu, and arriving via the Sun Gate with sweaty brows and tired feet rather than taking the morning bus from Aguas Caliente with thousands of others clearly underlined to us that it is the best way to arrive at one of the world’s most iconic attractions. Only Inca Trail hikers can access the Gate at sunrise, and it is this crescendo, at one of the new seven wonders of the world which makes this hike a feature on so many ‘South America bucket lists’. However, as truly beautiful as the hike may be, the real reason for its popularity lies at the very end of this four day adventure passing through the Sun Gate for that first magical sighting of Machu Picchu in the distance. The Trail is Peru in a microcosm lush green cloud forest alive with birds, Andean peaks and steep mountain passes, a landscape dotted with centuries old ruins, accessible only to those that follow this most famous pathway. The Incan Empire (which at its largest joined Peru, large parts of modern Ecuador, western and south central Bolivia, northwest Argentina, north and central Chile and a small part of southwest Colombia) created thousands of kilometres of trails to link its important settlements and centres of civilisation, but it is this specific 4 day route which is known as the one and only ‘classic Inca Trail’.ĭo note that if you see a tour with fewer days offered, then you are only going to be hiking a small section of the route. The bad news? A significant chunk of that 40 kms is up steep, narrow Andean mountain paths at altitude. The good news is that it’s a lot shorter than you may expect at only 40 kms (25 miles). The Inca Trail is a well-established and iconic 4-day, 3-night hike which leads travellers from km.82 (the start point 40 minutes outside the town of Ollantaytambo) all the way to Machu Picchu via its exclusive Sun Gate (also called Inti Punku). Ready? Here’s everything you need to know before doing the Inca Trail hike.

RAINY DAZE EMPIRE PORTER HOW TO

So, whether you’re heading there in high or low season and want to understand the camping and accommodation situation better, have no idea what to pack or how to get a permit, are worrying about whether you’re fit enough, will get altitude sickness or if it’s too late to book a spot on a tour, then this post will provide you with all the necessary information answers from experienced fellow travellers (and, we hope, quite a bit of excitement and inspiration for the hike itself!). The hike itself, which brings you along ancient narrow paths deep into the Peruvian countryside and high into the Andean mountains, is gorgeous perfect Incan ruins, cloud forest, and majestic valley views laid out like breadcrumbs along the way to perhaps the greatest end-point of any multi-day hike on earth, the iconic Machu Picchu.Īfter our own hike, we wanted to share our hard-earned insights, advice, and tips to help you plan and prepare for your own successful Trail experience - all neatly whittled down into this comprehensive guide. One of the most popular things to do in South America - and one of the world’s most famous hikes - the Inca Trail is the sort of singular adventures for which we all travel. 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.

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