Our 2-Day Inca Trail Hike to Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is a legendary monument dedicated to the ancient Incan Empire. This masterfully designed stone structure is located 7,970 ft (2,430 meters) high in the Andes Mountains. The jungle mountain setting makes the views worthy of being included in the 7 wonders of the world. Given its remote location, getting to the top can be a bit complicated. For an added sense of challenge, you can hike the Inca trail to the archaeological summit. This path signifies the original route the Incas used to visit the lost city and offers some of the most breathtaking views I’ve ever seen. Here’s our full experience of hiking the Inca trail to Machu Picchu!
The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
Hiking the Inca trail is a once in a lifetime experience and is sure to elevate your journey to Machu Picchu to the next level (no pun intended). The entire trail is 26 miles (43km) long and contains windy mountain paths, ancient Incan architecture, and beautiful peaks and valleys to gaze upon. Fortunately you have options for the multi-day hikes; choose between 2, 4, or 7 day guided tours depending on how much time you have or how much you love hiking. Expect to do some camping on the longer day treks. We booked our 2 day 1 night journey with the reputable Tierra Vivas. They are a very professional tour company and a friendly and informative guide accompanied us along every part of the way!
Inca Trail Permits
Due to government regulations, only 500 people are allowed to hike the Inca path daily. If you’re considering taking the trek, I highly recommend reserving a permit 3 to 6 months ahead of time. And they are not cheap($450-700$)! However, many of the tours include accommodations, meals, transportation, and entry tickets. Luckily with a booked tour, all the details of securing the permits will be handled directly by them. In addition to the traditional Inca trail the 7 day option has the Salkantay trek, which will add to the challenge of reaching Machu Picchu.
The 4 day hike is considered one of the most popular trails in the world and includes snowcapped mountains, bridges, and Inca ruins not accessible by roads. We will focus on our 2 day hike experience, since we had a limited amount of time in Peru and chose to spend more time exploring different regions of the country on an Epic Road Trip. Be prepared to provide passport numbers, hotel locations, and other documents during the transaction process. The extra hikes to Huayana Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountains were closed, so verify they are accessible before paying. Travel insurance is not mandatory so we chose not to get it.
Preparing for the 2 Day Hike
The 2 day hike is great for anyone short on time or those not particularly fond of hiking. It’s not extremely difficult, but it can be a bit challenging at times. Especially due to the high altitude. Actual walking time might be around 4 hours. Machu Picchu is at a lower altitude than Cusco, so there shouldn’t be any issues with altitude sickness as long as you spent enough time acclimatizing there. Be sure to schedule the event accordingly since it takes a few days to get to Cusco from Lima. The day before your trek, a guide will meet at your hotel for a pre-trek briefing of the itinerary.
Peru has 2 seasons, wet (November to April) and dry (April to October). The dry season has much better conditions for hiking, so our trip was planned for September. Temperatures were warm during the day but got chilly as the sun set. Climate at the top of the mountain is very unpredictable, so be prepared for random rain showers or bright sunny skies. No camping is required for the 2 day hike. Here are some essential items to pack for your trip:
- a small back pack (pack as lightly as possible)
- You MUST bring your passport!
- comfortable shoes
- change of clothes
- a thick jacket
- rain gear or a poncho (can also buy one at KM 104)
- water (some snacks will be provided)
- toilet paper or wet wipes
- masks and a face shield (for the train and bus)
- sunscreen
- insect repellent (for mosquitos)
- some cocoa leaves or lemon candy (for altitude symptoms)
- some cash (Soles)
Day 1 of the Inca Trail Hike to Machu Picchu
Cusco to Ollantaytambo [4:32AM]
Our journey began before dawn so we made sure to get plenty of sleep the night before. We arranged with our hotel to leave our bag there for 1 night and only took a small back pack with essentials. Our private van picked us up at 4:30am in front of the hotel. The 1.5 hour ride took us through tiny villages and huge mountain landscapes. At last we arrived at Ollantaytambo, where we awaited our train. The train was scheduled to leave promptly at 6:30, so not much time to explore the town. Face shields were required during the train ride. Snacks and water were also provided by our guide.
Ollantaytambo to KM104 Chachabamba [6:30AM]
The panoramic windows on the train gave us spectacular views of the Urubamba river and the enormous mountain ranges along the route to our starting point. The ride is about 1 hour long, so be sure to pay attention for your stop! It will seem to stop suddenly at a random location. KM104 Chachabamba marks the beginning of the Inca Trail hike! We crossed the mighty Urubamba river and shortly arrived at the ancient ruins of Chachabamba. After a brief discussion on the history and construction of the archaeological site, we began our ascent along the trail. A few minutes walk from there is a check point with some facilities. Be sure to have your passport ready! We used the restroom and bought a rain poncho and continued our ascent.
Chachabamba to Wiñay Wayna [9:20AM]
So far so good. The Inca trail began with a very gradual incline. Even those with no hiking experience can enjoy the gorgeous views as you rise up. Our group consisted of 2 people and a guide, so we were able to go at our own pace and take breaks at our leisure. Aside from the 2 or 3 other groups, we saw almost no other people. It felt as if we had the entire mountain to ourselves.
The weather was dry and sunny with an occasional gentle breeze. The higher we climbed, the more beautiful the scenery became. After we gained some altitude, we saw our next destination, a demoralizing distance away. I would consider this part the boring middle. We took a few breaks along the way and reached a waterfall that was pretty cool though. This part of the trek took around 2 hours.
Wiñay Wayna to Intipunko [11:01AM]
Finally we reached the ancient ruins of Wiñay Wayna. This location was designed as a complex irrigation system for food and contains agricultural terraces built into the steep mountainside. We ate our snacks here while our guide explained more Inca history and architecture. This much needed break gave us a time to gaze at the valley below and appreciate how far we’ve climbed. Next we proceeded on to a series of steep steps at which point we began to get tired. The sky darkened and it started to drizzle and lightly rain sporadically. This portion of the hike alternated between shedding layers from the heat, and putting them back on when it got chilly.
After about an hour we reached the half-way lunch stop, where our personal hiking chefs prepared some delicious Chinese inspired rice dish that also came with a side of meat and salad. We enjoyed some killer views as we consumed our meal. Before continuing on, we used the restroom which was basically just a hole in the floor accompanied by a pungent odor. At this point, I was pretty glad to not be camping. There was no toilet paper either, so be sure to bring some wet wipes or something. We persevered to the final part of our journey, along with the occasional stops to catch our breath and admire the beautiful scenery.
Intipunku to Machu Picchu [2:35PM]
At long last, we finally arrived at Intipunko, the Sun Gate. This archaeological site was a fortress of the sacred city long ago. There was a huge sense of accomplishment as we took our first glimpse of Machu Picchu on the horizon. The feeling of euphoria washed over us like rain as we reflected on how far we’ve come. Our guide also gave us some free shirts! The relief was transitory as we soon realized that we were still a bit of hiking away from our way down. Just barely exhausted at this point, we took solace in the fact that we were almost completed.
The rest of the trail was relatively easy considering our progress. It was mostly a flat walk while descending to the bottom of Machu Picchu. As we got closer to the mystical sanctuary, the views got more and more magnificent. I was really eager to explore the citadel, but the entire next day would be dedicated to that. We headed to the entrance where a bus would take us down to Aguas Calientes. The ride down was about 25 mins in which they mandated face shields onboard so be sure to keep them handy!
Aguas Clientes [5:12PM]
Aguas Calientes is a charming village with tons of shops and restaurants scattered about. It lies at the base of a huge mountain and has a chill atmosphere. We checked into Hotel Ferre, which was set up for us by the agency. It was a small but decent room and had great views along with a delicious free breakfast! There’s a huge market with an overwhelming amount of souvenirs nearby too. We ate some amazing Peruvian food for dinner and explored the town a bit before we collapsed of exhaustion from the day’s hike.
Day 2: The Grand Wonder of the World [6:30AM]
Machu Picchu
For those uninterested in the vigorous challenge of hiking the Inca trail, you can skip directly to this part. The same train we boarded in Ollantaytambo arrives in the center of Aguas Calientes. After a 25 minute bus ride, we arrived at the entrance to Machu Picchu. Tickets and passports must be presented before entering the ancient site. After another short hike and we eventually reached the legendary monolith. Machu Picchu is the most important historical site for the Incas.
The citadel was created as a royal estate for the emperor, along with temples, stone dwellings, agricultural terraces, and llamas. Majority of the site is extremely well preserved with only about 20-30% actually being restored. The site was abandoned long ago, but was not destroyed by the Spaniards like many other ancient Incan locations. As soon as you enter the area, you can feel a powerful energy emanating from the surrounding mountains. So far, it is my favorite wonder of the world. The pristine condition of the sanctuary is impressive. Surely it is a sight you’ll never forget. After 3 hours of enjoying the mystical zenith, we headed back to town with a renewed sense of vigor. You can choose to walk down the steep path, but we opted to take the bus down again for an extra fee ($12).
Returning from Machu Picchu to Cusco [11:00AM – 6:00PM]
We reached Aguas Calientes with just enough time to try some of the infamous Cuy dish and buy souvenirs before the train ride. The train took us all the way back to Ollantaytambo, where we caught the van that would take us to our hotel in Cusco. The entire trip was about 4 hours. It was quite an exhausting day but the feelings of accomplishment soothed our souls.
Honestly I would only recommend the Inca Trail if you really enjoy the thrill of hiking and the outdoors lifestyle. However, I highly suggest planning the trek to Machu Picchu to see one of the most marvelous places in the world with your own eyes! If you have an extra day, adding in the Sacred Valley is the best way to fill it. Stay tuned for more adventures to the world’s 7 wonders. For more info on Peru entry requirements, check out this post. Until then, keep leveling up!
Here’s day 1 of our Inca trail hike to Machu Picchu!
And here’s day 2 of of joureny to the marvelous Machu Picchu!
