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Hiking the Inca Trail Luxury tips and tricks

Posted On: 03 May 2017 #TierrasVivas 996

The Inca Trail luxury is designed for people who want to make your trip a dream experience. We offer you a personalized and exclusive deal in each of our services that are combined with the natural beauty, history and great mystery that surround the Inca Trail. Come and discover the beauty and walk through the same paths that the Inca’s did in the past in our luxury service.

We know that this trek is wonderful and we want you to get the most out of it, which is why in this article we give you some advices so you do not have any worries throughout your trip.

The legendary Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is a beautiful, rewarding trek, but also can be a difficult task. To make things easier here you have 7 tips on things to do before you go hiking the Inca Trail. 

  • You need to stay at least a day in Cusco in order to get acclimatized. Cusco Town is located at 3.250 meters above sea level and the height of the road goes up to 4,200 meters. For those affected by altitude sickness, short hikes and minimum effort is exhausting, nauseating. Do not risk having to deal with altitude sickness when you should be enjoying the amazing flora and fauna of the Inca Trail. 
  • When backpacking, keep in mind that the climate in Cusco and the Sanctuary of Machu Picchu is variable. The mornings and the evenings can be quite cold, and nevertheless, due to the sun’s overcharge the midday can be really hot. Even during the rainy season the weather is unpredictable, with frequent rains. This means that you need to be prepared by dressing in layers to protect yourself from the rain and the cold. 
  • The trekking shoes are really important, you need a pair that can go through 8 hours of walking and passing through an area that can be difficult and slippery. 
  • Bring a walking stick, some people like it and some people do not. Although they are not really important, the walking stick can give you a great advantage during the practice of this activity. It can help you with the balance when going downhill and the rest when walking uphill.
  • You have to plan with time, the Inca Trail is one of the busiest treks in the world of adventure travels and the quotas are limited to 500 people per day, of which only 200 spaces are for tourist and the 300 remaining are intended for the persons who accompany the travelers (guides, chefs. Porters, etc.) and that is why planning the trip with anticipation is important (between 3 or 6 months in advance). You also need to know that the Inca Trail is closed in February for maintenance work.
  • Try to avoid eternal stops and heavy meals. If you stop we recommend you to enjoy the landscape and breathe deeply but do not stop constantly and when you do it for lunch, avoid that these stops go beyond 15 or 20 minutes. Also avoid overeating, you better take the right amount, if you eat a lot of food the trek is going to be 3 times more difficult than what it really is so if you eat, avoid heavy food and eat healthy.
  • Hydrate, it is essential to hydrate with frequency during the trek and that is something you should not forget, ask for water whenever you feel that you need it.
  • Make a warm-up and stretch your entire body just before starting. This will reduce significantly the risk of injury. You should know that a cold muscle is less resistant and flexible than on that has been prepared for a certain physical activity. Training is not mandatory for this trek so do not worry if you do not exercise constantly, anyone can do it just remember to do a warm-up before starting. 

If you follow all this recommendations we know for a fact that you are going to enjoy it the maximum because walking through the same paths that the Inca’s did in the past and experience the beauty and mystery of the Inca culture by yourself is just wonderful.

 

Inca Trail Tours

Many are the routes that take you to Machu Picchu, but none is like the Inca Trail Tours, the most famous pedestrian path in the Americas. After flying from the capital of Perú, Lima, you will arrive in Cusco to walk for four days along a path through forests and dense fog, millenary stone steps and discovering the ruins of ancient fortifications and Inca cities, and all the time enjoying majestic views. 

If you want to visit Machu Picchu, we recommend you to book your Machu Picchu Ticket in advance, so you will enjoy your Vacation in Machu Picchu without any problem.

 

When is the best time to hike to Machu Picchu?

The best season is during the dry season, which covers the months April to the end of September. In October the rains begin and you can find Machu Picchu covered by clouds. If you travel in June, we recommend you to book the Inti Raymi 2025 Tour that takes place in June 24th, and also hike the Palcoyo Mountain Tour, which is an incredible Rainbow Mountain located in the Andes. 

Edwin Caviedes Profesional guide

Edwin Caviedes is the founder and manager of Tierras Vivas, a company that benefits native people communities.