Everything To Know Before Your First Inca Trail Hiking

Everything To Know Before Your First Inca Trail Hiking

Are you a fan of hiking? If so, you may want to consider embarking on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. It is one of the most popular adventure experiences on the planet and offers hikers the opportunity to pass by some 500-year-old archeological sites in some of the most beautiful mountains in the world.

What are Inca trail permits and do you need a guide?

For the past 20 years, the number of people permitted to hike the Inca Trail has been limited to 500 per day. This is because one of the main purposes of the trail is to protect its cultural and natural treasures. How do you get a permit? It’s easy: you go with an approved tour provider, who book their spaces in advance and buy daily permits from the government. This means that although many people dream of doing this hike independently, it’s not possible to do so without hiring a guide or joining an approved tour.

Are there any age restrictions?

Although the Cusco Inca Trail is open to all ages, tour companies have their own age requirements, which can vary from company to company. We wouldn’t recommend anyone under the age of 14 to do the trek due to group dynamics.

What’s The Best Time Of Year To Hike The Inca Trail?

Peru has two seasons – dry and wet – and the Inca Trail is open to hikers during both. However, each season has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Dry Season (May – October) Advantages: The chance of rain is significantly reduced and you can anticipate hot, dry mornings and afternoons.

Disadvantages: During the dry season (June-August), the Inca Trail is at full capacity each day. This means fuller camp sites, more traffic along the Trail, and more tour groups taking advantage of their high-season number of visitors. You’ll need to book your own tour further in advance if you want to hike during this period.

Prosperous Cultural Heritage Besides Machu Picchu, Peru comprises nine incredible UNESCO World Heritage Sites and several other extraordinary sites that UNESCO does not declare. These sites are remnants of ancient civilizations that once inhabited Peru. The rich cultural heritage of Peru also includes the incredible second Machu Picchu called Choquequirao, which used to serve as a religious center of the region. Also, there is the first pre-ceramic city of Caral outside Lima, Chan-Chan in Trujillo, the largest pre-Colombian adobe city and many more sites that make Peru explore worthy.

Wet Season (November-April) Advantages: Hiking during the rainy season is less popular, which means you’ll see fewer people on the trail and at Machu Picchu. You may also find it easier to get tour tickets with only a few weeks notice.

Disadvantages: Hiking and camping on inca trail will never be fun for you if there is notable rainfall. Hiking conditions become slippier and more difficult. Please bear in mind that the trail is closed during the month of February (the wettest month), for maintenance and preservation work.

Are you ready for your first Cusco Inca Trail adventure? VA Expeditions offers a 7-day trek along the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu. Get in touch with us for more info about our itinerary!

Address 1- Portal de Panes 123 C.C. Ruiseñores Of. 306-307 City Cusco State Cusco Zip 08000 Phone 511 979706464 Country Peru Website URL- https://vaexpeditions.com/ Email info@vaexpeditions.com Mobile Number 511 979706464