How to Hike to Macchu Picchu

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

A desire for travel and adventure

Step 1

Machu Picchu, Peru

OVERVIEW OF HIKE: First of all, before planning or undertaking a hike to Machu Picchu, Peru, along the Inca Trail, you should understand some basic facts about the journey:
-The rainy season for this region of Peru is December through February.
-The most popular time to hike the trail (i.e. most people on the trail) is June to August.
-The hike begins near Cusco, Peru, in the Sacred Valley near km88 or km82, and near the villages of Chinchero, Urubamba and Ollantaytambo.
-The average journey takes about four days, and is about 45 km in length, arriving at Machu Picchu at daybreak on the fourth day. Hikers, after exploring the ruins, typically then return to Cusco by train from Aguas Calientes (below Machu Picchu).
-The hike itself, the most famous in Peru, is considered a moderate hike, suitable for any reasonably fit person. Although it is recommended that travelers acclimate themselves to the high altitude (and less oxygen) in Cusco for several days prior to beginning the hike.
-The journey is through mountainous jungles and many ancient archaeological sites.
-Also, you must arrange the hike through an official tour organization. It is required that you have porters and a guide, which all cost a fee.
Step 2

Machu Picchu, Peru

Okay, now that you understand some basics of the Inca Trail Hike to Machu Picchu, you can now begin planning your journey. There are several ways to do this. You can go through a travel agent who will make all the arrangements for you, or you can make the arrangements yourself. If you do decide to make your own arrangements, you'll need to make the following reservations:
Step 3

Lima, Peru

TO PERU: Airfare to Peru. International flights from the United States and most other countries will be to Aeropuerto Internacional Jorge Chávez (Jorge Chávez International Airport) in Lima, Peru - airport code is LIM.
Step 4

Cusco, Peru

TO CUSCO: Air travel or bus travel from Lima to Cusco. The flight from Lima to Cusco is about one hour and very scenic as the plane travels over the Andes. Be aware that Lima is at sea level on the Pacific coast and Cusco is at 10,800 feet elevation in the Andes, so you will immediately feel the effects of the altitude when you land and step off the plane. At first, simple tasks will cause you to get out of breath, but after a day or two you will acclimate to the high altitude. If you do travel by bus from Lima to Cusco, you will typically have to change buses in the city of Arequipa or in Nasca. The total bus journey is long (more than 24 hours) and winding through the Andes.
Step 5

Main Plaza, Cusco, Peru

ACCOMMODATIONS: You may want to spend your first night or two in Lima (most travelers stay in the Miraflores or San Isidro areas of the city). When you arrive in Cusco, there are many hotels of various types (from the simple and inexpensive to the luxurious and costly) spread around the historic and cultural center of the city. Cusco is the travel and tourism hub of the Peruvian Andes (with many amenities) and many travelers make Cusco their base of operations for touring around this region of South America. You'll want to spend a night or two in Cusco when you first arrive there to get acclimated to the high altitude (and hopefully avoid altitude sickness) and to explore the city and surrounding area. Cusco was the cultural heart and the capital of the Inca Empire.
Step 6

Machu Picchu, Peru

HIKING THE INCA TRAIL TO MACHU PICCHU: You will want to arrange your hike to Machu Picchu with an official tour company that will make all the arrangements for you to join a group and have the mandatory guide and porters. You can find many reputable outfits online who specialize in making such arrangements. Perform an internet search for "Inca Trail to Machu Picchu" and you should find many different tour companies offering packages of various lengths of time. See the Additional Resources section below for examples of tour companies offering Inca Trail hike packages. The remaining steps of this article will cover what each day of the four day hike is like:
Step 7

Flight from Lima to Cusco

INCA TRAIL HIKE TO MACHU PICCHU, DAY 1: Start out in the Sacred Valley near km82 or km88. You'll pass through a small village and nearby the ruins of Huillca Raccay. The terrain is mostly level during this section. You'll most likely camp near the village of Wayllabamba.
Step 8

Aguas Calientes, Peru

INCA TRAIL HIKE TO MACHU PICCHU, DAY 2: A more strenuous day starting out from Wayllabamba in which you'll pass through two mountain passes above the treeling (making a 4,000 foot elevation gain in the morning), a cloud forest, and nearby snow covered mountain peaks. The two passes are at elevations of 4,200 meters (13,779 feet) and 3,600 meters (11,811 feet) respectively. You'll be exposed to many elements of high elevations above the treeline on this day. Camp is near Pacamayo.
Step 9

Machu Picchu, View from Wayna Picchu

INCA TRAIL HIKE TO MACHU PICCHU, DAY 3: Starting out from Pacamayo, you'll pass the ruins of Runkuracay that overlook the Pacamayo Valley. Another mountain pass you'll hike through is at 4,000 meters (13,123 feet). Much of the paving and steep steps along the trail are the original Inca constructions. You will also pass by the mysterious ruins of Sayacmarca. Later in the day the trail descends into a cloud forest with many interesting plant, tree, and flower (such as orchid) specimens. Then there is another climb up to another mountain pass at 3,700 meters (12,139 feet). You view several snow-capped mountain peaks (with elevations of 6,271m/20,574ft and 5,750m/18,864ft) and then see the ruins of Phuyupatamarca. After passing through these impressive ruins the trail descends over 1,000 steps. A few hours later you should arrive for the night at Wiñay Wayna.
Step 10

Urubamba Valley, View from Wayna Picchu

INCA TRAIL HIKE TO MACHU PICCHU, DAY 4: You will wake up very early while it is still dark and make the last portion of the hike from Wiñay Wayna (about one and one-half hours) up to the Sun Gate entrance of Machu Picchu where you will arrive in time to see a spectacular sunrise. Machu Picchu itself is located at an elevation of 2,430 metres (8,000 ft).
Step 11

Machu Picchu, View from Putukusi

Now you will have all day to explore Machu Picchu. Then you can either head back to Cusco by train from Aguas Calientes (the small town on the Urubamba River in the narrow valley below Machu Picchu) or you can spend a night or two in Aguas Calientes and do more hikes around the area such as to Wayna Picchu (the pointed peak in the background of most photos of Machu Picchu) or Putukusi (the mountain peak directly above Aguas Calientes and directly across the Urubamba River from Machu Picchu).