As I mentioned in Peru Snapshots the Inca trail is an experience you should not miss while exploring Peru! It is the quintessential Peruvian experience all wrapped into four days of unforgettable history, scenery, trail food, and hiking. It was the experience that really made this trip a trip of a lifetime for us. If Machu Picchu is on your bucket list, do not take the easy way, take the trail.

Let’s start out with a couple of Inca Trail prep notes: incorporating the Inca Trail does take some extra logistical planning and major thinking ahead so you definitely want to make sure you are committed! Only 500 people (including guides, porters, and tourists) are allowed to start the trail per day (this is approximately 160 tourists). Everyone on the trail needs a permit and must travel with a company. We booked our permits in October for our trek in August. At that same time we booked our company, Enigma. We loved working with Enigma but spoke with other trekkers on the trail who also shared great experiences with their trekking companies so you really can’t go wrong! The one note to mention is to insure your company is paying the porters a fair wage and not overloading them with too much gear, this has been a problem in the past but has since gotten better, just do your research.

Ok now let’s get into the fun part: Camino Inka! We began our journey at 4:30am on August 21, 2019. Nathan was off to a rough start with a bit of food poisoning from the night before so I was convinced the trail was going to be rough for us. We took a 1.5 hour bus ride to the start of the trail and I was holding my breath the whole time as Nathan barely moved and wouldn’t eat a thing. Our porters cooked us breakfast before we began and Nathan had a little more pep in his step. The start of the trail gives you a beautiful valley view of the Urubamba River tucked between the large, vast mountains that make up the Andes.

Pedestrian Bridge crossing the the start of the Inca Trail

We trekked through mostly flat pathways with villages only accessible by the trail and our first archaeological site of the trek, Llactapata. We were just making our way when all of a sudden, boom, below us was this amazing, ancient city. Juan Carlos told us if we were impressed with this, then Machu Picchu would blow us away (little did we know how right he was!). At our first lunch stop, in the tiny village of Huayllabamba, we got a taste of just how good trail food can be when you have a proper chef on board. Gourmet three-course meals were served for lunch and dinner each day and y’all, this food was AMAZING - fresh, healthy, flavorful, and authentic. We were again blown away!

The trail changed after lunch to more jungle-like scenery and the altitude and uphill climbs became a real challenge. Slow and steady wins the race here (also water and frequent breaks), but after 4 more hours of hiking we made it to camp for the night. I found a llama ranch at the site and took advantage of photographing these beauties.

Day two, the hardest and longest trail day, lived up to the hype with two mountain passes as the focal point for the day. Not only did the steep passes prove to be challenging but the weather on this day was all over the place: from cold and misty to warm back then right back to a cold mist. Mid-morning we reached the highest point on the trail, Dead Woman’s Pass at 13,828 feet, and boy did that feel good! It was truly invigorating and I’d say I was deep into my hiker’s high at this point (and Nathan was doing much better, he was the first of our group to make it to the top!). We journeyed out through the steep downhill (which I find worse than uphill) through the slick mist covered rocks that paved the way down. We made it to the lunch site and definitely needed to take advantage of this midday rest. After lunch, the weather continued to be iffy but the trail evened out a bit, giving our legs and lungs a chance to catch up with our bodies. Juan Carlos took Nathan and I on a side adventure to Sayaqmarka, another ancient site. Even with the thick fog, it did not disappoint with Juan Carlos providing stories of the Inca’s ceremonies and rituals for those who had passed (He even gave us a visual demonstration). We made it to camp shortly after, giving us time to relax before finishing out the trek.

Day three began with a beautiful sight; the fog clearing up to reveal a picturesque view of the Andes’ glacier-topped peaks. We trekked up the steepest uphill for the day (which was nothing compared to Day 2’s passes) and it was all smooth sailing to our first view of Machu Picchu mid-morning.

The rest of the day was all downhill to essentially the base of Machu Picchu. We spent some time at Winaywayna, a favorite spot for me, and had some time to take in the sights of the valley. I could have spent all afternoon in this spot just soaking in the piece of these ancient terraces. However the journey had to continue, and we did have a chance to capture that same sense of peace in our campsite.

And one of the best parts of this campsite, the llamas!! Yes that’s right, I got to be up close and personal with these majestic beauties (although they really did not seem to notice or care about my existence ha!).

Day three came to a close, bringing us one sleep closer to what the Inca Trail is really all about, making it to the final destination of Machu Picchu! Our wake up call was at 3:30am as we had to get to the entrance gate which opened at 5:30am. The goal was to make it to the Sungate around sunrise to get some of the first morning sights of Machu Picchu. Today was the toughest day for me, the soreness had finally caught up with my legs and my stomach had started to negatively react to food we were eating (note: this was unique to me, the food and water we consumed were perfectly treated for tourists). I was slower than I had been on any other part of the trail and the famous “Gringo Killer” stairs did not treat me well. Nonetheless we made it to that glorious, beautiful sight through the Sungate! I cannot put into words what it felt like to make it through such a journey. It was indescribable, truly.

We hiked the last hour down into the city of Machu Picchu and were greeted by the hundreds upon hundreds of tourists that were already there by 8am! Even if you do not do the Inca Trail, get here early because Machu Picchu gets over 6,000 visitors a day! Juan Carlos took us on our last tour with him through the city. It really is huge! And of course, llamas causally graze the land while tourists mill around. I will admit, I was not doing so hot at this point in the journey but it was well worth pushing through! The city is covered in temples, terraces, and dwellings that tell a story worth seeing.

All in all, if Machu Picchu is a bucket list item for you, do the Inca Trail! It is doable (with a bit of prior training), safe, and worth the experience of walking straight into the doors of history.