1. How difficult is the hike?
The entire 4-day trail hike is 43 km so the distances traveled each day are not terribly long. Although it is generally accepted that anyone who is accustomed to hiking and camping (i.e. walking for several hours and sleeping in tents) can hike the Inca Trail, the altitude can make hiking these distances feel about twice as difficult as hiking the same distance at sea level. For a detailed description of the hike itself, check out   

2. Can I trek the Inca Trail alone without a travel operator? No. As from 1st January 2001 trekking independently has been prohibited. The regulation, however, was not enforced until early 2002. You will necessarily to hire an operator to get all the permissions, the entrance tickets for the trail MUST be bought in Cusco well in advance only through a licensed Inca Trail operator. They cannot be purchased at the start of the trail.

3.Should I make a reservation for the trek in advance or wait until arriving in Cusco? Because the numbers of persons permitted on the trek has been dramatically reduced it is advisable to make a reservation 5-6 weeks in advance. This is particularly important if you are planning on arriving in Cusco during the peak season (June-September).

 4. How hard is the Inca Trail? The trek is physically challenging, but no technical expertise is required. The difficulty comes largely from the repeated step ascents and descents, and from the high altitude. The climb to the first pass takes you up from around 2000m (6500ft) to more than 4000m (13000ft) in a relatively short space, followed by a descent of around 1500m (5000ft). After the second pass at 3500m (11500ft), things generally become easier.

 5. What is the food like on the Inca trail?
A cook accompanies every group on the Inca trail. Almost invariably, travelers comment on the delicious menu. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and hearty snacks are provided for your hike. Meals are a mix of local specialties and international favorites.  Vegetarian meals are also available upon request. Other special dietary requests can usually be accommodated as well with sufficient notice.

 6. What do we do for drinking water? Inka Wasi will provide boiled water to fill your bottle at meal times, although the water is clear always use sterilizing tablets and follow the instructions. The sterilizing tablets 'MicroPur' can be bought in most pharmacies in Cusco . With these tablets you have to wait 40 minutes before drinking. Take a bottle of at least 1½ liter capacity per person. Bottled mineral water can also be taken from Cusco, bought at km82, just before Wayllabamba and at Wiñay Wayna and Machu Picchu. If you are employing the services of a personal porter you can afford to take the extra weight of a few bottles of water. Besides, You'll come across a small stream or mountain spring every 1½ hours along the trail where you can fill up your water bottle too

 7.Which campsites do you use?
Campsites are subject to change depending upon the crowds and the season. We generally try to camp in less trafficked areas so that travelers can enjoy the natural beauty of the Inca trail and minimize environmental impacts. Our typical campsite choices are Wallabamba, Pacaymayo and Wiñay wayna or Puyupatamarca.

8. What are the toilets like along the trail?     Toilets have improved a lot in the last couple of years and all of the larger campsites have toilet blocks with flush toilets and running water. On the whole they are kept pretty clean. There are hot shower facilities are Wiñay Wayna on Day 3, although they are usually pretty unclean and you have to pay a little extra.

9. Should I hire an extra porter? when? Our service includes porters for carrying the food, tents, dining tent and cooking equipment. However, during the Inca Trail you will have to carry your personal stuff (such as backpack, camera, etc) your sleeping bag and pad (both provided by us if needed). Personal extra porters can be hired to help carry your personal items such as clothes, sleeping bag etc. They can be hired for $60 for all 4 days and will carry up to a maximum of 18kg (usually 1 porter between 2 persons is more than sufficient). You can hire the services of a half a porter to carry up to 9kg for US$30. However, even with a personal porter, you will still need to bring a day pack for essential items.
About 30% of the group usually have personal porters to help them. If you hire a porter we will provide you with a sack to put your items in to give to the porter. This extra porter will help you carry: duffle bag or sack (we will provide you with this), sleeping bag, mattress (we will provide you with this), clothing, sweater, jacket, wooly hat, scarf, gloves (something warm for at night), flashlight and batteries, toiletries. Your personal porter, however, will not walk at your side so you will still need to bring a day pack for essential items. You will meet up with your porter at lunch time and at the campsite late in the afternoon. Equipment to be carried by yourselves: small day pack, water bottle and sterilizing tablets, warm sweater, broad-brim or peaked cap, sun protection cream, insect repellent, toilet paper, selection of small snacks for the day etc, camera, lightweight plastic poncho just in case of rain (can be bought in Cusco for US$1)

Important note: You must decide if you want to hire the services of a personal porter in advance when making your trek reservation since we need to purchase the porter's trekking permit. You cannot decide to hire an additional porter once you arrive in Cusco.

10. What do I need to bring for the hike?
Travelers only need to bring their own personal supplies and a sleeping bag. If you do not have a sleeping bag, these can be rented in Cusco for a reasonable rate (~$10). A duffle bag will be provided for your belongings on the Inca trail so travelers do not need to bring a large backpack unless desired. Proper sungear, comfortable trekking clothes, mosquito repellant, hiking shoes, a flashlight, a camera, and 1-2 refillable water bottles are recommended. Rain gear is also recommended during the wet season (December- March) and cold weather gear (warm jacket, thermals, hat and gloves) is recommended for the dry season (especially June- August).

11.What do I need to carry?
   

• Sleeping mattress (we will provide you with this)
• Rain jacket or poncho (plastic ponchos can be purchased in Cusco for a few dollars)
• Strong, comfortable footwear  §  One complete change of clothing (you can afford to carry more changes of clothing if ou hire a personal porters, see options below)
• Sweater and jacket (something warm)
• Water bottle and purification tablets (Micropur are recommended and can be bought in ocal pharmacies in Cusco)
• Flashlight and batteries
• Hat or cap to protect you from the sun
• Sun block (sun protection cream
• Insect repellent
• Toiletries, towel and toilet paper
• Selection of small snacks, chocolate, dried fruit, biscuits etc,
• Camera, plenty of film and spare batteries
• Swimsuit (if you plan on visiting the hot springs at Aguas Calientes after the trek)

You also need to bring your original passport and student ISIC card on the trail.

 

13.What does All Trek Peru do to minimize environmental impact?
We use biodegradable soap and transport all garbage back to Cusco. We also use environmentally-friendly chemical portable toilets that allow us to pack waste out. We highly recommend that travelers bring one or two large Nalgene bottles to use on the hike to limit plastic water bottle waste.  

 

14.What if I have a medical emergency while hiking the trail?
Guides carry a first aid kit for basic medical problems (traveler's diarrhea, cuts/ scrapes, etc.). They receive Red Cross First Aid and other emergency training every year. Our guides lead over 500 travelers along the Inca trail each year and we have rarely had a traveler unable to complete the hike. In these rare instances when someone has not felt well enough to finish the hike, he/ she has been escorted back to Cusco and generally felt well enough to re-join the group in Machu Picchu via train a few days later. Cusco has the nearest modern medical facilities so travelers with a serious medical emergency would need to be evacuated there. Guides and porters have pre-established evacuation strategies in place should this need occur.

 

15.Other options?

 

(1) An extra night in Aguas Calientes can easily be arranged for you if required. Hotels costs and costs associated with returning to Machu Picchu the following day are additional to trek costs. It is best to make your hotel reservation directly.

(2) Vegetarian Meals. We can provide vegetarian meals or cater for special diets with no extra cost. Just let us know at least 2 days prior to trek departure.

(3) Sleeping bag hire . If you haven't got a sleeping bag or you don't want the hassle of bringing one all the way to Peru with you then we have sleeping bags in our office for rent. The price is US$2 per person per day.

 

Other information:

Reservation details: All hike reservations must be made well in advance (6-8 weeks in advance is recommended especially during the months of June, July and August)

Payment details: We will require a non-refundable hike deposit of US$100 per person payable within one week of All Trek Cusco confirming your trek booking. The deposit is to be paid by or by (i) Western Union money transfer.

Further details of how to send the deposit are included with our trek booking confirmation email. The remaining balance is to be paid in our office at least two days prior to your trek departure date. Payment can be made in cash US$, local currency (Peruvian Soles), American Express Travel Cheques (3%) or by VISA (6% surcharge - VISA's cost not ours).



(1) Luggage storage. When you go on the trek it is best to leave any luggage that you are not going to need behind in Cusco. Nearly all the hotels in Cusco provide a secure luggage deposit. Put any valuables in their safe. Very rarely do hotels charge for this service especially if you are returning to the same hotel after the hike. If there are any problems with your hotel we can arrange to store your luggage at our office.

(2) Time of arrival in Cusco after returning from the hike. Unless you plan to stay an extra night in Aguas Calientes, you will return to your hotel in Cusco for approximately 8:30pm on the 4th day of the trek.