Best. Trek. Ever. While backpacking around South America we made our way to Cusco in Peru and booked ourselves onto a four-day trek to Machu Picchu, an incredible 15th Century Inca site located high in the Andes at 2,340 metres (7,970 ft) above sea level.

We carried our water bottles and backpacks in the scorching sun and embraced the challenges of trekking at altitude. Even though we’d been travelling for a couple of months in places of high altitude, trekking up to 4,200 metres was a real challenge.

What you need to know…

• The trail covers just under 40km over four days.
• Altitude sickness may be an issue (walking at a slower pace and chewing coca leaves may help).
• Porters carry all the gear (and they make it look easy).
• The porters put up the tents and prepare meals.
• Day 2 is notorious – 12 km uphill to the highest point of the trail, Dead Woman’s Pass, at 4,200 metres. A French backpacker we’d met in Bolivia recounted lively tales of how he felt he was going to die on Day 2. I can vouch for the pass being aptly named!
• In August, temperatures are absolutely freezing at night.
• Day 4 – it’s an early rise… at 3.30am. Then it’s 1.5 hours of trekking in the dark, along a narrow cliff edge, before arriving at the Sun Gate and Machu Picchu for sunrise.
• You’ll be rewarded with an awe-inspiring site of historical and cultural significance.
• It’s a trip of a lifetime and is worth the effort!

Day 1: Cusco to Wayllabamba (12km)
The trail started on the bridge over the Vilcanota River and followed a steep path. The scenery was incredible, taking in ruined forts and views of the Urubamba valley and the mountain range, Cordillera Urubamba.

We followed the path up to the small village of Wayllabamba at 3,000 metres.

Day 2: Wayllabamba to Pacamayo (12km)
The most difficult part of the trail! Climbing up from Wayllabamba through spectacular terrain the path increasingly steepened for a 4-5 hour trek up to Dead Woman’s Pass, the highest pass of the trail at 4,200 metres.

We carried our water bottles and backpacks in the scorching sun, were amazed at the porters running past us carrying heaps of equipment, and embraced the challenges of trekking at altitude – by going at a snail’s pace! Even though we’d been travelling for a couple of months in places of high altitude, trekking up to 4,200 metres was undoubtedly arduous.

After reaching the summit, there was a steep descent to our campsite where we pitched up at 3,600 metres. By the time we arrived and met up again with friends it wasn’t difficult to imagine why the pass is so-named. The amazing porters had our tents all set up and meals were underway.

Day 3: Pacamayo to Wiñay Wayna (15km)
Leaving our campsite early we climbed up to the small circular ruins of Runkuracay overlooking the Pacamayo valley.

After a short hike we arrived at the second pass, Abra de Runkuracy at 4,000 metres, before descending down steep steps.

This section of the path is beautiful with stone crevices, flowers, Inca paved pathways and ruins of small Inca dwellings.

We climbed up to the third pass at 3,700 metres which offered beautiful views of snow-capped peaks.

After walking through cloud forests we descended a thousand or so stone steps, for what felt like hours, making our legs feel all shaky.

We arrived at the most established of the campsites along the trail and enjoyed a beer before catching a few hours’ sleep, camping in sub-zero temperatures.

Day 4: Wiñay Wayna to Machu Picchu (5km)

On the final day of the trek we were up early at 3.30am to leave the campsite at 4.30am in order to get to Machu Picchu before sunrise at 6am.

We started this section of the trail in total darkness sharing only a few torches among us. From the little I could see along this part of the trek we appeared to be trekking along a very narrow ridge with an incredibly steep drop.

The trail from the campsite to Machu Picchu took around an hour and a half along the contoured steep mountainside.

The trail dropped into cloud forest before an almost vertical flight of around fifty steps leading up to the final pass at Intipunku, the Sun Gate, where we saw Machu Picchu emerge as the sun rose.

Machu Picchu covers 13km2 and we spent the day exploring the ruins and enjoying the sunshine before giving our legs a rest and heading by coach into the village of Aguas Calientes.

At each turn on the road down the mountain this amazing, entrepreneurial wee boy would appear and wave at the coach and do a kind of musical performance for the passengers.

This photo of us when we arrived in Aguas Calientes after completing the Inca Trail. Despite its name there was no hot water for our showers that night.

 

Planning guide

We booked our trip upon arrival in Cusco back. However, the popularity and accessibility of the Inca Trail has grown in recent years, so the combination of high demand and strict regulation by Peruvian authorities means it’s now better to book your trek with a reputable company before arriving in Peru.

The trekking season runs from April to October. We trekked in August. July and August are the busiest months.