Inca Trail and Machu Picchu

We did the 4 day, 3 nights Inka Trek to Machu Picchu. We booked this is June to do it in October. The Peruvian Government only allow 500 permits to walk the Inka Trail every day and 300 of these permits are allocated to the Guides and porters so that only leaves 200 for tourists. Therefore 4months advance booking is needed! We booked with SAS travel. Although they are the more expensive company to go with (€490) they have very high standards. Our Guide was fantastic. We could not get fed enough. The chef even wore a chef uniform!

Types of food included: Breakfast: Oatmeal, pancakes, omelettes.

Lunch: Stir-fry’s, salads, soups, garlic bread,

Dinner: Popcorn (as an appetiser!!), fish, chicken, pizzas.

The porters (or Chaskys is the more respectful name to call them meaning “Messenger”) are what amazed me the most. Because there are no horses/donkeys allowed on the Inka Trail to preserve it, only people can carry all the supplies. These men who are about 5 feet tall carry 25 kg on their backs from campsite to campsite. And they don’t walk, they run! We had a group of 16 people so there were 19 chasskeys in total carrying our bags, tents, kitchen supplies, everything! They are extremely shy people but when they pass you along the trail (running) they always say hello and ask you how you are when it should be us asking them how they are!  And when you arrive at the campsite they clap for you which is actually embarrassing since they arrived about 2 hours previous carrying all that weight on their backs.

Day 1 of the trail is fine. It is a little bit tough at the end but totally manageable. Day 2 is the hard day. You climb from 2,400 metres to 4,200 metres. It’s a challenge but once you take your time and go at your own pace it is fine. And it’s a great achievement reaching the top of Dead Womans Pass. Day 3 is an easy day, very scenic, seeing loads of Inka sites and great photo opportunities. Day 3 you are in bed early because you’re up at 3.30 am to tart the trek to Machu Picchu. The campsite is right beside the entrance to the Sungate (this is the best view of Machu Picchu from far away). The entrance opens at 5.30 so you are there queuing at about 4.30 so you can be the first to the Sungate. It takes about 45 minutes to walk to the Sungate from the entrance. Unfortunately when we got there all we saw was a big cloud covering Machu Picchu!! Not the sun rising over Machu Picchu as hoped!! It then takes another 45 mins to walk down to Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is amazing. You’ll never know until you are there and see the detail in the construction of the site. It is unbelievable! It’s a place you will never forget or believe how it ever got there!