About the Inca Trail
The Inca Trail in Peru is one of South America’s greatest trekking adventures. The trail starts at an altitude of about 9,100 feet and traverses the Andes, crossing ‘Dead Woman’s Pass’, which at 13,770 feet is the highest point of the trek, before descending towards the ultimate goal of Machu Picchu (8,200 ft).
It takes 4 days to reach the Inca city of Machu Picchu and, with the exception of crossing Dead Woman’s Pass, much of the trekking is not too demanding and is well within the capabilities of anyone of reasonable fitness and requires no technical expertise.
The reason this is such a popular trek is due to the spectacular Andean scenery you’ll walk through (the peaks are often snow-capped between June and October) and the fascinating Inca ruins you’ll pass along the way. The evocative history of the Peru is brought to life by our guides as we walk in the footsteps of the Incas, and we’ll be looked after by our porters from the Sacred Valley who are the modern day descendants of the Incas.
Explore offers 4 tours that trek on the Inca Trail. Ranging from 9 to 21 days, you can get the highlights of Peru and trek the famous trail to the mountain citadel of Machu Picchu.
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Trek the Inca Trail with Explore
 Our local partner was awarded 'Best Tourism Company' by the Andean University of Cusco in 2008
Using different timings and campsites we avoid the crowds
Top quality tents and thermarests provided
3 freshly prepared, nutritious meals every day - plus snacks
Private toilet facilities
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Inca Trail Trek
With just 5 days off work, you can trek the Inca Trail to the iconic Machu Picchu, enjoy the bustling town of Cusco and discover the Sacred Valley. This 9 day trip will allow you to gain a real understanding of the Andean way of life - past and present!
View Inca Trail Trek trip details |
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Life on Trek
Our day normally starts at sunrise, when you’ll be woken by the camp crew with a bowl of warm water (for washing) placed at the door of your tent. Hot drinks will be on the go and shortly afterwards you’ll enjoy a hearty breakfast. Once you’ve packed your bags we start trekking, leaving the crew to take down the tents. We trek at a steady pace, there’s no need to rush, and within no time the crew will have overtaken us to start getting lunch ready further along the trail. After a proper lunch stop, we then continue on towards our night stop, where the crew will already have your tent set-up, drinks ready and a delicious hot dinner cooking.
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Heights of Machu Picchu
As well as trekking the Inca Trail, this 2 week adventure in Peru explores the very heart of the pre-Colombian Empire of the Sun. You will visit Lake Titicaca, with the chance to visit Indian communities. You will then visit the old Inca capital of Cusco, before travelling into the Sacred Valley to begin the 4 day trek in the Andes to the impressive citadel of Machu Picchu.
View Heights of Machu Picchu trip details
or the teen version Inca Trail Teen adventure |
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Peru Inca Trail
Our third tour that treks along the Inca Trail is our 3-week trip called ‘Peru Inca Trail’, it does everything the first two trips do, plus it travels down Peru’s Pacific Coast, visiting the Nazca Lines, Arequipa and Colca Canyon – total adventure!
View Peru Inca Trail trip details |
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High Trail of the Incas
Our fourth and final tour follows an extended route along ancient Inca pathways around the beautiful snow-capped peak of Salkantay before joining the classic Inca Trail and heading to Machu Picchu. This is a slightly more challenging way to hike to Machu Picchu and without doubt, one of the most beautiful.
View High Trail of the Incas trip detail |
The treks
Inca Trail Trek (used on Inca Trail Trek tour)
This is the classic Inca Trail Trek. Following in the footsteps of the Incas, we trek to Machu Picchu, fully supported by our guides and porters. At sunrise on the last day we arrive at the Sun Gate entrance to Machu Picchu and after visiting the site, take the train back to Cusco.
Peru Trail Trek (used on Heights of Machu Picchu & Peru Inca Trail Tours)
Using slightly different timings and camps to other trekkers, we enjoy a very peaceful classic Inca Trail Trek to Machu Picchu which we reach in the afternoon and explore before staying in Aguas Calientes. We then rise early the next day to re-visit the site before the tourist hoards reach the stunning spot, then catch the train back to Cusco.
High Trail of the Incas
We trek an extended route past Salkantay (20,568 ft), one of the world's most beautiful mountains, to eventually join the Classic Inca Trail and descend the staircase to the Gate of the Sun to finally feast our eyes on Machu Picchu. We revisit Machu Picchu at sun-rise the next morning before catching the train and bus to Cusco.
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Extend Your Tour
All our Inca Trail treks offer the chance to extend your tour with a trip into the Amazon rainforest. Flying deep into the jungle, we journey by boat to our lodge from where we’ll explore tree-lined rivers by dugout canoe as well as spot local wildlife on foot. There’s also plenty of time to relax and soak up the surroundings. For details of the trips, go to Peru Inca Trail Amazon Extension (ref PEA), Inca Trail Trek Amazon Extension (ref PQA) , Heights of Machu Picchu Amazon Extension (ref PMA) or High Trail of the Incas and Amazon Extension (ret HTA).
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Fitness tips
Trekking the Inca Trail requires a good level of fitness but with a little pre-tour training it should be well within the capabilities of most reasonably fit adults. Starting several months before your trip you should aim to do at least one long, preferably hilly, walk each week and as many shorter ones as you can fit in to a week (walk to work, walk at lunchtime, go for a walk in the evening). Within a month of your tour you should then try to do at least 2 consecutive days of long, hilly walks each week to build up your fitness and stamina. Altitude sickness is something a lot of people worry about, however once out on tour, if you take things at a slower pace, keep well hydrated and consider local remedies such as cocoa tea, the vast majority of people encounter no problems whatsoever.
Book early!
Before you just dismiss this as sales patter, you should be aware that only about 200 trekkers per day get passes to walk on the trail, so popular dates (especially June, July and August) sell out many months in advance. To guarantee the tour and dates you want we recommend booking early.
More trekking options
Why not climb the highest freestanding mountain in Africa - Mount Kilimanjaro? Located in Tanzania, you will also get to see some great wildlife and the feeling of standing at the Peak will stay with you for ever.
Looking for something challenging but a little closer to home? What about Jebel Toubkal in the Atlas mountains in Morocco?
Nepal offers trekkers amazing scenery and tough challenges - including trekking to Everest Base Camp, and trekking in the Annapurna Sanctuary. The Himalayas are truly the roof of the world and the Nepalese people are extremely friendly and welcoming
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The Porters
One of the highlights for our groups is travelling and interacting with our porters who are drawn from the village of Misminay that overlooks the Sacred Valley. In conjunction with our local operator we have supported numerous projects in the village and over the years developed strong bonds of friendship with the porters and their families. In line with our responsible tourism commitment we follow Tourism Concern’s guidelines on porter welfare www.tourismconcern.org.uk Amongst other things it guarantees the porters a fair wage and stipulates the maximum loads they can carry. |
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