Top 5 Tips for Hiking the Inca Trail
Visiting Macchu Picchu was a trip years in the making for us, and it did not disappoint! The only way we wanted to arrive was by foot along the Inca Trail. Unless that’s a physical impossibility (read about fitness tips later), the hike is an experience of a lifetime and absolutely worth the effort.
There are 5 main areas that need to be thought through before you tackle the Inca Trail to Macchu Picchu: money, hygiene, packing, fitness, and expectations. However, the overall number 1 tip is to book with an exceptional tour company.
We researched multiple tour operators, and Local Trekkers was easily the best option. They offered reasonable prices for a private group, which we considered initially. However, we ended up having a blast with our small hiking group (3 other hikers in addition to our group of 4). Our Local Trekkers guide, Roberto, was engaging from moment one and managed group dynamics to keep us laughing, entertained, informed, and on track the entire trip. The food provided by Local Trekkers far exceeded our expectations, and the porters were incredible. After choosing to book your tour with Local Trekkers, here’s the rest of what you need to know:
1. Money
Plan ahead to have appropriate cash on hand. We started the trail with American dollars and Peruvian sol and used both. On both days 1 and 2 of the hike, there are vendors at various locations selling snacks and drinks. The prices become increasingly expensive as you progress along the trail. We chose to buy some water on the trail rather than carry a full day’s worth of water in our pack. Towards the beginning of the trail, expect to pay roughly 3 sol for a 16-ounce bottle of water, 5 sol for a 1L flip top, or 8 sol for a 1.5L. You can also get candy bars, Gatorade, soda, and energy drinks at these stops.
We brought several fun snacks along with us, so didn’t purchase any food at all during the trail, but did end up spending about 60 sol (roughly $16) on several water bottles and 1 energy drink. Your porters will boil water that is cooled overnight to fill your water bottles to start the day. For us, on days 3 and 4 we only used boiled water. Plan for more money if you want snacks or Gatorade.
On the last night of the trip, it is customary to both speak and show appreciation for the crew by tipping. This is customary, and you will want to have budgeted for this properly. Trust us, the porters and chef and guide all work crazy hard and will make your experience amazing: plan to tip. Before starting the trail allocate money for 3 different tipping pools: porters, chef, and guide. A starting point for tipping per hiker: $50 to porters, $10 to chef, $40 to guide. For a couple, bring at least $200 (or Peruvian equivalent) in as small of bills as possible so it can be distributed. Our guide asked us to pool the tip money and present one sum to the porters as a whole. Your chef will also function as a porter, and will get his equal share of the porter’s tip money, but definitely earns an extra amount with the amazing food you’ll get.
In total, you will want to begin the Inca Trail with at least $200 equivalent per person. Bring as much in sol as you can and small bills are preferable. You likely won’t spend all of it, but you’ll want the option of spending on the trail and tipping to the crew. Check out more of our travel and finance blog posts here: Finances during World Travel, Money Tips for International Travel, Ways to Spend Less and Travel More, and Ways we Save on Travel.
2. Hygiene
The Inca Trail is amazing. The views, hike, service, and food will all exceed your expectations. However, you need to realize the hygiene conditions you’ll have throughout. For day 1 and our first night of camp, we had access to plumbed toilets. Most of the toilets cost a sol to use, so bring coins with you. Definitely bring your toilet paper and bring wipes of some kind as well to last all 4 days.
By nights 2 and 3, you have entered into “hole in the ground” territory. “Toilets” are now gone, unless you consider a “toilet” wet markings on the ground for your feet with a hole in the middle. It would honestly be much preferable (and cleaner!) to simply go in the woods, but the trail is fairly busy in these areas. This is part of the hike, and it’s not pleasant but will make for lasting memories. Also, there will not be any access to feminine hygiene products on the trail. If in doubt at all, pack what you need!!!
We applied deodorant a couple of times a day, and Jon put foot powder in his socks in the morning to keep our bodies and feet from stinking too bad, but once you get on the trail what is “acceptable” quickly changes!
3. Packing
We were very pleased with the way we ended up packing our gear. Ashley carried a small backpack (this one would have been perfect but we left it at home), and Jon carried most of our gear in our dry bag. The dry bag doesn’t have a waist strap or compartments like a traditional hiking bag. However, Jon has no issues with carrying weight on his shoulders, and it was very nice to know we didn’t have to worry about rain or moisture.
Here are the necessary items we included: phone charging brick, wipes, deodorant, foot powder, and layers of clothing. Our clothing consisted of 2 pairs of hiking pants, 4 pairs of underwear, 5 pairs of socks, 3 short-sleeved shirts, 1 long-sleeved shirt, 1 hooded sweatshirt, 1 rain jacket, and 1 rain pants. All of this worked out great.
In addition to the above, plan ahead with medications. Many people take Diamox to help with acclimating to the altitude, and it is easily available at any pharmacy in Cusco. Speak with your medical provider about using it. Jon packed in our medicine kit Diamox, dexamethasone (in case symptoms of HAPE started), Immodium, Zofran, naproxen, ibuprofen, and Excedrin. This would be a good start.
We did not pack any footwear, and it worked great. If you decide to bring anything besides your hiking shoes, make it low-profile flip-flops for around camp. However, we recommend forgoing the space and weight.
Lastly, bring a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and mosquito repellant.
4. Fitness
Plan ahead for hiking the Inca Trail in this regard. Even if you are used to walking a lot, this mountainous trail is different. Trust us. We prepped in part by finding the steepest hikes we could around us. While hiking, we loaded down backpacks with water bottles to maximize the weight. It makes a big difference to get used to carrying heavier loads before the trip.
Ashley begrudgingly followed Jon’s prescribed workout plan. We both did a circuit several times a week consisting of 3 rounds: high resistance elliptical/bike for 7 minutes, 20 lunges, 10 squats, and 10 single-leg deadlifts on each side. We typically incorporated weights into the movements. This whole workout took less than 30 minutes but paid off immensely. If you would like to purchase a personalized exercise consult and workout plan to get ready for hiking the Inca Trail to Macchu Picchu, you can contact Jon directly on his Contact Us business page.
Our preparation for the hike allowed us to really enjoy the entire experience. The 2nd day of the hike is a significant climb to the top of Dead Woman’s Pass (14k ft up), but we both felt good the whole way up. Lunges for the win. Jon met and talked with a woman in her 70s that was doing the entire Inca Trail with 2 partial knee replacements! This stop in Peru was part of a family trip around the world where we traveled around with only 4 backpacks; find out how we packed here.
5. Expectations
We planned this trip with Local Trekkers before COVID-19 hit. Therefore, there was a long time of anticipation and excitement. We were going with 2 of our best friends and strongly considered doing a private group so we could go at our own pace, be a little crazy, and not get slowed down.
However, we ended up loving our group! The camaraderie you’ll form with your group is fantastic, so don’t rush off to get ahead. Jon is usually a front-of-the-pack kind of guy, but honestly enjoyed the trail more by going at a pace that allowed us to take pictures, learn from our guide, enjoy the ruins, and support our group. Don’t try to set a speed record on the trail: enjoy it. Best case scenario, you’ll miss out on things. Worst case, you’ll overdo it and crash.
Plan to hike longer during the day than the mileage would suggest. Our first campsite was great: soft grass for the tents and level ground. However, on the 2nd and 3rd nights, the camping areas get a little more congested, and we ended up on the slightly rocky and slightly sloped ground. Just embrace that as part of the Inca Trail experience; the increasingly more beautiful views at camp make up for this. Sleep as best you can, get up early with your coca tea, and enjoy the whole experience!
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