Inca Trail - Peru

Advantages: An unforgettable experience. Wonderful place, wonderful people.
Disadvantages: Tough walking. Not for the faint of heart or vertigo sufferers.

...Loads of people trek the Inca Trail. I know this too…goodness knows I met enough of them! But how many people wake up on the morning of their 49th birthday to a view of dawn breaking over distant mountain peaks while a layer of cloud lies within what seemed like touching distance? How many people get a chance like that? To quote part of an old Scottish toast…Gie few…and they're a' deid! (Translation and full toast available free of charge. Just ...
...obvious choice, as the seeing Inca Trail and Machu Picchu have been ambitions of mine for a long time. The decision made, I had a few months available to me for training. A needful thing, as the Inca Trail isn't for softies or those of a nervous disposition. Or so I had been told in no uncertain terms. Naturally, as soon as I formulated my training regime, my business went into overdrive and I was unable to do any of the walks, runs, hill climbs ... Read review

Advantages: Unrivaled scenery, an enjoyable challenge, an unforgettable experience
Disadvantages: Hard work (but well worth it)

...a four-day trek of the Inca Trail at the last minute, the culmination of which would be rising at 4 a.m. to walk the last few miles, arriving at the Sun Gate at sunrise. I wouldn't advise this approach however - especially in the summer months, it can be hard to get onto the Trail. It is unlikely you will be unable to see Macchu Picchu, but it is best to book ahead - extremely important for those spending a small amount of time in Cusco. Our package, ...
...Armas in Cusco, set us back $250 each, and included passes, Guide, food and shelter. Left for us to provide was water/purifying tablets, any food we required outside of main meals, sleeping bags, torches and all clothes/other non-essential equipment. Of that list, we neglected to pack a torch between us - not a great idea, especially as night fell early in the Andes. Ollantaytambo is likely to be the last stop made before the trail commences - the ... Read review

Advantages: Everything
Disadvantages: Nothing

...who was to trek the Inca Trail with me, we took the first flight to the city of Cusco. Due to Cusco being high up in the Andes, altitude sickness can cause problems to your plans as it almost did to ours. Altitude sickness is certainly no joke as I found out for myself, so precautions should be taken like dinking Coca Tea and taking altitude sickness pills. It took me two days to get over; so planning at least three days in Cusco before doing the ...
...and once capital of the Inca Civilization. Cusco’s square, the beautiful Plaza de Armas is always bustling with other tourists and locals and is surrounded on two sides by cafes and shops and on the other two sides a very impressive Spanish style Cathedral. The trek itself cost a reasonable $220 American and that paid for everything you need for the trek. All of our food was paid for, the porters, sleeping bags, tents, entry to Machu Picchu and ... Read review

Advantages: fantastic scenery, amazing experience, great sense of personal accomplishment
Disadvantages: Porters poorly paid

I walked the Inca Trail in June 2005, and it really was one of the best things I have ever done. When I decided I was going to travel to Peru, the Inca Trail was at the forefront of my mind as one of THE things that had to be done. I've never been much of a walker (I've been on lots of walks but never really through personal choice), but I wanted to do the Inca Trail for the personal challenge and amazing scenery, besides I felt that turning up ...
...there are lots of great Inca ruins to see along the way. We had three guides in our group, all of whom were very knowledgeable about the ruins, and all took the time to share their knowledge with us. The second day is the most taxing, it includes a 1400 metre ascent to 'Dead Woman's Pass', which stands at 4200m. This is a punishing climb (every step was difficult by the end), but it is made easier by the fact that you can see the top for most of ... Read review

Advantages: very strenuous, far away
Disadvantages: great scenery

...died from frostbite. But the Inca Trail is not dangerous. Regard the many thousand of people who do the trek annually. There are no dangerous animals, but animals who eat your food during the night, if you leave it outside the tent. That happened to me. Altitude sickness is the most important danger. A torch is very helpful, because there is no electricity. Normal comfortable shoes are sufficient, you must not climb. Where it is steep, there are ...
...most strenuous part of the Inca Trail. If you are very fast at the first day, you can reach sensibly only the campsite "Llullchampamba". I succeeded only to a campsite before, I was really done. You cross cloud forest. This is a forest which is nourished from clouds. Lichen and moss grow on the trees. You have brushwood. Distinguish from rainforest, that forest has its amply vegeation only at the tops of the forest. Lichen and moss is an indicator ... Read review