Our Experience Hiking the 2-Day Trek Along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
Last Updated on April 14, 2024 by Kelly
We spent two days hiking the Inca Trail to reach the ruins of Machu Picchu. It’s a travel memory we will treasure forever! Situated high atop a mountain, clouds constantly roll through the abandoned streets of the citadel. We were thrilled to be able to see one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in person! There are several different excursions that lead to Machu Picchu. We personally hiked the 2-Day Trek. In this post, we’re sharing all about our experience hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.
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Our Experience Hiking the 2-Day Inca Trail
We booked the 2-day trek to Machu Picchu through Llama Path. The 2-day trek is sometimes called the “short trail”, “Sacred Inca Trail”, or “Camino Real de los Incas.”
Although the hike is called a 2-day trek, it’s really just one full day of hiking. The plan was to reach Machu Picchu after a full day of hiking on the first day. After exploring Machu Picchu, we would then stay at a hotel in Aguas Calientes. On the second day, the plan was to take the bus back up to Machu Picchu and to hike Huayna Picchu.
Day 1: Depart Cusco and Hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
We woke up very early to depart Cusco by van. We were able to sleep a little bit in the van, and then we stopped for breakfast before taking the train. The train dropped us off at the start of the trail for the 2-day Trek.
Stepping off of the train, we were filled with excitement. There was no formal platform, just the entrance to a bridge that would allow us to cross the Urubamba River. The mountains were a bright green, and we were ready to start climbing them!
Our guide helped us through the trail entrance with the appropriate documentation and permits. This was also our last stop for restrooms for awhile.
The hike started off with a lot to see. Right at the beginning we were able to see some Inca ruins! The Chachabamba Ruins were discovered in 1940 and are located along the Urubamba River. After exploring those ruins and taking some photos, it was time to hike!
Hiking the Inca Trail was absolutely stunning. We had uninterrupted views everywhere we looked. Hiking at the top of the Inca Trail was very different than hiking in my home state of Washington. There wasn’t a lot of tall foliage to block our view.
We stopped at a picturesque waterfall right before reaching the ruins of Wiñay Wayna. It was absolutely stunning.
We were able to get our first glimpse of Wiñay Wayna from the trail. The buildings and terraces were carved directly into the lush hillside. I remember thinking, “If Wiñay Wayna is this impressive, I can’t wait to see Machu Picchu!”
One of the cool things about Wiñay Wayna is that it’s almost always empty. As you can see from the photo above, there aren’t tons of people walking through the buildings or terraces. While Machu Picchu can be very busy, the permit restrictions along the Inca Trail really make Wiñay Wayna a quiet place to rest. I think we only saw one other very small group the entire time we were there. We practically had the entire place to ourselves to enjoy. Our tour guide gave us time to explore the ruins, rest, and have a snack.
Wiñay Wayna translates to “forever young” in the Quechua language. The ruins were built in the mid-15th century. No one knows exactly why it was created. It may have been a spiritual destination, or it may have been a resting place prior to reaching Machu Picchu.
When we were ready to continue, we hiked steadily until we reached Intipunku, otherwise known as the Sun Gate. The gate was used as the official entrance to Machu Picchu. It’s located about a mile from the citadel of Machu Picchu.
When we reached the Sun Gate, we had our first glimpse of Machu Picchu. After hours of hiking, it was truly the best reward. Nothing can prepare you for that first look. It was truly a spiritual experience seeing the mist rolling through Machu Picchu.
From there, we hiked the rest of the way to the citadel. We took photos, explored a little, and then our guide took us to Aguas Calientes for a well-earned dinner and rest.
Day 2: Hike to Huayna Picchu
We woke up very early the next day as well so that we could reach the entrance to Huayna Picchu for our timed reservation at 7am.
Hiking Huayna Picchu was a completely different experience. The trail was shorter, but much more steep. We hiked many stairs until we reached the top.
The view from Huayna Picchu to Machu Picchu was completely different, and we were so glad we booked reservations to hike Huayna Picchu. We got to see Machu Picchu from a completely different angle, and we really enjoyed the trail on Huayna Picchu. We took some of my favorite photos at Huayna Picchu!
We were really glad we decided to book the extra ticket to Huayna Picchu. The trail was absolutely gorgeous. We were surrounded by mountains everywhere we looked.
We walked down the “Stairs of Death.” The steps look dangerous visually, but the photos look worse than actually hiking the stairs.
After we descended, we met up with our guide. He gave us a tour of Machu Picchu and he was very knowledgeable about the history, ecology, and culture.
At the end of the morning, saying good-bye to Machu Picchu was difficult. It was a magical experience and one of my favorite travel destinations!
When we returned to Aguas Calientes, we explored the market and walked around. Then, it was time to take the train back to Cusco.
Several Hikes to Choose From!
Important Note: The Inca Trail is closed in February every year. Tours are typically available March through January.
There are several different routes that you can take to hike to Machu Picchu. These are:
- 4-day trek along the Inca Trail
- 2-day trek along the Inca Trail
- 5-day trek along the Salkantay
You can also hike to Huayna Picchu and up Machu Picchu Mountain.
Below, I cover each of these in detail!
4-Day Trek
There are a variety of tour companies that provide organized treks along the Inca trail and ultimately to Machu Picchu. The most common format is 4 days of hiking with 3 days of camping overnight. Most companies will hire porters to carry all the tents, equipment, and food, so that hikers are only responsible for their personal belongings. Many tours give the option of paying a porter to also carry your personal belongings for an additional price. It’s important to make sure that you work with an ethical company that does not exploit the porters’ service.
When we visited Peru, we booked our tour through Llama Path. This tour company is focused on sustainable tourism and they provide good care to their hired porters. The porters even have access to stay at their Llama Path Culture House in Cusco between treks, since many of them live far away. We enjoyed our experience with Llama Path, and we would recommend them to others!
The 4-day trek to Machu Picchu is 26 miles long (45 kilometers). The longest walking day is just shy of 10 miles. Llama Path rates the overall difficulty of the trail as Moderately Difficult to Difficult, depending on personal levels of fitness. They state on their website that their youngest hiker was 2 years old, and their oldest was 78 years old. With Llama Path, you’ll be provided tents and foam pads for sleeping. A chef will also join your trek and cook all the meals, which are typically served in a dining tent.
If you choose the 4-day trek with Llama Path, you’ll hike through Dead Woman’s Pass, and you’ll see Inca ruins at Runcuraccay, Sayacmarca, Phuyupatamarca and Winay Wayna.
2-Day Trek
When we visited Peru, we had a tight schedule with limited vacation days. We knew we wanted to experience the Inca Trail, but we also didn’t have 4 free days to hike it. Luckily, we saw that Llama Path offered a 2-day hike to Machu Picchu! It’s the perfect option for hikers with a tight schedule like ours, or for those looking for a less-strenuous hike.
The best part about the 2-day trek is that you still get to see some of the best sites along the Inca Trail. The 2-day trek will take you through the ruins of Wiñay Wayna, which was one of our favorite experiences of our entire trip to Peru. Wiñay Wayna was just as impressive as Machu Picchu, but it was much less crowded! Our guide didn’t rush us at all, and we got to spend lots of time exploring the buildings and taking photos.
The 2-day trek is about 6 miles, so it’s much more do-able. We didn’t find it to be too challenging. We even hiked it when we were feeling ill from indigestion. Thankfully, we had spent several days in Cusco prior to our trek and we didn’t experience any altitude sickness.
The 2-day trek ends at the Sun Gate, where you will catch your first glimpse of Machu Picchu. It’s the ultimate reward after a long hike!
Salkantay Trail
The Salkantay Trail is a separate trail that will also take you to Machu Picchu. This trail is a 7-day trek, so it’s considerably longer than the other trails. This trail will take you through Incachiriaska Pass, down to the village of Wayllabamba, and then joins up with the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.
We have several friends that have hiked this trail, and they really enjoyed it! If you want the full experience of hiking in the Andes mountains, this is the best option!
Hiking to Huayna Picchu
Once you reach Machu Picchu, hiking to Huayna Picchu is optional. You might be tired from all the hiking you’ve already done, but we highly recommend booking the additional ticket to hike Huayna Picchu. Huayna Picchu is the peak directly behind the city of Machu Picchu. When you reach the top of Huayna Picchu, you’ll have excellent views of Machu Picchu below!
The trail to Huayna Picchu is 3.1 miles long with almost 1,500 feet of elevation gain. It’s not mandatory to have a guide for this portion. Our guide took us to the entrance and made sure that all went well with our entrance ticket, and then waited for us at Machu Picchu while we hiked. It took us about 2 hours to hike Huayna Picchu.
There are ruins on Huayna Picchu as well. Experts believe that the mountain was the residence of a high priest. This hike also contains the “stairs of death.” These stairs look super steep and they’re carved into the side of a cliff, but in reality we didn’t feel scared. Although they are called the Stairs of Death, there have been no reported fatalities.
The trail to Huayna Picchu was very steep and we used lots of railings as we hiked up the stairs. We even ducked through a small cave at one point.
The Temple of the Moon is located on Huayna Picchu, and it’s a temple that was carved into a natural cave.
Hiking to Machu Picchu Mountain
Machu Picchu Mountain is the highest mountain in the area. To hike this mountain, you’ll also need to purchase a special ticket in advance.
Because it’s the highest mountain in the area, once you reach the top, you’ll have commanding views of Machu Picchu on a clear day. There are no ruins at the top of this mountain.
The trail to Machu Picchu Mountain is 2.1 miles long with a total elevation gain of about 1,800 feet. You will need about 3 hours to complete the hike. The trail is very steep, so make sure you are prepared.
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Tips for Hiking to Machu Picchu
Here are a few tips for hiking to Machu Picchu based on our experience:
- Spend several days in Cusco so that you can adjust to the altitude. You absolutely don’t want to be hiking and physically exerting yourself when you are feeling sick. When we visited Cusco, we were fairly young and in good health. We felt pretty great our first day in Cusco, which was deceiving. When we woke up the next morning, both of us felt mild altitude sickness. We experienced mild nausea and we definitely had a headache. Be sure to give yourself at least two days in Cusco to adjust. Preferably, we recommend three days. (There’s plenty to see in Cusco, so you’ll have lots to do anyways!)
- Pack medication for nausea and headache symptoms. We also got food poisoning (we think?), so bring anti-diarrheal pills just in case.
- If you are bringing new hiking boots, remember to break in your boots well before your trip. Stiff boots will definitely give you blisters, which will make hiking the trail hard. Walk around your neighborhood in your new hiking boots a few times, and then try a small hike near home. You want to be confident that they will be comfortable for your trek along the Inca Trail.
- Bring cash to tip your porters, chef, and guide. They all work very hard to give you an incredible experience.
- Book your tour through a reputable company. You might find a cheaper price elsewhere, but please do your due diligence by researching the company in advance. Make sure that the company is ethical and has received good reviews from other travels.
- Pack bandaids and blister pads. If you start to get a blister on the trail, you’ll want to treat it as soon as you notice it!
Summary
You might be wondering if hiking the Inca Trail is worth it. After all, you can easily take a bus directly to the entrance of Machu Picchu. Why spend several days hiking? We personally think that hiking the Inca Trail was worth it for a few reasons. First, we got to see archaeological ruins, such as Wiñay Wayna, that are only possible to see by hiking the Inca Trail. Second, we were able to walk the exact route that the Inca did to reach Machu Picchu. Third, we were completely immersed in the Peruvian Andes. The views were absolutely breathtaking! Fourth, our guide shared so much information with us over the course of the trek. We learned so much! Finally, completing the Inca Trail was such a bonding experience for my husband and I.
Our visit to Machu Picchu remains one of our most cherished adventures yet. Words cannot prepare you for the incredible experience you are sure to have in Peru. We hope this article about hiking Machu Picchu was helpful as you prepare for your trip!
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