The Inca Trail

Hundreds of years ago an ancient civilization – the Incas – created a network of roads to reach “the clouds” in the heartland of Peru. At the time, the road connected the expansive Empire and extended for roughly 26 miles. Today, it is known as the Inca Trail, which links Machu Picchu to the Sacred Valley. In 2007, Machu Picchu was named as a World Wonder and since then, we’ve been dreaming of making the trek.  

Before we start, there are some important things to note – like you cannot hike the Inca Trail independently. Travelers are required to book through an approved Inca Trail operator – like Alpaca Expeditions. There are more than 150 tour operators licensed to lead these adventures (the full list here) and they vary in price and quality. Also – only Peruvian tour operators are granted licenses to operate along the trail and there is a limit of 500 permits allowed per day (~200 for tourists and ~300 for porters/guides). We cannot recommend Alpaca Expeditions enough – the team was incredible and the service was second to none. 

Day 1 started bright at early with a two hour bus ride through the countryside. The travel company dropped us off at a camp site overlooking a lively, rushing river, and we saddled our day packs for the adventure ahead. Waving goodbye to our suitcases, we entered the first of many campsites. Breakfast was our initiation into the Alpaca Expeditions tribe, led by our guide, Ronaldo. Each of our (9) porters could be spotted working hard to set our table with fresh fruits, porridge, bread, coca tea and coffee. As we sat down with our warm drinks, Ronaldo gave us an overview of the day’s trek. The first day would be “medium” in terms of difficulty – and filled with sun and bugs; the second would be very difficult and cold at night; and the third would be relatively easy as we prepared and rested for the final stretch to Machu Picchu. He briefed us on tips and tricks for the ups and downs of the trail, and as we dusted the crumbs off our laps he handed over our trekking poles (which quickly became extensions of our bodies during the hike).

Check-in requires your passport and your permit to hike, which Ronaldo had prepared for us. Trekkers enter a small museum meant to ground each hiker in the history of the trail – including animals/climate to expect along the way. When you exit the museum, each hiker crosses a swinging bridge that connects you from mainland to the official start of the trail.

We set off at a brisk pace with the sun beating down on our backs. The warmth proved to be far less distracting than the bugs that swarmed our faces and legs. Luckily, Ronaldo had warned us in advance, so we had the opportunity to lather ourselves in DEET (woof!). Other than that – the experience was incredible. Around every turn there was a sight more beautiful than the last. We snapped pictures, focused on our breathing and hydration patterns (the altitude is no joke), and chatted as we made our way onward and upward.

The group hiked 5,720 miles at an altitude of 9,842 feet. As night sank in, we devoured the delicious food that our Alpaca Expeditions porters whipped up and played several games of Euchre to pass the time.

With our tents perched above the clouds, we prepared for our first night as outdoors-women and men. Before we zipped up our portable homes, we gazed up at the stars and admired the stunning gleams of light that filled the sky. We saw three shooting stars in less than thirty minutes. It was the most  incredible sight – like millions of little salt flecks filled a bowl of black bean soup that stretched for miles and miles on end. As we laid our heads to rest, we listened to the sounds of Mother Nature and prayed sleep would come easy (for everyone other than Patrick… it didn’t). Day two and three up next!