Peru/Hiking the Inca Trail

sunshine_day_dreams · February 2012

I'm just starting to piece together a trip for this fall (probably October) to Peru. We're definitely planning to hike the Inca Trail, and would like to also visit Lake Titicaca.

As I'm reading reviews and things, I'm getting overwhelmed with information, so if you've been...

1. What time of year did you go, and how was the weather?
2. What outfitter did you go through for the hike?
3. How many days did you spend acclimatizing before the hike?
4. Did you fly directly into Cuzco, or into Lima and take the train/bus?
5. Any other advice, tips, reviews?

maggie78 · February 2012

We got back about a month ago..

1. What time of year did you go, and how was the weather? Late December, we were lucky but most people we met had heavy rain for 3 or 4 days (we got about 30 min heavy rain - like I said very lucky)

2. What outfitter did you go through for the hike? We used g adventures, the oldest on our hike was 50, the youngest 18. Lonley planet keeps a list of guides that follow the rules when it comes to poters, some apparently "bend the rules" in terms of payment and break them in terms of how much they can carry

3. How many days did you spend acclimatizing before the hike? We started our trip in La Paz at 4,200 m (2 days), then went to lake titicaca (3 days), then cusco (1 day), then the amazon (back at sea level for 2 days) and then did the hike. We had no issues but the general recommendation is 4 days.

4. Did you fly directly into Cuzco, or into Lima and take the train/bus? See above. The buses are relatively good.

5. Any other advice, tips, reviews? Pack light, bring layers, take one step at a time and have fun!

Rose.9.6.03 · February 2012

1. What time of year did you go, and how was the weather? . . . late March/early April. It was the end of rainy season. We got one downpour (drenching rain) and a couple of misty showers. We also got bright sun. On the trail itself, the temperature changed dramatically with the altitude and whether the sun was out. On the day of Dead Woman's Pass, I wore shorts and a tank top at one point of the day and had on a sweater, coat, long pants, gloves, and hat at another. Definitely bring layers!
2. What outfitter did you go through for the hike? . . . Andean Life and we were quite happy. However, we went 10 years ago - so get more recent recommendations.
3. How many days did you spend acclimatizing before the hike? . . . 3 days in Cuzco.
4. Did you fly directly into Cuzco, or into Lima and take the train/bus? . . . We flew into Lima and then took a local carrier to Cusco. At the time, it was a cheap flight (like $50 pp). Don't know if it's still cheap. I do think the flight is worth it, as the train/bus rides are very long (unless you plan to do other stops before Cusco). We did take buses from Cusco to Puno and Puno to Bolivia and they were fine. Just long rides.
5. Any other advice, tips, reviews? . . . Back in the day when I was planning our trip, Lonely Planet's forum (thorntree) provided really good info (and much of it up-to-the-minute from people who were currently in Peru). I would check it out. It's mostly backpackers/budget travelers (which is how I traveled to Peru), but even for people taking a more expensive vacation, there is useful information.

Good luck with your plans!

marshian · February 2012

We're going in May, so no reviews yet, but these are our plans:

sunshine_day_dreams:
1. What time of year did you go, and how was the weather? Mid-May. It's supposed to be warmer (60s-70s) during the day and cold (40s) at night. Packing layers!
2. What outfitter did you go through for the hike? Peru Treks.
3. How many days did you spend acclimatizing before the hike? We're doing the Gringo Trail, so going Nasca-Arequipa-Colca Canyon-Lake Titicaca-Cusco. Our outfitter and tour guide said we should be well acclimated.
4. Did you fly directly into Cuzco, or into Lima and take the train/bus? See above. Taking the Inka Express bus from Puno to Cusco.
5. Any other advice, tips, reviews? None yet, but check back in June!

sarajoy12345 · February 2012

1. What time of year did you go, and how was the weather? I went in late December- made it to Macchu Piccu at dawn on Christmas morning. Weather was great. (This was 2005, so my info is rather old)

2. What outfitter did you go through for the hike? We went with Andean Life and were very happy. Taking a look at the website (http://www.andeanlifeperu.com/incatrail.htm) I see that prices have gone up quite a bit!

3. How many days did you spend acclimatizing before the hike? Only 2 spent in Cuzco, and one of them we spent white water rafting. We had no problems at all with the elevation.

4. Did you fly directly into Cuzco, or into Lima and take the train/bus? Cuzco I believe.

5. Any other advice, tips, reviews? Hire the porter to carry the bulk of your belongings and just hike with a day pack. It is well worth the extra money! Book as soon as you can as permits go fast.

kat45 · February 2012

1. What time of year did you go, and how was the weather? We went this past November, and we had great weather for the most part. It rained the entire afternoon the day of Dead Woman's Pass, but that was about it.

2. What outfitter did you go through for the hike? We used Llama Path, and I would highly recommend them. They had much better gear than the other outfits, and they always walked together as a team. The food was also awesome. We had a group of 11, and everyone was mid 20's - early 30's.

3. How many days did you spend acclimatizing before the hike? We spent 3 days in Cusco and touring the Sacred Valley and didn't have any issues with altitude.

4. Did you fly directly into Cuzco, or into Lima and take the train/bus? Flew directly into Cusco.

5. Any other advice, tips, reviews? Definitlely pay extra for a porter to carry your belongings. It will make the hike much more enjoyable. I'm also really glad I had two walking sticks, as it made manuvering the stairs much easier for me.

sunshine_day_dreams · February 2012

Thank you all! I'll take a look at the outfitters you all mentioned and the Lonely Planet forums. And we're DEFINITELY going to be putting out the extra bucks for the porters! :-)

Lauree1183 · February 2012

1. What time of year did you go, and how was the weather?
We went in January last year and the weather was pretty great. It was the rainy season so we were expecting a lot of rain and were pleasantly surprised when we only got a total of 10 minutes of rain while hiking the Inca Trail (most of the time it rained at night)
2. What outfitter did you go through for the hike?
Apumayo expeditions- they were fantastic! I agree that a porter is very worth it! We just carried day packs and the porters took the rest.
3. How many days did you spend acclimatizing before the hike?
We spent our first 3-nights in Cusco (we also took diamox beforehand) and our next 2-nights in the Sacred Valley before beginning our trek.
4. Did you fly directly into Cuzco, or into Lima and take the train/bus?
We flew into Lima and then another flight from Lima to Cusco.
5. Any other advice, tips, reviews?
Trekking poles and good hiking boots are a must!

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