Top 3 Things to Consider When Reserving The Inca Trail
James Bustamante is Native to New York but born to Peruvian parents. He has been traveling throughout Latin America since early 2003 and finally made his home in Peru. James has made his way by eating and traveling through almost every country in Central and South America.
Last Updated on July 15, 2021 by James Bustamante
Reserving the Inca trail is usually one of the most common petitions we receive from travelers. It is by far the most popular hike to Machu Picchu and thus, the most difficult to secure available spots for. So let’s say you want to go about reserving the Inca trail, what should you take into account before you secure your permits?
There are three important things to take into consideration when booking the Inca Trail: How far in advance you should book the hike, When is the best time of the year to take the trail, and if you are physically able to trek through the Andes to Machu Picchu.
When to Reserve Your Inca Trail Permits?
The exact time to actually book the Inca trail is typically not something that most travelers take into consideration. Most of the time we receive contact forms where a traveler will want to book this trek to begin within the following days.
This is the wrong way to go about it. Permits can be readily available for some months, while for the more popular times of the year the permits must be reserved very far in advance.
For example, if you were aiming to start your Inca trail in March, you could reserve it as late as a month or two before the trip starts. Booking this hike during the first days in December to travel in December is actually quite easy to do.
On the other hand, if you were looking to hike sometime in May, June, or July, you’ll have to make sure you are reserving the Inca trail 4-6 months in advance. The reason for this is the high season which takes place between April – August. These spots are highly sought after due to the festivities that take place in Cusco throughout the season. This brings us to our next point which is, the best time of the year to actually hike across the Andes.
When is The Best Time of The Year To Take The Inca Trail?
The best time to hike the Inca trail depends on what is important during a hiking adventure. A big factor is always considering when is the best time of the year to hike from Cusco to Machu Picchu.
Cusco, the Inca Trail, and Machu Picchu are all located in the Peruvian highlands, albeit at different elevations. The weather can differ drastically from one area in the mountains to the other. There are basically two seasons in this region of Peru, the wet season and the dry season.
The rainy season can extend from December to March of the following year. The months of January and February will be the rainiest out of the entire year. It’s usually fine by March with showers appearing sporadically either early in the morning or in the afternoon.
The wet season will be the time of the year with the least amount of trekkers on the trail so if you’re looking for smaller groups, this is the best time. If you are looking for clear, sunny skies all day then the dry season will be more to your liking.
The dry season will extend from April to late October and sometimes early November. The driest months will be May, June, and July making them the best for hiking in terms of sunny weather.
The tradeoff for the amazing weather? Traveling over the high season in Peru. In order to book your trip for the high season, you will have to secure your spots very far in advance. You will also have to deal with bigger groups over the course of the hike and during the Machu Picchu tour.
The months September and October are sort of in between the two seasons. Over this period you will have sunny days with a chance of early morning showers. This in turn brings in fewer people to Cusco and Machu Picchu so the groups can be smaller.
Do I Need to Be Physically Fit To Take The Inca Trail?
The third very important question travelers will ask is whether they need to be in very good shape to take the hike. There are two ways to look at this. Yes, a person that is in good physical condition will have an easier time hiking through the Andean terrain but that doesn’t mean you have to be an athlete.
Most trekkers are people who in general like going out for hikes and are fond of physical activities. The Inca trail is considered an easy to moderately difficult trail, as long as you are a physically active person you should have no problem in taking a four-day hike.
If you want to take this or any of the trails leading to the Inca citadel, you can follow an easy routine to train for Machu Picchu and the Inca trail.
The second item to consider is the elevation. The Inca trail will have you at over 15,000 feet (4,600 meters) above sea level at certain times. If you want to avoid any issues that might come with elevation you will need to go through an acclimatization protocol.
This includes 48 hours in Cusco (or the Sacred Valley), light meals, plenty of fluids, coffee or Coca tea, short walks, and resting. The thing with elevation is that it does not really care if you are fit or not. There are just some people more prone to suffer from elevation sickness than others, regardless of their physical condition.
Some might reach Cusco and feel a bit uneasy for the first 2 days while others might not feel well and need extra rest. In the end, it is just a matter of following the protocol to be in tip-top shape for the trek.
Conclusion
Before reserving the Inca Trail make sure you think about which dates will best work for you, then make sure you have enough time to make the booking. It also helps to be active during the dates leading up to your excursion past the Andes to the city of the Inca.
For more information on the Inca trail or Peru tour packages, contact our travel advisors today.
