Know about the Inca Trail Trek before you visit Peru

An Inca Trail Trek is a very popular activity for visitors to Peru. This trek is the best-known route for hikers in this country, and understandably so. Trekkers on this path will experience incredibly scenic mountain vistas, amazing Inca ruins, and a wonderful mix of beautiful forests with their abundant, unique flora and fauna.

Of course, the main purpose of an Inca Trail Trek or Salkantay trek is to visit the mysterious, mystical Machu Picchu. Visiting this sacred Inca city is the pinnacle of a wonderful trek. To get the full effect of this visit, many trekkers choose to arrive at Machu Picchu at dawn on the final day of their journey.

Most Inca Trail Treks take about 4 days to reach the mountain city. This popular route is a fairly strenuous 45 kilometres, traversing some mountainous terrain at a fairly high altitude.

A moderately fit person should have no trouble completing the trek, but due to the altitude it is recommended that any person arriving from sea level spend at least two or ideally three days in the city of Cusco prior to beginning the hike. This will give your body time to acclimatize.

Cusco is the city from which you will begin your trek. Here, you will find hundreds of tour operators offering to assist you on your journey. As you might expect, however, they are not all equal. The Peruvian government awards licenses to operate on the Inca Trail.

These licenses based on several criteria to ensure that the tour companies are operating appropriately.

That being said, even after ensuring that your Inca Trail Trek or Salkantay trek tour company is operating legally, you'll want to understand a few other things to make sure that you are booking with a reputable company. While everybody wants a great deal on their travel costs, please be reasonable about this. Expect to pay around $500 per person for your trek.

If you see any rates advertised lower than about $450, the odds are good that the tour operator is cutting corners in some respect. Most likely, they would be unfairly straining the porters, who are the employees assigned to carry cargo.

As you select a tour operator, also keep in mind that trek permits are limited, so you'll want to book well in advance of your intended travel time. The busiest season is from May through September. During this period, you'll want to reserve your spot at least four months in advance.

If you know your plans earlier than four months ahead of time, that is even better. During other parts of the year less advance notice is necessary, but you'll still want to make sure you give yourself at least a few weeks in order to ensure your preferred travel date.

Hopefully these technical details won't detract from what is sure to be a wonderful travel experience. Select your tour operator carefully, book your trip early, and then rest easy knowing that you'll have a great time on your Inca Trail Trek and your Machu Picchu visit.