Welcome to this weeks Walk of the Week. It is big, classic adventure time folks. Its the one that everyone has seen and thought, 'oh, one day I would love to do that,' well today could be the day. This is the one trip where there is a tangible goal, a real physical endpoint that you have to reach and once you do, the feeling will be second to none. I am talking, of course, about the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Though a long haul destination, it is one that most people would love to walk at some point in their lives. Here at Macs Adventure we have spend a great deal of time trying to find a way to make this trip as perfect for our customers as possible, find a slightly better way of doing it and I believe we have done just that.

In a Nutshell:

Distance: 50 km Grading: Moderate to Strenuous. The daily distances on this trek are not too challenging, but the terrain, well it is a little more so.   While you will have your faithful porters taking care of all of your luggage (and your homes and food for the duration!  These guys are verging on superhuman!) and you won't have to worry about anything but your daypack, the walking is still pretty tough going. As we always point out though, you get out what you put in and tougher treks do reap bigger rewards.  There is altitude to take into account, which can affect some people and also there is a lot of concentrating on where you put your feet on some sections, which does take it out of you mentally.

Where is it?

The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is located in the mountains that surround Cusco, Peru.  The Incas actually built up around 40,000 km of trails, but in the last 30 years, this trip up to Machu Picchu has become known as the Inca Trail.  Flying into Cusco is the way to go, which means a quick stop in Lima to connect.  Once you are in Cusco we take over from there, picking you up from the plane and taking you to your hotel, then looking after you from there on in.

Why walk it?

I am pretty sure that everyone reading this already knows why you would want to walk it, but I will jot down a few notes here anyway.  Especially, doing the trip with Macs Adventure is a little different, a little better I have to say, so I will let you know exactly what it is that we do. Firstly, you would want to do this because it is amazing.  The historical sites on the trip are simply jaw-dropping and like nothing anywhere else in the world.  To get an insight into the way that the Incas lived and thought, is to change the way you see the world, its as simple as that.  At the start of the trip, we include a guided excursion to visit the Sacred Valley which adds to the wealth of archaeological sites that you can visit on this tour.   There are places to visit each day on the trail and your bi-ligual guide will be able to give you all the information that you could possibly need on each site. [caption id="attachment_13364" align="alignright" width="569"] Stopped for the night, camping, on the Inca Trail[/caption] We also use a slightly quieter route than the main route, which means that there are slightly quieter campsites for your stay each evening.  This just adds to the experience as being somewhere so remote and ancient can get a little spoiled when it is like the Main Street or the evening stops like a busy town. For all of these amazing things on route (I forgot to mention the general scenery, which is unsurprisingly outstanding) actually arriving at the Sun Gate and entering Machu Piccu the same way that the ancient Incas did is something that you will never forget.

Planning to walk the Inca Trail

Now is the time to book up the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.  I don't mean that in a sales pitch type way, but there are some restrictions with booking the trip through anyone as there are a restricted number of visas available each year to take the walk.  The visas get released in January, so this year's batch have just been released and already for April/May, they are going fast.   We will always do our best to get you on any of our trips, but with this one we need 48 hours to confirm that the visas are available before we can give the green light. March to December is the time to go on this one and May to September will give you the best weather, though it does tend to get a bit chilly at night, so pack your thermals. So, a classic trip and one that everyone should try and do.  The more unique a trip becomes, the more questions people tend to have, so don't hesitate to get in touch with our Destination & Adventure Specialist, who knows the trip inside out and can give you all the advice you will need, so don't hesitate to get in touch with them by emailing at info@macsadventure.com or giving them a call on 0141 530 8886.