I'm wondering whether it's possible to do the reverse of the Inca Trail? Take the train up to Machu Picchu and hike down from there? Easier going down? Read a lot of reports about how the trekking experience was better than the MP itself. How comes no one ever talks about this?

Thanks.

hi, the inca trail runs ONLY in one direction, to help prevent more erosion, due to width of paths, to stop porters being necessary going up and down etc. The trail is not all going up, there is up and down every day! Hence only from sacred valley to machu picchu is possible.

There is no reverse option, sadly. Also, as gypsyluce indicated, the whole thing is up and down with lots of steps. I actually found the going down parts harder on my knees than going up.
taitai

Even though the ruins sit on top of a mountain above the town of Aguas Calientes, MP sits at a lower elevation than Cusco and the Sacred Valley, so you should actually talk about going "down" to Machu Picchu.

If you could reverse the Inca Trail trek, you'd be putting the toughest portions of the hike at the end. Day 1 on the standard itinerary is challenging. Day 2 is REALLY rough. Days 3 and 4 are a breeze by comparison to the first two.

Thanks, all, for clearing up my ignorance about the Inca Trail.

Not sure if we'll be ready for the 4-day trek. Still worth it to do the 2-day trek?

The other option is to take the train into MP, and spend more time hiking inside. Heard there's a nice mountain to climb there that gives you an overview of MP.

Also, an admission ticket to MP allows for 1 entry, right? Can't come in and out in a day or over 2 days? How much is a ticket?

Thanks.

JC98,
Do you know that there is also a 5-day trek? It is the same as the 4-day--and it is still only 3 nights of camping. But it breaks it up differently.

Instead of arriving at the Machu Picchu in the early morning, you arrive in the late afternoon. You stay in a hotel in Agua Calientes and then see MP on the 5th day.

We are considering the 5-day trek because it basically gives you at least an extra half-day of hiking--so it is a bit more relaxed. Since you still go over the same terrain, it won't be easy--maybe just a bit easIER!

Anyone have specific info on the Inca Trail trek? How many hours you hike each day? What the eating and sleeping conditions are like? How fit you have to be to do the 4-day trek, etc?

Know of any good trip reports out there?

Thanks.

caligirl, good idea to rest in in AC one night before seeing MP. Otherwise, you get too tired to enjoy MP.

Note the 5-day trek does not follow the "Inca Trail" which is the trail used by the Incas to travel from the SV to MP. It uses an alternate route to circumvate the government regulations allowing only a limited number on the trail.

The main advantage to the 4-day real Inca Trail is that you see numerous other ruins besides Machu Picchu. You can only see these on the official 4-day (and some of the sites on teh 2-day trail).

Actually, the 5-day trek DOES go over the classic Inca Trail. And yes, you need a permit. You see all of the same ruins because you are hiking on the same trail.

The first night you camp very near the bottom (Llapacta), and the second night you camp high up, just BEFORE Dead Woman's Pass. The third night you camp just before the third pass. Then the fourth day you hike to Machu Picchu--getting there late in the day. You can stay in a hotel that night and see Machu Picchu the next day.

JC98--I've done a lot of research. --but as I said, we haven't gone yet. I think the best way for you to read up on the trips is to go to some of the trekking company websites and read their itineraries. Try www.inkanatura.com and www.llamapath.com for starters. Here you can also compare the 4- and 5-day options.

There are lots of trip reports out there. You can just google "inca trail" and "trip report" and a bunch will come up.

There is also a lot of talk about the Inca Trail on TripAdvisor forums. Just go there and look at the Peru forum.

Hope this helps!

MP ticket is 120 soles (about $40). The price expected to go up sometime this year. You can come and go as many times as you want in a calendar day. If you go back the next day, you need a new ticket.

Inca Trail Treks FAQ
http://www.andeantravelweb.com/peru/treks/index.html

The only 5-day trek that goes on the "real" inca trail is a private trek. For one person the cost is $1200, for two $745 each.

The alternative Inca Trail (5-day) does not follow the classic or "real" Inca trail (see FAQ).