Inca Trail: 4-day versus 2-day?
 

I'm in the (very) early stages of planning a trip to Peru. We know we want to hike part of the Inca Trail and see the Sun Gate at sunrise. However, we're not sure if the 4-day hike is worth the time commitment. But one of the 2-day itineraries I read said you stay in a hotel overnight - that doesn't sound like "hiking the trail" to me.

Has anyone done either the 4-day or 2-day and can give me some more insight? Thanks!

Wnet on the 4 day trip and it was one of the greatest accomplishments of my life. It is eciting but grueling. I would tell anyone thta if they can do it to go ahead.

Davidjac

The 4 days hike is the "classic" hike. If you have the time to do the 4 days hike then you should go for it. It was exhausting and rough at times, but I would definitely do it again if I could.

P.S. I don't think you have to sleep in a tent outdoor to be considered hiking though ;)

There are other Inca Trails in the Sacred Valley. If you hike "THE" Inca Trail you won't necessarily see the Sun Gate at sunrise.

Most of the "two-day" hikes are really one-day hikes. You hike for several hours and arrive at MP at the end of the day, not really soon enough to spend any time at the ruins. Your package price includes a stay at a hotel down in town that evening, and then you come back up to the ruins the next day.

http://www.andeantravelweb.com/peru/...ncatrail2.html

short trail limeted not great unless

very disabled short on time or money...

best to do a Classic Trek 4 days for best experience

use direct LICENSED providers based on budget from $300

been seeing good reports on www.incalandadventures.com Flavio

www.qente.com good also www.perutreks.com the best but more $$

Happy Hunting,

Thank you for the replies! I had the same feeling that the two-day wasn't really the same since you just hike for a few hours, then stay in a hotel in town and go back up the next day.

We did the 4 day and LOVED it. My understanding of the 2 day was that you hiked, camped, then hiked the last *day* which was from 3 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. to get there before sunrise.

It is worth noting that after 4 days of fairly grueling hiking, we arrived at the Sun Gate to a clouded-in view. One woman in our group burst into tears (which I found amusing, but didn't say so at the time).

So just be prepared that the Sun Gate may not have any sun. An amazing, worth-while, fabulous, life-changing trip anyway!!

Oh, and we went with GAP Expeditions and were very happy with it.

"So just be prepared that the Sun Gate may not have any sun"

Sadly that was the case for me. I did the 4 day hike and we had perfect weather for most of that time. However when we awoke on the last day we had dense clouds and fog. We arrived at the Sun Gate just as the sun was rising, however we saw NOTHING!! We waited 45 minutes and the fog didn't clear so we finally walked down into MP. We still saw nothing thru all the fog for at least another hour. I was so sad. Then all of the sudden a gust of wind came through and all of the fog went away!! I regret missing the view from the Sun Gate but it was still a great day.

As others have mentioned, the 4 day hike is grueling but worth the effort. I also see it as one of my greatest accomplishments and I enjoy the bragging rights.