The Trekking Route to Machu Picchu: Inca Trail

The second day on the Inca Trail continues from Patallacta on the route already described by the scientific explorer of Machu Picchu, Hiram Bingham, in the National Geographic magazine: "The ruins of an ancient Inca road left the valley towards Machu Picchu", In this day, the physical challenge posed by the Inca Trail is evident: today more than a kilometer and a half altitude difference is scaled.Experienced guides always have a supply of coca leaves, the millenary half of altitude sickness for Peruvians .

There is also aShort Inca Trail tour that is equally surprising and magical.

On the third day he leads Warmiwañusca, also known as the Dead Woman Pass, at 4,200 m, the highest point of the Inca Trail.

Warmiwañusca

Here, after a long look at the mountains, the subtropical rainforest also begins. Mysterious ruins, most likely ceremonial sanctuaries or guard posts, begin to line the path. Rucu Raccay, one of the most famous of these structures, was also discovered by Hiram Bingham and seems to trace the outline of a butterfly.

Rucu Raccay

During the third day of travel along the Inca Trail on the road to Machu Picchu, there are two other impressive Inca ruins that await travelers: Sayacmarca, which generally dramatically makes its way out of the fog like a sailboat that suddenly appears in the cloudy ocean and Phuyupatamarca, famous for its cascading stone baths.

Sayamarca

Often there is also a camp for the night, since here in the morning it offers the best view of the entire Inca Trail, before going to the final stretch of Machu Picchu. At dawn and, with a bit of luck, clear skies, there is an impressive view of Salcantay in front of the traveler, one of the most sacred mountains of Inca cosmology, which has also left many signs in Machu Picchu. In addition, you can marvel at other peaks everywhere, some green, some with ice cream caps. For the Incas, the mountains were gods, sacred places and such a plateau, an opportunity to stop in the middle of this sacred presence.

Machu Picchu is still hidden from view, but is only separated by a peak. Now go down about 900 meters again. The road leads through a stone tunnel, which the Incas have worked through a cliff without metal tools, to the huge and winding stone terraces of Wiñay Wayna.

Winay Wayna

If the traveler did not know what Machu Picchu is about, he could easily retain Wiñay Wayna for the end of the trip. Translated, Wiñay Wayna means "always young", probably in reference to the many pink orchids that populate the place and give it its own poetry.

The place itself is also magical due to its location: it dominates the Urubamba River; A waterfall falls on a hill above. In general, water, as in Machu Picchu, obviously played an important role in this Inca site. Fifteen well-built spas, built in a special sequence, suggest Wiñay Wayna as a spiritual center, worshiping water as a sacred means, perhaps a last chance for pilgrims on their way to Machu Picchu to take a ritual, cleaning bath.

Later that day, the traveler arrives at a stone staircase that leads to a dense section of the rainforest. Once you have climbed, the goal of the Inca Trail extends before your eyes: Machu Picchu, the ancient Inca fortress, is presented from this perspective and with the right light as an impressive city of white stone.

On the route from Salcantay to Machu Picchu

The Salkantay Trek leads through the valley of Mollepata, passing the Salcantay mountain towards a forest before finishing at a small train station that takes the traveler directly to Machu Picchu. Those who are particularly interested in the diversity of the Peruvian ecosystem, the local fauna and flora and the topography of the landscape should not miss 25 best treks in the world National Geographic Salkantay.

Mount Salcantay, 6200 meters high, was one of the most sacred mountains of the Incas and is still revered in traditional Andean religions. The mule-driven path leads past Salcantay at an altitude of approximately 4500 meters and then makes its way into the subtropical jungle, where it meets an ancient Inca trail that belongs to the famous Capac Ñan infrastructure that linked the distant ends of the empire inca.

Continue to the undiscovered ruins of Llactapata. From here, the traveler can take a first look at Machu Picchu through the valley, from an unusual longitudinal perspective. At the end of the hill is the small train station, from where frequent transport takes tourists along the Urubamba River to Aguas Calientes, the city at the foot of Machu Picchu. Depending on the guide and accommodation, you will be on the route for five to eight days.

On the route from Lares to Machu Picchu

In contrast to the really beautiful Sacred Valley Tour Itinerary, which is crossed by thousands of tourists every year, to the north is the hidden valley of Lares, where massive and snow-capped peaks rise above the Sacred Valley. Even today, life is not very different from what it was a hundred years ago: people wear traditional Andean costumes, hand-grown potatoes, herds of llamas and alpacas, and weave traditional fabrics as they did generations before, all without folklore . If you are looking for the original life of Peru and would like to know the Andean culture next to Machu Picchu, then the Lares route is the ticket.

Here you will find yourself in the three or five days you will travel, often only farmers and artisans. Most of the Lares route begins in the small homonymous city and then goes through numerous smaller towns. In the middle, the traveler gets a spectacular view of the Veronica mountain and a series of crystal clear mountain lakes. The route ends near the ruins of Ollantaytambo. From here, a short train ride of approximately 90 minutes takes you to Machu Picchu.

The Inca Quarry to Machu Picchu

The Inca Quarry Trek is only offered by some companies because it is far from everything (hidden Inca quarry trail). It is less traveled than the classic Inca trail. There are opportunities to interact with local communities and visit smaller and lesser-known Inca archeological sites and the beautiful views of the Vilcabamba and Urubamba mountains