Reflections on the Short Inca Trail

It’s been about half a year since we completed this hike to Machu Picchu with our friends Matt & Maria. So ith tourist season about to begin in Peru (and the safety situation at least temporarily better), this is a good time to write our reflections on the Short Inca Trail.

Glad We Did it?

We were more than blown away by this hike. The Incas constructed their roads and buildings to blend in with and reflect their natural surroundings. The Trail winds through mountainsides and hides impressive sites that are only visible once you’re practically upon them. That includes the Sun Gate (Intipunku), which is on a summit and provides the first magnificent view of Machu Picchu.

The timing of the Short Inca Trail is such that you arrive at the Sun Gate alone, with rays of sun streaming past you onto Machu Picchu. It’s pretty damn magical.

You certainly earn this moment, too. The hike is pretty arduous at first, but flattens out in the last half of the 7-hour trek. That’s after waking up at 3:00AM to catch the train to bring you to the hike’s start.

Things I Didn’t Enjoy

Which was the least enjoyable part of the hike. Waking up before the break of dawn, taking a bumpy van ride for a couple of hours, then getting on a train, is not our preferred morning routine. Obviously the trek is more difficult if you don’t get a good night’s sleep.

But, hotels and tour operators do everything they can to make the transition from dreamland to Inca Land as smooth as possible. Our hotel in Cusco prepared breakfast to go, and our tour guide had all the train tickets, Trail passes, etc. ready so we didn’t have to lift a finger.

And let’s put things in perspective! We exchanged a couple hours of sleep to hike to a real Wonder of the World. Totally worth it.

The Price…

But was it worth the roughly $600/person?

Surprisingly, short Inca Trail tours cost about as much as a regular 4-day Trail package. That’s because the big-ticket items cost the same no matter how long you visit (train tickets, Machu Picchu entrances, and Trail permit, for example).

So don’t do the Short Inca Trail just because it may be cheaper than other options (because… it isn’t).

Reflections on the Short Inca Trail- Conclusion

The Short Inca Trail definitely provided what we wanted. We wanted the real experience of hiking to Machu Picchu, but the longer 4-day hike didn’t fit into our itinerary or the entire group’s preferences.

In the end, we hiked to Machu Picchu and had an amazing time doing so. We also got inspired to maybe try a longer route to the Incan site one day in the future :)

Have you done (or are you planning to do) this or another trail to Machu Picchu? If so, let us know in the comments below!

Chau, gracias, y abrazos!