CAMINO INCA

Unfortunately, it's no longer possible to take the tour on your own (rules and controls are very strict), and the services of an agency are compulsory. There are a number of them in Cusco's Plaza de Armas and Calle Plateros, but beware: prices depend on service. You should expect to pay around US$600 for a 4-day hike (40 km), not forgetting tips for those accompanying you, but this includes trains, entrance fees and site visits. Be sure to check which services are included and which are not.

Advance reservations are highly recommended, as the number of hikers on the trail is limited to 500 per day (including porters). Don't believe anyone who tells you otherwise. Best season is from May to August, for a sunny arrival.

As a reminder , it used to be possible to reach the Sun Gate from the archaeological site, but since the pandemic this access has not been reopened to visitors with a conventional entrance. Access is now restricted to walkers on the Camino Inca.

To travel with peace of mind, leave your luggage and money at the hotel, but don't forget to take your passport, which is indispensable for entering the Machu Picchu site. What's more, you can get it stamped on your way out, so you can show off to your friends!

4-day tour

You'll need to plan four days and three nightsfor this mythical, emotionally-charged trek, as the route followed by the "chasquis", estafettes ensuring communications between the cardinal points of the empire, is so steeped in history. Most of the route is paved and in good condition, with the reward at the end that makes you forget all the hard work: Machu Picchu! The route itself, which begins in the sierra and emerges in the selva, impresses with its efflorescence of vegetation and the lakes and mountains that seem to have been sown there, for the hiker's sole pleasure. The vegetation all along the route displays its finery to envy: puyas, orchids, fragrant essences (cedar, eucalyptus, laurel), and if you're lucky, you may catch a glimpse of an otter, a puma or a parrot. Hummingbirds also make frequent appearances.

Groups are usually made up of 10 to 15 people, including an experienced guide with knowledge of the vegetation and Inca history, porters and cooks, who are often the same people. The porters do a considerable amount of work: they have to arrive at the sites before you to set up camp and prepare the meal, and then, once you've left, break camp and run (with at least 20 kg on their backs) to overtake you and set up the next camp before you arrive. These porter-cooks will prepare balanced and varied meals (from trout to chicken to spaghetti bolognaise), always including a soup as a starter and a mate de coca (infusion of coca leaves) for dessert.

This mate is absolutely essential to alleviate the inevitable breathing problems.

At km 88, the train (or bus) abandons its load of hikers - you have to be ready, as the convoy only stops for a minute - before plunging into a tunnel and continuing its smoky, rattling route. We cross the roaring Río Urubamba over a suspension bridge and begin the walk along America's most popular trekking trail. 3 km further on, the Llaqtapata archeological site gets to the heart of the matter, with its one hundred different architectural dwellings, trapezoidal plaza and two-storey buildings. The most remarkable of these is a series of stone terraces stretching over 2 km. It would be a shame, in the excitement of what promises to be an exciting start to the tour, to overlook Llaqtapata. But already the path becomes very steep before levelling out; the gentle hum of the cool Kusichaka río eases the first lung burns, and the shade of the trees soothes the walker.

3h30 after leaving the train to its parallel destiny, at 2,770 m above sea level, you can see the hovels of Wayllabamba, the only village on the route, in a valley where irrigation canals and Inca terraces climb to conquer the slope.

It's time to take a breather and decide whether to continue on to Llulluchapampa - in which case you'll have to walk for another 2 hours - or to stay in Willabamba and rest. At this point, we're faced with a major physical challenge: leaving the valley to climb up the Hatun Wayruro stream and over the Warmihuanusqa pass. The next day, when we set off again, the landscape has changed: short grass, parched by the cold winds, has taken the place of forest. By the time we reach the pass, we're at 4,200 m, the highest point of the Inca Trail (a section not to be underestimated). The terrain becomes very steep (gradient of almost 1,000 m) on the descent (watch your knees!) to the Pacamayu river, the border between sierra and selva, mosquito territory. After lunch, a short climb to the ruins of Runkuraqay, a place of observation and sanctuary whose walls have defied the centuries.

Looking back, you can see the snow-capped summit of Verónica and the green carpet of the rainforest to the east. From this point on, walking becomes a real pleasure: all you have to do is descend towards the "lost city". At 3,500 m, Sayaqmarka spreads out its narrow streets, houses, fountains and pre-Hispanic canals. We camp close to the walls, for the sunset here is absolutely extraordinary. A lake on the right, flowers everywhere and the picture is complete. The path then becomes a stone reality, facilitating the approach to Machu Picchu. Here, we bathe in mystery, amid the clouds, between the buildings of Phuyupatamarca, the Inca food distribution center. The complex owes its name to the profusion of orchids that grow here year-round. Following the Inca trail from Phuyupatamarca to Winay, which means "young woman" in Quechua, we pass an interesting group of dwellings and fountains. Further on, we pitch our tents 4 hours' walk from Inti Punku, Gate of the Sun, for our third and final night under the stars, our heads already on the nearby Machu Picchu, which we'll be among the first to visit, before the buses arrive..

It's here that you'll meet up with the other groups for a big feast, a shower (without hot water, but it feels good all the same) and to thank the porters and cooks for accompanying you. The next morning, wake up at 3.30 a.m. for the last walk, or even run, to the Sun Gate, from where you can watch the sunrise over the marvellous Inca city. A reward that makes up for a legitimate fatigue. Arriving at the Sun Gate at this hour of the morning is something to savour. Then, with slow steps, we begin the descent to the heart of the ruins and take part in a traditional visit. You'll take the shuttle back down to join the throngs of tourists at Aguas Calientes, and realize what a privilege it is to enter such a mythical site on foot.

2-day tour

This is a great option for those who don't feel the physical strength of a strenuous trek and rough nights, but still want to enjoy the scenery. You take an early-morning train, get off at Km 104 and walk the entire last stretch of the Camino Inca. Elevation changes, steps, ascents and descents. We arrive at the Sun Gate in the late afternoon to discover a quieter site, as we arrive shortly before it closes. Then we'll go back up the next morning (after spending the night in a real bed) for the next day's guided tour via circuit 3. So we see Machu Picchu twice, at two different times of day and probably under two different lights and atmospheres. You have to go through an agency, as quotas are regulated, but with the stricter rules on visits, it's a good way to get the most out of the site. The all-inclusive price, including train, walk, entrance fees, visit, overnight stay and return train, is still high - around US$400 - but it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience.