One of the greatest trekking experiences is to have a trail all to yourself in one of the most beautiful mountain environments on the planet. Having the coveted Inca Trail to Machu Picchu all to yourself was undoubtedly, a very special experience for me.
Peace and Quiet Along the Inca Trail
I watched Ian’s Inca Trail video on You Tube and was blown away by it. I can tell you know from experience this trail is truly amazing. The trek and overall experience changed me. I had never felt such peacefulness on any trail anywhere in the world. This trek and journey was so much more than I could have ever expected. The service was top notch throughout the whole trip and I will be back to do it again. The amazing bonus was there were no people on the trail with our group.
Where Were all the People
We met a few small groups at the beginning of the trail as we all had our passports and checked. The National park match your passport to the permit. If they don’t match, you will be denied entry. The Inca Trail has very stringent National Park rules. We walked nice as slowly while others rushed passed us. I enjoyed taking in the stunning flora and fauna all around us. We chose the 5 day itinerary which gives more time to enjoy the Inca trail and stay at campsites where very few others stay. I think we saw 12 people on the 4 days trekking towards Machu Picchu.
Check out the 5 Day Itinerary
The 5 day itinerary is much better for acclimatization and safety on the trail and gave me the best chance to experience all the famous Inca sites. I had read up on WinayWayna, Phuyupatamarca and Sayacmarca furthermore, I really wanted to visit them all. Ian’s itinerary gave me the best possible experience to see the complete Inca Trail and we had a full day longer to make the journey. It was by far my favorite trekking journey to date.
I was Alone on the Inca Trail
Our group of 10 were mostly Americans with some English and Australian’s and we got on so well. We walked as a team, enjoyed all the stories from William Wallace and Percy. Walking this trail with no noise of other groups made this journey so special. I can not describe the feeling of having these amazing sites to our group. The experience of having the trail to ourselves was truly magical. I have to mention Ian Taylor Trekking have developed the best service on the Inca Trail. We had really comfortable chairs, great tents and the best food I have ever received on a trek.
My Inca Trail Highlights
The whole experience was incredible but I had 6 favorite places along the trail. Firstly, the night at Llactapata and exploring this Inca site was truly remarkable. Secondly, the morning view off the Dead Women’s pass was so special. Thirdly, I will never forget the morning view from the last camp at Phuyupatamarca. The walk through the rain forest portions of the trail were peaceful and so spiritual for me. Finally, WinayWayna really was a very special Inca site and shocked to read not many people have time to visit. The final hour walking down into Machu Picchu was really a unique experience for me and so glad we had two visits. I know we had to deal with crowds in Machu picchu but we had the trail and all the other Inca sites bar WinayWayna to ourselves.
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Ian, thank you for your help in my training and preparation. Without your knowledge and assistance I would have trained differently and not got to experience all the Inca sites I so really wanted to visit. The service, itinerary, food, equipment and guides were first class. You guys are doing great work for all your staff and this didn’t go unnoticed.
Michelle Rogers, 5 day Classic Inca trail to Machu Picchu 2019