To hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, there are a couple of options to choose from: the popular 4 day option, or a 2 day hike.
Both options have their pros and cons, but it is all up to you and your preferences! Below I go in depth on what to expect during the 2 day hike, and what I wish I had known before going.
Reasons why to choose the 2 day Inca trail hike to Machu Picchu.
- Permits for the 4 day hike sell out really fast. If the 4 day hike is the only option you want to do, book your permit as SOON as they become available. This can be done though the tour group you want to hike with. We did our hike with Alpaca Expeditions.
- You don’t need to camp on the 2 day hike. During the 4 day hike, you will need to sleep in a tent each night. The tour groups will provide, carry AND set up the tents for you. During the 2 day hike, you spend the night in a hotel. So if you aren’t too keen on camping then the 2 day hike may be a better alternative.
- The 2 day hike isn’t as physically strenuous as the 4 day hike. If hiking isn’t something you normally do, or you are worried about your physical abilities, then the 2 day hike may be a good alternative.
- On the 2 day hike you see Machu Picchu TWICE! Once in the afternoon on day 1, and again in the morning on day 2 to watch the sun rise.
- On day 2, you will have the opportunity to go up Wayna Picchu. When you are hiking the Inca Trail on the 4 day hike, you will wake up at 3am to hike to the Sun Gate. Then, you have the rest of the day to explore Machu Picchu and hike up Hyuna Picchu. On the 2 day hike, you hike to the Sun Gate in the afternoon, and then visit Machu Picchu again the next day. This gives you more time to see Machu Picchu, and hike another mountain without being overly tired.
What I wish I knew BEFORE I went hiking the Inca Trail
It helps to be in shape before you go.
Because of the altitude, you will feel out of breathe a lot faster. Before you go on your trip, practice at home by going on walks uphill, or climbing stairs. Anything to improve your cardio. You don’t have to be an Olympic athletic or anything, but I wish I had maybe built up my cardio a bit before going since I was VERY slow moving.
Get a prescription for Diamox.
To help with altitude sickness, get a prescription of Diamox (Acetazolamide) from your doctor or travel clinic before you go. Check with your Pharmacist to make sure it doesn’t interact with any current medications you may be taking. Also, one of the side effects is tingling fingers – so don’t be alarmed if that happens to you!
Take time to adjust to the altitude.
You need to adjust to the altitude before hiking Machu Picchu. Spend a few days in Cusco exploring the region before your hike.
Spend the night in Ollantaytambo either before or after your 2 day Inca trail hike.
The original pick up and drop off points for tour groups is in Cusco, BUT there is the option to also be picked up or dropped off in Ollantaytambo instead! It is A LOT closer to Machu Picchu than Cusco is. You will have more time to rest, and can explore the beauty of Ollantaytambo!
You will need to carry your own gear.
For the 4 day hikes, the Porters will carry your belongings to the campsites for you. Since you aren’t camping on the Inca Trail during the 2 day hike, and there are no porters, you will need to carry your own gear.
Pack your backpack with your essentials that you will need for the 2 day hike. Your tour group will store your main luggage for you back and their headquarters in Cusco. I personally left my luggage in my AirBnB that I had booked for the whole week as a base.
Bring a backbag with hip support
This was one of my mistakes. I brought a regular school backpack with me (it’s great bag, but definitely not recommended when you are carrying over 1 liter of water, a change of clothes, and a few other items. Read what I packed for my 2 day hike here)
It wasn’t a deal breaker, but if I brought a backpack that had support around the hips, it would have been a LOT more comfortable.
What I wish I knew about the Sun Gate before I went on the 2 day Inca trail hike
On the 2 day Inca trail hike, you will arrive at the Sun Gate in the afternoon.
What I liked about the 2 day hike is that instead of waking up at 3am to hike in the dark to the Sun Gate, you hike there after your lunch break in Wayna Wayna and arrive at about 1pm. This section of the trail is more shady, flatter and easier to hike so if you were out of breath during the first half of the hike, no worries! This section is much easier.
The view of Machu Picchu from the Sun gate isn’t the view that you see in the pictures
I felt a little silly asking if the mountain I was looking at was the infamous mountain, since it is from a completely different viewpoint.
The Sun Gate isn’t as busy in the afternoon.
Since the majority of the 4 day hikes aim to arrive at the Sun Gate for the sun rise, I can’t even imagine how busy it would be during that time. We arrived in the afternoon so it wasn’t as busy, but there were still a lot of people there. It was hard to find a quiet spot to really take in the beauty.
The only way to enter Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate is if you hike in.
If you really want to see the Sun Gate, and you visit Machu Picchu without hiking, you will need to hike UPHILL for an hour to see it, and then hike back.
What I wish I knew about the bathrooms before my 2 day Inca trail hike
The toilets on the Inca trail are squat toilets.
On the 2 day inca trail hike, I wasn’t expecting the toilets to be squat toilets. So if you aren’t used to them, it is something to be aware of! Bring your own toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Some hiking groups have their own toilets too.
There are bathrooms outside of the entrance to Machu Picchu.
It costs 2./s to use these, but the line moves quickly and they are clean and NOT squat toilets. You will need to exit and re-enter Machu Picchu to use these.
What I wish I knew about the 2 day Inca trail hike
- Nothing will prepare you for how GORGEOUS it is.
It will literally take your breathe away, the beauty of the Inca Trail is absolutely gorgeous. During the 2 day, 1 night hike you will have the chance to vist the Wayna Wayna ruins.
- On day 2 of the hike, you take the bus to Machu Picchu.
This is what a lot of travelers normally do to visit Machu Picchu without hiking. At 5AM, your guide will pick you up from your hotel and you will walk to the bus stop. Some people wait in the bus line at 3am to go to Machu Picchu, but don’t bother doing this. The gates of Machu Picchu don’t open until 6am, and the sun doesn’t start to rise until 7:30am. The buses come SO frequently that you won’t be waiting in line for long.
- During the 2 day Inca trail hike Machu Picchu you get a guided 2 hour tour of Machu Picchu, and then you have the remaining time to spend at your leisure.
I would recommend the guided tour because you will miss a lot of what they point out to you, and you gain a deeper understanding of the history behind Machu Picchu.
- Choose the option to hike Wayna (Hyuana) Picchu.
If you want to hike up Wayna Picchu, you will need a permit for this. Alpaca Expeditions gives you the option to include this when you book your hike. I enjoyed hiking Wayna Picchu during the 2 day Inca trail hike SO much, and found it easier to do than the the hike on day 1.
Let me know your thoughts!
Have you been to Machu Picchu or have hiked the Inca Trail? Let me know about your experience in the comments below!
