Inca Trail Info.
This is my hints on the Inca Trail trek.
Time of year:
Best months - April, May or September, October. I went in late August and had some unpleasant weather on the main pass, drizzle and snow, but it was still lovely.
Arrival:
Lima was like most developing nation capitals, somewhat rundown in 1995 when I was there. However, locals assure me it is much nicer now. I preferred to fly straight onto Cusco and spend a few days there, getting acclimitised and getting more info and provisions for trekking. Cusco is a great relaxing place. I stayed in several different places, getting cheaper as I ran out of money! Can't remember the name of any of them. But don't worry, just arrive and find somewhere - check the usual guide books. The Zocalo (main plaza) is a central focus point. Although very western, the bar called 'the Cross Keys' - an English pub upstairs on one side of the Zocalo - is well worth going to. You might find some people there who have just returned from the Inca trail - its always worth chatting to such peopleto find out the latest conditions. Also I can recommend the Hari Krishna restaraunt for cheap, clean, good vege food.
Start:
At KM 88, take the local train from Cusco, an experience in itself. Please ignore all the stuff in the Lonely Planet Guide about robbers both in Cusco and on the train, that all appears to have stopped years ago. The people are kind and mostly trustworthy, probably more so than in western countries.
The first thing to do when you arrive and get organized is to find out about the train. We took a late train, got off at KM 88, and just walked along the valley a bit and camped near the first village before the trail headed up in the hills. The first sections of the trail are like walking anywhere - though high. After about half way it becomes more defined as a stone paved inca trail. Just after crossing the river at KM 88 you buy a pass for the walk. its cheapish (US$10 or 20, can't remember) and includes the entry to Machu Pichu.
Highlight:
For me was the view from the Inca gate over Machu Pichu. It's a dream.
Length:
About 3 days. Two days is possible, but why rush?
Altitude:
2400m at start and up to the main pass at 4200m - high enough for some people to have altitude sickness problems. I was fine. My friend had minor problems - not serious, he was just slow.
Grade:
I would call it moderate to hard, and I really only include the hard because of the altitude. Anyone fit can do it easily if they don't have altitude problems.
Group vs Independent:
95% of people do the walk in organized groups - they can be organized from your home countries (probably something you can do on the internet now), but its cheaper to and I beleive better to organize things from Cusco. In 1995 you could pay some locals US$65 total (for each of you) to carry your gear, cook, and guide for you for the 3 days. I think there were about 120 people doing the trek when we did it, and only one other group of 3 doing it independently like us.
Gear:
You need warm clothes for the pass, wet weather gear, tent, and a warm sleeping bag, it can be freezing any time of the year. Also water filter and first aid items, etc.
Food:
We had enough food for four days - that we bought cheaply in the market near the train station in Cusco.
Problems:
We didn't have any real problems, other than our water filter failing. We didn't notice so we got sick just after finishing the trek.
Fuel:
We used White Gas for fuel, got it from a chemist. In 1995 lead free petrol was not available in Cusco, I assume it is now.
Reference Books:
Hilary Bradt's "Backpacking in Peru and Bolivia" is great. ISBN in the USA is 1-56440-613-X, The Globe Pequot Press.
Also good is Peter Frost's book 'Exploring Cusco' which also has a Inca trail description and map. US ISBN 0-933982-80-1. If you can't find this book at home you can buy it everywhere in Cusco.
Reference Maps :
I found the maps in the books sufficient, the route was clear enough, though sometimes we asked locals, just to be sure. Some of the young kids don't speak Spanish, just Quecha, or maybe it was just my bad spanish!
Other places recommended in southern Peru - from Arequipa - the Colca Canyon, also the volcano looks like a straight forward walk, though quite high.
Enjoy!