Inca Trail or Hiking Machu Picchu. The best ways to enjoy the views of the lost city of the Incas

One of the symbols of natural and cultural attractions in South America and Peru in particular, Machu Picchu, the sacred city of the Incas, is one of the most alluring locations for advanced travelers. One of the New Wonders of the World, the ancient Inca city, built in conditions that are difficult to access even by today's standards - and suddenly abandoned at the height of development. The attractiveness of this location is formed from the mystery that shrouds the entire history of the Incas, and from the majesty of nature - cloud-shrouded mountain peaks, emerald dense forests and winding paths.
There are many excursion routes to get acquainted with the mysterious city. The easiest option is to fly to Cusco, go to Poroy station and take a train to Aguas Calientes. From there, the bus takes travelers up into the mountains, to the entrance to Machu Picchu.
But in our opinion, the obligatory component of getting acquainted with Machu Picchu is passing the Inca Trail, one of the trails laid out by the ancient Incas. Once these trails, lined with stone steps, entangled all South America - from Colombia to Argentina and Chile - and played an important role in the socio-economic development of South American civilizations. Inca trails vary in difficulty and duration, and it doesn't always make sense to allocate four days (and a big budget for a permit) to hiking the Inca Trail through Mount Salkantay. We prefer a one-day hike along one of three routes:

Mt. Wayna Picchu

Machu Picchu Mountain

A short Inca Trail through the abandoned citadel of Winya Wainu

Beyond the hiking itself, we always strive to create an entirely deeper and history-rich experience for our travelers. First we drive to the Sacred Valley of the Incas to immerse ourselves in Inca history and culture through other, less publicized sights. In the evening we arrive by train in the village of Ollantaytambo, transferring to a panoramic train that goes to the foot of Machu Picchu: thanks to the glass roof and large windows, you can admire the sunset on the way. We spend the night in Aguas Calientes and then arrive at the entrance to Machu Picchu early in the morning before the crowds of tourists arrive and start hiking.
Why hiking? According to our years of experience, this is the best way not just to see, but to experience Machu Picchu and the stunning nature around it. After spending 1-4 hours on a leisurely walk, you'll find yourself in an incredibly beautiful cloud forest teeming with gorgeous bromeliads, ferns and hummingbirds flitting around. You'll listen to birds chirping and maybe, if you're lucky, see that andina or spectacled bear. Don't worry, the bear is very shy, much smaller than the rest of its relatives and usually prefers to avoid the traveler.
The routes around Machu Picchu are called “circles of honor” - cerquita. Depending on what “circle of honor” you have to pass, you need to order the correct entrance ticket, which is bought strictly on the passport and for a specific time. The rules for visiting Machu Picchu change every year, and it is not easy for travelers to keep track of the latest information
A longer, but also very picturesque route for hiking is the ascent to the mountain of Machu Picchu, Montaña Machu Picchu. It is a neighboring peak to the mountain on which the famous city of the ancient Incas is located, and from it you can get a very special view of the sacred city, allowing you to get a bird's-eye view of the ancient city planners' intentions. The Incas planned their cities in the shape of animals and birds: in the ruins of Pisac you can see the outline of a partridge, Cuzco is a city in the shape of a puma, one of the Inca symbols. And Machu Picchu is a city of a condor, but you can see it only from the height of Montana Machu Picchu. There is a fairly gentle (especially compared to Wayna Picchu) climb to the top.
There is also a short Inca Trail - the same one the Incas used to run on! It requires not only permits, but also the accompaniment of a mountain licensed guide. The Inca Trail takes up to 8 hours to complete. Early in the morning, around 6 o'clock, we board the train and after an hour we start hiking from kilometer 104. After reaching the magnificent ruins of the town of Viña Wainu (means “eternally young” in the Keucha language), we take a break for lunch and rest and go to storm the hundred Inca steps that end at Inti Punku - the Gate of the Sun. It was through this gate that the ancient Incas walked. We descend in comfort by bus.