Like anything in life, the Inca Trail does have risks. But you are far more likely to have an accident on the roads back home, than trekking on the Inca Trail.

Read Related Article: Is The Inca Trail Dangerous?

There is always a risk of landslides in any mountains. The lifecycle of a mountain involves it gradually eroding and making its way downhill to the sea via the rivers. It is what mountains do. But some parts of a mountain are more prone to landslides than others. In the same way that you are more likely to get mugged in certain areas of California, New York, or the Alpes than others, the key lies in understanding and managing the risks.

Part of managing the risk is making sure everyone involved is aware of the risks, including you or anyone in our groups. You can read more about our Risk and Safety policies at the bottom of each tour on our websites, is an “F&Q” section, with further details about the risks involved in a particular trip.

Is this the first time someone has died on the Inca Trail or Machu Picchu?

No, this is not the first time someone has died either on the Inca Trail or Machu Picchu. But the figures are very low when you consider up to 7000 people per day visiting Machu Picchu and 750 per day trek the Inca Trail (500 on the complete Inca Trail, 250 on Shor Day Inca Trail To Machu Picchu).

• 2004 A tourist was struck by lightning on Huayna Picchu and died
• 2010 2 people died in a landslide at Wiñay Wayna campsite
• 2013 A tourist fell and died, on a lower part of Machu Picchu
• 2016 A tourist fell from Machu Picchu Mountain, having crossed the safety barrier to take a jumping selfie
• 2020 A porter was killed in a landslide at Pacamayo campsite

How Many Miles is The Inca Trail from km 82?

We’ve outlined our own route on the Inca Trail below and, in broad terms, this is the sort of itinerary you can expect (note that this relates solely to the days spent on the hike, not the days of traveling to/from Cusco and Ollantaytambo):

Day One: Travel from Ollantaytambo to km.82 in the morning and hike to the campsite

Distance | Approx. 6.8 miles/ 11 km

Elevation Gain | 350 meters

Difficulty | Moderate, with a steep tiring section towards the end.

Day Two: Early rise to hike through cloud forest and up to Dead Woman’s Pass and the descent to campsite

Distance | Approx. 7.5 miles/ 12km

Elevation Gain | 1,115 metres

Difficulty | High, this is the hardest day of walking but after you reach DWP, it’s mostly downhill.

Day Three: Early rise to hike the most photogenic section of the Trail

Distance | Approx. 9.6 miles/ 15.5km

Elevation Gain | Minus 1,000 metres

Difficulty | Moderate to a little difficult as there are several steep sections.

Day Four: Very early rise (3 a.m.) to reach the entry check-point and hike 1-2 hours to the Sun Gate and Machu Picchu.

Distance | Approx. 3.1 miles/ 5 km

Difficulty | You’re almost at the end and Machu Picchu, you should be hopping, skipping, and jumping all the way there!

Towards the end of February is the wettest month in the Andes. The Inca Trail, as well as several other national parks in Peru, is closed throughout the month for essential maintenance. Machu Picchu INCA remains open at this time. The trail reopens in March, though the highlands are still rainy through into

early April. May and October, are the best times to trek the Inca Trail as permits may sell out slightly less fast as in the peak months, plus it’s dry and warmer than June, July, and August. The Festival of the Sun (Inti Raymi) takes place towards the end of June and cities, such as Cusco, always get busier with local crowds heading towards Machu Picchu.

Peru’s national vacation at the end of July is also a peak time for Peruvians to tackle the Inca Trail or visit Machu Picchu by train. The dry conditions prove popular with vacation makes all the way through August and

into September. By November, the rainy season is starting up again in earnest. However, you still might get some solid trekking conditions with nothing like the crowds of the summer – and you won’t need to secure your pass quite as far in advance. December is wet and attracts crowds over the vacations with accommodation and flight prices rising, despite the weather. Things ease off again in January – which is wet but without the vacation crowds.

First, the numbers: if you tackle the classic four-day Inca Trail you’ll have 24-26 miles to trek (depending on which trailhead you set out from), over 2,000 meters to haul yourself up and level yourself down, and over 3,000 steps to deal with in total.

In terms of fitness and technical challenge, this is considered to be a trek of moderate difficulty. The effort required, though, isn’t evenly distributed across the four days. Rather, the greatest lung-bursting effort is front-loaded into the first day and a half. The high point, Dead Woman’s Pass, is – at 4,198 meters.

Definitely the toughest of the three passes, both in terms of the potential effects of altitude and the sharpness of the elevation gain. There are, however, a number of campsites on the way to this first pass, and some groups opt to make the second day easier by staying at the highest campsite on the first night. 

Peruvian authorities are allowing visitors to change their Machu Picchu entry tickets. And tour operators can change Inca Trail permits.

I’ve included a link to see information about the new rules at Machu Picchu pro & post Covid-19, a link to the new Machu Picchu website, and other tips to help you navigate your way through the process of canceling or changing your trip to Peru.