Proper acclimatization will prevent you from getting sick. It is the sort of singular adventures for which we all travel. Not that i didnt want to see lima, but im meeting a friend there to do. Most peru treks like the famous inca trail to machu picchu will increase in altitude as you hike through mountain passes, so it is vitally important to be fully acclimatized before you start any treks. The altitude sickness and other care to have in machu picchu. Im planning to go in late april but can only leave the states by a certain.
Trek to machu picchu a unique experience of perus number one trek. This is how i avoided crowds in machu picchu, one of the most popular places to visit in peru. Huayna picchu, the peak that looms over the archeological site, rises to a height of 8,920 feet 2,720 meters above sea level. Approach the historical inca trail via a mountaineers route. Altitude sickness, also known as acute mountain sickness ams, can occur at heights of 2,500 meters 8,200 feet and above. Hey guys, been doing some researching around about altitude sickness and the recommendation of acclimatizing for a couple days in cuzco before starting the inca trail. Either way, figuring out the best route can be difficult, especially as many of the multiday treks have limited places available. Not only because of the rampant beauty you will encounter, but also because of the lack of people. Even you may start with staying at machu picchu, then ollantaytambo, then pisac and finally at cusco, since cusco is at the highest elevation. You will have the best opportunity to see the typical andean landscape up to the snowcapped mountains. The stunning inca trail through the peruvian andes to machu picchu is an exciting mixture of peruvian culture and mountain adventure. The gateway to machu picchu is the old inca capital of cusco, and from here you can hike through the mountains or take the scenic train as close to the base of machu picchu as possible. Each time i arrive in cusco, it gets easier to acclimate. I am in the beginning stages of planning a trip to peru and am interested in doing a 4day3night trek on.
Im thinking of doing the 5 day inca trail as my husbands not keen on early starts, and supposedly. What is the altitude for inca trail to machu picchu. Best trails to machu picchu 3 day kondor path tours. How to plan cusco, the sacred valley and machu picchu. This south america adventure tour includes two nights of acclimatization in cusco before the trek, the complete 4 days salkantay trail to machu picchu with an overnight by machu picchu in the town of aguas calientes machu picchu pueblo and back to cusco for a last night.
The salkantay trek is almost twice as long as the inca trail to machu picchu 51mi compared to 26mi and reaches a higher altitude 15,215ft rather than,800ft. In the following lines youll find important information for the inca trail to. I know this topic has been done a lot, but i would like peoples thoughts on my idea, and suggestions gladly accepted as well. Enjoy the most exclusive and luxurious service, aboard the hiram bingham train that has pullman cars of the twenties, on the way you will get the incredible and extraordinary views of the valleys, terraces of inca. Trail to machu picchu will increase in altitude as you hike through mountain passes, so it is vitally important to be fully acclimatized before you start any treks. To minimize altitude sickness, take it easy when you arrive to cusco. If the passengers visit only machu picchu, the guided tour is two hours, but if they go up to huayna picchu mountain or machu picchu mountain, the passengers will only have an introduction for an hour at machu picchu. Best day hikes in the sacred valley near cusco kimkim. At such a high altitude, it is essential we acclimatize so that we can fully appreciate this amazing country and civilization. My advise is to try preacclimate as well as possible in cuzco sacred valley before trekking you should then be absolutely fine on the trek itself.
The days necessary to make a trip like this are 4, although it can be done up in 3 days, the best way to travel places like the ones you will see in machu picchu and the sacred valley of the incas is with patience. Either way, figuring out the best route can be difficult, especially as many of. Acclimatizingmachu picchu fodors travel talk forums. How long to adjust to high altitude, cusco and machu picchu. There are many people who make trips to machu picchu, sometimes only one day, but if you have more time available, we will teach you to plan that dream trip to cusco the sacred valley and machu picchu. The most popular mountain in the cordillera blanca peru. How to manage the altitude in cusco and altitude sickness at.
This is an excellent way to get to machu picchu, as you will see some of the andes best scenery, before descending into high. Inca trail trek preparations a visitors guide to the inca. Acclimating to machu picchu huayna picchu, the peak that looms over the archeological site, rises to a height of 8,920 feet 2,720 meters above sea level. Acclimatization activities cordillera blanca andinotrek. We visit in 3 days expedition the inca trail, machu picchu, the famous rainbow mountain with the red valley. At the top of machu picchu mountain you look down on huayna picchu and when its clear you can even see snowcapped mountains in the distance, our expert guide fabricio ortiz said during an interview for an article featured in living in peru theres a much better panoramic view at the top of machu picchu mountain and it takes just a little difference in time. According to many experts, the inca trail to machu picchu is one of the worlds most famous hikes. You may stay one night there, then visit cusco, which is at 11500 feet. It does reach an altitude of more than 4200m around midnight at pampa galeras between nazca and abancay, and stays at that altitude for hours, which can cause altitude sickness, made worse by uncomfortable sleep and motion sickness. Altitude sickness generally starts affecting people at 8,000 feet or higher, so machu picchu isnt really the potential problemcusco is. While fatalities are rare, many travelers will experience mild forms of altitude sickness in peru. Like if you have to go to machu picchu, you may start with visiting sacred valley. Oct 01, 2019 the gateway to machu picchu is the old inca capital of cusco, and from here you can hike through the mountains or take the scenic train as close to the base of machu picchu as possible.
This trek takes you through many different types of landscapes. One of the most popular, wellknown treks in the world. Most travelers heading to machu picchu stay in cusco for at least a day or two before making their way to the inca citadel, and cusco is located at 3,399 meters 11,152 feet above sea level. The hike itself, which brings you along ancient narrow paths deep into the peruvian countryside and high into the andean mountains, is gorgeous. The reasonable recommendation would be to do the inca trail when you have the time to get properly acclimatized to the altitude 1 day is not enough for acclimatization. Not that i didnt want to see lima, but im meeting a friend there to do a trek. Acclimatization, therefore, remains important for anyone heading to cusco before going to machu picchu. Im planning to go in late april but can only leave the states by a certain date. Inca trail trek preparations what to take on the inca trail to machu picchu peru independent inca trail information for visitors to peru. Hiram bingham luxury train to machu picchu will make you discover with us the magical city of machu picchu. I am in the beginning stages of planning a trip to peru and am interested in doing a 4day3night trek on the inka trail to machu picchu. However, the location of machu picchu makes it possible to present rains at any time of the year, so it is always advisable to carry rain protection. Inca trail 5 days hike to machu picchu treks in cusco. Travel lima to machu picchu allowing for acclimatization.
How to acclimate to the high altitude of machu picchu tripsavvy. The inca trail is the quintessential machu picchu trek and the only one that arrives at the ruins of machu picchu itself. You may feel perfectly fine after one day but often altitude sickness can come on rapidly if you start to exert your body on a trek. Oct 09, 2014 during your visit to the machu picchu, its possible to hike up to the sun gate in about a half hour. The salkantay trek to machu picchu is one of the most famous treks in cusco and it is undoubtedly the best alternative route to experience the original inca paths. Cusco sits at an elevation of 3,399 m 11,152 ft above sealevel, and anyone planning to visit machu picchu must come through cusco first, and cope with the altitude in cusco before going to machu picchu. Pretrek acclimatization machu picchu forum tripadvisor. How high is machu picchu and whats the risk of altitude. The easy way to acclimatize to the altitude of machu picchu. Classic inca trail four days, three nights your fourday hike to the magnificent machu picchu begins at the famous trailhead known as kilometer 82, which is situated halfway between the towns of ollantaytambo and aguas calientes. Inca trail machu picchu acclimatization day youtube. How long did it take you to adjust to the altitude of cusco and machu picchu.
So i will be in bogota for at least 5 full days before heading to peru and will be flying to cuzco. How high is machu picchu and whats the risk of altitude sickness. If you have taken the time to acclimatize properly in cusco, if you take a day trip to machu picchu you shouldnt suffer from altitude sickness at. Physical fitness, age, and gender have no bearing on whether you will get altitude sickness. Even in its mildest form, it has the potential to ruin your trip, forcing you to abandon your travel plans for a day or two while you recover. Bit of a strange question and i dont really know how it works. We believe that this is the ideal way, but it can vary if it comes from very low places, since it needs a previous acclimatization, and this can do it in the sacred valley of the incas, then go. Heres a complete backpacking guide to cusco and machu picchu.
You must email us a scanned copy or photograph of your passport immediately after you have booked your tour. The best thing you can do before traveling through cusco or machu picchu is to spend the extra time allowing your body to acclimatize to its new altitude. Everything you need to know like things to do in cusco, best time to visit machu picchu and how to have machu picchu all to yourself. When you arrive in cusco, particularly if you have flown in directly from lima, you should try to set aside at least 24 hours to acclimate to the new altitude, during. The best combination includes sacred valley as days of acclimatization and then salkantay machu picchu trek in the cusco region and finally pisco climbing at 5,752m. Once you hit this altitude, there is a real risk of illness and, in extreme cases, death. Should i give myself more days to adapt before starting the machu picchu hike. The bus from lima to cusco is the worst you could do. Jan 15, 2019 how many days do i need to visit cusco, the sacred valley and machu picchu.
Salkantay trek salkantay trek to machu picchu, salkantay. This is why its actually smart to start your peru tour in machu picchu and explore the rest of the sacred valley later to allow some time for acclimatization. Hiram bingham luxury train to machu picchu inkayni peru. In just the last 2 3 years mountain biking in peru has really advanced, and there are now some excellent tour operators which operate many different trips, using top quality equipment and guides. Been doing some researching around about altitude sickness and the recommendation of acclimatizing for a couple days in cuzco before starting the inca trail.
However, due to its popularity, the peruvian government has placed restrictions to 500 trekkers per day including guides and porters. Everything you need to know about visiting machu picchu. Hiram bingham luxury train to machu picchu inkayni peru tours. The drug diamox is often used by many visitors to speed the acclimatization process and counter the symptoms of soroche. Most of the best mountain biking opportunities exist around cusco, where the abundance of mountains offer many paved and single track opportunities.
Its best to prevent with acclimatization, getting used to the low levels of oxygen. Trek to machu picchu 7 days through the classic inca trail. We have divided the packing list to machu picchu in sections. Hiram bingham luxury train to machu picchu fullday, will make you discover with us the magical city of machu picchu. How to acclimate to the high altitude of machu picchu. During your visit to the machu picchu, its possible to hike up to the sun gate in about a half hour. Inca trail trek preparations a visitors guide to the. No matter how fit you are, this unesco world historic site is located at an altitude of 2,430 meters 7,972 feet above sea level. Machu picchu is only at 8000 feet, so may be you can finished the whole tour safely. Cusco, the gateway city before your trek to machu picchu, is located at an elevation of 3,399m 11,152 feet above sea level. Mar 04, 2019 machu picchu is almost 1,000 meters lower than cusco. How to prevent altitude sickness in peru how to peru. The altitude sickness primarily caused by the rarity of oxygen at high levels. There are suitable hotels at pisac, urubamba and chinchero, so staying there is not a problem.
Several tour operators now offer combined mountain biking and hiking tours to machu picchu, entering machu picchu by the backdoor through the small jungle village of santa teresa. That means that many popular attractions in peru fall under this category, including the city of cusco and the popular rainbow mountain. Before coming, know that the rainy season in cusco and machu picchu goes from november to march, the rest of the time the climate is dry. Machu picchus altitude is significantly lower at 7,972 ft 2,430 meters. Our flight from lima arrives in cusco very early on a monday morning taca flight. The salkantay trek to machu picchu is an alternative to the inca trail. The inca trail to machu picchu needs to be experienced to be believed. Cusco acclimatization and cusco archeological tour. The short version of the inca trail to machu picchu is one of the iconic routes of peru and south america. We present one of the best combinations of outdoor adventures in the andes of cusco. The sheer size and extent of the inca culture is breathtaking and inspiring. The salkantay trek to machu picchu is a longer and more difficult route than the classic inca trail but, because it does not require a guide or a permit, it is quickly becoming a popular alternative. It is considered by most to be the best alternative route. This does mean its more physically challenging than the inca trail.
Machu picchu is open yearround, but october to april is the rainy season, and therefore it has the fewest visitors. We begin the 5 day inca trail hike 4 days later on the friday. It is a 25 minutes bus ride to machu picchu 2,430 m7,972 ft. Again, you do not need special training, gear, or acclimatization for a mild trek or tour. Today as it gets light, we will catch an early bus up to the magnificent city of machu picchu, to enjoy the city at a quieter time of day when there are fewer people. On reaching heights above 3000m, heart pounding and shortness of breath are a normal response to the lack of oxygen in the air. Inca trail 5 days to machu picchu is recommended for families with children because it allows for better acclimatization to altitude and distance. Im flying to lima feb 28 and then immediately onto cusco and the next day to machu picchu, to begin hiking the next day. Machu picchu altitude and how to prevent altitude sickness. The inconvenience of rain is offset by the lack to tourists, and it is worth. The first arrival, i had a pounding headache for five days, though it wasnt so bad that i couldnt do activities. However, for some visitors these symptoms can deteriorate into a conditions known as soroche or acute mountain sickness when you can start to experience headaches, loss of appetite, extreme tiredness, sleeplessne. We offer a wide range of beautiful acclimatization hikes and adventure sports in the cordillera blanca, so you are well prepared for the altitude and ready for multiday treks and climbs.
1670 516 556 523 1372 1332 1212 774 429 1163 416 112 1165 405 1021 229 1223 1531 1416 134 762 1658 1361 1036 540 483 1576 700 1272 385 1130 1332 859 1472 784 1131