Comparing Experiences to Machu Picchu: Inca Trail vs Inca Jungle

Ultima actualización en 5 November, 2024 por Waman Adventures

Last Updated on 5 November, 2024 by Waman Adventures

Ready to explore through the mysterious land of the Incas? Welcome to our informative blog! Today, we will take you on an exciting tour of two of the most legendary adventurous routes in Peru: the famous Inca Trail vs Inca Jungle. Are you wondering which of these two options best meets your adventurous spirit? You are in the right place to find out.

Imagine gliding along ancient hiking trails like the Inca Trail, revered for its historical heritage and breathtaking views and exclusivity; or on the Inca Jungle, a route full of adrenaline, where the mountains and the jungle intertwine in a wild embrace.

But do not worry! Just scroll down and start exploring, learning, and discussing the differences between these two ways to get to Machu Picchu, or which one will surprise you more!

WHAT IS THE INCA TRAIL?

The Inca Trail is an ancestral network built by the Inca Empire and part of the Qhapaq Ñan. This route starts at km 82, near the Piskacucho village, and ends at the majestic Machu Picchu.

The Inca Trail is one of the most popular treks to undertake. This small patch connects to Machu Picchu and is roughly 44 km or 27 miles.

Highlight of the Inca Trail

WHAT IS INCA JUNGLE HIKE?

The Inca Jungle hike is an exciting adventure route, where adrenaline-filled activities are carried out, such as mountain biking, rafting, trekking, and zip lining, which takes you to one of the wonders of the world, Machu Picchu. This route is one of the most popular treks to visit Machu Picchu, and unlike traditional treks, it allows you to cross diverse landscapes and is designed for people with an adventurous spirit and lovers of excitement. The Inca Jungle trek is one of the most popular adventure routes in order to reach the majestic Machu Picchu.

INCA TRAIL VS INCA JUNGLE HIKE – TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS ON THE INCA TRAIL

History is present on the entire Inca Trail. Along the way, the attractions are purely cultural, which will leave you very impressed by their locations and meanings. In the meantime, prepare your body and expectations while hiking for original ancient paths.

PATALLACTA

It’s the first cultural attraction you’ll come across on the first day of hiking, also known as the upper town, the town on the hills.

RUNKURAKAY

It was an urban and religious center, where the Incas took control of the travelers in the direction of Machu Picchu. It has a circular shape and is small in size.

SAYACMARCA

Also known as the “standing or dominant town.”

PHUYUPATAMARCA

This place is also known as the city above the clouds. Why? Upon reaching this place, you will be inside the clouds exactly.

CHACHABAMBA (SHORT INCA TRAIL)

Only if you hike the short Inca Trail, you’ll be able to reach, visit and explore this place. The short Inca Trail begins at KM 104 beside the railway. It is believed that this place was dedicated to water and is considered a secondary gate that guarded the entrance to Machu Picchu.

WIÑAYHUANA

This place has beautiful views of the Urubamba River and Wiñayhuayna, which means forever young due to its abundance of orchids surrounding it.

Cultural attraction along the Inca Trail

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS ON THE INCA JUNGLE HIKE

The Inca Jungle route offers natural attractions that are the perfect companions during adventure activities and give a magical touch to the entire route, always accompanied by nature.

ABRA MALAGA PASS

It’s the highest point on the tour at 4,316 m / 14,160 ft ASL. Also, it’s the exact location from where you’ll start biking down to the valley to Huamanmarca. The habitat at this level is wet puna grassland because these mountains split the cloud forest and the Andean zone.

URUBAMBA RIVER

This white water river, in the dry season, allows tourists to do rafting. Its water and waves are considered really challenging, especially in the rainy season.

CLOUD FOREST

The cloud forest is a humid and ever-green habitat. It is home to a wide bird or mammal biodiversity.

COCALMAYO HOT SPRINGS

The Cocalmayo hot springs are a place to relax and enjoy, surrounded by vegetation and next to a river. It is a popular destination to relax and connect with nature.

These are the attractions that accompany the Inca Jungle route.

TOURIST ATTRACTION THAT SHARES THE INCA TRAIL AND INCA JUNGLE

MACCHU PICCHU LLAQTA

At the end, both get to Machu Picchuy Llaqta. It’s one of the wonders of the world, and it’s worth it to visit.

Photography of our Waman Adventures travelers in Machupicchu.

HOW TO BOOK? INCA TRAIL OR INCA JUNGLE

The booking process through Waman Adventures is easy. However, we recommend reading the whole information about inclusions and policies before making a reservation. I recommend to give relevance to planning ahead of time since spaces are limited for the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu. Also, make sure you are prepared for the season you plan to travel.

BOOK THE INCA TRAIL

STEP 1: CHOOSE A RELIABLE TRAVEL AGENCY

Remember that you must be careful when choosing a travel agency because not all have the permits to operate legal tours, especially the Inca Trail. I recommend checking the reviews of travelers who have hired the services of the agency you are considering. Waman Adventures could be one of your options because we have all the permits and necessary logistics to make this trip a unique experience.

STEP 2: CONTACT THE AGENCY

Once you have found or chosen an agency that meets permits and legal authorization, you can continue to contact them. Generally, Peruvian travel agencies usually use WhatsApp, Messenger, email, or phone calls to send and keep in touch with their customers.

STEP 3: CONFIRM AVAILABILITY AND RESERVATION

After checking the availability of Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail, you are almost done with the research. If you still have doubts, you can ask the host agency for details until you are sure about the information. Important! To do the Inca Trail, we recommend you make a reservation at least 3 to 4 months in advance since the Inca Trail has just 500 permits per day.

STEP 4: MAKE PAYMENT

Please note that booking policies and prices may vary between agencies, so make sure to understand everything. Some travel agencies need pre-booking or a percentage of the total trek amount. Take your time to do your own research and make sure you are making the best decision based on your needs and expectations.

BOOKING THE INCA JUNGLE

STEP 1: CHOOSE A RELIABLE TRAVEL AGENCY

Remember, your choice will be crucial to attempt the Inca Jungle Trek. The chosen travel agency must be reliable and safe, like Waman Adventures. So, before choosing one, I recommend checking the reviews of people who have made for this company.

STEP 2: CONTACT THE AGENCY

Once you have chosen a travel agency, contact them to check availability. Peruvian travel agencies often use emails, WhatsApp, Messenger, or direct phone calls.

STEP 3: CONFIRM AVAILABILITY, PERMITS AND RESERVATION

Make sure the dates you desire to travel are available. If you have questions about the service or any other concerns, feel free to ask them. When you are satisfied with the information, proceed to confirm your reservation.

NOTE: You must know that the Inca Jungle Trek must be booked at least 2 months in advance due to limited tickets to Machu Picchu and also the desired travel date.

STEP 4: MAKE PAYMENT

The payment method is up to the chosen travel agency. Some of them request a certain percentage advance or full trek payment. Make sure you understand the agency’s payment policies and any additional details.

Follow these steps! You will be on your way to live a unique experience and explore one of the wonders of Peru, Machu Picchu.

INCA TRAIL VS INCA JUNGLE – AVAILABILITY

Without entrance tickets to the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu, these tours are not available.

The Inca Trail, being a more popular trek than the Inca Jungle, has greater demand that you should consider. On the other hand, the Inca Trail has only 500 entrance permits per day, whereas the Inca Jungle is subject to Machu Picchu’s entrance tickets, which are 4000 per day. For this reason, many travelers usually make their reservations at least 3 – 4 months in advance.

Tickets to Machupicchu and the Inca Trail have maximum capacity. Try to reserve them in advance. Remember! Be careful with the mentioned entrance tickets because they are essential in order to book one of them.

DIFFICULTY OF THE INCA TRAIL VS INCA JUNGLE

Difficulty is a detail that we should consider as something minor while trekking. The most important is to enjoy the experience, which will remain engraved in our memories. The experience of exploring Machu Picchu is already a great achievement since it is considered one of the seven wonders of the world. So do not worry about it, but below I will show you the difficulty of each trek:

INCA TRAIL DIFFICULTY

The Inca Trail has a moderate to challenging level of difficulty. However, the experience of trekking through mountainous terrain, with steep slopes and cobblestone steps, makes it all worth it. Above all, to live the experience of reaching one of its highest points, such as the Warmihuañusca Pass, which is over 4,000 m / 13,123 ft ASL.

INCA JUNGLE DIFFICULTY

This trek has an easy-moderate difficulty level. Although it is not as challenging as the Inca Trail, it requires a certain degree of physical endurance or, in short, an acceptable physical condition. This tour meets more than hiking activities before reaching Machu Picchu.

SIMILARITIES BETWEEN INCA TRAIL AND LARES TREK

ALTITUDES

Are you worried about the altitude? These treks are not located at relatively high altitudes, because their activities are carried out and the places visited are above 1,000 m / 3,280 ft ASL and below 3,000 m / 9,842 ft ASL on average.

• Fun fact: Both treks have their highest points almost the same.
• Inca Jungle Trek (Abra Málaga Pass): It is roughly 4,316 m / 14,160 ft ASL.
• Inca Trail (Warmihuañusca Pass): It’s 4,215 m / 13,828 ft ASL.

Warmihuañusca is the highest point on the Inca Trail, whereas Abra Malaga is in the Inca Jungle.

LOCATION

These two treks are traced within the Cusco region, which is a sacred land because of its history written by the Incas culture. Just standing up in the city makes you feel and experience different feelings and thoughts. Both treks have different routes, however, they share a single achievement: Machu Picchu.

Main Square of Cusco City

IMPORTANCE OF BOOKING IN ADVANCE

The importance of booking in advance is highly recommended. Many people focus their interest on hiking the Inca Trail mostly, but that doesn’t mean the Inca Jungle is not as popular as the Inca Trail.

I must say booking the Inca Trail in advance is the only way you’ll get some space and opportunities to challenge it. Furthermore, you need to book at least 3 months in advance, and it’s even longer if you want to hike in May, June, July, or August.

Considering the Inca Jungle, this tour runs and is linked with the 4000 entrance tickets of Machu Picchu. Then, if you have not been able to get an Inca Trail ticket, you’ll have some chances with the Inca Jungle.

Tickets to Machu Picchu

DANGERS ON THE ROUTE

Dangerous situations happen and exist everywhere. There have been accidents along these routes in the wet season due to landslides, overflowed rivers, and rockslides. Nevertheless, most of the time the routes are safe. Also, travel companies must protect the integrity of their clients and collaborators by using and taking a First Aid Kit everywhere they work. People fall over just because of the slippery trails in the rainy season, or not paying attention to their group leader.

Something important in order to avoid this dangerous situation is clothing. Clothing is part of the experience and could save your life. A good trekking or hiking shoes grip very strong avoiding falling over and making your hike more comfortable. Trekking poles provide you more security and also reduce the weight feeling at the end of any hiking day.

Follow the safety instructions given by your tour leaders or guides.

Do you remember something about altitude sickness? I recommend proper acclimatization, especially for the Inca Trail hike, before chasing these activities. Abra Malaga and Warmi Wañuska Passes are locations where everyone can feel sick due to altitude.

HIKING AND TREKKING

Hiking and trekking are the main activities along the four or five days of the Inca Trail. You’ll be spending the nights in tents, witnessing dawns and sunsets while trekking before reaching Machu Picchu.

On the other hand, along the Inca Jungle, you’ll be hiking through coffee, bananas, and tea fields, but before you’ll be rafting rivers bravely and descending from the highest point of the tour by biking.

I would recommend the Inca Jungle if you are traveling with children who have learned to drive a bike or like adrenaline.

A Waman Adventures group while hiking on the Inca Trail.

VISIT TO MACHU PICCHU

Indeed, both get to Machu Picchu on the last day. You’ll explore and discover Machu Picchu after finishing and challenging 4 days of hiking or other activities like rafting and biking instead of just getting to it directly by train or a classic full day tour.

Waman Adventure group at Machu Picchu

We hope that this comparison between the Inca Trail vs Inca Jungle has helped you to visualize the different experiences and angles. Now, it’s up to you to decide which one meets at best your tastes and desires for adventure.

Which option would you choose? The answer is in your hands, and both routes will give you unforgettable family or solo memories. Do you prefer the serenity and historical legacy of the Inca Trail vs Inca Jungle? The choice is yours! Venture out and discover your own path in this little paradise!