Inca Trail Facts (What You MUST Know About The Inca And The Famous Inca Trail)

Inca Trail Facts: What You Should Know About This Incredible Route

• Since 2001 Inca Trail regulations, permits on the Inca trail are limited to 500 per day; However, about 50 %  of these are booked for guides, cooks, and porters, meaning that only 50 % or less is for hikers from around the world.
• The Inca trail was forgotten, and not even locals would use it again until an American Yale University scholar by the name of Hiram Bingham re-discovered the hints of an ancient trail; while making clearing works at Machu Picchu.
• One of the leading theories about the Inca trail and experts claim it to be, is that the Inca trail was a pilgrimage trail that concluded within the walls of Machu Picchu.
• The Quechua name for the highest point on the Inca Trail is Abra Warmiwañusca, which stands for Dead Woman’s Pass. It goes as high as 4 215 m / 13 000 ft marking the Inca trail milestone. 
• All Inca trail trekkers hike nearly 1000 m / 3 280 ft in a single day which is the second day of hiking, then descend 400 / 1 300 ft meters down for camping.
• It is known as a Dead woman’s pass because when viewed from the valley below, it looks like a woman’s body. By the way, many trekkers tried to reason the name and thought it applied to former woman travelers dying in route. Definitely a fun fact about the Incas that is worth knowing before you hike up here!
• The Incan Trail and communication system, in general, rivaled that of the once Roman Empire. Because as Romans, the Incas also had to transport food supplies throughout the region, which stretched over 27 000 miles long and move the army to the frontiers. Then even built a road for religious purposes as the Inca trail is believed to be, linking Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu.
• The Classic Inca Trail is a diverging branch of a 45,000 km network of Inca roads linking modern-day countries such as Bolivia, Argentina, Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador to Cusco, the ancient capital of the Inca empire.
• You’ll visit a lineup of lesser-known Incan ruins en route that only Inca trail hikers see. There are five in all. More about Inca trail ruins.
• The scenery changes each day, and that gives trekkers a chance to enjoy epic vistas of mountains, mist-shrouded cloud forests, and verdant rain forests near Machu Picchu.
•  On the third day, hiking the Inca trail in the rainy season, the views get obscured and shrouded by constant clouds due to its location. And it can cause an epical sensation, uniqueness to some, and disappointment to others at the Phuyupatamarca site without giving any good sight at all. Know that the name means a place over the clouds; then it is a tribute to its name.
• About three months before Christmas, the Inca Trail permits for the upcoming year are released for sale. It Usually is in early October through the regional ministry of culture institution. Permits for January, March, and April may remain acquirable as it is low season, but when It comes to be May through October, these Inca trail permits are sometimes completely sold out.
• Because the demand is high for this stretch of Inca trail, famous for taking hikers to Machu Picchu wonder, booking at least six months in advance is necessary.
• Hiking the Inca trail in winter, May – September is a good choice, but Not everything is all roses as temperatures in highland can change quickly and radically. Winter temperature may drop as low as  0°C / 32°F. It can get pretty cold during the nights, while the rest of the year it’s slightly warmer but wetter too.
• Park rangers release Llamas for feeding every now and then near the campsites. Non-other Camelids can be found in route, but only Llamas.
• Horses are not allowed on the Inca trail due to the damage they can cause to the ancient stone steps. Additionally, Horses can´t make the narrow trails and slippery stone ladders.

Inca Trail Fun Facts: What To Expect When Hiking The Inca Trail

Now let’s take a look at what you can actually experience when hiking the Inca Trail here in Peru, rather than talking facts about Inca and how they once lived.

See Various Beautiful Biomes

Primarily an Andean civilisation, the Inca thrived in these higher altitude environments, which are typically surrounded by snow-capped mountains and arid Andean passes. When Emperor Pachacutec decided to have Machu Picchu built in such a low-lying forested area, he guaranteed that the hiking route to get here would cross several biomes. As well as towering mountains and high altitude passes, this also included thick jungle, rivers and cloud forests. 

Witness Age-Defying Architecture Along The Inca Trail

Of course Machu Picchu tends to steal all of the thunder, with its various temples, ceremonial centres and other attractive buildings. However, the Inca Trail also houses many other remarkable remote ruins. This includes Wiñay Wayna which had steep terraces that were used to grow several crops like Quinoa and Potatoes, as well as Sayaqmarca which was an important control centre to identify who attempted to access Machu Picchu. Definitely one of the more interesting facts about Inca, and what they were able to create.

Experience Various Altitudes And Their Effects Along The Inca Trail

Although people nowadays certainly don’t hike the Inca Trail for its altitude (nor did the Inca most likely), it is interesting to see how things become easier and more difficult with inclining and declining in altitude. When hiking up to the Dead Woman’s Pass on the second day (up at 4215m – the highest point of the Inca Trail), we can note how oxygen is less available, and how walking becomes more difficult. On the contrary, during the fourth day when we walk down into Machu Picchu (2430m), breathing becomes much easier given the lower altitude and abundance of vegetation here. Definitely something to keep in mind as we hike the incredible four day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu route.

See Many Endemic Fauna And Flora Native To The Andean Regions

The hike from the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu isn’t just a historical one – it’s also filled with beautiful nature along the way which we can often see during the Inca Trail trek. It’s common to see wild flocks of Llamas and Alpacas on the route, and if you happen to spot a Black Llama then that is extra lucky, as it was symbolic for the Inca, who used to sacrifice them to appease the gods. Giant Hummingbirds, Spectacled Bears and Snakes can be found within the lower jungle regions, whilst the Andean Condor can also be seen soaring overhead.

What Are 4 Interesting Facts About The Inca Trail?

Interesting Fact 1: The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu section was never found by the Spanish, or at the very least was ignored as they may have thought it was irrelevant to explore. This is why ancient sites like Machu Picchu were never discovered until more recently.

Interesting Fact 2: The actual name of the larger Inca Trail network (that leads all throughout South America) is Qhapaq Ñan, which is a native Quechua word. El Camino Inca was the Spanish name given to this route once it was subsequently discovered in 1911.

Interesting Fact 3: With over 1500m difference in altitude gain and elevations along the Inca Trail, this means that we will experience all kinds of different biomes and conditions. This includes remote Andean peaks, indigenous settlements as well the various cloud forests that are home to lots of exotic wildlife.

Interesting Fact 4: The stone steps found along the entire walkable Inca Trail section are all original, laid just as the Inca civilisation once did before using this important path. This means sections can sometimes be slippery (especially in the wet season), so make sure you wear high quality hiking boots!

Inca Trail Facts FAQ

Below we’ll now answer some of the frequent questions we get about the most interesting facts about the Inca Trail, as well as anything else important that you need to know.

What Are Some Cool Interesting Facts About The Inca?

One of the most impressive facts has to be how advanced their communication systems were along the Inca Trail. With the full Inca route stretching over 27,000 miles long (from Northern Argentina to Colombia), this paved path allowed important messages to be relayed to important sites and centres – all whilst remaining undetected given the remote mountainous setting.

Why Is The Inca Trail So Special?

Just the history alone of the Inca Trail makes it really special, however there is more than what first meets the eye about this sacred route. This includes the spiritual significance that the surrounding Andes Mountains held to this impressive civilisation, as well as other fun facts about the Incas such as how they communicated with different settlements along the Inca Trail.

How Old Is The Inca Trail?

The Inca Trail was built in the 15th Century under the command of Emperor Pachacutec, making this route some 600-700 years old. Despite this it has remained in almost perfect condition since it was never discovered by the Spanish Empire, where both the stone path and various ancient archaeological ruins (such as Intipata, Sayaqmarca and Wiñay Wayna) remain in almost perfect condition.

What 3 Things Are Inca Famous For?

There are many incredible facts about Inca, however here we’ll summarise three of the most important. Firstly, the Inca are most famous for constructing Machu Picchu, which remains Peru’s most popular destination. Secondly, the Inca civilisation are well-known for their age-defying stonemasonry skills, where they could perfectly fit together giant stones. Thirdly, the Inca Empire stretched as far down south as Argentina and as far north as Colombia, during its peak years.

How Long Did Incas Last?

Despite having achieved so much during their peak years here in South America, relatively they lasted quite a short time. The Inca Empire first established in the 12th century from several pre-Inca groups, whilst they fell in the mid 15th century. With only a couple of hundred years of ruling, it really is fascinating to consider everything that they were able to construct and achieve during this short time.

What Is A Sad Fact About The Incas?

Although the Inca were centuries ahead of their time in terms of agriculture, stonemasonry and astronomy, unfortunately they weren’t properly equipped to deal with advanced warfare tactics. This meant that when the Spanish arrived with guns and other iron weapons, the Inca were not able to successfully repel their attacks – which ultimately led to their downfall.

Overview Of Inca Trail Facts

And that all for this guide on the most interesting facts about the Inca Trail, as well as some fun facts about the Incas who once roamed this ancient mountainous path.

Long forgotten since the Spanish Empire took over Peru, the Inca Trail was subsequently re-discovered only a hundred years ago. Since then many hikers have taken to the remote trail which leads to Machu Picchu, enjoying breathtaking landscapes whilst also learning some cool interesting facts about the Inca civilization along the journey.

Are you still looking to learn more about the ancient Inca Trail? Be sure to read our Ultimate Inca Trail Guide where we cover everything you need to know about this trek, as well as how to best prepare for it.