Inca Trail in January

Inca trail in January goes in line with the peak rainy season in the region. This is the wettest month of the year for Cusco and the highlands are loaded with heavy cloud cover and a hefty average of rainfall. Although it doesn’t rain all day, it rains somewhere in the afternoon and at night, better to get up early and arrive early at the camps. In this summer season, the Inca trail sees fewer people as well as Machu Picchu, among other popular routes. Naturally, you can deal with cheaper tour packages, and hotel prices can be lower.

Did you know that only AB Expeditions (Local Travel Company) provides proper trekking gear to their porters? Also, they provide satellite phones and a private toilet tent on their Inca Trail trips. Book your Inca trail 4 days with them!

Things to know

Once New Year and Christmas crowds have decreased, there will be fewer tourists hiking the classic Inca trail.
January is one of the rainiest times of year to hike the Inca Trail but it is also one of the warmest months in the Andes.
Historically most landslides occur in Late January.
The general rainy season pattern in January is that heavy rain comes in the afternoons.
Rain: On average, rain falls 20 days of the month.
Temperature: ranges between 6.1 and 20-celsius degrees. (43 and 68 ° F).

Pros

Because of the rain, flora will be thriving along the Inca Trail so you’ll be able to spot many beautiful orchids.
See water cascades tumbling down through the rocky slopes.
In January, the Inca trail has nothing to compare with the overcrowded route that you will find in the winter season.
Enjoy this famous route with the calm that the summer gives.
Chance to get Inca trail permits, sometimes even upon arrival to Cusco.
Perfect weather for shooting a timelapse of clouds.
Witness some incredible Rainbow phenomenon.
The sun still comes out between the showers.
You can take pictures of the mountain in the mist.

Cons

The constant rain makes the stairs slippery and consequently unsafe.
The campsites are located usually along the hillside, and with heavy rain humidity, the soil can slide down.
Heavy rainfall in the afternoons.
if it rains heavily, there’s a high chance of your tent getting flooded.
The Sun Gate is obscured by mist constantly so you won’t have the first glimpse of the lost city of the Incas.
Train tracks from Aguas Calientes can be blocked by a mudslide.
The views are extremely limited because of the thick mist.

Recommendations

Don’t book your flight ticket for the same day that you are returning from the Inca Trail because train delays are very common in January.
If you are thinking of hiking the Inca Trail in January, we recommend you do it in the first two weeks of January because in the last two weeks of January, there is a high chance to get rain every day.
We don’t recommend you to book in advance for January, there is always availability. You can book one month in advance without any problem.
Well-made rain gear for the trek is definitely necessary. There is nothing worse than hiking for hours soaking wet.
Bring a dry bag for smartphones and other devices.
We don’t recommend to book for the last 2 weeks of January.

Do you have a rough idea of when the permits for January sell out by?

For the first week of January, the permits run out 1 month in advance. This is primarily due to the fact that many Peruvians and travelers from Latin American countries opt to embark on the Inca Trail during this time, coinciding with their New year vacation schedules However, the permits never run out for the last 3 weeks of January because the rain gets worse.