What level of fitness is needed for the short Inca Trail?

hi everyone, and so glad Voyage Forum is back up and running! my partner and I, along with some friends, are planning a trip to Peru in May 2025. I’ve got some questions about the Machu Picchu excursion. we’re in our 60s and 70s, and while we’re pretty fit at European altitudes, I’m a bit worried about hiking above 2,500 m! that’s why we didn’t hesitate to skip the 4-day Inca Trail trek. but I’m wondering about the 2-day "short Inca Trail" offered by some agencies—basically one day of hiking with visits to a few sites, and the second day, the classic Machu Picchu visit. has anyone done it? do you need to be in top shape? thanks for your tips

Hi Alain, I didn’t do this trek during our trip to Peru in 2017 (if you’re curious, I recount everything in my travel journal here: https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=7776366;#7776366).

The main issue you might face is altitude sickness (or *Soroche* there), which often kicks in above 3,000m. Everyone reacts differently, though…

The best way to prevent it is acclimatization. If you fly straight from France to Cusco (which is already at 3,000m!) and tackle the Inca Trail right away, it *can* be problematic—even dangerous. But if you take the time to acclimate by gradually ascending from Lima, your body will adjust. Slowly but surely.

Personally, I struggled with it in Puno, but that’s at 3,800m…

Local tip: use Coca tea and *Mounia*—it’s a game-changer! !

Thanks for your reply. We’ll already be acclimatized since we’ll have been in Peru for two weeks. Plus, last year we were on the Tibetan plateau at over 3,000 m (10,000 ft) without too many issues. Best regards

Thanks for your reply. We’ll be acclimatized since we’ll have been in Peru for two weeks. Plus, last year we were on the Tibetan plateau at over 3,000 m without too many issues. Best regards

So I think the trek won’t be a problem for you. Just double-check in the many agency descriptions that the elevation changes aren’t beyond your limits. Have a great trip—you’re going to love it!!

Access via the Inca Trail lets you discover the site from above. The trail isn't too difficult, and if you're able to handle 4 days of hiking with 800m of elevation gain per day in the Alps, you should be fine. Anyway, you'll arrive first in Cusco (airport) where you'll need to acclimatize to the altitude at 3,400m (there's plenty to see there), which means 800m lower should be manageable. Very few people have altitude issues below 3,000m.

In short, it all depends on the time you spend in Peru and how you organize your trip. If you have some time, I'd recommend starting your trip with 2-3 days in Arequipa at 2,400m before heading to Cusco at 3,400m (between the two, the Colca Canyon is also a classic spot to see the great condor). If you're worried about altitude, avoid Vinicunca, or do like we did—save those magical landscapes for the end of your stay when you're well acclimatized, because hiking between 4,500m and 5,100m can be tough. (We did 3 weeks in Peru-Bolivia 5 years ago)

Our route was: Arequipa (2,400m) – Colca Canyon (3,200m-2,200m) – Titicaca (3,800m) – La Paz (3,200m-3,700m) – Uyuni – Sud-Lípez (around 4,000m) – La Paz – Cusco and Machu Picchu.

Magical—have a great trip

thanks. acclimatization is well planned...

Thanks for your reply. We’ll be acclimatized since we’ll have been in Peru for two weeks. Plus, last year we were on the Tibetan plateau at over 3,000 m without too many issues. Best regards

Hi,

So there shouldn’t be any problem. AMS (acute mountain sickness) doesn’t seem to change with age. (Though it *can* be unpredictable.) We did the Salkantay trek, which at the time didn’t require any special permit. I talk about it on my blog if you’re interested.

Hello. I spent a month in Peru. I arrived from San Sebastián to Lima, then connected to Arequipa to acclimatize since the city is at about 2,300m. I stayed eight days, then took a 45-minute flight to Cusco. The city is at 3,300m–3,700m. Perfect acclimatization in the first city. I always do it this way with an intermediate altitude. One day of sightseeing in Cusco, visiting the Inca temple I’d already seen 20 years ago. Then headed to Palcooyo and Vinicunca, which is at 5,200m, with no problems despite my age (77). Visited all the high-altitude sites I hadn’t seen before. Took a little walk to Laguna Huamentay. Gorgeous. In short, I recommend all travelers start with an intermediate altitude, and Arequipa is a great choice. When I visited Bolivia, I opted for progressive acclimatization, which allowed me to go up to over 6,000m. If you have issues, don’t hesitate to turn back—it’s happened to me before. Enjoy this country and CUSCO! PS: Always been into mountains, often solo. Visited volcanoes in Ecuador. Gérard

Thanks, that's encouraging! 😊

Then heading to Palcooyo and then Vinicunca, which is at 5,200 m, without any issues despite my age (77). Visited all the high-altitude sites I hadn’t seen before.

Hi, We all react differently to altitude. It seems, in fact, that the effects of AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) aren’t directly linked to fitness levels or age. As you mentioned, the most important thing is to acclimatize properly by taking it step by step. Personally, I struggled a bit with it when I was younger above 4,000 m, and surprisingly, as I’ve gotten older, I don’t suffer from it anymore—even above 5,000 m. I attribute this to the fact that when you’re young, you tend to push yourself harder and manage your efforts less effectively. With age, you walk more slowly and always stay within your physical limits.

@AlainHP: If you have persistent AMS issues, don’t continue ascending. Just descend 300 m, and everything will be okay again.

Hi there. Whether you're young or old, you should always acclimatize and ascend gradually. Altitude sickness can strike when you least expect it. In Bolivia, on a summit over 6,000m, I felt the effects of altitude at the top. One minute later, I was descending. We’re not all affected the same way. I’ll definitely head back to the cordillera in 2025 if my health allows it. Gérard

Hi Alain, I’m jumping on this post because, like you, we’re heading to Peru for three weeks in May. We’ve already got our flight tickets and booked all our accommodations for the trip. But today, when we tried to buy entry tickets for Machu Picchu, we found out that the access road to the site entrance collapsed over an 8-meter stretch, taking trees with it… which led to the road and site being closed indefinitely.

We’ll be there on May 20th, so in two months. For now, online ticket purchases are blocked. Do you know any other trick to make sure we get two spots for circuit 2B on the day?

Hi there, just letting you know... we’ll be on-site May 12th and 13th, and we still haven’t heard back from the agency we booked with. Alain

Well, we finally managed to buy 2 entry tickets online for the Machu Picchu site. There were no spots left for May 20th or the following days. There were 2 spots left for May 19th at 3 PM, which we immediately took by adjusting our schedule a bit.

All this to say it’s good news because it means the access road has been repaired and everything is back to normal. Safe travels to you all! Danielle

thanks for this great news! 😊