Needless to say the scenery on the Inca Trail in the Andes mountains is spectacular. I strongly recommend hiking the trail over 4 days, as opposed to arriving by bus at Macchu Picchu.
Your day will begin early, as you take a shuttle to kilometer 77, where the hike begins. After getting your permits from the warden at km 77, you'll cross a suspension bridge over the Urubamba River, and you are off on your way. At this point you are at about 2,600 metres (8,500 feet), and the scenery is already amazing.
You'll pass smaller ruins within a couple of hours of beginning your hike. Depending on which company you are hiking with (I recommend Peru Expeditions, which only books about 15 people in your party), you may stay at several campsites along the way. My first night was at Wayllabamba at about 3,100 metres (10,100 feet). Dusk was beautiful from the campsite, but boy was it cold overnight.
