We hiked the 4-day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and spent so much time before leaving researching what to pack and what not to bring, how we should train and what to expect. We had an amazing experience and felt the biggest sense of accomplishment on that final day when we reached Machu Picchu! Here is my female packing list for hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu to help you know what is worth bringing and what to leave home!
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Obviously this packing list depends slightly on how you’re getting to Machu Picchu. If you’re taking the train you don’t need all the hiking gear. If you’re doing a 2 or 3 day hike your schedule might look a little different but you’ll generally need all the same items!
It also depends on what your trekking company is going to provide you with. We went with Alpaca Expeditions and they provided us with a tent, air mattress, sleeping bag and all our food and water from breakfast on the first day to breakfast on the last day. After identifying what will be provided to you, its easier to then determine what you need to bring.
- It’s important to note there are restrictions on weight for what you’re bringing. We were each given a duffle bag, to be carried by the porters to the camp site each day, that could weigh no more than 7 kilograms. The sleeping bag and pillow took up 3 kg of that meaning I could bring 4 kg of my own items to put in the duffle bag.
- Then in your backpack theoretically you can choose how little or how much you want to bring, however, that’s what you will be carrying and hiking with each day. So it’s not recommended to make that super heavy.
We loved Cusco, Peru so much! Check out our guide to this beautiful mountain city!
Duffle Bag for Machu Picchu
To make it easier, I’m going to go through everything I put in the duffle bag and then everything that I carried in my backpack. The night before we started our trek, Alpaca Expeditions gave us each a duffle bag to pack and have ready for the next morning. Each day from then on we packed it in the morning and then got it back at night when we got to our camp site. So make sure the items you pack in the duffle bag are items you won’t need during the day.
Clothing
Underwear- 5
Even though we weren’t showering it felt really good to change clothes when we were done hiking for the day. That combined with a wipe shower, we really didn’t even feel that gross even on day 4!
Bras- 3
I wore this Lululemon Free to be Wild Sports Bra and then brought a second one so I could switch off each day.
Then I brought a bralette to wear at night at the camp site to let my hiking clothes air out a bit. I probably could have managed with one sports bra but I was thinking if I got really sweaty one day it would be nice to have an alternative. It really depends on how long you’re going to be hiking for and your personal preferences.
Shirts- 3
I brought 2 hiking shirts again to be able to alternate each day. I really like the Lululemon Love Crew because it holds its shape after a few wears but also covers my shoulders. Inside the duffle bag I packed a second hiking shirt as well as a shirt to wear at night. It was really nice to have a clean shirt to wear once at camp. I would definitely recommend bringing one!
- Make sure whatever shirt you plan on wearing while hiking works with your backpack. I was planning on bringing a tanktop but after wearing it on a practice hike at home with my backpack, I noticed the backpack straps rubbed on my back because it had no sleeves. That’s why I prefer a short sleeve or thicker sleeve shirt.
Travel Truth: On day 2 of our hike it rained and hailed for over 2 hours. We had to continue hiking so by the time we got to camp, we were all completely soaked! It continued raining for the rest of the night meaning we weren’t able to dry any of our wet clothes. I would have loved to have a clean, long sleeve shirt to put on that night to warm up. But the only long sleeve shirt I had was wet from wearing it all day. I would recommend thinking about what you will want to wear at night or if everything else gets wet just in case!
Leggings- 1
I brought these Lululemon Train Leggings because they can last a few wears without stretching out too much, they have mesh on the legs to breath and have a big pocket in the back.
I brought an extra pair of leggings to wear at night and then also if for some reason the pair I wore while hiking got too dirty or wet I had an alternative just in case. It was nice not to have to sleep in the pair that I wore all day.
Birkenstock Yara Sandals
A lot of people say it’s nice to have sandals or open-toe shoes to wear at night to let your feet air out after hiking all day. I wore these the first night but then after that I didn’t because it was either too cold or it was raining. It was a good thought but personally I was fine putting my hiking shoes on again to walk to the tent for dinner. Once we were in the tent I took them off and let them air out.
- That said, I love my Birkenstock sandals! I’ve walked for hours and hours in them and my feet have still felt fine. They are a great option if you’re looking for a sandal with more support.
Travel Truth: I broke in my Merrell Moab 2 WP Hiking Shoes for a few months before starting the Inca Trail so although tired, my feet were not too bad at the end of each day! If your shoes are new or not broken in, you might want the relief from sandals or another pair of shoes.
Darn Tough Hiking Socks
Because you will be doing so much hiking, you definitely want to make sure to bring good hiking socks. We both love Darn Tough hiking socks. You can choose how cushioned you want them and they have a lifetime guarantee in case something happens. I have two pairs of these hiking socks so I alternated each day between pairs.
Then I also brought 2 pairs of basic ankle socks that I wore at night. I probably could have just brought one pair, especially if your hike is shorter, but it was nice to put socks on at the end of the day that weren’t as structured as hiking socks.
Read More: Inca Trail to Machu Picchu Day 1
Miscellaneous
Baby Wipes
No shower and sweating every day means you’re definitely going to get a little gross by the end. We brought a pack of baby wipes and when we got to camp each day, we would take off our hiking clothes, take a wipe shower and change into clean clothes for the night.
- There were no showers on days 1 or 2. On day 3 there were what seemed like public facilities with toilets and showers close to our camp but no one even asked about showering let alone tried. At that point it was just one more night before we would be back to Cusco.
- Even if your thinking there’s no way baby wipes are the same as a shower, I would highly recommend bringing a pack! You can use them to simply wash your face and will feel so much better!
Microfiber Towel
If you’re not keen on a wipe shower, our trekking company provided us with small tubs of water each day when we got into camp. With a microfiber towel you can almost create your own wipe shower. These towels pack up really small so you won’t have to worry about it taking up too much space. We used them on day 2 to help dry out some of our wet clothes too.
Sea to Summit Sleeping Bag Liner
While preparing for the trip, we debated a lot whether these were worth the money. We also went back and forth about type of material and if the pillow insert in the traveler design was worth even more money. Honestly, we used them every night during the Inca Trail as well as during our Bolivian Salt Flat tour and multiple other times in not-so-clean hostels! They are thin so you don’t get too hot but are soft on your skin. They are more money than they should be but we feel like it was definitely worth it!
Toiletries
You won’t need toiletries throughout the day so all of these went into the duffle bag for when we got to our camp site. Don’t carry anything in your backpack that you don’t need!
I also kept toiletries to a minimum because I knew I wouldn’t be showering and wouldn’t be doing anything other than hiking. Things I knew I wouldn’t be using like make up and other toiletries I left with the rest of our stuff in Cusco. I think I looked in the mirror maybe once in those 4 days so makeup isn’t even worth carrying around.
Toothbrush & Flip It Toothbrush Cover
We have been using these toothbrush covers for a while now and really like them! They cover just the brush part so they take up almost no additional space but have never fallen off. I personally like how small they are. It makes it really easy especially times like the Inca Trail where we were brushing our teeth outside.
Deodorant
Sunscreen- Banana Boat Sport
I don’t normally burn but Dave does fairly easily so we made sure to bring sunscreen with us. The sun is definitely strong when you’re in high altitude! We prefer the Banana Boat Sport because it doesn’t come off when you sweat. We put it into one of these 3.4 oz Go-Toob containers so that when we’re done we can simply rinse it out and put in whatever else we need.
- We’ve had no issues with the Go-Toob leaking and the flexible silicone material feels both like you’re able to fit more inside as well as makes it easier to fit it in our toiletry bags. We use these TSA approved Clear Toiletry Bags and they are definitely one of the best things we bought for this trip! It sounds silly (and did to us too at first) but they are really durable and easier to use long term than a plastic bag.
What I Carried in My Backpack for the Inca Trail
I used the Kelty Redwing 40 L as my day pack while hiking the Inca Trail. I’ve had this bag for over 3 years and use it for all our traveling! It’s still a carry on size but has the support of a hiking backpack. Dave has the Kelty Redwing 44 L which gives him slightly more space but all the same features.
As a day pack for the Inca Trail they were a little larger than most other peoples in our group. Most people had a 20-30 L pack that they were carrying. Even though ours were bigger, we kept them mostly empty to not slow us down too much. We also did all of our training hikes with these same backpacks so we were very comfortable wearing them for long periods of time. Plus, traveling around the world for a year means we don’t have infinite space to store additional bags!
Long sleeve hiking shirt
In my backpack I packed a long sleeve hiking shirt to put on if I got cold while hiking during the day. The particular one that I have is a generic polyester shirt from Target (it doesn’t have to be fancy) that has breathable sides and is a thin material to not make you too hot. I put this into my backpack because you’ll quickly realize the weather of the Andes changes a lot. One minute it will be sunny and warm then the next it’ll be raining and cold.
North Face Down Winter Jacket
We contemplated whether we really needed winter jackets to hike to Machu Picchu but ultimately decided to bring them. I wore it mostly in the colder mornings and almost the whole second day. I also wore it for maybe half of day 3 and the morning of day 4 until getting to Machu Picchu. This one packs down in my backpack well, is a little longer which I like and has big pockets.
- There were people in our group that didn’t bring true winter jackets but windbreakers or thinner layers. I’m always cold so I was happy to have a warmer layer to put on. Either way definitely don’t underestimate how cold it can get!
North Face Rain Jacket
I’ve had this rain jacket for a few years now and it does exactly what it should. It’s a little warm for really hot days but that wasn’t the case when hiking to Machu Picchu so it worked great. When it was pouring rain I wore the rain jacket on top of my winter jacket to stay dry. You definitely want to make sure the rain jacket you bring has a hood!
Full Zip North Face Fleece
I know it’s a lot of black North Face jackets but this is my favorite! The inside of this fleece is the softest, most comfortable fleece material. It zips comfortably all the way up to keep your neck warm when its particularly cold or windy. It’s warm but still fits underneath my winter jacket without feeling like a snowman.
- This fleece was the perfect weight for hiking to Machu Picchu! It was warm enough that it kept me warm when it was cold but light enough that I wasn’t sweating to death while hiking either.
Winter hat & Baseball hat
Because the weather changes so quickly, you’ll want things you can easily put on and off throughout the day. A winter hat is definitely something you should have in your backpack. We started hiking around 6 or 7 AM each morning when it was still cold. Everyone usually started the day wearing winter hats and slowly took them off as we all warmed up.
A baseball hat is also really helpful. If your face gets sunburnt it can provide a little protection. I wore a baseball hat on the 3rd day because my hair was a little greasy at that point and I didn’t feel like fussing with it all day.
Pashmina Scarf
A scarf is something that I always travel with because it’s so versatile. This one is really affordable! It’s soft, not scratchy and lightweight so I can wear it in all seasons. I used it in the mornings on the Inca Trail when it was particularly cold. But I’ve also used it a lot as a shawl when it’s a little cold but I don’t want to wear a jacket.
Buff
This is so small but again so versatile. A buff is basically a piece of material that can be about 20 different things. Most often I wear it around my neck to keep my neck warm or over my face if it’s extremely windy. The last morning while waiting at the Machu Picchu checkpoint it was absolutely freezing. While waiting for the checkpoint to open, I wore the buff over by face to keep warm and it helped a lot.
Read More: Inca Trail to Machu Picchu Day 4
Outdoor Research Gloves
Honestly, we are pretty disappointed with these gloves. It’s a reputable brand but under about 50 degrees and your hands are cold even while wearing them. At the end of day 2 our gloves were completely drenched and took about 2 days to dry out completely. They were so wet that we weren’t able to wear them for day 4 which was disappointing.
- It wasn’t too cold while hiking to Machu Picchu for the temperature to be a big problem. However, in the Bolivian Salt Flat and in Patagonia it was much colder and our fingers were frozen!
- We would recommend making sure you read what temperature the gloves are meant to go down to before purchasing. We’re including this pair we both have but we definitely think there is a better pair out there!
Headphones
Jackery 6000 mAh Portable Battery
Sleeping in tents for 3 nights also means no electricity or access to charging. So I brought this portable battery to charge my phone on day 3 to make sure it was charged to take pictures at Machu Picchu. It’s not too heavy and with a short charging cord it’s really easy to charge either in your pocket or in your bag.
- Dave has the larger portable battery which can charge his phone up to 5 times. Mine can charge my phone about 2-3 times. Regardless of which size, these are helpful for all traveling! Whenever we go out for the day we make sure to throw one of them in our daypack just in case one of our phones die.
- We actually had a couple from Texas come up to us in Venice, Italy later on during our trip asking if we had a charger or a phone they could use because theirs died and they couldn’t get back to their hotel. They charged their phone using the portable battery for like 5 minutes and were able to get the address!
Black Diamond Headlamp
This is an essential when hiking to Machu Picchu! There were a few people in our group that didn’t have one and had to use their phone which was really hard. A headlamp is also so much easier to use than a traditional flashlight. This one uses batteries so you don’t have to charge it and it has a bunch of different settings for how bright or dim you want the light.
- We used our headlamps early in the morning when the sun had not come up yet. On the last day we woke up around 2:00 AM and sat at the checkpoint in the dark until it opened. Once the gate opens everyone basically runs the entire way to the Sun Gate and unfortunately one member of our group fell because he didn’t have a head lamp to watch his steps. He ended up being okay and made it the rest of the way but having a headlamp is 100% necessary!
- You also will need a headlamp or flashlight to use the bathroom when it gets dark!
Camelbak Podium Chill Water Bottle
Bringing a water bottle is so important on the Inca Trail! You need to bring your own water for the first morning and from then on you can fill up in the mornings and at lunch. But you obviously will need something to put the water in. I really like this sport water bottle because it’s so easy to drink from while walking and hiking! I don’t personally love the wider ones because I find I have to stop to drink and sometimes stopping ruins your rhythm. But Dave always uses a 32 oz Nalgene bottle so it’s really just personal preference!
Toilet paper
While doing our research for the Inca Trail, we read to bring toilet paper because you won’t always find it along the way. We each brought a full roll just in case. There definitely were bathrooms along the way that didn’t have it. But we also were surprised that in many when you paid to use it (usually no more than 2 Soles) you also got toilet paper. Do yourself a favor and grab a roll (or two) in Cusco before you leave just in case!
Snacks
We brought a lot of snacks from home specifically for our hike to Machu Picchu. We packed dried fruit, granola bars, Cliff bars, Snickers and a bunch of Crystal Light Ice Tea Packets to mix with water when we needed something to keep us going! Our thought was that we would rather have more snacks than too little. From the first breakfast at the beginning of the trail to the last we were extremely well fed! Every meal had multiple options and plenty of food. Before leaving to start hiking, Alpaca Expeditions gave us all two snacks for the day. We weren’t expecting to get snacks from them too which meant we had way too many!
- By the end of the hike we ate maybe 3 of the snacks we brought. We would recommend definitely to bring some because it’s better to have options but we could have absolutely brought less.
Trash bags
This is something we did just in case. We bought a pack of trash bags in Cusco for about 1 Soles to line the inside of our backpacks as well as cover our camera. If it never rained, it wouldn’t have been a big deal but on day 2 we were so glad to have done this! It just meant there was another layer of protection while it was pouring on us.
- Our trekking company gave us a plastic bag to put our stuff into before putting it in the duffle bags. That way we knew our stuff in the duffle bag should also stay dry.
Things We Wish We Knew About Hiking to Machu Picchu
What Not to Bring While Hiking to Machu Picchu
- Nice clothes- you really won’t be wearing anything too nice so it’s best to leave it in Cusco so it doesn’t get wet or dirty
- Make up- it’s all personal preference but you’re hiking for 4 days and I didn’t even look in a mirror (besides trying to put my contacts in using my phone camera) for the entire hike so save some weight and leave it behind!
- Too many things to charge- remember you’re camping so besides your phone and camera you won’t have the ability to charge too many devices
