We did not do the hike - we were 11 days in the Sacred Valley/MP and Lake Titicaca and would not have wanted to reduce the itinerary days we had for the hike and also we aren't avid hikers (walkers, yes).

I suggest you read this trip report - an unblemished description of a hike -

http://www.fodors.com/community/south-america/the-inca-trail-its-a-long-way-down.cfm

Like Elizabeth we decided not to do the hike to MP preferring instead to visit by train from Ollantaytambo. We are keen walkers but wanted to avoid the crowds on the Inca trail and chose the trek from Lares to Ollantaytambo . Apart from local villagers using the trail we only saw about 3 other walkers ( although with the restrictions now in place on the inca trail, it is probably a bit busier now)

Some photos and an account of that trip on our blog:

http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/candcthai/1/1219334700/tpod.html

Thanks Elizabeth. I like that word - unblemished. I am reading this in Petra Jordon. This is one of the world's great sites but I have to say we spend as much time talking about the Inca Trail as we do about what we see here.

Hey cold. Sorry to read about Mrs cold's knee. Better tonight? Where to next in Jordan? We loved it there.

The Inca Trail is certainly worth the time and effort but then so are the other treks such as the various Lares treks. All down to what you are looking for in a trek. Inca Trail has all the ruins, and walks straight into MP but it has the crowds and not really any locals. Lares treks and others have the feeling of peace and quiet that many of us go to the mountains for, plus get to see lots of people living in a very traditional way.

Elizabeth I hope she is better as today we start 3 days of hiking at Wadi Rum. I better give her extra water.

Fingers crossed for her - Wadi Rum is stunning....

Thank you for the advice and the links. I really appreciate your points of view. We will consider this information as we begin to make more solid plans.

We did the 4-day Inca Trail and loved it. I suggest it to everyone who is able to hike up stairs for three days straight.

colduphere had a much more difficult/interesting time than we did. My husband was not affected by the altitude and did great the whole time. I, on the other hand, was extremely sick from the altitude the 5 days before when we were in Puno/Lake Titicaca. I was still nowhere near normal when we were hiking. But I made it. And I enjoyed all of it except for the first half of Day 2, which is the most difficult climb. (Thankfully we did not have any need for antibiotics!)

We enjoyed our guides and all the things they taught us, as well as getting to know our hiking companions and see all the amazing scenery. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

My review is here > http://www.fodors.com/community/south-america/peru-in-may-2012-a-trip-report-read-this-one.cfm

Scroll to about halfway down the page to see the Inca Trail posts.

The trip reports are very eye-opening. I have really enjoyed reading them. I don't think I realized how many stairs there were on the trail and the altitude can play a major factor.

I am thinking that we would need to train specifically for this hike by doing some stadium hikes.

I was also surprised by the number of stairs on the Inca Trail. Doing stadiums or any kind of stair-climbing in preparation would not hurt. The altitude can play a small or major factor depending on how each individual reacts.