What makes this hike so special is the stunnig combination of Inca ruins, unforgettable views, magnificent mountains, exotic vegitation and extraordinary ecological variety. The Government acknowledged this uniqueness in 1981 by including the trail in a 325 sq-km national park, the Machu Picchu Historical Sanctuary.
Machu Picchu itself cannot be understood without the Inca Trail. Its principal sites are ceremonial in character, apparently in ascending hierarchical order. This Inca Province was a unique are of elite access. The trail is essentially a work of spiritual art like a gothic cathedral, and walking it was formerly an act of devotion.
Taken from Footprints Peru Guidebook 3rd Edition.
