Is it hard to find your own way to hike up the mountain to machu picchu, or should I get there through a packaged deal?

I've always been the type to 'find your way as you go along' but on a corporate job minimal vacation time, sometimes you don't wanna deal with the hassle and waste of time to figure your own way. Having said that, is it hard to fly into cuzco and hike on your own to machu picchu?

No, it's easy! Go on your own. It's alot cooler (always) then an organizied tour and it's easy as pie.

If it's only a visit to the Machu Picchu then you don't need a guide. You just walk around on your own.
But, if you want to do a trek (Inca, Salkantay, Lares etc) then you'd need to join a group. This is also a recommendation. I thought the 5 day trail to MP I did, was at least half of the fun, highlighted by the visit to MP on the last day.

i was looking at the trek. Do i still need the guide?

Yeah, it's really regulated. You need to hike the trail on with a tour.

I'm sure for many people it's a cool hike. But I personally wouldn't want to do it even if it was free. I like long hikes for the wilderness and solitude plus the natural beauty. That is not what's going to happen down there. I've heard great stories from travelers who've done it and I don't mean to belittle their experiences I'm just trying to give an honest evaluation in my opinion. Go hike Yosemite for a week instead!!!

My little comments to what travis said:
Basically, I agree that hiking on yourself is the best and most natural way. However, in this case, a trail to MP is a bit different thing.
You hike in a varied terrain, weather and altitudes. You may start on 2800m and the next day you reach 4600m.
The temperatures between +25C and below freezing point, in combination with higher altitudes, make it quite a gruelling experience. Carrying all your stuff, with tent and cooking equipment, while climbing hills on 4000m+ would be really exhausting.
You also need to be an experienced hiker and know the area, unless you find a map, that probably doesn't exist. There are no signs in the area.

As for solitude and natural beauty, you wouldn't be missing any of those, if you walk in a small group and choose one of the alternative trails. That's my experience from Salkantay trail.
It's much different on the classic Inca trail, which is the easiest and the most popular one. I've heard from others about 200-300 people sharing one camping ground. That doesn't happen on the other trails.

As a friend of mine asked me point blank, "have you ever hiked above 12,000'. It's a whole different world, the air is thin, your blood thickens so it can hold more oxygen, and with a little bad luck you might get sirochi and die, or wish you could. If you have experince at that kind of thing than by all means kill yourself off and hike the trail by yourself, but you would be one of the few and i wouldn't be too sure, that the guides might just think your shit is fair game, so don't leave anything outside your tent at night, like your stinky boots.

I did the 8 day trek via choqeuquirao and was in pretty good shape for an old coot and I can tell you i was grateful to just be carrying my water, extra clothes and camera. Taking a breath every two steps at 15,000' was fun, but was glad to not be carrying more than that - besides which, by hiring a porter, this is one way you can contribute to the 3rd world, in a very small way.

good luck

charlie

I didn't hike in, and I don't know for sure if you will, but if you don't, you'll take the train either from Cuzco or Ollantaytambo, which you can take a bus to from Cuzco, and possibly from other places. The latter is cheaper, and probably more picturesque. I did the former, as I was on a tight schedule (ran away from a work thingamie in Lima to make the trip), and it was a lovely day. My day included a tourguide, which I did not take, as I could not stomach their plodding pace and wanted to climb Wayanapichu (the big, nose-shaped hill that overlooks it all). Would love to go back and spend more time though.

fwiw, when I was there Cuzco was in the running for being one of the new wonders of the world, and they had computer terminals for people to vote. Very otherworldly that!