That's the thing that killed it for me. I would have done the Inca Trail with my sister, but we just couldn't deal with needing a guide, cook, etc. Both of us are way too independent for that! Plus we both speak fairly fluent Spanish, and she's very familiar with Peruvian culture, so having a service that catered to North Americans would be rather redundant. That being said, like you stated, the idea of walking amongst the specters of history is just so cool on multiple levels.
Going to bump this up because it deserves a reply.
My wife and I did the Inca trail a few years ago (after our daughter and her boyfriend invited us to join them--an invitation that is not easily refused if you are a parent!). In the end there were the four of us, plus a porter per person, and a guide.
We both speak fluent Spanish, as does my daughter. And her now husband is Argentine. Yes, we normally prefer to hike on our own, and in the Sierra we often head off trail to avoid the "crowds" that can inhabit the more popular reaches. I think we meet the definition of pretty darn independent hikers, and have spent many a trip where we didn't see anyone else at all for days.
But the only way to hike the Inca Trail is with a guide and porters. The guide is required, not just to lead the way, but to make sure that you and your knucklehead tourist friends don't knock over ancient relics, carve your initials into stele, etc. (Hey, it happens...) And the porters are required because the goal is to provide employment for the local inhabitants of the region, who otherwise might get to watch wealthy tourists walk by everyday and never share in the economic impact of those tourists. We found our guide and porters both charming and friendly, and we enjoyed our conversations with them all--mostly in Spanish.
It's not a hike in the wilderness. There are local residents (I hesitate to call them towns) along the way, and the trail is as well-marked/designed as any section of the john Muir Trail---albeit 500 years older.
But we loved the experience, and this is the only way to get that experience. We're going back this spring to another part of Peru, and will hike in the Andes again. Sometimes we'll use porters where they are required or suggested, sometimes we'll hike off by ourselves.
But the trip to Machu Picchu is something that stands out in a lifetime of hiking with a pack on our back, and we are absolutely delighted that we were able to do it.
) Thanks for planning the trip 
