Playlist for the Inca Trail, Salkantay Trek & Machu Picchu

• Wear earbuds/headphones on the trail. Nature and community vibes matter out here.
• One ear open in busy sections (pack animals, narrow paths, other hikers).
• Offline downloads of everything before leaving Cusco (signal is not reliable).
• Battery strategy: airplane mode + low power mode + one small power bank = stress-free.
• Campsite Etiquette: Be Quiet After Dark. People wake really, really early.

How this Playlist was Built (How to Use the Playlist)

This playlist is created in “trail phases,” as your level of energy will fluctuate throughout the day:

• Warm-up (easy walking, morning cold): bright, steady songs
• Climb mode (switchbacks, altitude moments): confident, rhythmic tracks
• Victory songs (summits, viewpoint payoffs): Big choruses, feel-good hits
• Chill/reset (lunch, bus/train, sunset): smooth tracks to aid in rejuvenation

You can keep it on shuffle, or use the following sequence:

Warm-up: start moving, find your pace

• Beautiful Day — U2

• Walking On Sunshine — Katrina & The Waves

• Pocketful of Sunshine — Natasha Bedingfield

• I’m Still Standing — Elton John

• Uptown Girl — Billy Joel

• Girls Just Want to Have Fun — Cyndi Lauper

• As It Was — Harry Styles

Climb mode: switchbacks, altitude, “just keep going” energy

• Blinding Lights — The Weeknd

• Save Your Tears — The Weeknd

• Enjoy the Silence — Depeche Mode

• Everybody’s Changing — Keane

• Paradise — Coldplay

• Adventure of a Lifetime — Coldplay

• On Top of the World — Imagine Dragons

• Titanium — Sia

Summit & victory songs: the “we did it” section

• We Are the Champions — Queen

• Wake Me Up — Avicii

• Give Me Everything (feat. Nayer) — Pitbull, Afrojack, Ne-Yo, Nayer

• Timber — Pitbull, Kesha

• Pump It — The Black Eyed Peas

• Just Can’t Get Enough — The Black Eyed Peas

• Raise Your Glass — P!nk

Fun + bold: when the group vibe is high

• Bad Romance — Lady Gaga

• S&M — Rihanna

• Like a Virgin — Madonna

• Call Me — Blondie

• It’s Raining Men (Single Version) — The Weather Girls

• Karma Chameleon — Culture Club

• Dancing in the Dark — Bruce Springsteen

Scenic & reflective: trains, buses, sunsets, Machu Picchu mood

• All the Stars — Kendrick Lamar, SZA

• Lover — Taylor Swift

• Blank Space — Taylor Swift

• I Took a Pill in Ibiza (Seeb Remix) — Mike Posner, Seeb

• Rude — MAGIC!

• Nothin’ on You — B.o.B, Bruno Mars

• Girls Like You — Maroon 5

• Sugar — Maroon 5

• Birds of a Feather — Billie Eilish

• Good Luck, Babe! — Chappell Roan

Classic “travel documentary” anthem

• Everybody Wants to Rule the World — Tears for Fears

Inca Trail

• Use Warm-up on early starts when it’s cold and you’re stiff.
• Hit Climb mode on long stair sections.
• Save Victory songs for viewpoints and final approaches.

Salkantay Trek

• This route is all about big days and big climbs—Climb mode will do heavy lifting.
• On pass day (the highest point), keep your music steady and not too frantic. You want rhythm, not chaos.

Machu Picchu (day trip)

• Train rides + waiting lines = Scenic & reflective.
• When you walk in and see the view, switch to Victory songs if you want that “movie moment.”

• Download in Cusco: Spotify/Apple Music offline saves you when signal disappears.
• Shorten your queue: too many slow songs can kill your momentum on climbs.
• Bring wired backups (optional): cold weather can make Bluetooth feel unreliable.