Description

DAY 01 / CUSCO – PISKACUCHO KM 82 – LLACTAPATA – AYAPATA (B/S/L/D)

We will pick you up from your hotel in Cusco, Urubamba or Ollantaytambo, between 04:30 and 06:30 AM. We will then drive to Km 82, where the Inca Trail starts. Here we make contact with the porters and cooks.

After a delicious breakfast, we will go through the first Inca Trail checkpoint to begin our trek. The first 2 hours of the trek are relatively easy as we make our way to our first Inca site, Llactapata (2650 m/8692 ft.). From Llactapata it is another 2 hour hike before our next stop for lunch.

After lunch we will hike for another 2½ hours until we reach the first night’s campsite at Ayapata (3300 meters). On this last stretch we pass through 2 small communities. If you want to buy any energy drinks or snacks you can do so here, you can also buy any essential items such as batteries, etc.

We will arrive to our campsite by 5:00PM, giving us enough time to relax and have a hot drink and snack with our fellow travelers and the team of porters, chef and guide. By 7:30PM your dinner will be ready, and afterwards you can go to bed and rest.

Trek Time: 6-7 hrs
Distance: 8.7 miles/14 km
Campsite altitude: 3300 meters (high) above sea level.
Weather: Warm and windy.

DAY 02 / DEAD WOMAN’S PASS – RUNCURACCAY PASS – CHAQUICCOCHA (B/S/L/D)

Today we will have our longest day and the most difficult part of the trek, ascending to the first and highest pass, Warmiwañusca (4200 m/13779 ft.), also called Dead Woman’s Pass. Here we will have a panoramic view of all the mountain chain and the magnificent snow mountains around us.

Later, we will descend to Pacaymayu Valley (3580 m/11700 ft.). After descending for an hour and a half, we will make a lunch stop and also refill our water bottles, before we start ascending again for the next 2 hours to the second mountain pass. On the way we will stop at a small Inca site Runcuraccay, considered a Tambo (something close to an Inca version of an Inn). As we reach the second pass we will be able to notice the landscape, gradually changing to a more jungle like scenery, a colorful forest welcoming us as we walk for another hour downhill to reach the magnificent Inca site of Sayacmarka, an intricate labyrinth of houses, squares and water channels.

We will stop here to rest. We will have a quick tour of the site and then watch the sunset over the Vilcabamba mountain range, 20 minutes more and we will be arriving at our second campsite Chaquiccocha (Dry Lake, 3600 meters). After dinner, if you’re not too tired, we can star gaze and learn about the Inca names for the constellations on the Southern Hemisphere sky, away from city lights.

Trek Time: 7-8 hrs
Distance: 9.94 miles/16 km
Campsite altitude: 3600 meters (high) above sea level (chilly weather)
Weather: Cold and rainy.

DAY 03 / CHAQUICCOCHA – WIÑAYWAYNA (B/S/L/D)

Today we will get up at 06:30AM, have breakfast and begin what is commonly felt to be the most beautiful day of the whole Inca Trail. We hike for 2 hours along what we like to call “Inca flat” (gradual inclines) entering the jungle, known as the Cloud Forest. As we walk we will spot in the distance the majesty of Salkantay peak, the second highest snow-capped mountain in the Sacred Valley, along the fantastic panoramic view of the Vilcabamba mountain range. Towards the end of the Inca flats we begin to make our way up to the last peak at Phuyupatamarka (3600 meters) from where we’ll have great views overlooking the Urubamba River. Looking across the valley we get our first sights of the Machu Picchu Mountain but the site is still hidden from view. From Phuyupatamarka we will continue a 3 hour walk down a flight of steps to our last campsite, close to Wiñaywayna (Forever Young). Wiñaywayna is an impressive Inca complex made up of an agricultural center with numerous terraces, a religious sector and an urban sector. For its proximity to Machu Picchu, is the most popular campsite.

During the descent we visit 2 Inca ruins, Phuyupatamarka (Town in the Clouds) and Intipata (Terraces of the Sun). We arrive at our campsite around 1:00PM to have lunch and relax. At around 4:30PM your guide will give you a brief explanation of what to expect the next day and you will visit the Inca ruins of Wiñaywayna, spending about an hour and a half there. We will explain the significance of the site and combine all the information given during the trek so you’re fully prepared for your visit to Machu Picchu the following day.

Since this is the last part of our trek and we like to spoil our guests, we prepare a little party to enjoy our last day together with the porters and chefs. It is an Inca Trail tradition to organize a ceremony in the evening to introduce the team to the tourists once again and to thank them for the great job done (if you wish to provide tips for them this is the ideal moment to do so). It is advisable to go to bed at a reasonable time in order to get up in the early hours of the morning to arrive to Machu Picchu at the crack of dawn in the hopes that the weather will give us a beautiful sunrise over the ruins at Machu Picchu as we reach the Intipunku (Sun Gate).

Trek Time: 5 hrs
Distance: 6.2 miles/10km
Campsite altitude: 2.600 meters (high) above sea level (chilly weather)
Weather: Warm and very humid.

DAY 04 / SUN GATE – MACHU PICCHU – THE LOST CITY OF THE INCAS – CUSCO (B/S)

We will get up at 03:30AM. We will have breakfast at 4:00AM and wait at the checkpoint to be the first ones to start the trek to Machu Picchu when the gate opens at 05:30AM. We will say goodbye to our team of porters and chef and off we will hike the last stretch of our trek, to reach the impressive Sun Gate (Inti Punku), wonderful entrance to the Inca Citadel of Machu Picchu. From here we will have spectacular views of the mountains and Machu Picchu in all its glory. We will reach the Sun Gate at about 06:30AM and then it is just an hour trek downstairs to reach the Lost City of the Incas. At about 07:40AM we will have reached the final checkpoint and enter Machu Picchu to begin our 2 hour private guided tour. Once the tour is completed, we will hand you the bus tickets to make your trip down to Aguas Calientes. In Machu Picchu you will have 3 to 4 hours to explore the place on your own or climb one of the neighboring mountain – Huayna Picchu (Not included in the price), where you can experience amazing views of all Machu Picchu.

In the afternoon at about 01:00PM we will meet up in Aguas Calientes, where you can visit its hot springs and enjoy your last lunch in a local restaurant (Not included in the price) or just go directly on your own to the Train Station to get on the Expedition Train departing at 04:20PM and arriving at 06:10PM in Ollantaytambo (1hr 30min from Cusco) where you will find a pickup person with a sign with your name on it, ready to assist you and transfer you to your hotel in Cusco.

Trek Time: 2 hrs
Distance: 2.5 miles/4km
Weather: Hot and very humid (bring lots of water)

END OF OUR SERVICES

B= Breakfast / L= Lunch / D= Dinner / S= Snack

INCLUDED

• Pre-departure briefing.
• Transfer in private transport to km.82 (starting point of the Inca Trail).
• Spanish / English speaking professional tour guide.
• Porters who carry the camping gear.
• Porters to carry your belongings (up to 7kg/15.4lb. per person).
• Chef and cooking equipment.
• First – Aid Kit including emergency oxygen tank.
• Inca Trail and Machu Picchu entrances.
• 04 breakfasts, 03 lunches, and 03 dinners (Vegetarian options available).
• Happy hour of Coca tea and snacks.
• Snack each morning.
• Drinking water throughout the trek.
• High quality four seasons and waterproof tents (Eureka).
• A maximum of 2 people per tent (capacity for 4 persons).
• Dining Tent with tables and chairs.
• Kitchen tent.
• Portable toilet tent for your group.
• Foam sleeping mat.
• Small pillows for sleeping.
• Hot water in the morning for washing.
• Rain poncho.
• Day pack rain covers to protect your belongings.
• Guided tour in Machu Picchu.
• Bus ticket from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes.
• Expedition Train Ticket from Aguas Calientes to Olantaytambo.
• Transfer from Ollantaytambo Train Station to your hotel in Cusco.

NOT INCLUDED

• Domestic and International flights.
• Airport taxes.
• Travel insurance.
• Hotel accommodation.
• Tips.
• Lunch in Aguas Calientes or Machu Picchu.
• Personal trekking equipment (Sleeping bag, inflatable air mattress and walking poles).
• Hiking boots, clothing or other personal items.
• Huayna Picchu entrance.
• Additional tours.