Inca Trail – 4D/3N

The first day of your adventure with the  Inca Trail! We will pick you up from your Cusco hotel in our private van at 4:30am. From there, we travel to Piskacucho, which is known as Kilometer 82, where the Classic Inca Trail begins. Along the way, we stop for breakfast in Ollantaytambo at 6:30-7am to load up on energy for our start of the trail. (Breakfast is not included).

Upon arrival at Km 82 (8:30am), we will have some time to organize ourselves, use the restrooms, apply sunscreen, insect repellent, etc. Here you will give your duffel bag to the porters, keeping only a small daypack with the essentials you need during the hike. Once at the Inca Trail checkpoint, be ready to show your passports and your student card, if you are paying a student rate. Your guide will have all of your permits and tickets.

At the start of the trail (2,720m/8,923ft) we will cross the Vilcanota River and follow its scenic route. The first day is relatively easy, a warm-up along the rolling ‘Inca flat’ terrain. There are great views of the Inca Fortress of Huillca Raccay, the vast and incredible Inca site of Llactapata, (also called Patallacta), the Urubamba mountain range that divides the jungle, the Andes Mountains, and the beautiful snow-capped peak of Veronica (5,860m/19,225ft), also known as W’akay Willca.

Our first campsite is in Ayapata, an hour and a half up from the small village of Wayllabamba (3,000m/9,842ft) located in the temperate green valley of the same name. Temperatures at night can be as low as 5ºC, depending on the season. It is generally colder in the dry season from May to September.

When you arrive at camp, your afternoon tea and appetizers will be ready for you. Enjoy a hot drink and settle into your tents before dinner, which will already be set up for you.

• Meals included: Lunch, snacks, afternoon tea and dinner
• Accommodation: Camping facilities
• Distance: 12kms/7.5mi (about 6 hours hiking)
• Difficulty: Easy/Moderate

The day will start early at 5am with a hot cup of coca tea and small breakfast to get you ready for the longest day of the tour. We’ll have a 4-hour hike to the highest point of the trail, the Dead Woman’s Pass at 4,215 meters (13,830 feet). Upon arrival, we’ll take a short break to enjoy the views, take pictures and have a well deserved rest. Once we’re ready, we set of to descend to the Pacaymayu Valley – Hidden River. After an hour and a half of walking downhill, we reach our lunch spot at the valley, where you’ll also be able to refill your water bottles.  After lunch, we begin ascending again to the second pass of the trek. It’s 2 hours over the pass where we will stop at a small Inca site, Runcu Raccay, and see two huge waterfalls cascading down the opposite side of the valley.

After the second pass, it’s another downhill hike to reach the magnificent Inca site, Sayacmarca (an otherwise inaccessible village). We’ll stop here to rest and have a quick tour before watching the beautiful sunset over the Vilcabamba mountain range. It’s then just another 20 minutes until we stop for the night at our second campsite Chaquicocha (Dry Lake, 3600 meters). After dinner, if you’re not too exhausted, we can do some star gazing, and we’ll point out the fascinating Inca constellations. In the magnificent Andean sky, away from all the light pollution, this sky is something to behold!

• Meals included: Lunch, snacks, afternoon tea and dinner
• Accommodation: Camping facilities
• Distance: 16km/10mi (about 7-8 hours hiking)
• Difficulty: Challenging

It’s safe to say that from here on out the trekking won’t be as difficult as day 2.

We start early again, only this time waking up at 6:30am to begin what is considered the most beautiful day of the trail. We hike for 2 hours along what we like to call “Inca flat” (gradual inclines) and begin to enter the jungle, known as the Cloud Forest. From here, we’ll be able to see Salkantay, the second highest snow-capped mountain in the Sacred Valley, and a fantastic panoramic view of the Vilcabamba mountain range ass we walk the trail. Towards the end of the Inca flats, we begin to make our way up to the last peak at Phuyupatamarka (3,600 meters) from where we’ll have great views overlooking the Urubamba River. Down the valley, we get our first view of Machu Picchu Mountain, but the site itself is still hidden. From Phuyupatamarka it’s a 3-hour walk down a flight of steps to our last campsite, close to Wiñay Wayna (Forever Young). Wiñay Wayna is the most spectacular Inca site on the trail after Machu Picchu and the most popular campsite because of its proximity to Machu Picchu. 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.

After lunch, we’ll have a relaxing rest of the day so that you are ready for Machu Picchu. At around 4:30pm your guide will give you a short orientation, and you will visit the Inca ruins of Wiñay Wayna for an hour and a half, where your guide will explain the significance of the site. After that, we like to spoil our guests as we enjoy our last feast with the porters and chefs. It’s an Inca Trail tradition to organize a ceremony in the evening to introduce the team to the tourists once again. This is to thank them for the great job done (if you wish to provide tips for them then you can do so at this time). It is advisable to go to bed at a reasonable time to get up in the early hours of the morning to be the first ones to arrive to Machu Picchu at the crack of dawn.

• Meals included: Lunch, snacks, afternoon tea and dinner
• Accommodation: Camping facilities
• Distance: 10km/6mi (about 5 hours hiking)
• Difficulty: Easy

After 3 days of hiking through the unforgettable trail, the final and most exciting part has come, visiting Machu Picchu. We start off the day at 3:30am, have breakfast at 4:00am and wait at the checkpoint to be one of the first to start trekking when they open the gates at 5:30am. We’ll have jaw-dropping views of Machu Picchu and neighboring mountains before reaching the Sun Gate at 6:30am. From then on it’s just an hour trek down to reach the Inca Citadel, with each step making the views better. Once we reach and enter Machu Picchu our 2-hour private guided tour begins. After the tour, you’ll be given your bus tickets to make your way down to Aguas Calientes, and you’ll have plenty of free time to explore the small town on your own or climb one of the neighboring mountains – Huaynapicchu (must be arranged ahead of time).

Your guide will offer to meet you down in the village of Aguas Calientes to enjoy your last lunch in a local restaurant. This is optional and not included. At lunch, your guide will hand out train tickets, so if you choose to skip, please arrange to get these before leaving him at Machu Picchu. Unless you arranged for an upgraded train, we will book the Expedition class train departing Aguas Calientes at 3:20pm or 4:22pm. Please make sure you are on the platform at least 30 minutes ahead of time. This will be a 2-hour train to Ollantaytambo or Poroy (based on which train you get), where a Machu Picchu Experiences driver will meet you and drive you back to the city on our bus to drop you off at your hotel/hostel.

• Meals included: Breakfast
• Distance: 5km/3mi (about 4 hours walking)
• Difficulty: Easy