Inca Trail to Machu Picchu 4 days
Inca Trail to Machu Picchu 4 days
Overview
The classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is a unique experience and the most requested, even more so because it is called one of the ten best excursions in the world, there is no similar walk due to its ecological diversity and the wealth of archaeological treasures. The Machu Picchu Historical Sanctuary covers 32,952 hectares and houses a network of Inca roads, dozens of archaeological sites, ecological zones (from glacial peaks to tropical forests), more than 450 species of birds and 200 species of orchids, as well as the legendary city of Machu Picchu.
Itinerary
Day 1: Cusco – Ollantaytambo – Wayllabamba
We will pick you up from your hotel in Cusco at 5:30 a.m. and head to the village of Ollantaytambo. Here we will enjoy a nutritious breakfast (not included) and have the opportunity to buy some snacks before finally starting our trekking adventure. We will head to Piscacucho (KM 82) and begin our first 2-hour hike to Patallacta (2750 m / 9020 ft), a spectacularly scenic Inca archaeological site located in the lush green Urubamba Valley. After visiting this fascinating site, we will continue walking for 45 minutes to our lunch spot. Our cook will prepare a delicious meal and we will have time to rest. We will then walk for 1.5 hours to our Wayllabamba camp (3000 m / 9800 ft), where you will have a well-deserved rest and an afternoon snack, followed by a tasty dinner before going to bed.
Walking distance: 11 km/5 miles
Day 2: Wayllabamba – Dead Woman´s Pass – Pacaymayo
After a hearty breakfast and a hot cup of coca tea, we will walk for approximately 4 hours to reach the highest point of the trek, Dead Woman’s Pass (4,215 m / 13,829 ft). Upon reaching the pass, we will take a short break to enjoy the breathtaking views before beginning our 2.5-hour descent into the next valley, Pacaymayo (3,600 m / 11,800 ft). We’ll enjoy afternoon tea and a freshly prepared dinner, and spend the night at our campsite.
Walking distance: 10 km / 7.5 miles
Day 3: Pacaymayo – Runcurraccay Pass – Chaquiccocha – Wiñayhuayna
Our team will wake you up early with a cup of hot coca tea. This day will be the longest and most challenging, so we have a nutritious breakfast to prepare us for the day. We will continue our trek surrounded by jungle vegetation and a series of incredible Inca archaeological sites ahead of us. The first archaeological site we visit is the ruins of Runcurakay (3,760 m/ 12,300 ft). Unlike other buildings of Inca origin, the ruins of Runkurakay have the peculiarity of having circular enclosures among their structures, something unusual in the design of Inca cities. After a short rest, we walk for 1.5 hours to the archaeological site of Sayacmarka. These ruins are located on a rocky road at an altitude of 3,600 m and look like a labyrinth of houses, squares with fountains in the middle and narrow streets. Then we reach our lunch point at Chaquicocha, where we have time to relax. After 2.5 hours of walking, we arrive at the next archaeological site of Puyuptamarca (3600 m/11 810 ft), also known as “The city above the clouds”. There are Inca ruins with five small stone baths, which during the rainy season contain constant fresh running water. From there we start our 3 hour descent to our camp Wiñayhuayna, where we will have tea and dinner. This will be a special meal as it will be the last one with our team and we will say goodbye to our porters. Walking distance: 15 km/10 miles
Day 4: Wiñayhuayna – Machu Picchu – Cusco
Today we will wake up at 3:30 am, have breakfast and descend to the checkpoint. We will wait there for a little over an hour until the gates open. Once we have passed through the checkpoint, we will hike for 1.5 hours to the Sun Gate (Inti Punku), the ceremonial entrance to Machu Picchu. We will have our first glimpse of the majestic Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu. From there we will descend for 40 minutes to the citadel of Machu Picchu, the “Lost City of the Incas”. This complex is considered a jewel of Inca architecture. It is a complete village with different neighbourhoods, squares, alleys, buildings, astronomical observatories and terraces. The city was rediscovered on July 24th 1911 by the American researcher Hiram Bingham. Our local guide will share his knowledge about this sacred place and show us the whole complex. Later, you will have enough free time to explore the archaeological site on your own. For those who have previously selected to climb Huayna Picchu Mountain or Machu Picchu Mountain, you will do so at your designated time.* In the afternoon, we will take the bus to Aguas Calientes and have lunch at a local restaurant. Then we take the train to Ollantaytambo, enjoying the beautiful scenery of the Sacred Valley during the train ride. Upon arrival at the train station, we will take you to your hotel in Cusco. *Please ask in advance for availability. $65.00 per person for Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain. Walking distance: 6 km/3.7 miles
Included:
- Comfortable tents with foam mattress.
- Meals as indicated in the itinerary (3x breakfast, 3x lunch, 3x snack, 3x dinner).
- Professional cook and kitchen equipment. Dining tent and kitchen tent for the cook to prepare his meals on time.
- Our meals can be adapted to any dietary requirements, such as vegetarian or vegan. Let us know in advance if you have certain preferences, so we can plan ahead.
- A cup of hot coca mate each morning.
- Boiled water provided for coffee and tea to accompany your meals in the camps.
- Transportation from your hotel in Cusco to the starting point at KM82.
- Train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo on the 4th.
- Transportation from Ollantaytambo to Cusco (Regocijo Square).
- Professional English/Spanish speaking guide, plus a guide assistant for groups over 12 years old.
- Porters, who carry camping equipment, food and kitchen utensils.
- All of our trekking guides have a minimum of 3 years of experience as guides and are certified. They carry a first aid kit with them, as well as an extra oxygen bottle in case of emergencies.
- Informative meeting: You will have a meeting with your guide in our office to review all the details about your tour. The orientation will be between 5:00 p.m. m. and 7:30 p.m. m. In our office in Cusco the day before departure.
- Entrance tickets to Machu Picchu and Inca Trail included.
Not included:
- Breakfast on the first day (you can bring your own sandwich or have breakfast for 15.00 soles in Ollantaytambo).
- Lunch and dinner on the last day.
- Does not include water for hiking. Please carry enough water with you. Along the trekking road, you can buy more bottles of water.
- Sleeping bags. Available for rent if you don’t have one with you ($15.00 per person).
- trekking poles. Available for rent for $20.00 per person.
- Entrance to Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain. You can choose to add one of them to your trekking itinerary for $60.00 per person. Please let us know in advance, so we can check availability.
- Shuttle from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes (optional available for $12.00 per person)
- Tips for your guide, cook and porters.
- domestic or international flights.
- travel insurance.
- other activities not mentioned in this itinerary.
Recommendations
- Original passport (the same one used to book your hike)
- Valid College Card (if you have booked as a student)
- Good backpack (the smaller, the better – 30L or 35L)
- Water storage: 2-3 L (Camelbaks are recommended)
- Comfortable hiking boots with ankle support.
- Sleeping bag (can be rented at Sam Travel)
- Headlight: Essential
- toilet paper
- 2 t-shirts
- 2 hiking pants at least
- 4 sets of underwear
- 3 sets of socks
- Thermal jacket
- outerwear, coat jacket
- Waterproof gloves (even if they are ski gloves)
- Comfortable shoes for the camp.
- Quick dry towel. We offer small ones, maybe you prefer something bigger.
- Small bottle of soap: We provide warm water every day to wash.
- Battery Charger: No electricity along the hike
- Plastic bags will be provided in the office. Please ask for them.
- Sleeping bag: It should be at least -15ºC. It can be rented to us for $20 USD.
- Facial moisturizer
- hand sanitizer
- wet wipes
- toothbrush and toothpaste
- personal medications
- First aid kit: band-aids, etc.
- We highly recommend having a small trekking backpack of 30 to 40 L for the day. in which you can carry the following things
- sunhat
- sunscreen
- Headlight: Essential
- Wool hat
- Rainwear
- Wool
- Snack like chocolate bars, cereal bars or any dried fruit.
- coca leaves
- Rain plastic poncho (provided by Sam)
- Gloves
- Camera
- hand sanitizer
- Toilet paper and small plastic bag for waste.
