Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, Cusco & Sacred Valley

Meet our representative at the Cusco airport and transfer to your accommodation. You will have some free time to acclimatize to the altitude taking things very slowly wandering around the magic city of Cusco also considered as the Navel of the World.

In the afternoon you will be picked up from your hotel on a vehicle to the city’s greatest landmarks. Explore the magical capital of the Incas in a tour that includes the Plaza de Armas, the famous Baroque style Cathedral considered one of the most splendid Spanish colonial churches in the Americas, built over an important Inca temple, with amazing altars, intricately wood carved pulpits, choir and multitude of paintings of the Cusqueña school, including a Marcos Zapata painting of the Last Supper with a local specialty, cuy (guinea pig), as the main dish. You will continue with the visit of the Santo Domingo monastery, which was built over the Koricancha temple, one of the most important temples dedicated to the worship of the sun. According to the chronicles, it was covered in gold leaf and filled with golden representations of nature. Stop at San Cristobal lookout point for a magnificent view of the city of Cusco, before proceeding to the nearby remarkable Inca ruins in the area: the fortress of Sacsayhuaman, the temple and amphitheatre of Kenko, and the archeological site of Tambomachay, where the god “water” was worshipped. Return to your hotel. On your own you can explore the nightlife in Cusco´s varied and exciting pubs where there is plenty of live folk music and good food to enjoy in a lively atmosphere.

MAKE IT DIFFERENT (OPTIONAL)

Love to Cook? Peruvian Cuisine is widely regarded one of the most delicious and diverse in the world. Our rustic kitchen set in the countryside of Cusco provides the perfect setting for your hands-on cooking lessons and demonstrations with our talented Peruvian chefs. Our products are bought from the local markets and providers, whom you will get to know during our market tour. You can also hand-pick some of your own ingredients from our very own on-site garden and greenhouse.

If you are more active, ATV, biking, rafting, yoga classes in front of a beautiful lagoon or Via Ferrata excursions can be arranged according to your preferences.

We recommend you to have an extra day in Cusco to enjoy these optional activities with no rush.

ASK OUR EXPERTS TO UPGRADE YOUR EXPERIENCE

THE ORDER OF THIS TOUR MAY BE MODIFIED WITHOUT PREVIOUS NOTICE

This day tour takes you to the most famous and popular parts of the Sacred Valley, few places in the Inca Empire could compete against the beauty and wealthy of this valley, for this reason it received that name. Its character of “Sacred” has survived the pass of the time and that magic continues seducing the visitors.

Early in the morning, we will pick you up from your hotel to the town of Chinchero, which is about 40 minutes from Cusco, on the way you will enjoy beautiful Andean landscapes highlighted by the beauty of the snowy Chicón and Verónica of the Urubamba Mountain Range . Chinchero is a clearly Inca town, with its unique colonial church built by the Spaniards on top of an Inca palace where the past persists stubbornly, as if the spirit of a millenary culture clung to this place refusing to disappear. The native settlers, dressed in colorful traditional costumes, come down from their communities and gather in the main square to exchange their products, preserving many of their ancestral traditions.

Afterwards, you will visit the Inca agricultural laboratory of Moray, where several groupings of terraces were formed in an almost perfect circular shape at different heights, in order to achieve a gradient of microclimates with the aim of getting perfect crops. There, the Incas cultivated important foods for their diet such as corn, or the grain of quinoa, also various medicinal plants such as panti, ornamental as the flowers of Kantu and carried out many experiments of cultivation for recreation of their masters. A system of canals where today the rain is deposited assured the irrigation of the hanging terraces of the great amphitheater, the perfection of Moray was such, that to this day, it works impeccably.

Then you will visit to the famous salt mines of Maras, which were very important for the Incas as a salt supply and are still in operation today. For a few Soles you can buy a package of this salt, famous for having many more minerals than sea salt. In addition to its historical importance, the salt mines of Maras also offer an unforgettable view with the stark white of its steeply descending salt pans juxtaposed against the green of the surrounding mountain slopes.

You will continue with the formidable fortress temple of Ollantaytambo, the spectacular archaeological complex that seems to have been a kind of walled gate that stopped in several war expeditions trying to reach the Inca treasure, the great steep andeneria, which protects this spectacular fortress, marks one of the few places where the Spanish conquerors lost an important battle in the year 1537.

In the highest part you will find a ceremonial center with huge blocks of stone perfectly carved in a very fine work. To build it, stones from the quarry located on the other side of the Urubamba River were used 6 km away. from distance, which shows the great ability of the Incas to transport these huge blocks using an ingenious technique that would allow them to transport them across mountainous areas and the torrential Urubamba River.

Finally, you will visit Pisac, allowing you to enjoy some of the best archaeological complexes in the area. Its exquisitely carved walls are among the most perfect of all Andean architecture, surrounded by an impressive group of terraces that are still used as well as its granaries and pantries that are still preserved in the hillside irrefutable proof of the wisdom of the men who populated that zone. Then you will go down to the famous market town of Pisac, where you will test your bargaining skills in a colorful and cheerful environment, and you can stock up on souvenirs for friends and family!

Lunch, dinner

Early in the morning you will be picked up by bus from Cusco to Km. 82 from where you will start these 4 days trek Inca Trail, a network of cobblestone roads that covered the entire Empire of the Incas. Throughout the trekking you will be able to appreciate totally different attractions, the same ones that combined are wonderful. One of them is the nature that combines landscape aspects, typical flora and fauna in abundant form and on the other hand the incredible constructions of roads, fortresses and aqueducts of the Inca Culture.

At this starting point you should show your permit card of the Inca Trail and your original passport and you will meet your porters who will be very busy taking care of ordering all the camping equipment that they will then carry behind their backs. From this point, start the walk escorted by a long line of porters, for about 2 and a half hours through the Andean flora and beautiful scenery to reach the small town of Miskay, where you will enjoy a delicious lunch. Continue the hike for approximately 2 and a half hours until you reach your first camp located in Huayllabamba (9842f/3000m). When you arrive at your camp you will have a light snack and some free time to walk around, talk with your porters or companions of walk or rest. Dinner will be served at the indicated time.

• Maximun altitude: 9842f/3000m
• Minimun altitude: 9350f/2850m
• Walking distance: 6.77ml/10.89km
• Approximate walking time: 5 hours

Breakfast, lunch, dinner, morning and afternoon snacks

Undoubtedly, this is the most challenging day of trekking, which will start with a lot of energy after a hot drink to wake up and a healthy breakfast. After a few kilometers, you will begin the ascent to the highest pass of the entire route, the Warmihuañusca or also called Dead Woman’s Pass (13779f/4200m) where you will arrive after almost 4 hours. After a short rest at the summit, you will start the long descent down a steep path from where it is possible to see the route that leads to the spectacular ruins of Runkurakay, while observing different ecosystems ranging from the dry puna to the high jungle. At the end of the gorge, you will stop at Pacaymayo (3350m / 10990p), the place of your second camp.

• Maximun altitude: 13779f/4200m
• Minimun altitude: 9842f/3000m
• Walking distance: 7.10km/4.40ml
• Approximate walking time: 6 hours

Breakfast, lunch, dinner, morning and afternoon snacks

A while after leaving Pacaymayo and following a zigzagging but short ascent (1 hour approx.) you will reach the circular ruins of Runkurakay (12139f/3700m) just surrounded by forests and steep hills.

After the visit to these ruins and a short rest, continue ascending to the pass of Runkurakay (12631f/3850m) to then start the descent and you will realize that from this point the Inca Trail is in excellent condition. Then, you will reach the steps that climb the ruins of Sayacmarca (11745f/3580m) from where the path begins to enter the jungle, the trail crosses the “Dry Lake” and the “Tunnel”, a natural cavity produced by a landslide but adapted by the Incas. This great Inca Trail continues through mountains covered with moss and fern and, after crossing a small pass, you will reach the Ceremonial Center of the ruins of Phuyupatamarca (11811f/3600m) an Inca construction with truncated pyramid structure, consisting of eight fountains liturgical at different levels and an extensive work of terraces and from where you have a spectacular view of the most impressive snowcapped mountains, to finally reach the spectacular archaeological complex of Wiñaywayna (8723f/2650m) with its hundreds of platforms and more than 3000 steps carved in the rock, the second most important after Machu Picchu, and where his last camp will be settled.

NOTE: Some itineraries can have Phuyupatamarca as the last campsite as this is determined by the National Institute of Culture (INC) that controls the Inca road network, we will inform you accordingly

• Maximun altitude: 12631ft/3850m
• Minimun altitude: 8723ft/2650m
• Walking distance: 9.94ml/16km
• Approximate walking time: 8 hours

Breakfast

You will start very early the next morning following the trail, heading then towards Inti Punku or Sun Gate (8923f/2720m) your last pass, from where Machu Picchu (7972f/2430m) appears and will truly take your breath away. You will make a short visit of the citadel so as not to spoil the guided tour the next day.

• • Maximun altitude: 8923f/2720m
  • Minimun altitude: 6692f/2040m
  • Walking distance: 4.97m./8 km
  • Approximate walking time: 4/5 hours

IMPROVE YOUR EXPERIENCE!

Take the option of the exclusive luxury Inca Trail

IMPORTANT NOTES!

• • • • If you do want to see the beautiful scenery and ancient buildings of Machu Picchu, book your trip early. The Peruvian Government has placed a limit on the number of people allowed to hike the trails of the citadel per day and entrances tend to book up quickly.
      • For those who want to hike the Huayna Picchu mountain reservations has to be made well in advance, as the local authorities just allow 400 persons per day in two shifts of 200 persons each one (there is an additional to pay for this entrance)
      • If you are interested in upgrading your train experience, please contact our expert travel planners

When, in 1911, the American archaeologist and historian Hiram Bingham discovered “The Lost City of the Inca Empire”, he could not imagine that he had reached the most enigmatic Inca ruins, one of the most spectacular and overwhelming places on earth that still conserves its mystery, charm and mystical appeal, despite its enormous popularity, even more so after having been designated one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. Exploring the place continues to be an exciting experience, especially at dawn, when the scenic rays of light extend over the Andean peaks. After the guided tour, you will descend from the archaeological zone to the Aguas Calientes train station (6692ft/2040m), and embark on the train, which will meander slowly through the Andean landscape until you reach the town of Ollantaytambo, where you will be transferred to the vehicle that will take you back to Cusco.

Departure transfer at scheduled time