Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

Day 2: Cusco Tour

Today is your first full day in Peru! Following a delicious breakfast, you will set out to explore Cusco on a private half-day van/walking tour. During this tour, you will be able to truly experience the sights, sounds, and main attractions of one of South America’s most impressive cities (which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site). The tour will take you to visit the heart of this city and its emblematic highlights. You will travel by van to explore the archaeological sites at Sacsayhuaman, Tambomachay, Pukapukara, and Q’enqo, and will travel by foot to the Cusco Cathedral and the incredible Qorikancha temple.

On your tour, you will undoubtedly be struck by the unlikely yet intriguing intersection of antiquity and modernity in this ancient capital city of the Inca Empire, as fashionable Cusqueñans share the sidewalk with rural campesinos on busy avenues and plazas, the latter often dressed in traditional garb and sometimes leading parcel-laden alpacas or donkeys.

Following this tour, you will have the afternoon and evening to explore the city on your own. Later, for lunch and dinner, you will be able to experience the gastronomy of the city at your leisure, at restaurants of your choosing.

Day 3: First Day of Inca Trail Trek (Cusco to Chamana)

At last, today you will begin your hike of the Inca Trail – one of South America’s most famous treks! Following an early wake-up, you will drive from Cusco to the trailhead at KM 82 to begin this incredible journey. While most other trekkers cross the Urubamba River at KM 82 (~8,694 feet / ~2,650 meters above sea level), you will continue downriver and cross at KM 88. As a result, this will set the tone for the rest of the trek (having the landscape to yourself, avoiding the crowds, and a more tranquil and immersive experience) and create some space between you and other groups as you warm up your hiking legs. Later, you will take your first break at the ruins of Q’oriwayrachina, consisting of nearly 200 ancient stone structures.

In the early afternoon, camp will be set and you will enjoy lunch at our campsite of Chamana (near a small village that is part of the Llaqtapata Community), at 8,481 feet / 2,585 meters above sea level. As evening approaches, you can visit the nearby archaeological site of Llaqtapata. Finally, at the end of the day, we are delighted to be able to offer you a warm dinner after the day’s trek!

Daily trekking distance: approximately 6.3 miles / 10.1 kilometers (i.e. ~5 hours of hiking)

Day 4: Second Day of Trek (to Llulluchapampa)

Wake up to a steaming cup of coffee or tea and trail-worthy breakfast at your campsite before embarking again on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. You will continue the journey up the narrow Cusichaca Valley, passing farmhouses and rural homesteads, until finally reaching the Andean community of Huayllabamba. From here, the cobble-stoned Inca Trail ascends steeply through an ancient native forest bursting with melodic birdsong.

Later, the trail begins to level out at the campsite at Llulluchapampa (12,336 feet / 3,760 meters), situated just below the first pass. At this point, while enjoying a delicious dinner, you can experience breathtaking views of Mt. Huayanay and a first glimpse of the rare Andean cloud forest of Quenua, or Polylepis trees. Their reddish bark peels into paper-like sheets, hence their familiar name “Paper Tree.”

Daily trekking distance: approximately 7.3 miles / 11.8 kilometers (i.e. ~7-8 hours of hiking)

Day 5: Third Day of Trek (to Phuyupatamarca)

Fuel up on a hot breakfast for the big climbs later today. Breathtaking vistas along the way will also give you energy as you head into the heart of the Andean mountains. The day’s hike begins with a steady ascent up to Warmiwanusqa Pass (‘Dead Woman’s Pass’), where you will enjoy panoramic views of the terrain you have just conquered from this challenging high point (13,871 feet / 4,228 meters, nearly 5,905 feet / 1,800 meters higher than Machu Picchu itself!).

Now, the hard-earned descent to the Pacaymayo River lies ahead. After a hearty lunch, you will ascend again to the ruins of Runkuraqay and a second pass (13,018 feet / 3,968 meters). From here, you will then walk down to the site of Sayacmarca on the original Inca Trail, passing a dry lake and the first signs of the mist-filled Andean cloud forest. Many plants and animals thrive in the cloud forest, including endemic species found nowhere else on Earth! You may spot hummingbirds, butterflies, and delicate orchids of various brilliant hues. This stretch of trail along a steady ridge offers a bit of a respite from the day’s arduous ascents and descents, in addition to offering incredible views of the beautiful Aobamba Valley below.

You will continue along the ridge through undeniably amazing landscapes and views of snow-capped Mt. Salkantay on the western side, as well as Mt. Pumasillo silhouetted to the north. Follow the flagstoned trail until you eventually arrive at your campsite at Phuyupatamarca (12,008 feet / 3,660 meters), whose name in the Quechua language means “village at the edge of the clouds.”

Daily trekking distance: approximately 7.5 miles / 12.1 kilometers (i.e. ~8-10 hours of hiking)

Day 6: Fourth Day of Trek (to Machu Picchu)

At last, you have arrived at the day that you will get your first glimpse of the iconic citadel of Machu Picchu! You will wake up early for a glorious sunrise view just a short hike up the hill from the campsite, where porters will await you with steaming cups of tea. This site is known to deliver some of the most surprisingly radiant sunrise views in the entire area. Following breakfast you continue on your journey, passing the ruins at Phuyupatamarca. These ruins contain an irrigation system that was built over five centuries ago, and which still functions to this day!

At this point, the flagstoned trail begins to wind sharply downwards, leading you into the cloud forest to the well-conserved ruins of Wiñay Wayna (‘Forever Young’) located just below the ridge. Following in the Inca’s footsteps, along the very same trail they once used, you will now pass through dense, misty cloud forest until at last reaching a viewpoint of Machu Picchu at Inti Punku (the Sun Gate) around 3:00-4:00 PM. After soaking up the glorious view, you will continue down past the archaeological site to the transportation area, in order to board a group shuttle down to the village of Aguas Calientes (which sits at the base of Machu Picchu, at an elevation of 6,692 feet / 2,040 meters above sea level). When you arrive in the town, you will enjoy a hard-earned shower and rest at your hotel.

Daily trekking distance: approximately 6.8 miles / 10.9 kilometers (i.e. ~8 hours of hiking)

Day 7: Machu Picchu Tour

Now that you have experienced the beautiful Inca Trail, you will hike Huayna Picchu (or Machu Picchu Mountain) and then further explore the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu (7,972 feet / 2,430 meters above sea level) on a three-hour guided tour. As part of the enhanced experience, you will then do the Circuit 2 tour route (the longer route through the citadel). Having the privilege of wandering the various sectors and entering some of the houses and temples will really bring this iconic site to life, and therefore leave you with a sense of reverence and awe for what the Inca were able to achieve so long ago. This tour will later be followed by a lunch, then a scenic train ride to Ollanta Station. From there, you will be transported by private vehicle to your hotel in Cusco.

Day 8: Final Day in Peru

Today you will enjoy your last morning in Peru, before later being transferred by private vehicle from your hotel to Cusco International Airport for your flight home.