The classic Inca Trail is a wonderful trek offering the traveler a wonderful hiking experience passing by a multitude of Inca ruins and climatic zones enroute to one of the Wonders of the World, Machupicchu! All ages and fitness levels are welcome – Our experienced mountain guides will take care of you all the way!
Duration – 4 Days |
Difficulty – Medium |
| Day 1 | Cusco – Km82 – Wayllabamba |
| Day 2 | Wayllabamba – Warmiwañusca – Pacaymayo |
| Day 3 | Pacaymayu – Phuya Patamarka – Wiñay Wayna |
| Day 4 | Wiñay Wayna – Machu Picchu – Cusco |
* We can arrange a customised itinerary for you to include the Inca Trail Trek, contact us for more information.
The Inca Trail offers the traveller a wonderful combination of scenery including magnificent mountains, fauna and flora, subtropical vegetation and the amazing Inca ruins. Over 220 species of orchids have been found in the Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary, as well as many species of birds, animals and reptiles.
This trek is spread over 4 days, the 44 km trail passes though three stunning Andean high passes where you will discover ancient archaeological sites and ruins.
In order to undertake this trail you need to have a reasonable level of fitness – age does not matter. The most important factor is acclimatizing to the altitude. The maximum height above sea level along the trail is 4,200m, so we suggest that you spend at least 2 days in Cusco before attempting to walk the trail.
During this time you can explore the wonderful city which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
This trek is led by our Pachamama guide(s) who are also accompanied by our team of porters and cooks.
We collect you from your hotel. Collection from Cusco will be at 5.30am, from Urubamba 6.30am and if you stay in Ollantaytambo you get to sleep in a bit with your collection at 7am. We will confirm collection times at your trek briefing.
We drive to Km82 – the start of the trail. Here we enjoy the view of Veronica Snow Mountain (5,720m). Gathering all our gear, together we pass our first control point and commence walking for about 3 hours – the hike is relatively easy going. The first ruins that we will see are called Llactapata – here we take lunch enjoying our surroundings.
We continue our hike for around 2hours further through lush farmland and woodlands to our first campsite, Wayllabamba. Your tents will be ready waiting for you! We have a nutritious dinner for you tonight! (Lunch, Dinner)
Enroute today you can purchase bottled water and snacks at various points along the trail, however, we will be providing you with boiled water to replenish your water bottles from lunch time today at all meal times onwards.
After breakfast, we begin to walk the toughest part of the trail. After 3 hours walking we reach the highest point in the Inca Trail, Warmiwañusca, or more commonly known as Dead Woman’s Pass (4,200m), where you have a beautiful panoramic view of the area. On reaching the pass we stop for a short break to enjoy the views before setting off again to descend to the next valley (Pacaymayu Valley – Hidden River). We descend into the valley taking around 1.5hrs where we will stop for lunch. After lunch we continue down to Pacaymayo, around 2 hours, where we set up camp. Time to put up your feet after a long days hiking and enjoy a rewarding dinner! (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
After breakfast we start the ascent towards the second most important pass on the trail which lies at 4,000m. There will be a guided tour at the Inca Ruins of Runkurakay and the Inca citadel of Sayacmarca. We continue trekking towards Puya Patamarka (Cloud-level town), another important archaeological monument, where lunch will be served.
After a short break we continue walking to Wiñay Huayna (Forever Young), a beautiful Inca construction, and receive a guided tour. We camp near to the ruins and have a well deserved nutritious dinner. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) Please note that campsites can change – the Authorities are in charge of allocations.
A very early start after breakfast in order that we can arrive in time for sunrise at Machu Picchu. We walk for about an hour through the forest before arriving at the Inti Punku (the Sun Gate), where we will have our first inspiring view of Machu Picchu.
We admire the view before setting off for the short walk into the ruins. There will be a 2 hour fully guided tour around the ruins, visiting the main sites and monuments. After the tour you will have free time to wander around and explore by yourself. We drive by bus down to the town of Aguas Calientes for lunch. In the afternoon we take the train back to Ollantaytambo where you will be transferred back to your hotel. (Breakfast)
CAMPSITES ON THE INCA TRAIL
Please note that we are not in control of the campsites we are issued with from the Institute of National Culture. Your campsite allocation is dependent on how early you book and how many spaces are left in each campsite. The first 250 spaces are generally given to Winay Wayna (Day 3) and thereafter you will have a longer walk to Machupicchu on the last day and it could mean you do not make it for sunrise. Do not let this disappoint you as Machupicchu is a beautiful site no matter what time you arrive. Winay Wayna ruins are also some of the most beautiful ruins on the Inca Trail and you will enjoy these crowd free if having to camp in Phuyupatamarka.
Close your group to just you and your family and friends. In this service we also include Personal Porters (8kg per person weight allowance), Sleeping Bags, Inflatable Mats, Inflatable Pillows, Walking Poles and the Vistadome Train service.If you want a private group but don’t want all these frills, just let us know what you want included and we will make a special quotation for you.
Permits are required for either of these hikes and are limited – you must book in advance!
Huaynapicchu: Currently the more popular hike as it’s a little shorter. This hike is around 1hr steep ascent – there are sheer drops on the side, so if you are afraid of heights, this is not for you! Coming down will also be around 1hr approx. There are 400 permits available per day and split into the following departure times:
Machupicchu Mountain: Less known than Huaynapicchu but certainly not to be ignored. This hike is slightly longer taking around 1.5hrs up and same down. From the top you will also get a birds eye view of Machupicchu. Many of our guides prefer this hike as its less crowded. There are 400 permits available and there is one entrance time slot:
The cost to add on either excursion is US$ 82 per person payable in advance. Please note your permits are with your name and passport details and are non- transferable and non-refundable.
Our Porters carry a maximum load of 18kg, but we kindly ask you to not exceed your 7kg stated allowance as we need to adhere to the INC regulations and more importantly not damage the health and welfare of our Porters!
Please note that if you want to hire a personal porter you need to tell us this at the time of making your reservation as our Porters also require permits to enter the trail and we cannot add on more porters after we have obtained your permits.
Our approach to travel is defined by our motto “Constantly in Pursuit of Excellence”, as we strive to provide top quality tour or trek options.
We’d love to hear from you, so please contact us with your questions, comments or suggestions through our Support System and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Please also review our FAQ’s to save you time in case your question has already been answered.
Permits go on sale for 2019 from Monday, 1st October 2018.
Please be sure to reserve in advance as permits sell out very quickly on opening especially for the months of March, April, May and June. In general you need to book at least 6 months in advance.
Be sure that your Passports are up to date as we require this information in order to purchase your permits.
