Classic Inca Trail - Premium
Classic Inca Trail - Premium
Duration
4 Days / 3 Nights
Package Type
Adventure
Activity Level
Moderate
Travel specialist
Trip Overview
The 4 day classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu trek is one of the most famous treks in South America, and for good reason. Mixing history and wildlife and spectacular scenery, this four-day, three-night adventure is an unforgettable experience, with a final destination -- Machu Picchu itself -- that ranks among the world’s most impressive archaeological sites.
The classic Inca Trail is only about 42 km (26 miles) long, but it goes up and down and along mountains, rising up through three mountain passes, and generally takes a circuitous route through the tricky terrain in this part of Peru. That makes it a more strenuous 42 km than most, but also one with spectacular scenery, passing through various Andean environments including cloud forest and alpine tundra.
Along the trail, you’ll be trekking through an area of great biodiversity. At any moment you could come across orchids, foxes, cocks-of -the-rock (Peru’s national bird), spectacled bears, deer and many more species of flora and fauna. As you trek the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, you’ll also pass by other impressive Inca ruins, such as Wiñay Wayña and Phuyupatamarca. It’s an incredibly rich trekking experience, and that’s before you even reach your destination: the sublime mountaintop Inca citadel of Machu Picchu.
It’s impossible to overstate the beauty of Machu Picchu, from its incredible architecture to the surrounding mountains and mist-filled gorges. But we won’t describe it all here. Far better if you come with us on this Machu Picchu 4 day hike, with our professional guides, porters and talented cooks, and discover this magical trek for yourself.
PROMOTIONAL VIDEO
Day by day schedule
Our Inca Trail adventure begins at 4:30 a.m., when we’ll pick you up from your hotel. We will then drive to Piscacucho, also known as Km 82, where the Inca Trail begins. Here we need to visit the control point and do all the official stuff before we can enter the trail, so you’ll need your passport and ticket. This is a good place to use the bathroom and put on insect repellent and sunscreen, as once we’re on the trail bathrooms and other such infrastructure will be ...
View all photosIt’s another early start on Day 2 as we wake around 5:30 a.m. Our cooks will prepare a hearty breakfast to get your energy levels up, and you’re going to need it. Day 2 on the classic Inca Trail is generally regarded as the toughest day, and we have a steep ascent ahead of us. We’ll be following the Inca Trail along a route that was sacred to the Incas, as it rises up into the Apus, where the mountain spirits dwell.
After a few hours we will reach the h...
View all photosAfter another energy-filled breakfast, we’ll set off on a relatively gentle uphill trek to our first stop of the day: the archaeological site of Phuyupatamarca, "The City Above the Clouds," located at around 3,680 m. This enchanting Inca ruin features terraced slopes and five small stone baths that contain constant fresh running water during the wet season. From here, we have incredible views of snow-capped peaks in the distance, including Salkantay and Veronica.
Heading...
View all photosToday we want to get moving as soon as possible, so we’ll wake at 4:30 a.m., have breakfast and then set off along the last section of the trail. We’ll walk for about 1.5 hours until we reach Intipunku (the “Sun Gate”), arriving before the first rays of the sun reach Machu Picchu. From the Sun Gate, at around 7 a.m., we can watch as the sun spills across the landscape, slowly revealing Machu Picchu and our first sighting of our final destination.
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View all photosWhat's included
- Briefing to the tour one day before the trek at 19h00.
- Complete set of kitchen equipment and utensils.
- Dining room equipment which includes tables, chairs, and a dining tent.
- Water (you need to bring water for the first morning then we will provide you with drinking - previously boiled - water).
- 6 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 3 afternoon snacks, 3 dinners and various snacks throughout the trek.
In the Trek:
- Portable shower with hot water (Exclusive service from Valencia Travel)
- Portable private toilet
- Private transportation from Cusco to Km 82.
- Professional English-speaking guide.
- An assistant guide for groups of more than 9 people.
- A chef trained for cooking on trekking routes and an assistant cook.
- Alcoholic beverages, like wine, pisco, champagne, and beer.
- Energy drinks for the Inca Trail.
- Camping gear: tents, cots, environmentally friendly portable toilets.
- Sleeping bags rated for -17ºC (0ºF).
- Walking sticks
- Air mattress
- Cooking utensils, kitchen tent, dining tent, tables, and very comfortable chairs.
- Porter able to carry 7kg per person
- Canvass backpacks for carrying personal gear (20 lbs./person).
- As soon as we receive your details and deposit, we will purchase your permits (pending availability). These permits are for a specific date and in your name. They can’t be changed once they are confirmed. Only your passport number is allowed to be updated. The permit includes your entrance ticket to Machu Picchu.
- Upgraded Train ticket from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo. This train ticket is VISTA DOME
- Short wave radios.
- First aid kit
What's not included
- Minimum medical and emergency evacuation insurance
- Trip cancellation insurance or any other travel insurance
- Evacuation: in the event of a serious medical injury, we will coordinate with your travel insurance company to arrange evacuation
- Any activity not described in What's Included
- Meals and drinks are not specifying on the itinerary
- Gratuities
- Travel insurance
OPTIONAL FOR RENTING
Highlights:
Inca Trail Porters Protection Law No. 27607(Dec 6th 2001). Decreed Laws Numbers 19990 and 25897 Article 3 Conditions of work:
- Transport up to the point of departure to the end of the trip.
- Limit of load up of 20 kilograms.
- Warm equipment and accommodation
- Special belts to protect their backs from injuries
- Appropriate rest and sleep during the trip
- Provision of sufficient food, and appropriate clothing
- (warm jacket, rain ponchos, walking boots and backpacks)
- Fair and decent Payment on time on Day 4 at 10am
- Life / Accident Insurance the Social Security of Health
- Social Assistance to our Porter`s families not only in Christmas.
QUESTION IS, WHO ARE THE PORTERS?
Porters are indigenous Cusqueñian people who have lived in Cusco, at 4,000 meters high, all of their lives relying on the land of the Andes. Due to economic problems, it is important for these local indigenous people to continue working in the mountains they know so well, rather than give up their jobs in the country to move to the city. They prefer to stay in their local villages and support the education of their children by working as porters on tours.
Sadly, many tour operators don't give them the recognition they deserve. Often tour operators do NOT provide porters with adequate clothing or gear for carrying things while paying them very low salaries. Because of this, you will see thirsty, hungry porters with a low morale along the Inca Trail. Our government has created the Law of the Porter, which requires tour agencies to treat porters better and provide necessary resources for them, but sadly, many of these regulations are not met. Please make sure that the agency you book through respects the Porter Law and be sure to ask for proof of this. Otherwise you could be contributing to the ill treatment of these hard-working porters.
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