Duration
7 Days / 6 Nights
Package Type
Adventure
Activity Level
Moderate
Travel specialist
The Machu Picchu Inca Trail trek is one of the most famous Inca Trail trips in South America, and for very good reason. Combining history, wildlife and spectacular scenery, this four-day, three-night adventure is an unforgettable experience, with the final destination being Machu Picchu itself. A magnificent Inca archaeological site that ranks among the world’s most impressive sites.
The Machu Picchu Inca Trail tour is only about 42 km (26 miles) long, but it ascends and descends through mountains, rising up through three mountain passes, and generally takes a circular route through the tricky terrain of the Andean region in this part of Peru. This makes it a more strenuous 42 km than most, however, it is a hike with spectacular scenery, passing through various Andean environments including cloud forest and alpine tundra.
While trekking the Inca jungle trail to Machu Picchu, you’ll pass 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 hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, you’ll also pass by other impressive Inca ruins, such as Wiñay Wayña and Phuyupatamarca. This trail 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 attempt to describe it all here. It would be far better if you come with us on the classic Inca Trail and Machu Picchu tour, with our professional guides, porters and talented cooks, and discover this magical trek for yourself.
Arrival to Cusco with a transfer to your hotel; a welcome meeting will be organized by your guide for a quick briefing of the tour. The rest of the day can be spent exploring Cusco, the ancient capital of the Inca Empire, set in the Andean Mountain range. Discover Spanish churches and mansions that sit alongside Inca remains, visit the local market of San Pedro and their array of products from handicrafts to vegetable products, fresh juices and items for traditional Andean ceremonies....
After breakfast, enjoy a free day to explore Cusco at your ease. The capital city of the Inca Empire is now the undisputed archaeological capital of the Americas, as well as the continent’s oldest continuously inhabited city. You may visit the local archaeological sites of Saqsaywaman, Tambomachay and Qenqo or you can take part in a Peruvian cooking class or chocolate making class, depending on how you want to spend your free day. We can help arrange and suggest all activities a...
Breakfast: is not included on this day.
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 bureaucracy 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 o...
It’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, as 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 hiking, we wil...
After 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.
H...
Today 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 comes over the mountains, lighting up the surrounding landscape, slowly revealing Machu Picchu and our first sighting of o...
After breakfast enjoy your last day at leisure before your transfer to the airport for your return flight home, via Lima.
Services Included:
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Accommodation
Meals
* If you would like vegetarian food or a special diet, please let us know in advance. Our included meals have a focus on locally owned restaurants that use local farmers and suppliers for their products.
Services
Details:
Now featuring our exclusive Atmos Foam to further reduce weight and boost compressibility, the ProLite is the lightest and most compact three-season mattress available. Self-inflation keeps set-up super-easy and its die-cut foam packs small, easily fitting inside the most ultralight packs. It's ideal for high-mileage, high-speed journeys where every gram counts. Stuff sack included.
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Note that our sleeping bags are feather for those that are allergic
These poles are designed to help you endure long treks into rugged, remote areas with a heavy pack. If you need a little extra support when walking, an adjustable folding walking stick is ideal. It has an aluminium body with plastic handles and base, it folds away neatly for easy storage when not in use.
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Inca Trail Porters Protection Law No. 27607(Dec 6th 2001). Decreed Laws Numbers 19990 and 25897 Article 3 Conditions of work:
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.