• Overview
  • Trip Outline
  • Trip Includes

About this trip

The ultimate way to experience Machu Picchu is to walk the path of the Inca's, get off the beaten path, and cover 31 miles of exquisite terrain to one of the seven wonders of the world. The Inca Trail is one of the most famous trails in the world and for excellent reasons. Much of the trail is still the original Inca constructed trail, a true testament to Incan engineering. The trail itself is nothing short of breathtaking, full of deep history and unbelievable stories.  Best yet, our local guides educate you on what you are passing by, and why it matters.   The beauty of this experience is you have the opportunity to see Machu Picchu TWICE. The first time you will enter via the Sun Gate around 4 pm. I can speak from personal experience when I say that this one of the best time to see this ancient city.  Many of the other tourists have left for the day, and you will find yourself at awe as you stand above the ruins at the Sun Gate. Once we hike down to Machu Pichhu, you will have time to soak it all in, take photos, explore a little and return via bus to Aguas Calientes.  Aguas Calientes is the town that sits below the ruins, and it provides for a fun local flare and chance for a restful nights sleep. The next morning you will ride the bus back up to Machu Picchu as our guides give you an unbelievable tour and education on Incan history. Don't miss this once in a lifetime adventure. Machu Picchu is everything you've heard, and we can't wait to experience it with you. *This hike will be difficult. Please make sure you are committed to a training schedule that will prepare you for the terrain and give you the best opportunity to enjoy our adventure.

Trekking Details

  • Hike Distance: 31 miles
  • Difficulty: Difficult
  • Duration:  5 days
  • Elevation Gain:  428m/1404ft.
  • Weather:   See below
  • Seasons:   From March 1 until January 31 (February is closed for maintenance).
  • Hike Trail Map:   See below
  • Cusco Drive Time:    2hr 45min+
  • Town Nearest Hike:   Ollantaytambo
  • Scenary:   Dry andean valley, Last stretch of Sacred Valley, Urubamba mountain range views, scenic trail, Cactus area, local villages, wildlife: prairie horses and dogs, Vizcachas and  andean foxes, Birds; torrent tyranulettt, black-chested buzzard-eagle, Chiguanco thrush.
  • Activities:    Hiking trail, archaeological site tours, nature and Andean community visits.

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Itineraries

Day 1

Date : April 30, 2021

Time : 12:00 am

Guests Arrive in Cusco and Welcome Meeting 6:00pm

Guests Arrivals Day
Guests who arrive early can spend some time exploring the city of Cusco. Meet the Group meeting at 6:00 pm for the welcome and trekking details. Hotel and Location of meeting TBD (Guide is working on and will have very soon). 

Accommodation - Hotel in Cusco (TBD)

Day 2

Date : May 1, 2021

Explore Cusco and travel to Ollantaytambo

Explore Cusco with a group walking in the morning and then travel to Ollantaytambo in the  afternoon. Early  bedtime as we will be starting early the following morning. 

Accommodations : Hotel in Ollantaytambo

Day 3

Date : May 2, 2021

Start Inca Trail

Trekking (D1)

Start time
4:30 AM

Highlights of the day
Our trek starts at the 82Km or Piscacucho. As opposed to every other travel company, we won't enter into the National Sanctuary of Machu Picchu at this location. Instead, we will walk along the right bank of the Urubamba river toward Qoriwayrachina or 88Km.    As we follow an original off the beaten track Inca Trail we will pass the Incan sites of Rumipunku and Salapunku; these are some of the Incan sites that no other trekker on the Inca trail gets to visit. At Qoriwairachina, We will not check in with the park rangers yet; instead, we will hike for an extra mile to visit the impressive Incan site of Machu Q'ente. After our guide gives us a brief presentation of this wonderful place, we will walk back toward Qoriwairachina to make our official entry into the National Sanctuary of Machu Picchu. At Qoriwairachina we will see the foundations of an ancient Incan hanging bridge and a watchtower. After a well-deserved lunch break; we will walk uphill for one hour to visit the impressive Incan site of Wayna Qente; another of the off the beaten track archaeological sites that only our exclusive tour allow us to visit. In this place, We will explore the ruins of Wayna Qente and enjoy the breathtaking views of the Urubamba mountain range and the snowcapped peak of Wakay Willca (Veronica), which stands at 5860m/19225ft. We will stop here to watch the sunset over a nice cup of hot cocoa before we return to our campsite at Qoriwayrachina.

Difficulty level
Moderate. The trail starts at 2720m/8923ft climbing to 3000m/8984ft at Wayna Qente.

Meals
Lunch during the hike and dinner at our campsite in the evening. Vegetarian options are available. Please advise us if you require this option.

Accommodation
Camping in tents at a campsite in Cuyoq.  The temperature at night is usually around 1°C/34°F.

Day 4

Date : May 3, 2021

Trekking all day

Trekking (D2)


Start time

6:00 AM

Highlights of the day
On this day, we will walk towards the Llaqtapata Incan site, which is a massive city built at the juncture of the Urubamba and Wayllabamba rivers. We will visit the religious area of Pulpituyoq and part of the urban area before we continue hiking towards Wayllabamba.  From Wayllabamba we will take a brief detour to explore the Incan site of Inca Rakay, before we return to have lunch at Wayllabamba. In the afternoon, the trek will turn a bit strenuous as we start the climb toward our campsite. Due to the vast changes in the ecosystems in the area, flora and fauna on this part of the trek are incredibly varied. You will see many birds such as hummingbirds and other exotic birds, plants, and trees such as the 'Polilepys ' or Q'ueuña tree which grows in the astonishing cloud forest located at 3650m/11972ft!  You will feel a real sense of achievement reaching the campsite at Lluluchapampa from where we will be able to see the highest point of the trail, the Huarmihuañusca/'Dead Woman's Pass’ 4200m/13779ft.

Difficulty level
Hard. We climb from Llaqtapata 2850m/9020ft to Llulluchapampa 3650m/12030 ft. We camp, only 2 hours away from the highest point of the Inca Trail, the Huarmihuañusca/'Dead Woman's Pass’ 4200m/13779ft.

Meals
Breakfast at our campsite, lunch on the trek and dinner at our evening campsite.

Accommodation
Camping in tents at Llulluchapampa 3550m/11646ft. Temperature around 6°C or 42°F.

Other Information
Our evening campsite at Lluluchapampa is a unique location and sometimes we will be the only group in this area.

Day 5

Date : May 4, 2021

All Day Trekking

Trekking (D3)

Start time
6:00 AM

Highlights of the day

This is a challenging day for us. We will keep climbing the mountain towards the Abra de Huarmihuañusca/'Dead Woman's Pass’ 4200m/13779ft. The views from here are simply amazing. Once we get to the the highest point and we take the mandatory pictures, we will proceed to go downhill for about 2.5 hours, toward Pacayamayo, our lunch spot. After we reach this place and we have the mandatory 
 In the afternoon we will climb the second mountain pass of the trail. Along the way, we will visit the unique incan sites of Runcuracay’ and  ‘Sayacmarca’ and gaze at the magnificient scenery as you pass through the lovely cloud forest. Our campsite will be located right outside the Inca site of ‘Phuyupatamarca’ (meaning ‘Town in the Clouds’).

Difficulty level
Hard. This is our longest and hardest day. On this day we will reach the three  highest points of the Inca Trail, the Huarmihuañusca/'Dead Woman's Pass’ 4200m/13779ft, the Runkurakay pass followed by the  Phuyupatamarca pass 3220 m / 11000ft.

Meals
Breakfast at our campsite, lunch on the trek and dinner at our evening campsite.

Accommodation
Camping in tents at a campsite at Phuyupatamarca 3220m/11000ft.

Other information
A short distance from this campsite is the Inca site of the same name ‘Phuyupatamarka’.

Day 6

Date : May 5, 2021

Trekking All Day

Trekking (D4)

Start time
7:00 AM

Highlights of the day
Early in the morning before breakfast we will go on a short climb toward the Incan religious center called “Ushnu” to observe the sunrise. It is here we will be served hot chocolate and sandwiches for breakfast. After we pack our things we will head downhill toward Machu Picchu and the Sun Gate. The trail in this part is quite steep and full of steps, the altitude loss will be quite dramatic as we will be dropping almost 1000m/3000ft in altitude. Along the way we will visit the Incan sites of Phuyupatmarca, Intipata and Winaywayna. This last place is perhaps one of the most beautiful sites of the whole Incan trail. After lunch we will head toward Intipunku and Machupicchu. Our goal is to reach Machu Picchu right before sunset and the closing time for Machu Picchu. Once Machu Picchu is closed we will take a 30 minute bus ride toward Aguas Calientes where we will spend the night.

Difficulty level
Moderate: Steady down hill hike toward Winaywayna and the Sun Gate or Intipunku.

Meals
Breakfast at the campsite and lunch in Aguas Calientes. 

Accommodation
Hotel at Aguas Calientes.

Other Information
We will arrive at Machu Picchu in the afternoon however we will not be allowed to enter the archaeological site yet.  We will enjoy the best views of Machu Picchu from the areas adjacent to the Inca Trail. The guardians house provides an amazing photo opportunity, don't miss going there!

Day 7

Date : May 6, 2021

Guided tour of Machu Picchu (Second Visit) - Hike Departure Day

Bus To Machu Picchu - transport back to Cusco and Depart Flight AFTER 6:00PM! 

***If you are Departing on this final day, make sure you book your flights to DEPART after 6:00pm!! We strongly encourage you to book your departure flight the next day to ensure you are not rushed and able to take in Machu Picchu without rushing.


Start time

4:00 AM

Highlights of the day
We will wake up early in the morning to catch one of the first buses to Machu Picchu. Once in Machu Picchu we will go on a 3 hour tour of this beautiful Incan site. Our guides will explain the history of this site part by part. After the tour has concluded, people will go on their alternative adventures toward the Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu mountains respectively.  In the afternoon, we will catch our train back to Cusco.

Difficulty level
Easy. On this day we will take a bus back to Machu Picchu for the final 2 hour walking tour of the Incan city. 

Other information
We will meet back in Aguas Calientes in the afternoon for lunch. From Aguas Calientes we will take transportation  back to Cusco. 

***If you are Departing on this final day, make sure you book your flights to DEPART after 6:00pm!! We strongly encourage you to book your departure flight the next day to ensure you are not rushed and able to take in Machu Picchu without rushing.

Day 8

Date : May 7, 2021

Departure Flight Home

Transportation from hotel to Airport and head home.

What’s included


  • Local Guides
    * Most Experienced and Professional, bilingual Tour Guides with our group because of it being a larger group

  • Additional Porters
    Additional Porters for help with Trek

  • Machu Picchu
    * Double visit to Machu Picchu. New Addition for 2019!!!  More bang for your buck. * Entrance fee to Machu Picchu

  • Hotel Pickup/Drop Off
    * Collection from hotel in Cusco

  • Return To Hotel
    Return transportation (bus to start of trail and tourist train back to Ollanta)

  • Bus Tickets
    * 3 one way bus tickets up to Machu Picchu and Aguas Calientes.

  • Trip Meals
    * 4 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 4 afternoon snacks  and 3 dinners (breakfast on day 1 and dinner and lunch in Aguas Calientes town are not included).  

  • Eating Tent
    * Dining tent with tables and chairs

  • Cook
    *Meals prepared by cook

  • 2 Person Tent
    * 2-people tents & Sleeping mattresses

  • Horseman and Mules
    * Horseman and mules (to carry cooking and camping equipment and up to 8 kg (17.6 lbs) of tourist’s belongings)

  • 2 Nights Hotel
    * 2 nights (Day 1 & 2) accommodation in hotel in Cusco and Ollantaytambo

  • Additional Support/Equip
    * Extra oxygen, First Aid kit, Two "Emergency" Horses (encase someone needs ride), Stretcher

  • Meal Options
    * Vegetarian/special diet options available upon request

  • Porta Potty Tent
    "Porta Potty Tent" included for our group on days where we will not have facilities

  • Walking Tour Cusco
    Day 2 Walking Tour Cusco and surrounding area

  • Comfort Trek Package
    Comfort Trekking Package included; Comfort trekking package (sleeping bags, sleeping pad, camping pillows, trekking poles)

  • Air Fare
    Air Fare To and From the Adventure Starting Point ( Cusco)

  • Additional Meals
    Additional meals not mentioned above in Trip Itinerary

  • Additional Travel
    Additional travel not mentioned above in Trip Itinerary

  • Personal Camp Equipment
    Personal Camping equipment (Sleeping bags and additional air mattress can be rented through guide company)

  • Snacks
    Personal hiking snacks and water bottle