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Inca trail
Trek along the legendary Inca road
Inca trail tour information
Starts
4:00 AM at your accommodation in Cusco
Ends
8:00 to 10:00 PM in the city center of Cusco (depending on your train schedule)
bookmark_borderBriefing
On the four-day Inca Trail Tour to Machu Picchu you will experience the authentic journey along the legendary Incaroute, used for more than 500 years and ending at the entrance to the sacred site of Machu Picchu. During the journey, you will enjoy a unique route in which you get to discover magical places such as the Inca city of Llactapata, the Pacaymayo valley or the archaeological sites of Sayacmarca and Phuyupatamarca. The last day you can experience one of the most breathtaking moments in the Andas: the magical sunrise above the sacred citadel of the Inca after accessing Machu Picchu through the Puerta del Sol, the original entry to Machu Picchu.
Tour itinerary
todayDAY 1 Cusco - Wayllabamba
Distance: 8 km, duration: 5 hours
access_time4:00 am
A minibus will pick you up at your accommodation at around 4:00 AM. We will begin the tour with the trip to Piskacuchu, also known as “km 82”, at 2700 meters above the sea level. It is the starting point of the Inca Trail and where the trek begins.
After a short break to eat, we will continue walking along the Urubamba River on flat terrain until Miskay is reached. Here, we will ascend to a viewpoint in the highest area of the mountain to see the impressive Inca city of Llactapata nestled between the imposing mountains.
We will continue on our trek through the valley shaped by the Kusichaca river, a five-hour stretch where we can enjoy the views, the indigenous flora and the native fauna, until we finally reach the camp in Wayllabamba (3000m), where we will set up camp and have dinner before resting.
todayDAY 2 Wayllabamba - Picaymayo
Distance: 12 km, duration: 8 hours
access_time6:00 am
We will get up early, have breakfast and continue our trek to face the roughest stretch of the entire route, a climb where we will see the landscape changing from sierra to puno (a very dry landscape with little vegetation). We will pass through the Abra Warmihuañusca (Paso de la Mujer Muerta - 4200m), where you can see flocks of llamas and domesticated alpacas.
Afterwards, we are going to cross a cloud forest where many typical Andean birds live and finally we will descend to the Pacaymayo valley (3600m), where we will set up camp and eat dinner together.
todayDAY 3 Picaymayo - Wiñaywayna
Distance: 16 km, duration: 12 hours
After breakfast we will start the first stretch of the day and head from Pacaymayo up to the second pass of Abra Runkurakay, which is also an archaeological complex at 3970 meters above sea level.
Then, we will head down to Yanacocha and enter the cloud forest to reach the beautiful archaeological complex of Sayacmarca (3624m). After a short stop there, we will continue on the route, passing through an original Inca tunnel to reach the archaeological complex Phuyupatamarca, which means “city on the clouds”. The name is well chosen since it is at the highest point of the mountain.
Finally, we will continue the walk along the long descendant stone steps to reach Wiñaywayna, where an impressive Inca complex that was dedicated to agriculture is situated. Here we will also camp to spend the night.
todayDAY 4 Wiñaywayna - Machu Picchu - Cusco
access_time4:00 am
We will get up early to walk an hour along an authentic stone road built by the Incas which will take us to Machu Picchu. We will access the enclosure through the Puerta del Sol, known as Inti Punku, and here we will experience one of the most magical moments of the tour: we will see the sunrise over the sacred citadel of the Incas.
Afterwards, we will take a two-hour professional tour with an expert guide who will explain all the details and secrets of this incredible place. At the end of the tour, you will have free time to explore this magnificent heritage site on your own, you can also visit places like the Temple of the Moon or the impressive Inca Bridge.
Around 1:00 PM we will take the bus to Aguas Calientes, where we will eat and then take the train to Ollantaytambo. The train ride will last roughly an hour and 30 minutes and will pass through the beautiful landscape of the Andes before arriving in Ollantaytambo. Once there, we will be transferred to the city center of Cusco, where we will safely arrive in the evening.
Tour details
Included
- Entrance to the Inca Trail
- Entrance to Machu Picchu
- Bus from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes
- Professional bilingual guide (Spanish / English)
- Cook
- Porters to carry cooking and camping equipment (includes common dining room tent)
- Transportation to and from Cusco
- Food
- Four man tent for every two trekkers
- Sleeping mattress
- First-aid kit
Not included
- Sleeping bag (available for renting)
- Breakfast of the first day
- Lunch and dinner of the fourth day
error_outlineImportant information
The train schedule may vary depending on availability. Once your reservation is made we will be able to confirm the exact timetables of the trains.
If you are traveling alone, write us an email to hello@howlanders.com and we will inform you if there is a group departing on your desired date.
Remember that being in a higher altitude requires more effort for everyday tasks and can generate altitude sickness, so it is very important to arrive in Riobamba (or a place of similar altitude) at least one day before the tour departure. Other recommendations are to eat lightly, drink a lot of water, avoid alcoholic beverages altogether and do not strain yourself physically.
If you are traveling alone, write us an email to hello@howlanders.com and we will inform you if there is a group departing on your desired date.
Remember that being in a higher altitude requires more effort for everyday tasks and can generate altitude sickness, so it is very important to arrive in Riobamba (or a place of similar altitude) at least one day before the tour departure. Other recommendations are to eat lightly, drink a lot of water, avoid alcoholic beverages altogether and do not strain yourself physically.
The order of the visits could be altered, but it will not affect the content of the program. The schedules of the tickets and transports could be subject to modifications.
SAFE ADVENTURE – Covid 19
This activity includes the appropriate protection measures to ensure your safety. In addition, our excursions are outdoor and in small groups to reduce the risk of contagion. Remember to follow the instructions of the staff during the development of the excursion.
restoreCancellation policy
You will receive a 10% refund of your booking if you cancel at least 15 days before the tour start date. After this time, or in case you do not show up, no refunds will be given.
What to bring to Inca trail
Aguas Calientes is 1000 meters lower than Cuzco, and the weather varies depending on the time of year, especially during the rainy season. As it is a variable climate we recommend to take:
- Passport
- Insect repellent
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Warm clothing
- Comfortable footwear (if possible waterproof sneakers)
- Refillable water bottle
- Raincoat
- Swimwear and towel (for the thermal waters of Aguas Calientes)
- Personal hygiene articles and medication
- Medication to avoid altitude sickness (in case you consider it necessary)
Where does the tour Inca trail start
Cusco is the main tourist city of Peru and is very well connected. If you plan to arrive from Lima, you can get to Cusco by bus (24 hour trip) or take a one hour flight. You can choose between low cost airlines like Peruvian Airlines, LCP or StarPeru or full-service airlines like Latam and Avianca. If you plan to arrive from Arequipa the bus ride to Cusco will roughly takes ten hours. Alternatively you can also arrive by plane, in this case, however, the only airline that offers direct flights is Latam Airlines. If you plan to arrive from Puno, the best option is to take a bus on a a six hour trip. We also offer the possibility to take a tourist bus route that stops in the most important places and landmarks along the way, leaving Puno at 7:00 am and arriving at Cusco at 5:30 pm.
Inca trail tour reviews with Howlanders
Roy · January 20, 2019
Thanks to Roberto I had an amazing experience. He was really enthusiastic and explain us so many things. The trek itself is a bit hard, due to the altitude and sleeping in camps is not really comfortable, but it is really worth it. TOP!
Questions & Answers
Is this tour available throughout the whole year?
Almost, it closes during the entire month of February.
What is the best time of the year to do this tour?
Any time of the year is ideal for this tour except the months of January to March because it is rainy season. However, the tours are still going on (except the month of February) and you can still enjoy fantastic views, prioritizing the safety of our travelers.
What is the difficulty level of the tour?
This tour is of a medium-high difficulty level, since the treks are long and there are many ascending and descending steps.
What are the sizes of the groups normally like?
The groups allowed are small, so you can fully enjoy the tour.
Book Inca trail
4 days from
$560
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