Inca Trail Tour 5 Days

Early morning, we pick you up from your hotel and take you by our private transport to the starting point of this Inca Trail hike – Piscacucho, also called Km 82 (2,350 m). There, your Tour Guide gives you a briefing about the following Machu Picchu tour and after that, you cross the checking point of the Inca Trail hike. Then you hike along the Urubamba River visiting the Incan archaeological sites of Willca Raccay and the enormous Llactapata. Later on, you continue up to the Cusichaca River Canyon offering magnificent views of the Cordillera Oriental; particularly, the Veronica Mountain (5,850 m). You have lunch in Chamana to later continue the Inca Trail walk along the Cusichaca River observing several Incan agricultural stepped terraces and irrigation channels until reaching the picturesque village of Wayllabamba. Thereafter, you start ascending while appreciating various eco-systems along the way. Later in the afternoon, you get to the village of Llullucha Pampa, a place of your first campsite (3,850 m). There you have dinner and a rest afterward.

Early after breakfast, you continue your Machu Picchu hike ascending towards the highest point of the trail – Abra Warmiwañusqa (= Dead Woman´s Pass) at 4,200 metres passing through the cloud forests of Yunkachimpa and Corral Punku offering excellent views of surrounding snowcapped peaks. From Warmiwañusqa, you descend to the Pacaymayo Valley (3,300 m), where you have a lunch break. Then you walk the Inca Trail through the valley until you get to the Inka´s ruins of Runkuracay where a guided tour follows. Afterwards, you climb up and get over the second pass – Abra Runkurakay (3,860m) walking on this “Royal Inca´s Highway” down to the next Inka site – Sayacmarca. On the way, you pass the Yanacocha Lake. In the end, we get to our second campsite – Chaquicocha (3,670 m).

Today, we start hiking passing through lovely subtropical vegetation and many important archaeological sites. Before we reach the first site, we get over Phuyupatamarca Pass (3,670 m) and just behind it, we can see the Phuyupatamarca Inka complex (3,600 m), one of the best preserved and most completed sites of this 5 days Inca Trail. The complex is located on the top of a mountain and it corresponds with its Quechuan name that means the “Town above the Clouds”. After a guided tour, we have lunch there. Then, we start a steep descent via a cloud forest offering an opportunity to see beautiful orchids and different bird species on the way to our last campsite at Wiñay Wayna (2,700 m). There, we have a guided tour of the same-named impressive archaeological complex consisting of a religious sector, urban sector and an agricultural centre with lots of stepped terraces. Afterwards, we are served dinner and then we go sleep to get ready for hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu!

We start trekking the Inca Trail early morning after breakfast. We first climb antique steps to Inti Punku (the Sun Gate) to see the sunrise above the long-expected citadel of Machu Picchu! Then, we spend the rest of the morning exploring the Inka citatel on our own. For those interested, we meet up in the below town of Aguas Calientes to have lunch together. To get to Aguas Calientes, you can either take a slow descend (recomended to take some lovely panoramic photos; it takes about an hour) or a shuttle bus (approx. 20 minutes; it costs $12 which is not included in the Inca Trail package). Afterwards, you can visit the local hot springs (entrance fee of 10 Soles is not included in any of our Inca Trail packages). You spend the night in a comfortable hostel where you can enjoy hot shower!

No Inca Trail hike expects is today, just a walk and a ride as we take a shuttle bus after very early breakfast. The bus leaves us in front of the gates of the mysterious city of Machu Picchu that we enter for the early morning best photo opportunities! Then, you enjoy a 2 and half an hour guided visit of the so called “Lost City of the Incas”!! Afterwards, you have an opportunity to climb either the peak of Huayna Picchu (45 minutes up and the same time back optional) or Machu Picchu Mountain (1 hour, 30 minutes up and down optional) on your own to take some panoramic pictures of Machu Picchu!! This Machu Picchu tour finishes by afternoon’s descend to the town of Aguas Calientes where we take a train back to Cusco. Arrival in the evening.

End of the service! Hope you have enjoyed this one of longer Inca Trail tours!!