The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is the most famous and popular trek in South America and with its spectacular setting in a part of the Andes still rich in relics of the Inca civilization, its renown is justified in every respect. This trip of a lifetime allows the opportunity to explore extraordinary ruins, enjoy beautiful mountain views, walk through strikingly different climatic zones and finally experience the unique feeling of arriving at Machu Picchu by foot.
Trekking the trail over five days / four nights is the best way to thoroughly appreciate this amazing trail whilst avoiding the busiest campsites. Read about the the difference between the 5 day Inca Trail and the 4 Day here. This extra day also allows us to spend longer at Machu Picchu, and at times, we will have this incredible site all to ourselves. The return to Cusco is by ‘Vistadome’ train and private bus. This is an exciting way to view the mighty Urubamba river and the route we have just trekked. A bus then speeds us back to Cusco and back to your choosen hotel.
It is recommended to arrive at least one day earlier in Cusco to allow for acclimatisation and to enjoy some of the amazing history and culture that Cusco has to offer.
*Inca Trail Permits often sell out three months in advance so enquire early to avoid disappointment
Did you know: We plant two trees per person, per day that you travel with us- making us the sustainable choice.
This morning you visit the old Inca town of Ollantaytambo. After a look around and some lunch, you have a short drive to the trailhead at Piscacucho (km 82). Here you meet the porters and cooks that will support you on the Five day Inca Trail Trek to Machu Picchu.
With the crowds now long gone, you hike an undulating trail above the Urubamba River to camp beside the spectacular ruins of Llactapata (2,788m/9,146ft). Throughout your 5 Day Inca Trail Trek to Machu Picchu, your luggage is carried by the porters, your tents are put up for you and your food is prepared for you. All you have to do is shoulder your daypack and enjoy the walking.
After a hearty breakfast, you climb gently up the Cusichaca valley to the small hamlet of Huayllabamba. This is the last inhabited place on the Inca Trail.
A little steeper now, you head up the beautiful Inca path, past hummingbirds and stunted cloud forest to your camp at Llulluchapampa (3,680m/12,073ft). This beautiful grassy area has outstanding views and you may even see the Andean deer that come to feed here.
Today is the most challenging day of your 5 day Inca Trail Trek, but also the most exhilarating.
You climb to Dead Woman’s Pass (4,212m/13,819ft) the high point of the Inca Trail before dropping into the Pacaymayu valley. Climbing once more you pass the Inca control post of Runkuracay to the second pass of the day (3,998m/13,117ft). On a clear day there are spectacular views towards Pumahuanca Mountain in the Vilcabamba range.
You continue on well preserved Inca trail to Sayacmarca. Located at the junction of two old Inca roads, historians still argue over its exact purpose. A few more gentle ups and downs and you arrive to your stunning campsite for the night, Phuyupatamarca, or ‘the place above the clouds’ (3,650m/11,975ft).
This is the day you finally reach Machu Picchu.
As you step out of your tent the views are stunning. Perhaps you will see the sun rising over the snow-capped mountains of Salkantay (6,200m/20,341ft) and Veronica (5,800m/19,029ft). Or perhaps you will have an inversion, with clouds filling the valleys beneath you.
After saying a fond farewell to your porters it is time to put on your boots and head to Machu Picchu.
You descend beautiful Inca stairway through the cloud forest to Wiñay Wayna, a vast set of Inca terraces full of swallows and orchids. A final contouring walk and you arrive at Inti Punku, the gateway of the Sun. As you step through the old stone gate-way, Machu Picchu appears, laid out before your eyes.
Stop here and enjoy the view before heading to take the twenty-minute bus ride to Machu Picchu Pueblo and a well-deserved hotel and shower.
Today you explore the pinnacle of Inca engineering – Machu Picchu.
For years it was lost to the jungle. Rediscovered in 1911 by the Yale professor Hiram Bingham, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007, Machu Picchu exceeds all expectations.
This astounding site lies in an even more astonishing location. Perched high on an inaccessible hilltop it is protected by huge cliffs and the raging Urubamba river. Things are slightly easier now than in the time of the Incas and so you start your day with a twenty minute bus ride up to the site.
You will arrive early, allowing you to explore the ruins in the company of your guide, before they get too busy. The guided tour takes around two hours leaving you a few hours free to wander amongst the old Inca walls and just sit and take in the scale of the place on your own. For those who want to walk a bit more, you could take the hour long trail up to the Sun Gate, or a shorter trail to visit the Inca Bridge which once spanned a sheer cliff face.
Eventually the time comes to catch the bus down to Machu Picchu Pueblo and board your train back along the Urubamba River. The scenery is beautiful and the train jolts softly along, allowing you to sit, stare out the window and reflect on all you have seen.
Trekking Kitlist
Trekking Kitlist
