Inca
Trail "Classic"
Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in 4 days
The Inca
Trail got used as a communication system for the Incas
to run from one place to another in the humongous Inca Empire which stretched
from south Colombia to north of Argentina. There are different Inca trails to
hike, but this one is the most famous Inca trail and it will take you from Sacred
Valley to
Machu
Picchu which
is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, through beautiful landscapes and
different archaeological Inca sites.
Our departure dates for the Inca
Trail are from March to January. Our recommended dates are
from April to October, because of the rain season. The Inca trail has a strict
limit on how many people can use the Inca trail (500) three hundred of them are
the guides, porters and chefs. Therefore we will recommend you to book your
trip as soon as possible around 6 months in advance.
Day 1: Cusco – Huayllabamba
Our journey to Machu Picchu through the classical Inca trail
begins at your hotel, from where you will be picked up after the breakfast
(optional) around 6.00 – 6.30. From your hotel you will have a transfer 2 – 2.5
hours with your guide to our starting point which is called km 82. At the
starting point you need to show your Inca trail permission card, your original
passport, and your ISIC card if you have one.Here the Inca Trail begins and we
will start hiking for 2 hours to Miskayl,
where we are going to enjoy a nice lunch. The hike to Miskayl is a flat and a beautiful walk, where
we can enjoy the incredible flora of the landscape around us.
After the lunch we are going to have
another two hours hike to Wayllabamba (3.000 m.) which will be our camping
spot. We will arrive there at 5. Pm in the afternoon, and we will enjoy a nice
dinner from our personal professional chef at 6.30 pm. After the dinner we will
settle down for the night.
Day 2: Huayllabamba – Pacaymayo
At the second day the guides wakes us up
at 5.30 with warm tee, so we can get a good start of the day at the Inca trail
and we will eat breakfast at 6.00. Our first hike of this day begins at 6.30
and it will take around 5 hours (7 km) to get from our camp to the high spot
which is called dead woman pass (4.600 m), where you can experience the female
spirit, a woman that lives on the side of the mountain.
From this place we have a 2 hour hike
down to our second camping spot (Pacamayu 3,600 m), where we finally will have
our lunch after 7 hours of hiking in total on the Inca trail. At the camp we
will rest and around 6.30 we will have dinner. Later we will get comfortable
under our blankets, so we can stay warm for the cold night.
Day 3: Paqaymayo – Phuyupatamarka
We get up at 6.00 am and breakfast will
be served by the chef at 6.30. At 7.00 we will start hiking. This day is a very
special and beautiful day where we will pass 3 Inca ruins along the Inca trail.
To get to the first Inca ruin Runkqurakay (3.800 m.), we have to hike one hour
up; thereafter we have another hour of walking to the second high spot, Runku Pass (4.00 m.). After the second Inca ruin
it will get easier, from there we will walk down for 45 m. to Sayacrmarka (3580
m.).
After the visit we will have 25 min. to
chakicoccha (3.600 m) where we will enjoy our lunch in natural surroundings and
incredible landscape. After the lunch we have a one hour hiking to Phuyupatamarka (3.60 m), which is the last hike on
the Inca trail of this day. On this place we can find the last Inca
construction for today.
From this point we will have an easy two
hour walk down to Wiñnahuayna (2.600 m), where we will settle our
camp and our chef will make a nice buffet to everyone so we can say goodbye to
the chefs and the porters in a very nice way at 6.30. If you still have energy
left after the hike, you can visit the archaeological site of wiñahuayna, only
5 minutes from our camp spot, a really delightful site on the Inbca trail with
a lot of terraces and ruins.
Day 4: Wiñay Wayna – Machu Picchu – Aguas Calientes
On the last day we get up very early
3.30 and eat breakfast at 4.00. After the breakfast we begin hiking to the
first checkpoint which opens at 5.30. After the checkpoint we have one hour of
hiking to the Sun gate, from where we will have great views of Machu Picchu and
all the surrounding mountains. Here we will have 20 min. to rest. Thereafter we
have 10 min. down to the lost city of the Incas; Machu Picchu. Here
the Inca trail ends and we will enter the wonder of Machu Picchu. At
the city, we have to pass the second checkpoint for leaving our bags and it
will cost you 3 soles for every back, which is necessary.
There you will also need to show your
passport, the ticket and the ISIC
card if you have
one. Thereafter your guide will show you around the Machu Picchu and the different important sites,
ruins and temples of the site from 8.00 to 10.00. After the tour you will have
some free time to explore the city, its many different roads and its beautiful
surroundings. After you have enjoyed the magnificent city of the Incas you have
to use your bus ticket to get down to Aguas
Calientes and then
take the train back to Cusco via Ollantaytambo.
The “expedition train” leaves at 6.30 in the evening and arrives at Ollantaytambo after 2 hours. At Ollantaytambo there will be a bus waiting for you to
take you back to Cusco.
Here
your journey will end at 10.30 in the night.
