Classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

The adventure on the Classic Inca Trail begins with pick up from your hotel in Cusco, Urubamba, or Ollantaytambo. Pick up from Cusco will be at 5:30 a.m., from Urubamba at 6:40 a.m., and if you stay in Ollantaytambo, you get to sleep in a bit with your pick up at 8:30 a.m. At your briefing, these times will be confirmed, as they might fluctuate based on where you are staying.

We will then drive to Km 82, arriving at about 9:30 a.m. After we’re ready, we’ll go through the first Inca Trail checkpoint to begin our trek to Machu Picchu (please make sure you have your original passport with you to enter the Inca Trail). The first 2 hours of the trek are relatively easy as we make our way to our first Inca site, Patallacta, which is an ancient Inca checkpoint for the approach to Machu Picchu. From Patallacta it’s another 30-minute hike to our lunch stop. After lunch, we will hike for another 2½ hours until we reach the first night’s campsite at Wayllabamba (2950 meters/9678 feet).

On this last stretch, we pass through two small communities. If you want to buy any energy drinks or snacks, you can do so here. You can also buy any essential items, such as batteries, that you may have forgotten. We’ll arrive at our campsite by 5:00 p.m., and after settling in for a bit, you can relax and have a hot drink and snack with your team of porters, chefs, and guides. By 7:30 p.m., your dinner will be ready, and afterwards you can get some well-deserved rest.

Your porters will wake you up early with a hot cup of coca tea to get you ready for the day. Today is the most challenging day, and we will start early. We’ll hike for roughly 5 hours to reach the highest pass of the Inca Trail trek, Dead Woman’s Pass (4215 meters/13829 feet). On reaching the pass, we’ll stop for a short break to enjoy the views before setting off again to descend to the next valley (Pacaymayu Valley—Hidden River).

It’s another hour and a half down the side of the valley to our lunch spot, and we spend the night here. We arrive there in the afternoon, where our delicious lunch is waiting for us. Then, we have free time for 3 hours to rest or play some games with your guide. After dinner, if you’re not too exhausted, we can do some stargazing, and we’ll point out the fascinating Inca constellations. In the magnificent Southern Hemisphere sky, away from all the artificial lighting, this sky is something to behold!

Completing Day 2 and beginning Day 3 certainly deserves a pat on the back! We begin early again, waking up at 5:30am to begin what is commonly felt to be the most beautiful day of the whole Inca Trail. We begin ascending again to the second pass of the trek. It’s 2 hours to the pass, and along the way we’ll stop at a small Inca site (Runcu Raccay) and see two huge waterfalls cascading down the opposite side of the valley. After the second pass, at 3950 meters (1295 feet), it’s another hour’s downhill hike to reach the magnificent Inca site, Sayacmarca (an otherwise inaccessible village).

We’ll stop here for a rest and have a quick tour of the site and take all the pictures. We keep walking to Chaquiqocha (Dry Lake), where we have lunch. After we’ve relaxed, we’re hiking for 2 hours along what we like to call “Inca flats” (gradual inclines) and begin to enter the jungle known as the Cloud Forest. As we walk, we will have the opportunity to see the majesty of Salkantay, the second highest snow-capped mountain in the Sacred Valley, and a fantastic panoramic view of the Vilcabamba mountain range. Towards the end of the Inca Flats, we begin to make our way up to the last peak at Phuyupatamarka (3600 meters), from where we’ll have great views overlooking the Urubamba River.

Down the valley, we get our first views of Machu Picchu Mountain, but the site itself is still hidden from view. From Phuyupatamarka, it is a three-hour walk down a flight of steps to our last campsite, close to Wiñay Wayna (Forever Young). Wiñay Wayna is the most spectacular Inca site on the trail after Machu Picchu and the most popular campsite because of its proximity to Machu Picchu.

During the descent, we visit two Inca sites, Phuyupatamarka (Town in the Clouds) and Intipata (Terraces of the Sun). We arrive at our campsite around 4:00 p.m. to have tea time. Afterwards, if you still have energy, we can go to see the Wiñaywayna Inca site (Forever Young), or you can just relax and be ready for your final day at Machu Picchu.

We like to spoil our guests as we enjoy our last feast with the porters and chefs. It’s an Inca Trail tradition to organize a ceremony in the evening to introduce the team to the tourists once again and to thank them for the great job done (if you wish to provide tips for them, you can do so at this time). It is advisable to go to bed at a reasonable time in order to get up in the early hours of the morning to arrive at Machu Picchu at the crack of dawn in the hopes that the weather will give us a beautiful sunrise over the site at Machu Picchu.

The wake-up time is 3:30 AM. We’ll eat breakfast at 4:00 AM and wait at the checkpoint to be one of the first to start trekking when they open the gates at 5:30 AM. We’ll wave goodbye to our team of porters and chefs, then it’s “forward on” to the Sun Gate (Inti Punku). From here, we have spectacular views of the mountains and Machu Picchu in all its glory.

We reach the Sun Gate by 6:30am; it’s just an hour trek downstairs to reach the Lost City of the Incas. As we approach Machu Picchu, the views of the city just get better and better! At about 7:40 a.m., we’ll reach the final checkpoint and enter Machu Picchu to begin our 2-hour private guided tour. After the tour, you’ll be given your bus tickets to make your way down to Aguas Calientes. You’ll have plenty of free time to explore on your own or climb one of the neighboring mountains, Huaynapicchu (which must be arranged ahead of time).

Your guide will offer to meet you down in the village of Aguas Calientes to enjoy your last lunch in a local restaurant. This is optional and not included. At lunch, he will hand out train tickets, so if you choose to skip, please arrange to get these before leaving him at Machu Picchu. Unless you arrange for an upgraded train, we will book the Expedition-class train departing Aguas Calientes at 14:55 hrs. Please make sure you are on the platform at least 30 minutes ahead of time. This train will take 2 hours to Ollantaytambo, where our driver will meet you and drive you back to the city in our bus, then we will drop you off at your hotel. We will finish our Inca Trail service at your hotel.