Hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu - 7 Days

On arrival at Cusco International Airport in Peru, we will be greeted by a representative of Himalayan Glacier who will drop us off at our designated hotel in Cusco. Since Cusco is located at a high altitude, we recommend that you take plenty of rest and rehydrate in your hotel room to take upon the challenges in the upcoming days. In the afternoon at 5:0 pm, we will briefly discuss our trip itinerary with our trip leader. We would probably want to go to bed early after dinner today. Overnight in Cusco

After an early breakfast, we will begin our Sacred Valley tour by visiting Pisac (2,972m/9,750ft.) and Ollantaytambo (2,792m/9,160ft.). At Pisac, we will visit the Archaeological Park, the largest Incan cemetery, a temple complex featuring a sun temple, ceremonial alters, and water channels. The major attractions of Ollantaytambo are The Temple of the Sun, which sits atop a pyramid of seventeen terraces, and The Terraces, a distinctive feature of the Sacred Valley. We drive back to our hotel in Cusco and relax the evening away. Overnight in Cusco.

To begin the classic Inca Trail trek adventure, we’ll pick you up from your place in Cusco between 4 and 5 AM. We’ll then take a 1.5-hour journey in our private transport to reach the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Our starting point is Kilometer 82 (2,700m/8,858ft.), the first checkpoint of the Inca Trail. Here, you’ll meet our team, and we’ll cross the Urubamba River to officially start our 4-day hike. The first day is relatively easy as we visit a city like  Patallacta (2602m / 8537 ft), an essential center with administrative, economic, and religious significance. We’ll also explore Willkarakay, a military post above Patallacta. Afterward, we’ll enter the lush Wayllabamba valley, following the Cusichaca River(“happy bridge”). We’ll walk through the Andean forest and reach our first campsite in Wayllabamba(3,100m/10,170ft.).

We continue the day’s hike up the Sacred Trail early on after breakfast. After about 4 hours of uphill hike, we will reach Llulluchapampa (3,850m/12,631ft.), which is our lunch spot. We continue after lunch for about two hours to the highest point on the Inca Trail, Abra Warmihuañusca (the Dead Woman’s Pass) at 4,215m/13,828ft. We take a lot of pictures while spending time there and later, we descend to Pacaymayo Valley (3,500m/11,483ft.). We will relax at our campsite before dinner. Overnight in Pacaymayu.

Today, we will climb yet another Pass, the Abra Runkurakay (3,970m/13,025ft.) starting early in the morning. Spending some time there, we descend towards Yanacocha, the Black Lagoon entering the cloud forest and passing through various bio-zones. Then we arrive at Sayacmarca, where we explore the area for a while. We then continue to hike and arrive at Chaquicocha (3,600m/11,811ft.) where we will have our lunch.

After lunch, we continue hiking and reach the third Pass, the Abra Phuyupatamarca (3,700m/12,139ft.). Here we explore the archaeological site and then head into the rainforest and downhill to reach Inti Pata (2,800m/9,186ft.). We explore the place and make our way to Wiñay Wayna. It is just a 40-minute downhill walk to our third campsite. Overnight camping in Wiñay Wayna.

On the last hiking day, the wake-up call is at around 4 a.m. After early breakfast, we will begin hiking for an hour and a half to reach Inti Punku (the Sun Gate) at 2,730m/8,956ft. From there we descend for almost an hour to arrive at the Guardian’s House, a spot known to have the best views of Machu Picchu in all its grandeur. On arrival, we will have a complete guided tour of the Machu Picchu city and descend to Aguas Calientes.

After lunch in Aguas Calientes, we will board a train to Ollantaytambo. If we have sufficient time remaining to board the train, we may explore the city of Aguas Calientes. Then we will be transferred to our hotel in Cusco on arrival in a private vehicle. Evening time is free for us to wander around Cusco city. Overnight in Cusco.

Our adventure in Peru ends today. A representative of Himalayan Glacier will pick us up from our hotel and drop us at the International Airport for our onward journey or back home. However, we have options to extend our stay and join other tours that Peru has to offer. Himalayan Glacier is more than happy to assist with arranging other extensions and extra nights in the hotel.