DAY 1 | SACRED VALLEY – INKA TRAIL: PISKACUCHO to WAYLLABAMBA (12km – 5.5 hrs)
Pick-up from hotel early in the morning followed by transfer to Piskacucho, the starting point the Inca Trail, with a 15 to 20-minute stop en route at Ollantaytambo. On arrival in Piskacucho, begin the hike to our camp in Wayllabamba. Lunch is served along the way. At about the halfway point is the first archaeological site of the trail, Llaqtapata (‘High Town’ in Quechua) which was a produce warehouse complex during Inca times. Continue to Wayllabamba at 3,000 metres above sea level, located in a beautiful valley surrounded by wooded peaks. Dinner is served in the camp.
Overnight in camp tent on a full-board basis.
DAY 2 | INKA TRAIL: WAYLLABAMBA to PACAYMAYO (12km – 6.5 hrs)
Rise early and enjoy breakfast in the camp before beginning the most demanding section of the hike, with a gradient of 1,200 metres. Reach Llulluchapampa after a couple of hours and rest for a few minutes before continuing to Warmiwañuska (‘Dead Woman’s Pass’), which at 4,205 metres is the highest point along the trail. Rest for a few minutes before descending to Pacaymayo, which is at 3,590 metres, to camp for the night. In this area can be found deer and, with a bit of luck, spectacled bears.
Overnight in camp tent on a full-board basis.
DAY 3 | INKA TRAIL: PACAYMAYO to WIÑAY WAYNA (16km – 8.5 hrs)
Today’s is the longest and the most impressive route due to the four archaeological complexes and the cloud forest you encounter along the way. There is an initial ascent of 360 metres, but from here on in it is all downhill, with the night spent in camp at 2,700 metres. The first stop of note is at Runkurakay (‘Oval Fortress’) which was an Inca checkpoint. Continue the hike in the shadow of snowcapped peaks towards Sayacmarca (‘Inaccessible Town’), stopping to explore the ruins of this mysterious Inca outpost. Head back on the trail, heading to Chaquikocha, where we stop for a reinvigorating lunch. At about this point, the vegetation becomes more tropical. Stop at the Inca ruins of Phuyupatamarka (‘Town in the clouds’) and then traipse through a cloud forest towards the camp at WiñayWayna (‘Forever Young’).
Overnight in camp tent on a full-board basis.
DAY 4 | INKA TRAIL: WIÑAY WAYNA – MACHU PICCHU – CUSCO (6km – 2 hrs)
A very early start to the day, which marks the culmination of the Inca Trail at Machu Picchu. Arrive at IntiPunku (‘Sun Gate‘) in time to witness sunrise over the citadel. The ‘Lost City of the Incas’ had lain abandoned in the heavens for four centuries until American explorer Hiram Bingham happened upon it in 1911. Machu Picchu is believed to have been built in the 1450s by Inca emperor Pachacuti as a holiday retreat, yet within a century the city would be abandoned following the Spanish conquest. The Spaniards never found it so it was spared the destruction they wrought on other Inca sites. Instead, it was slowly swallowed up by the jungle and hidden from harm. A two-hourguided tour explains the origins behind this awe-inspiring citadel and the most prominent landmarks among the 200 or so buildings such as the monumental Main Square, the Royal Quarters, and the Temple of the Three Windows, the Circular Towers, the Sacred Sun Dial and the Burial Grounds, and then enjoy some time to explore it on your own. Return to AguasCalientes for lunch at the famous Café Inkaterra, a beautiful thatched-roof restaurant hemmed in between the railway and a mountain.
Return to Cusco by train in the evening.
Overnight at the selected hotel in Cusco on bed and breakfast basis. Lunch included.
Inka Trail Route Profile
