Sacred Valley and classic Inca trail – Machu Picchu
9 Days - 8 Nights

The trip begins in Cusco located at 3340 meters above sea level. The capital of the Inca empire, although small enough to be easily manageable, is among the most attractive cities in South America, its historic center made up of colonial-era buildings with Inca foundations, is also full of interesting sites such as museums, churches and pre-Columbian sites.

Upon arrival in Cusco, it is recommended to take it very easy due to the high altitude, drink plenty of water let your body has time to acclimatize. We can also arrange your arrival a day or two days early, to give you more time to adjust to the altitude.

Tonight, we will have a briefing at your hotel lobby, where we will inform you about the details of the tour.

Today we have a guided tour of Cusco and its nearby ruins. This city was once the capital of the extensive Inca Empire, we explore the city and appreciate its magnificent Inca walls, colonial houses, churches and palaces, this also includes a visit to Koricancha, the Temple of the Sun God, after this we take a short ride to visit the monolithic walls of Sacsayhuamán, Qenqo, Puca Pucara and Tambomachay; these sites are spectacularly located above the city.

In the afternoon you can have time to explore some of the central parts of the city and the opportunity to see some of the great varieties of local crafts on sale.

We leave Cusco and head to the plateau of Chinchero, an important town in Inca’s time. There are beautiful views of the Andes Mountain range, with the Cordillera Vilcabamba and the snow-capped peak of Salcantay dominating the western horizon. Chinchero is believed to be the mythical birthplace of the rainbow since in the rainy season you can see up to three rainbows at the same time. then, we visit the mysterious concentric circular terraces of Moray that according to some scholars could have been an agricultural research center, from here we go to the salt mines of Maras, this place is a salt producing center that dates back to Pre – Inca time, there are thousands of salt pools carved into the mountainside, here we will go to a viewpoint from where we will have impressive views.

Today we enjoy one more day in the beautiful Sacred Valley with a tour of Pisac and its beautiful terraces and possessor of the largest Pre-Columbian Cemetery found in this valley, then we will continue to Ollantaytambo where we visit its impressive fortress located on top of a hill above the town. We also explore the picturesque town itself with a fascinating mix of Inca and colonial architecture. Tonight, we have a pre-trek briefing with our trekking guide at your hotel.

You will be picked up early from your hotel in Cusco to drive to Piscacucho, where we will begin our first day of hiking. At this point we meet our cooks, porters and camp staff before embarking on this famous “Inca Trail” which was built over 500 years ago, the first day involves a walk of approximately five to six hours. During the first hours of walking, we follow the course of the famous Urubamba River before stopping to admire the archaeological site of Patallacta 2750m – an ancient Inca city built on a series of terraces below the path. From here we continue following the narrow valley of the Cusichaca River to camp at one of the camps near the town of Huayllabamba 3100m – We will walk approximately 12 km (5-6 hours). *Important: Please note that due to the regulations of the Peruvian authorities regarding the Inca Trail, there may be changes in the actual itinerary of the trek and in the camps that we use.

Night: Camping

After breakfast, we begin the most difficult part of the trek, we continue ascending through this narrow valley on the left bank of the river, whose source is one of the great glaciers of the snowy Salcantay, then we begin the steep climb to our first pass, Warmihuañusca, which is also the highest point of the trip at 4,215m – after a break in the pass and time to enjoy the spectacular views, we will descend steeply into the Pacaymayo Valley 3,500m – where we will spend our second night on the Inca Trail. We will walk approximately 11 km (6-7 hours).

Night: Camping.

Today is the longest day (nine hours of walking) but also the most impressive and interesting due to the number of archaeological sites and cloud forest that we will find while we walk. After breakfast at our camp in Pacaymayo we start our ascent towards the small but impressive ruins of Runkuraqay and on to Cochapata, just below the second pass at 3,900m – from here we walk the short distance to the pass and then descend past a mysterious little green lake to the fabulous ruins of Sayacmarca and to the last pass at 3,800m – which looks more like a low ridge line than a true pass. From here we have a great view towards the forested gorge of the Urubamba River located more than 1500 meters below us, a short hike from here takes us to the Phuyupatamarca pass at 3,700m – aptly named the “City on the clouds”, we walk along an incredibly well-preserved section of the Inca Trail with great walls of white granite slabs and stairs, all impressively nestled in the high jungle to our final campsite at Wiñayhuayna 2680m – We will walk approximately 16 km (8-9 hours).

Night: Camping.

After breakfast, we walk the last few kilometers to finally reach Inti Punku (The Sun Gate), imposingly perched above the “lost city” of Machu Picchu 2,400m – The first sight of the ruins really takes your breath away! We will enjoy a guided tour of the sanctuary followed by time to explore this fascinating site at your own pace (accompanied by the guide). Then we descend by bus to Aguas Calientes town for lunch (at your own expense, there are many options to choose from), in the afternoon or early evening we will leave Machu Picchu for the train ride back to Ollantaytambo where we will transfer to our vehicle for the trip back to Cusco. Depending on the train schedules, we may arrive in Cusco at night.

OPTIONAL CLIMBING HUAYNA PICCHU OR CLIMBING MACHU PICCHU MOUNTAIN – For the more adventurous, you can purchase an additional permit for Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain (ask for costs), and waive the guided tour of Machu Picchu, which is non-refundable and non-transferable. . Please note that this is NOT a guided option and it takes a minimum of 3 hours to return. Both climbs are very steep (including many small, narrow steps) and can be slippery and are very exposed with dizzying drops. Before purchasing the permit on your behalf (non-refundable and non-transferable), we require all passengers to sign a waiver form.

Note: there are limited permits for Huayna Picchu and for Machu Picchu Mountain and they sell out quickly, if you are interested in this option or wish to stay an extra day we encourage you to contact us as soon as possible.

After breakfast you will be transferred to the airport where your trip concludes.