Inca Trail to Machu Picchu 4-Dias: Group Service

Cusco | Piscacucho (km 82)

Today, you will begin the best hike of your life and you will need to wake up early so that your guide and driver can pick you up at your accommodation in Cusco between 4:40 am. If you are in the Sacred Valley, we will pick you up between 5:50 to 6:00 am.

From Cusco, we will take you for 1 hour and a half in our transport to Ollantaytambo to enjoy a delicious breakfast, prepared by our talented expert chef. Here you will meet the entire trekking team, composed of cooks and porters and our certified professional guide with many years of experience, all of whom will accompany you throughout this exciting adventure, making sure you have the best time and take home unforgettable memories of the sacred mountains.

Then, you will board our transport to take you to the first checkpoint of the route in Piscacucho – KM 82. Our guide will give you your permits and tickets to the Inca Trail, you will need your original passport here to enter and pass the checkpoint.

Llactapata | Huayllabamba

Here the hike will begin. The first day is relatively easy and is considered the warm-up day since the terrain is relatively flat. This day we will have wonderful views of the Inca fortress Huillca Raccay , the incredible archaeological site of Llactapata (officially called “ Patallacta ”), the Urubamba mountain range that divides the jungle with the Andes, and the beautiful snow-capped mountain of W'akay. Willca 5,860m. also known as Veronica. We will stop in Tarayoc this will be our lunch spot.

Ayapata

After lunch, you will continue walking for another 3 and a half hours to reach our first campsite at Ayapata (3300 masl/10,827 ft). This day we will pass through 2 small communities where you can buy any necessities if you wish.

At around 5:00 pm we will arrive at our campsite and you can rest your tired legs. It is time to relax, have a hot drink. You will eat around 7:30 pm.

Ayapata | Dead Woman's Pass | Pacaymayu

We will wake you up in your tents with a cup of hot coca tea. Make sure you enjoy everything offered for breakfast to recharge your batteries and fill you with energy. Today is a challenging day ahead, and it is the most exhausting of the route.

We will start the day by hiking uphill for 4 hours to the highest point of the hike, Paso de la Mujer Muerta (4,215 masl/13,829 ft). During this hike you will get the most amazing views of the immense mountains, so open all your senses and soak it all in. We will be able to appreciate that the vegetation is varied with native plants and trees such as Polilepys or Q'ueuña , which grow in the cloud forest at an altitude of 3,650m. After the 4-hour climb we will celebrate together having reached the highest point.

Runkurakay Pass

After a short break we will begin the descent for one and a half hours to the second point where we will have lunch ( Pacamayo ). After a delicious lunch we will ascend for around 50 minutes to the Inca site of Runcuracay . We will take our time and explore this small complex where you can observe two impressive waterfalls on the mountain slopes. Then we will continue uphill for another 45 minutes to the summit at Runcuracay Pass. You will have enough time to rest here and enjoy the last beautiful views of the Andes section of the trek.

Sayacmarca | Chaquicocha

Once we start hiking again, we will be descending for about an hour until we reach the next archaeological site of Sayamarca . It is almost inaccessible but well worth the visit. You will learn all about the secrets of the site from your expert guide as the sun descends and lights up the Vilcabamba mountain range with a reddish hue.

From here , you only have 20 more minutes to walk until you reach our campsite for the night at Chaquicocha (3,600 masl / 11,811 ft). After dinner, take the opportunity to observe the clear Andean sky and the stars.

Chaquicocha

After a good night's rest, our cooks will wake you up. They will serve you a delicious breakfast and then you will walk for an hour and a half. As you walk you will see the vegetation and fantastic scenery as the jungle begins to thicken. You will enjoy a stunning view of the Salkantay glacier (this is the second most important mountain in Cusco). Be amazed by the panoramic view of the Vilcabamba mountain range.

Phuyupatamarca | Intipata

You will then begin to ascend towards the final summit of the route at Phuyupatamarca (3,650 masl/11,975 ft), a mystical place above the clouds. You will then descend again for 2 and a half hours until you reach Intipata . This is an important agricultural place from where you can enjoy the impressive panoramic landscape and contemplate the Sacred Valley of the Incas with the sacred river.

Wiñay Wayna

In 30 more minutes of walking until we reach our camp to spend the night near the archaeological site of Wiñay Wayna . This is very close to the city of the Incas!! You will arrive around 1:00 PM to enjoy a well-deserved lunch before heading to the archaeological site. At around 3:00 PM, together with your guide, you will visit the complex, Wiñay Wayna , means forever young and is considered one of the most impressive stops on the Inca Trail.

You will explore the site for about an hour while your guide conjures up images that will bring it to life. This makes it easier for you to imagine what life was like hundreds of years ago and what the site would have looked like when it was full of life.

Once back at the camp, you will have a small celebration together with your entire team of guides, porters and cooks. After your celebration, it is time to go to bed early to rest well, since the next day you will be up at dawn.

Wiñay Huayna

We will wake you up early today to ensure you arrive early at Puerta de Sol to see the sunrise. Our Chef will provide you with water and a breakfast box, and you will be on your way. We will be one of the first groups to enter the checkpoint and walk an hour or so to the Puerta de Sol.

Puerta del Sol / Inti Punku

Puerta del Sol. Brace yourself because once we get there, you'll get your first views of the incredible wonder.

Machu Picchu

This will change something hidden deep inside you. We have just one more hour of walking until we enter the site of Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas. We will arrive at the last checkpoint to begin our 2-hour guided tour.

As you walk with your guide through this incredible construction, you will feel the intimate connection between humans and nature. You will see immense stones that connect in surprising ways to form temples, alleys, houses and aqueducts that still function more than 5 centuries later.

Aguas Calientes | Cusco

When you are ready to leave, it will be time to take the bus that will take us to Aguas Calientes. You will have time to select a restaurant of your choice to have a bite to eat before taking the return train. At the time indicated on your ticket, you will board the train that will take you back to Ollantaytambo. Here your driver will be there to pick you up and take you back to your hotel in Cusco.