ELEVATION PROFILE

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ITINERARY

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DAY 1 Cusco to Inca Trail

Travel 
Two hours by bus from Cusco to Piskacucho or the famous 82 Km.

Trekking Distance 
6.8 miles/11 km (5- 6 hours)

Highlights of the day
We depart from Cusco by car to KM 82 (Piskacucho) where we will begin our Inca Trail. We will get across the Urubamba river, one of the most important tributaries of the Amazon river, view the Inca Fortress of Huillca Raccay and the Inca city of Llactapata (patallacta).  Enjoy the breathtaking views of the Urubamba mountain range and the snow capped peak of Wakay Willca (Veronica) which stands at 5860m/1922ft.

The Hike
The first day is a good preparation for the upcoming days. The trek is moderate/ easy and help you acclimatize. The trail starts at 2720m/8923ft  climbing to 3000m/8984 ft.

Meals
Breakfast on way to Piskacucho.
Lunch during hike and dinner at campsite.
Various dietary options are available.

Accommodation 
Camping in tents at a campsite in the small village of Wayllabamba. 

Other information 
Entrance tickets, passports and student ID’s will need to be shown at the start of the trail.

DAY 2  Inca Trail: Hiking

Start time 
6:00 am 

Trekking distance
7.4 miles/12 km (6-7 hours)

Highlights of the day
The flora and fauna on this part of the trek is incredibly varied and you will see many birds such as hummingbirds and plants and trees such as the 'Polilepys ' or Q'ueuña tree which grow in the astonishing cloud forest located at 3650/11972m!  You will feel a real sense of achievement reaching the top of the pass today.

The Hike
Very difficult. A steep and difficult ascent from our campsite at 3000m/10700ft to the highest pass (Abra de Huarmihuañusca/'Dead Woman's Pass’ at 4200m/13779ft. After a rest we have a 2 hour descent to our campsite at Pacaymayu.

Meals
Breakfast at campsite, lunch on trek and dinner at campsite in evening.

Accommodation
Camping in tents at a campsite at Pacamayu 3550m/11646ft. 

DAY 3  Inca Trail: Hiking

Start time
6:00 am

Trekking Distance
9.9 miles/16km (9 hours)

Highlights of the day
Visit the archaeological site of ‘Runcuracay’.  Spectacular views of the surrounding mountains from Runkurakay pass.  Explore the Inca site of ‘Sayacmarca’ and gazet at the magnificient scenery as you pass through the lovely cloud forest. Visit the Inca site of 'Phuyupatamarca’ (meaning town in the clouds) and then walk through the impressive agricultural Inca site of ‘Intipata’.  This is the most amazing day of the trek.

Difficulty level
Difficult. Climb from 3550m/11646ft to 4000m/13123ft to the second-highest point on the trail and then a steep descent to the archaeological site of Sayacmarca and then a further ascent to 3680m/12073ft.

Meals
Breakfast at campsite, lunch on trek and dinner at campsite in evening.

Accommodation
Camping in tents at a campsite at Wiñay Wayna 2680m/8792ft.

Extra
A short distance from this campsite is the Inca site of the same name ‘Wiñay Wayna’ (‘Forever Young’). Even if you are tired after your day’s trek, don’t miss out on visiting the most impressive site on the trail.

DAY 4   Inca Trail - Machu Picchu park – Aguas Calientes town

Start time
On this last day the wake up time is at 3:30AM.  We start the day early in order to allow our porters proper time to pack all our campsite and head down to their train stop to catch their train to   Cusco.   After a quick early breakfast, we will head to the last checkpoint of the Inca trail where we will wait for about an hour until the gate of the check point opens at 5:30AM.

Highlights of the day
A visit to ‘Inti Punku’ (‘Sun gate’) 2730m/8792ft before sunrise and your first dramatic view of Machu Picchu 2400m/7873ft with the sun rising over it! Please read more about the sunrise at Machu Picchu below. 
From the trail a chance to take the famous picture postcard photograph of Machu Picchu.  A walking tour (2 hours) of Machu Picchu by your guide.  Optional climb of Huayna Picchu 2720m/8923ft (a 45 minutes climb to reach the top).
After the tour you are free to wander around the stunning site for yourself and then return by bus to Aguas Calientes.  Once there you will have free time for resting and going to the thermal springs.

The Hike
Moderate. A gentle one-hour ascent to Inti Punku and then a 40 minutes descent toward Machu Picchu 2400m/7873ft

Meals
Breakfast at campsite.  

Lunch in Aguas Calientes.

 

You will be given your train tickets by your guide. The train usually leaves about 16:30 and arrives back in Ollantaytambo at 18:15 although this may be subject to change.

OTHER INFORMATION
What is the sunrise at Machu Picchu? For over 5 decades people visiting Machu Picchu have wanted to arrive there to watch the sunrise.  The best time of the year to watch the sunrise at Machu Picchu is during the winter solstice on June 21st of every year. Watching the sunrise is a beautiful thing reserved mainly to the people hiking the Inca Trail during that particular time of the year.  However, this event is conditioned to season (summer and weather changes that might prevent people from doing it. Andean Walker does not guarantee that you will watch the sunrise at Machu Picchu.
 

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WHAT IS INCLUDED

 

• Professional guide (4 days)

• Cooks and porters

• Entrance fees/ Inca Trail permits

• Collection from the hotel.

• Round trip transportation to kilometer 82. Train back from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo. (Expedition train) and bus from Ollantaytambo to Cusco.

• Water (we will provide you with boiled water for drinking during the tour).

• 4 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 3-afternoon snacks, 3 dinners and various snacks to be eaten throughout the day. (Breakfast on day 1 and lunch on day 4 in Aguas Calientes are not included).           

• Dining tent with tables and chairs.

• Cook and assistant cook

• 2 person tent.

• Sleeping bags

• Trekking poles

• Basic foam sleeping pads.

• One way bus tickets from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes.

• Oxygen bottle.

• First Aid kit.

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WHAT TO CARRY IN YOUR DAYPACK

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A small back pack is required for the days that you will be hiking. Please make sure that this backpack is comfortable, spacious (preferably between 20L and 30 L), and waterproof. In it you will need to carry the following items:

Headlamp or flashlight. We usually get to our campsites before dark. Sometimes, slow hikers arrive to our campsites shortly after the sunset, in the early evening. Whether you are a fast or slow hiker, carrying your headlamp in your daypack is a matter of safety in case walking at night is necessary.

Medicines. If you are taking any kind of medication, whether that is altitude pills or an asthma inhaler, keep these items with you at all times.

Rain gear. Keep this with you at all times, especially if you are hiking between September-April.

Water bottle. Remember to drink at least 2 litres of water per day.

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• Toilet paper or tissue

• Sun screen

• Insect repellent. Yes, there are mosquitoes at high altitude and they can be nasty at times.

• Hand sanitizer

• Small first aid kit. Our guides and porters carry our own first aid kit, but it is never a bad idea to have an extra one.

• Snacks. Trail mix or power bars are recommended.

• Camera

• Fleece, in case it gets cold.

• Sunhat

• Sunglasses

• Money. We recommend always having cash available.

• Trash bag

 

Packing List

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• Original passport (and *International Student card (ISIC) if applicable)

• Travel Insurance is essential

• Walking boots

• Sandals or light weight running shoes

• Waterproof jacket/rain poncho

• Warm jacket

• Hat and gloves

• T-shirts

• Comfortable trousers

• Sun hat

• Sun protection cream (factor 35 recommended)

• Insect repellent

• Water bottle or hydration bladder

• Toiletries and hand sanitizer.

• Personal medication

• Camera

• Torch with spare batteries (headlamps are useful)

• Rain cover for your backpack

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MEALS
Our cooks are professionally trained to provide the best high quality meals. The menu varies with different products like pasta, rice, fruits, vegetables, grains, eggs, and different meats. If you have any dietary restrictions or allergies, please make sure to add it in your details at the moment of booking. Breakfast starts at 5:30 AM on most days. Please follow the directions of your tour leader regarding meal times and be there on time to avoid eating cold foods or left overs.  

 

TIPING OUR PORTERS

Some of the reasons that our price may be higher than that of other agencies are the following:

 

We ALWAYS book the maximum number of porters possible (according to Inca Trail regulations) so that our porters are not overloaded.

 

We are the only tour operators hiring women to work as porters on the Inca Trail. We believe that THERE IS NO such thing as SUSTAINABILITY without women's Inclusion.   Hiring Women porters demands more spendings on operational costs. We pay our women and men porters the same salary for their work.

 

Also, We are the only travel operator in Peru that supplies porters with proper tents, sleeping pads and adequate food for this type of activity. This increases the weight we carry on the trail and demands that we hire more porters.

 

Our guidelines for tipping our staff is the following:

Two people (minimum group size) should have a maximum of 6 porters and 16 people (max group size) should have 22 porters.

Tips for our porters, cooks or guides are optional and are NOT included in our price. However, our advice is that you tip our staff based on their performance, service, and knowledge.

 

• Each porter gets 100 Soles.

• Each assistant cook 150 Soles.

• Each main chef gets 300 Soles.

 

We usually multiply the number of porters in a group by 100 soles. Then we add to that number 150 soles for the assistant cook and 300 for the cook. Then we divide that number by the number of tourists. That final number becomes the amount each tourist should contribute for tipping our porters.   Below is a chart with guidelines for how this operation works.

We understand that people who travel in small groups require more money for tipping. However, we recommend that people tip based on what their heart and their pockets feel. In no way we want our clients to feel pressured to tip exactly according to our guidelines. ​ ​

Assistant Tour guides can be tipped collectively by the members of the group, we suggest 5% of the total cost of the tour. 

Main guides are tipped on a one on one basis and based on their performance. Tour guides are professional people who spend a lot of time training in different other fields such as archaeology, history, and WFR. We suggest people consider tipping our guide a 10% to 15% of the value of your tour.

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