Inca Trail and Cusco Tour

Upon your arrival to Cusco, you will be greeted at the airport by one of our Peru Vacation Tours representatives and transferred to your hotel in Cusco.

In the afternoon, one of our local guides will take you on a half day tour of the city of Cusco. You will be shown the exact center of the Inca Empire, the Plaza de Armas. There one can find the Cathedral built on the ruins of the Inca Palace. Next stop will be the old town with its magnificent renovated colonial buildings. Also in Cusco, we will visit Qorikancha, the Main Temple of the Incas, where Sun God is worshiped.

After, we will visit Sacsayhuaman, a ruins site located approximately 3 kilometers from Cusco. Sacsayhuaman also offers a fabulous view of the entire city. After that, the tour will stop shortly in Tambomachay, the bath of the Inca; Kenko, the giant rock whose niches and gaps were carved in an eccentric way; and Puca Pucara, the ruins of a fort.

Return to Cusco where you can relax, enjoy the local food and exciting nightlife.
Overnight in Cusco

After your breakfast you will be picked up from your hotel in Cusco by our representative. You will be taken along a road that winds over the mountains north of Cusco. On the way you will stop at a point known as El Mirador, from where we will be able to see the whole of the Sacred Valley and listen to the history of the Incas.

Later in the day, you will go towards Pisac, where we will visit the Pisac Archaeological Park. Here there are many different buildings, plazas, temples, pools and other structures, all built between the 10th and 11th centuries AD. After we will visit a peculiar market in Pisac. Here, you will have the opportunity to purchase a wide variety of fine crafts of various kinds, for example, ponchos, blankets, vases, hats and much more. You will have free time to walk around and do some shopping. Afterwards you will be taken to have lunch in a nice local restaurant to enjoy some great Andean food.

After lunch you will continue the tour and be driven along the Urubamba River towards the town of Ollantaytambo. Here you will visit the ruins of Ollantaytambo, an important Inca construction built during the Inca’s most powerful times.

We will then return you to your hotel in Cusco and you can spend the evening as you please.
Overnight in Cusco

Early in the morning, we will pick you up from your hotel and take transfer to the starting point of this Inca Trail hike – Piscacucho, also called Km 82.

Then you hike along the Urubamba River visiting the Incan archaeological sites of Willca Raccay and the enormous Llactapata. After, you continue up to the Cusichaca River Canyon offering magnificent views of the Cordillera Oriental; particularly, the Veronica Mountain (altitude of 5,850 m).

You will have lunch in Chamana and later continue along the Cusichaca River, observing several Incan agricultural stepped terraces and irrigation channels until reaching the picturesque village of Wayllabamba. Thereafter, you will start ascending while appreciating various eco-systems along the way. Later in the afternoon, you will arrive to the village of Llullucha Pampa, the place of your first campsite (altitude of 3,850 m). There you will have dinner and rest for the night.

Estimated trekking time: 7-8 hours
Hiking distance: 17 km
Maximum elevation: 3,850 m (12,630 ft)

Minimum elevation: 2,600 m (8,530 ft)
Difficulty: Moderate to challenging
Overnight in campsite

Early after breakfast, you will continue your hike, ascending towards the highest point of the trail – Abra Warmiwañusqa (Dead Woman´s Pass) at 4,200 meters, passing through the cloud forests of Yunkachimpa and Corral Punku offering excellent views of surrounding snowcapped peaks.

From Warmiwañusqa, you will descend to the Pacaymayo Valley (3,300 m), where you will have a lunch break. Then you will continue hiking through the valley to the Inca´s ruins of Runkuracay where a guided tour

follows. Afterwards, you will climb up and get over the second pass – Abra Runkurakay (3,860m) walking on this “Royal Inca´s Highway” down to the next Inka site – Sayacmarca. On the way, you will pass the Yanacocha Lake. In the end, we will arrive to our second campsite – Chaquicocha (3,670 m).

Estimated trekking time: 7-8 hours
Hiking distance: 12 km
Maxiumum elevation: 4,200 m (12,630 ft)
Minimum elevation: 3,500 m (11,480 ft)
Difficulty: Challenging
Overnight in campsite

Today, we will start hiking passing through lovely subtropical vegetation and many important archaeological sites. Before we reach the first site, we get over Phuyupatamarca Pass (3,670 m) and just behind it, we can see the Phuyupatamarca Inka complex (3,600 m), one of the best preserved and most completed sites of this 4 day Inca Trail hike. The complex is located on the top of a mountain and it corresponds with its Quechuan name that means the “Town above the Clouds”.

After a guided tour, we will have lunch there. Then, we will start a steep descent via a cloud forest offering an opportunity to see beautiful orchids and different bird species on the way to our last campsite at Wiñay Wayna or “Forever Young” (2,700 m). There, we will have a guided tour of the same-named impressive archaeological complex consisting of a religious sector, urban sector and an agricultural center with lots of stepped terraces. Afterwards, we will be served dinner and then we will go to sleep to get ready for the exciting Machu Picchu hike!

Estimated trekking time: 5-6 hours
Hiking distance: 10 km
Maximum elevation: 3,670 m (12,040 ft)
Minimum elevation: 2,700 m (8,860 ft)
Difficulty: Moderate
Overnight in campsite

This is the last day of the 4 day hike to Inca Trail, so we will get ready early in the morning and after breakfast, we start climbing antique steps to Inti Punku (the Sun Gate) to see the sunrise above the long-expected citadel of Machu Picchu!

You will be taken on an official tour of Machu Picchu to see the most important parts of the Inca city. (Optional: hike up Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain. This will allow you to have more time in Machu Picchu).

After the tour, you will take the Expedition train back to Ollantaytambo, where on arrival you will be greeted and transferred back to your hotel in Cusco.

Estimated trekking time: 3 hours
Hiking distance: 4 km
Maximum elevation: 2,700 m (8,860 ft)
Minimum elevation: 2,400 m (7,875 ft)
Difficulty: Easy to moderate

After breakfast, you will be picked up and transferred from your hotel to Cusco airport to take your flight to Lima and onward to your next destination.