Hiking the Inca Trail
| country: | Peru |
| location: | Inca Trail, Machu Picchu |
| trip type: | High altitude, moderate / strenuous hiking holidays |
| departures: | Daily departures throughout the year (closed in February) Please note: The Inca Trail should be booked 2 to 3 months in advance and at least 4 months in advance if you wish to trek between June and September inclusive, due to high demand. |
| price: | From £310 - £330 (4 - 5 days) excluding flights. We can arrange flights from the UK. Private group treks available – price depends on number of people travelling |
read 24 travellers reviews
the amazing things you'll be doing
A fully supported 4/5 day trek along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.
You can choose to return to Cusco on Day 4 or stay overnight in Aguas Calientes and return to Cusco on the fifth day - giving more time to explore Machu Picchu and the surrounding area.
Please note: We include hiring of a personal porter when hiking the Inca Trail to help you carry your personal items such as clothes, sleeping bag etc. This will allow you to enjoy the walk even more and provides local employment. Vegetarian meals are available if you let us know in advance.
Hiking the Inca Trail: Included Services
Collection from Cusco hotel on the first morning, bus to the start of the trek, Inca Trail & Machu Picchu entrance fees, English speaking guide (guide and assistant for groups of more than 10 people), tents - 2 person, sleeping mat, cooking equipment, a cook, meals (whilst on trek), dining tent, accommodation for the porters and cooks, first aid kit, bus from Machu Picchu ruins down to Aguas Calientes, tourist train ticket from Aguas Calientes to Cusco, transfer from the train station to your hotel in Cusco.
Hiking the Inca Trail: Not Included
Breakfast on the first morning, lunch and dinner on day 4, meals on day 5 (if this option is taken) entrance ticket to the hot springs in Aguas Calientes, second day entrance tickets and second day bus tickets to Machu Picchu. Note: Sleeping bags can be hired in the Cusco office.
You can choose to return to Cusco on Day 4 or stay overnight in Aguas Calientes and return to Cusco on the fifth day - giving more time to explore Machu Picchu and the surrounding area.
Please note: We include hiring of a personal porter when hiking the Inca Trail to help you carry your personal items such as clothes, sleeping bag etc. This will allow you to enjoy the walk even more and provides local employment. Vegetarian meals are available if you let us know in advance.
Hiking the Inca Trail: Included Services
Collection from Cusco hotel on the first morning, bus to the start of the trek, Inca Trail & Machu Picchu entrance fees, English speaking guide (guide and assistant for groups of more than 10 people), tents - 2 person, sleeping mat, cooking equipment, a cook, meals (whilst on trek), dining tent, accommodation for the porters and cooks, first aid kit, bus from Machu Picchu ruins down to Aguas Calientes, tourist train ticket from Aguas Calientes to Cusco, transfer from the train station to your hotel in Cusco.
Hiking the Inca Trail: Not Included
Breakfast on the first morning, lunch and dinner on day 4, meals on day 5 (if this option is taken) entrance ticket to the hot springs in Aguas Calientes, second day entrance tickets and second day bus tickets to Machu Picchu. Note: Sleeping bags can be hired in the Cusco office.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | We leave Cuzco early and drive by bus to the village of Chilca, the starting point of our trek. The journey takes us across the Pampa de Anta and on to Ollantaytambo. This town retains much Inca architecture, more perhaps than any other inhabited town. We have time to explore before continuing our journey to Chilca (2700 metres) and by mid-morning begin our trek. The Vilcabamba Range to the north of Cuzco is criss-crossed by a network of finely-engineered Inca paths linking together enigmatic ruins, (Machu Picchu being the best-known), only recently reclaimed from the Cloud Forest. The 'Royal Road' to Machu Picchu, had important ritual functions and probably served as a sacred pilgrimage route. There are many superb Inca sites along the way, suggesting access was limited to an elite. Its (and Machu Picchu's) absence from early Spanish chronicles shows that its existence was unknown during colonial times, and helps explain how it escaped destruction. Hiking the Inca Trail is a paradise for botanists and birdwatchers due to the rapid succession of ecological and climatic zones which are crossed. There are several species of hummingbirds that can be found along the trail, and you may be lucky enough to spot some of the high Andean birds such as striated caracaras, puna hawks, Andean kestrels, black chested buzzard eagles and sometimes Andean condors. It is also possible to see some of the 60 species of orchid which are found in the area. |
| Day 2: | The second day features the first major ascent of the trek. We follow the Llullucha valley up to the treeless puna and on to Huarmiwanusca Pass (4200 metres). From here we descend to our camp in the Pacasmayo valley (3700metres) or at the nearby ruins of Runkurakay. |
| Day 3: | The third day we cross the second pass (4000 metres) and descend through lush cloud forest on a paved Inca pathway past the ruins of Sayajmarca and Conchamarca and continue to the third pass at Phuyupatamarca (possible camp). The views into the Urubamba gorge 1700 metres below are spectacular.The descent from this pass is steep so take care. |
| Day 4: | On day four we make a dramatic descent via an ancient stairway to the spectacular site of Huinay Huayna then along the final section of trail to the Inti Punku (Sun Gate), to feast our eyes on the stunning Lost City of Machu Picchu spread out below. We intend to descend to the site, and explore, before dropping a further 400 metres to the railtrack town of Aguas Calientes, where you can take the train back to Cusco or spend the night. If you choose to stay an extra day you will have plenty of time to return to Machu Picchu and fully explore the site. |
travellers' tales
Day two was memorable because it’s very tough - you have to climb about 1200 metres (quite steep) but the feeling and views when you get to the top are fantastic. (more)
avoid disappointment - book your Inca Trail holiday in time
Over the last few years, the Peruvian government has imposed increasing restrictions on tourism on the Inca Trail in order to protect it from overuse. The aim is to minimise ecological impact and erosion, mainly by having limited access and improving the quality of the operators. There are now only a very limited number of trekking permits available - 500 per day (around 200 for travellers and the rest for staff) - and they are being issued on a first-come-first-served basis. In order to avoid disappointment we recommend booking well in advance (up to a minimum of 3 months in peak season), unless you are extremely flexible over your travel dates.how this holiday makes a difference
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For hiking the Inca Trail we buy fresh local produce. In preference we choose local over imported goods, encouraging the use of Andean products in our cooking. On our treks we minimize waste by using products with minimum packaging, leaving no litter and keeping all water sources clean, leaving camp-sites cleaner than we find them. Rubbish is carried out.
We are involved in the ongoing training of our trek staff. All our porters on hiking the Inca Trail carry a maximum 20kg load, and are provided with tents and food. We pay and treat our staff fairly. We support the Tourism Concern Porters Policy. We support Ninos childrens health care project in Cusco. We are happy to distribute your donations of much needed warm clothes and shoes to Peruvian children through this organization - please contact us for details of how you can help. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |