Inca Trail & Amazon holidays
| country: | Peru |
| location: | Inca Trail, Machu Picchu |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | Departures daily throughout the year |
| price: | From £835 (10 days) excluding flights. Prices does include the flight from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado |
the amazing things you'll be doing
A 10 day tour combining the Inca Trail and the Amazon
This tour includes all activities and transportation as mentioned in the itinerary. Please note that whilst on the Inca Trail, all accommodation is tented. All meals are provided and cooked by our support crew whilst on the trek.
Porters will carry all that is needed on the trek, leaving you to carry your own personal belongings. Extra porters can be hired locally for a cost of US $15 - US $20. All meals are provided whilst in the jungle lodge.
This tour includes all activities and transportation as mentioned in the itinerary. Please note that whilst on the Inca Trail, all accommodation is tented. All meals are provided and cooked by our support crew whilst on the trek.
Porters will carry all that is needed on the trek, leaving you to carry your own personal belongings. Extra porters can be hired locally for a cost of US $15 - US $20. All meals are provided whilst in the jungle lodge.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Cusco - Wayllabamba. Between 7:00 and 7:30 am, we pick you up at your hotel in our own private bus. We then drive to Piskacuchu (2700 masl), a community located at the 82km point of the Cusco - Machu Picchu railroad. Starting at this point, we cross the bridge and walk along the left shore of the Urubamba River as it flows north-west along the Sacred Valley. Following the trail along a flat terrain, we arrive in Miskay (2800 masl), to then ascend to the view of the Inca city of Patallacta (2750 masl). We continue trekking along the valley gradually climbing for about five hours until we reach our first campsite in the Wayllabamba village (3000 masl). All along the way we will see spectacular views of the Vilcanota ridge on the opposite side of the Urubamba River, where we see the impressive Veronica peak 5832 meters above sea level. |
| Day 2: | Wayllabamba - Pacaymayo. We wake up at around 6:00 am, and after breakfast we leave Wayllabamba behind to begin the most difficult part of the trek, which consists of an abrupt and steep ascent that stretches for 9 km. Along this climb, the landscape changes from sierra to puna (a dry and high area with little vegetation). On the way to the first mountain pass, the Abra Warmihuañusca (Dead Woman´s Pass), we see domesticated llamas and alpacas grazing on ichu, one of the few plants that grow at that altitude. We also cross an area of the so called cloud forest, which is the habitat for many different kinds of birds like hummingbirds and sparrows and the Andean bear, which is also called the Spectacled Bear (Tremarctus Ornatus). Immediately after the pass, we descend into the Pacaymayo valley (3600 m), where we camp after approximately 6 hours of hiking. |
| Day 3: | Pacaymayo - Wiñaywayna. This day is the longest but also the most impressive and the most interesting, due the number of archaeological sites that we visit and learn about from our guide. From Pacaymayo we climb to the second pass, the Abra de Runkurakay (3970 masl). Half way up, we visit the archaeological complex with the same name. This site, located at 3800m, consists of a small oval structure that is believed to have served the purpose of a watchtower. After going over the pass, we descend towards Yanacocha (Black Lagoon) and enter the cloud-forest to finally arrive at Sayacmarca (3624m). Continuing up an easy climb, we arrive at the third pass, the Abra de Phuyupatamarca (3700m). Along this climb we can appreciate the magnitude of the Incas´ ancient craft, by walking along paths semi-detached from the mountain, and seeing rocks that fill up ravines in perfect order, saving the trail from the multileveled Andean geography. We go through an Inca tunnel to later arrive at the aforementioned pass and down to the complex of the same name. This is one of the most complete and best-preserved archaeological complexes along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, and is located on the highest point of a mountain. Phuyupatamarca means ¨town of the clouds¨. From above, one can observe a sophisticated sacred complex made up of water fountains with solid foundations, and also impressive views of the Urubamba River valley and the long descending stone steps along which we will continue on to Wiñaywayna (2700 m). At this campsite we find a lodge with a restaurant, bar and bathrooms with hot showers. The campsite has the same name as the complex located only five minutes away from the lodge. Wiñaywayna is an impressive complex made up of an agricultural center with numerous terraces, a religious sector and an urban sector. |
| Day 4: | Wiñaywayna - Machupicchu - Cusco. On this fourth and last day we get up at 4.00 am to leave Wiñaywayna an hour later and climb to Intipunku, or The Sun Gate. This will take an hour of hiking along a trail of flat stones on the edges of cliffs in highland jungle. From this fabulous spot, we may see the sunrise over the sacred citadel of Machu Picchu. From Intipunku we descend into Machu Picchu, and 40 minutes later we enter the citadel from the highest point through the ¨House of the Guardians¨. We then descend to the control point where we register ourselves and leave our backpacks. We immediately begin a complete guided tour of the Inca citadel that will take approximately two hours. You will then have free time to walk around, climb the Huaynapicchu Mountain, where one can experience spectacular views of all of Machu Picchu, the valleys and mountains that surround it, or visit the Temple of the Moon and the fabulous Inca Bridge. In the afternoon, return by shuttle bus to Aguas Calientes, we meet in the town of Aguas Calientes where, if you like, you can visit and relax in the thermal baths. From here we take the train to the city of Cusco, where we will arrive after nightfall. |
| Day 5: | Cusco. Free day and overnight stay in Cusco. |
| Day 6: | Amazon basin. Leaving Cusco early, we climb over the mountains and start our descent into the Amazon basin. We gain a spectacular view of the changing scenery, and arrive in Puerto Maldonado in the afternoon. We then transfer by boat to the jungle lodge, where we have a brief orientation and dinner. |
| Day 7: | Jungle Lodge. Today we visit to “Monkey Island”, close to the lodge. Observe several kinds of monkeys like: the “black spider monkey”, “capuchin monkey”, “tamarind”, “squirrel monkey” and many others. Returning to lodge and enjoy sunset and dinner. |
| Day 8: | Jungle Lodge. After breakfast and guided walk through trails until you reach the “Cocha Perdida” (Lost Lake), virgin rainforest with swamps and marshes, which protects a great diversity of animals such as: giant otters, caimans, turtles, Brazilian tapirs “sachavacas”, birds, jaguars and fish. Later, visit to the Amazon Watch Tower for a panoramic view of the rainforest, a construction at the top of an immense tree (the Shihuahuaco). Canoe ride around the lake and return to lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, canoe trip down the river to visit a local family. Return to lodge, dinner and overnight. |
| Day 9: | Jungle Lodge. Breakfast. Boat trip down the Madre de Dios River until you reach the path that leads to the Gamitana and Briolo Rivers. These rivers are born from the innermost virgin forest and they form serpentine channels, through which you will travel by canoe and see turtles, butterflies, caimans, etc. Return to lodge for lunch, dinner and overnight. |
| Day 10: | Jungle Lodge. |
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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Our tours source as much as possible from the local community, whether it be our knowledgeable local guides, porters from local villages or food prepared and cooked for you on our treks. We shop locally, use local transport and do not use imported goods when local produce is available. We aim to minimise our impact on the environment and give as much back as possible to the communities we work in. All operations for this tour are done by locally owned companies, a fact we pride ourselves on. Hotels used are all locally owned and we try to choose where possible hotels which hold the same values and understand their responsibilities to the local environment as we do.
Our guides are all highly qualified (most with university degrees) or many years of experience and are paid above the standard wage. We also abide by all rules concerning porter treatment set down by the APTAE (Peruvian Ecotourism association). We source them due to their unique knowledge of their native country (we do not use foreign guides like other companies) and they will give you a valuable insight into the history, traditions and culture of both the Andes and the Amazon basin. On daily excursions in the lodge you will have contact with naturalist guides – who will explain to you the challenges the region faces in light of deforestation and an increasing population. In our pre departure information pack and throughout the orientation on the ground we help you to minimise your carbon footprint on your tour, and help protect the fragile ecosystem of the Machu Picchu sanctuary and the Amazon basin. This information comes from simple advice on waste disposal while trekking, and the offsetting of carbon emissions through our carbon offsetting program for your journey with us. The Amazon is a unique ecosystem, and we encourage you to learn and to come and appreciate the vital role it plays in the fight against global warming. Furthermore, all entrance fees paid by us for your tour go to help upkeep the Machu Picchu and Inca trail Sanctuary as well as the Manu national park and contribute to help maintain these magnificent sites for future generations. By booking your tour with us, you will be making a real impact on the community you are visiting. We can also assist you to visit community projects in order to get a lot more out of your trip to Peru. From a city orphanage run by a UK charity to an environmental project which involves local children and their communities from a high profile Peruvian NGO, ask us to see how you can give back. Our Peruvian charity ANIA do have a some large projects in the Puerto Maldonado area, and here you can see ideas in action. Most importantly a percentage of funds from your tour (10%) will go back to our charities and assist us support the next generation and the environment they live in. We really work hard to keep all our operations green! All our worldwide offices currently run on 90% green energy (we are working towards 100%) from hydro electric, wind to solar power. Being web based, we are close to becoming a paperless environment, brochure prints are at a minimum (and printed on a requirement basis) and all pre departure information is emailed. We use energy saving bulbs in our work centres, and recycle all our waste. We currently work with 3 different charities, giving us a broad spectrum and diversifying where our monies go. We work with Project Peru in the UK who run an orphanage in Zapallal in the shanty town outskirts of Lima, ANIA in Peru which is a high profile Peruvian NGO which works with children and helps to teach them about their local environment and how to manage it affectively, and GVI Foundation in Australia which work on several development projects in Latin America and around the world. We help these charities by fundraising treks, through donations as a company and through our clients and also through many of our customers who volunteer their time and expertise. These charities are close to our core of supporting the environment and children in need. |
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. |