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Day 1: Cusco - Wayllabamba/Max alt 3000m/9900 ft. Distance - 10 km/6 mi
Our team will arrive at 6:00 am to pick you up for your departure from Cusco to Km 82 in Piskacucho, with a brief stop in Ollaytaytambo, where you can buy last minute gear and personal items. We arrive in Piskacucho where the hike begins on a strolling, flat path along the Urubamba River and then shifts upward until our lunch stop. Along the way, we will get a close-up view of the archaeological ruins of Llactapata before we arrive at our campsite for the night.
Day 2: Wayllabamba - Warmiwanusca - Papaymayu / Max alt 4270 m/14,000 ft Distance - 12 km/7.5 mi
We'll start the day early with a healthy breakfast prepared by our chef and then hike up to the highest point of the Inka Trail (Dead Woman's Pass). We may notice several ecological zones and be able to discern between the different microclimates. The chef will have lunch ready and waiting at midday prior to passing the highest point, Warmiwañusca Pass at 4,200 meters/13,780 feet above sea level. Our descent will eventually take us to the campsite Pacaymayo, where will enjoy our dinner and a well-deserved rest.
Day 3: Papaymayu - Chaq 'icocha - Winaywayna / Max alt 3600 m/11, 800 ft Distance - 15 km/9.3 mi
Our day begins with a nutritious breakfast and then a 45 minute hike up to the second pass on the Inka Trail (3950 meters/12,959 feet above sea level). Along the way we are able to visit Inka ruins including Runcuracay, Sayacmarca, and Puyupatamarka. Your guide readily provides additional information about the history and signaficance of ruins, wildlife and plants throughout the hike. After lunch we hike to the Wiñaywayna Camp site, for our last night on the Trail.
Day 4: Winaywayna - Machu Picchu - Cusco / Max alt 2440/8000 ft Distance 7 km/4.5 mi
After an early breakfast, we begin the final trek to the lost city of Machu Picchu. We cross over the top of the mountain at Inti Punku “ the Sun Gate”, where we get our first inspiring and panoramic view of Machu Picchu. Then we descend to Machu Picchu where we will register at the check point and enjoy our private, guided tour of the ancient Inka ruins. After the tour you take the bus down to Aguas Calientes to board the train back to Cusco.
NOTE: This hike can be done in 3 days if you are really fit. It will be a private hike for the same cost as 4 day hike. You hike the same distance.
What does a good Inca Trail hike look like? This!
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I get altitude sickness? It's common for most people coming from sea level to experience at least mild symptoms of altitude sickness when they arrive in Cusco, which is 11,000 ft/3430 m above sea level. Age is not a factor for the severity of symptoms one can experience. But fitness can be. Symptoms vary from person to person, but can include:
- -loss of appetite
Treatments may include:
- -OTC pain reliever - bring your own favorite remedy for pain relief
- -Oxygen. Most hotels have oxygen tanks in their lobbies and guides will carry small tanks of oxygen on hikes. Some local pharmacies sell an individual size O2 tank for personal use.
- -Coca Leaf. Locals believe that drinking coca leaf tea will help and you will find the tea leaves readily available in hotel tea bars as well as restaurants.
- -Water. Drink extra to keep your blood flowing freely. Dehydration leads to sludgy blood and may contribute to your discomfort.
- -Diamox. (AKA "Acetazolamide" is a diuretic or "water pill") can be purchased by prescription in some western countries or over the counter in Peruvian pharmacies.
- -Treatments may alleviate the symptoms as you adjust in the first 24-48 hours. But you cannot expect the sense of breathlessness to completely disappear, no matter how you treat it. If symtoms do not show signs of improvement within 24 hours of your arrival, please notify your travel companions or guide so s/he can monitor your progress. In rare occasions, individuals may need to seek medical attention.
Is it safe to drink the water?
Tap water in Lima, Cusco and other larger cities is consumed by local people every day. But is it safe for you? There's only one way to find out and we suggest that you not drink the tap water or use it to brush your teeth. Bottled water is cheap and available everywhere including small towns and villages. We support Travelers Against Plastic to reduce the use of disposable water bottles and encourage you to bring a purification device to make your own safe drinking water. The device should be rated to purify water from microbes and viruses, not just for taste. Purified drinking water is provided on all the multi-day hikes and during your stay in the Amazon jungle lodges. Please bring your own water to begin the activity.
What equipment do you provide for hikes?
Porters will carry tents for sleeping, cooking, dining & urinating (we provide a special tent for "pee pee" which has biodegradable toilet for #1. We could call it the "girls'" tent, but we won't). And we provide all kitchen and cooking supplies including the food that is served. We do not provide sleeping bags, trekking poles or big, fluffy pillows. With advance notice, sleeping bags can be rented for $20 pp. Trekking poles are available to rent for $20 pp for multi-day hikes and $8 pp for 1 day hikes. Our sleeping bags are Sierra Designs/North Face/Mountain Hardwear brand mummy bags rated to 20 degrees or 30 degrees F. If you choose to rent a sleeping bag, we ask you to provide your own bag liner. We also provide Therma-rest Basecamp regular-size mattresses. If you are over 6' 4/190 cm, please bring your own mattress or let us know & we'll tape 2 mattresses end to end (just kidding - like the big, fluffy pillows). We provide duffle bags for multi-day hikes.
How do I know if I'll need an extra porter for my hike?
All multi-day hikes with Adios Adventure Travel include 2 porters per hiker. This is our standard. We do this as much for the porters as for the hikers. One way to protect porters from abuse is to ensure that there are enough porters to distribute the load. And another way to show appreciation for porters is to pay them living wages. Which we do. It's at your discretion to tip porters. Customary amount is $25-$35 each after the hike. You are free to tip any amount you can afford.
Should I travel to South America if I have a life-threatening allergy?
We've learned that there are different kinds of allergies; from hayfever to insect stings. IF YOU HAVE A LIFE-THREATENING ALLERGY TO ANY FOOD, INSECT, MEDICATION OR NATURAL ELEMENT, WE REQUIRE WRITTEN, ADVANCE NOTICE WITH FULL DESCRIPTION OF THE ALLERGEN AND THE TREATMENT. We reserve the right to require a doctors written approval for you to travel or ask you to provide your own treatment remedy and plan. And we ask you to notify your guide during your first meeting. In rare circumstances we may choose to reject your reservation if we feel that your condition is beyond the scope of the training of our guides or negatively impact other travelers. Epi-pens are only useful in areas where you are close to medical services like Lima or Cusco.
What is the best way to travel between Lima and Cusco?
We recommmend flying between the cities because other means requires more time or is not practical for short vacations. There is no train service between Lima and Cusco. And while there is bus service, the drive is almost 24 hours long over paved, but winding mountain roads. There is no speedy highway. The cost of round-trip air tickets varies from around $250 pp on the domestic carriers, including STAR PERU AIRLINES and PERUVIAN AIRLINES, to $450 pp on LAN AIRLINES and somewhere in-between on TACA (recently merged with AVIANCA) AIRLINES. The majority of the flights between the cities occurs in the morning to mid-day hours. Afternoon flights taper off by 5 pm and there are no evening flights in either direction due to mountain weather conditions.
Where should I stay if my international flight arrives in Lima in the evening?
There is only one hotel at the Lima airport. The Wyndham Hotel is connected to the arrivals terminal by a skybridge on the 2nd floor. It takes literally 2 minutes to walk from the terminal to the lobby of the hotel. The hotel is expensive by Peruvian standards (in excess of $250 per double room per night). We've seen good rates on booking.com and hotels.com The hotel will accommodate as many as 3 to a room, but not 4.
This hotel is best for groups who arrive in Lima late evening and plan to depart again by air the next day. For groups planning to stay in Lima, it's best to pre-arrange a transfer to a hotel outside the airport, unless you don't mind paying the "gringo rate" when you negotiate on your own. The travel time is about 45 minutes each way when the traffic is moderate. And the cost ranges from $35 each way and up. If your group is larger than 3 persons, you may need a transfer in a mini-van or two taxis.
Do I need vaccinations to visit Machu Picchu?
The altitude of Machu Picchu is 8000 ft/2440 m and higher. Disease-carrying vectors do not thrive at higher elevations. US passport holders are not required to get Yellow Fever vaccinations or prophylactic Malaria treatments. Although there have been no recent cases of Yellow Fever in Peru, some countries, including the US, recommend that visitors get Yellow Fever vaccinations prior to visiting the Amazon Rainforest including Tambopata Reserve or Manu National Reserve. We recommend that travelers check the regulations for re-entry for any countries they will pass through after leaving Peru, Bolivia or Ecuador. Bolivia requires all foreigners to have proof of yellow fever vaccination upon entry if you plan to travel to the Bolivian Amazon jungle. (Some countries including Australia, require their citizens to get yellow fever vaccination if they enter Peru, even if they are only visiting the higher elevations)
This Adventure Includes
- Pre-departure briefing at your hotel in Cusco
- Pickup from your hotel in the morning and private transfer to km.82 (starting point of the trail)
- Inca Trail permits and Machupicchu entrance fee
- Personal tents: 2 people in each 3-people-capacity tent, to allow for higher comfort and a safe keeping of backpacks. Our tents are 3-season, highly maintained to ensure an excellent performance in field.
- 1 Duffle bag per person for up to 11 lb/5.5 kg of personal gear
- One therma-rest sleeping pad per person
- Dining tent with tables and chairs
- Kitchen tent
- Toilet tent with bio-degradable toilet facilities (only if assigned campsites do not have toilets)
- English-speaking professional and official licensed guide
- Chef and cooking equipment
- Porters (to carry tents, food and cooking equipment)
- Extra porters (1 per person to carry personal duffle bags)
- Accommodation and meals for all our staff
- Meals (03B, 03L, 03D + daily morning snack + daily tea service except last day). Vegetarian or special diets can be accommodated on request
- Filtered and boiled water from lunch time on 1st day until arrival in Aguas Calientes
- Bio-degradable personal hand soaps
- Bio-degradable dishwashing detergents used by our kitchen staff
- Others: hot water every morning and evening for washing purposes / boiled water to fill in your water bottle every morning and night, and at lunch time if requested with enough time ahead
- First-aid kit including emergency oxygen tank
- Bus ticket 1-way from Machupicchu ruins down to the village of Aguas Calientes
- Train ticket from Aguas Calientes to Cusco (Expedition service). Sacred Valley with an additional private transportation from the Sacred Valley to your hotel in Cusco will be provided
- Transfer train station-hotel included only if returning on day 4
- Travel assistance & guest service: we'll provide the contact number available during your time of visit
Preferential hotel rates $85 USD per double room per night at Encantada Casa hotel in Cusco
- Hotels - we can offer our groups a preferred rate at Encantada Casa in Cusco. Just ask and we will book for you.
- Gratuities: at your discretion . Each porter $30 USD, cook $40 USD and guide $100 USD at the end
- Personal backpacks - large enough to carry things you need during the hike (up to 28 liters max)
- Pillows / Sleeping bags (bags available to rent for $20 pp)
- Trekking poles (can be rented for $20 pp)
- Travel Insurance
- Itinerary is subject to change
- NOTE: Permits for 2018 hikes are available now.
- All operators have the same fixed costs including permits, entry tickets, buses and trains. Variations in rates for hikes are due to wages for porters and guides, size of groups, and taxes. We only use experienced guides, we pay living wages, all our groups are small or private, and we will never ask you to pay for any portion of your trip in cash. We pay 100% federal and local taxes as specified by law.
- All our hikes include superior comfort upgrades - therma-rest mattresses, 2 porters per hiker, well-trained trail chef, high-quality meals, English-speaking guides
- Rate for private hike is based on minimum of 4 people
- Rate for private hike for 2 people available on request
- Check out the Luxury 4-day Inca Trail hike with cots, showers and masseuse
- Students with ISC cards - deduct $30 pp if you are a high school or college student with a valid ISC card
- Permits cannot be refunded, transferred or cancelled
- There is no wait list for Inca Trail permits. If someone with a permit doesn't show up, their place will go empty.
- Sleeping bags / mattresses make up about 50% of total weight of duffle bags
- Maximum 8 people for each guide (9 or more requires another guide)
- (5 day hike) includes 1 night 3* hotel with private bath & breakfast
- Permits availalbe on first-come basis
- RUC Operator# 20601673631