Day 1 – CUSCO – KM 82 – HUAYLLABAMBA:

Your Trek Leader will collect you from your hotel very early in the morning, 5:00 a.m. Depart from the city of Cusco (3,350 m / 10,990 ft) and travel for one hour and a half by private bus to the village of Ollantaytambo, where we stop for 30 minutes, optional breakfast and snack. After, you will drive to km 82, the starting point of the Inca Trail, which will take approximately one hour, on arrival passport control and after you will enter the Machu Picchu National Park.

Begin walking along the left bank of the Urubamba River as it runs northwest along the Sacred Valley following the trail along a flat terrain, observe the beautiful view of the snowcapped mountain called Verónica, regarded as the highest point of the Urubamba mountain range. Continue to the community of Miskay and the archaeological complex of Llactapata and after to the community of Tarayoc where lunch will be served.

Continue walking to Huayllabamba, where evidence suggests that this might have been an important staging post on a network of roads extending from Cusco to Vitcos. Leaving the Urubamba Valley behind, you will walk approximately 2 hours to finally arrive to Huayllabamba (3,400 m / 11,154 ft), where you will make your first camp.

DAY 2 – HUAYLLABAMBA – LLULLUCHAPAMPA – PACAYMAYO:

After breakfast, at 8:00 am you will leave Huayllabamba, and continue walking through the Llulluchapampa Valley (3850 m / 12631ft) with a steep four hours climb which will takes us through an area of rain forest. Lunch will be served.

Continue walking for approximately one hour to the highest point in the trek, the Abra Warmihuañusca pass “Dead Woman’s Pass” (4,200 m / 13780 ft), at this point, you will enjoy great panoramic views and see domesticated llamas and alpacas, make sure today you are well stocked with some chocolates and candies to keep your sugar level high, and help prevent altitude sickness.

After a short rest, you will make your way down the deep valley of Pacaymayo (3580 m / 11745 ft), walk for approximately two hours before making second camp.

Day 3 – PACAYMAYO – WIÑAYWAYNA:

Today is the most challenging day, and also the most interesting, visiting several archaeological sites and passing through some amazing cloud forest.

Very early in the morning, you will climb and walk 2 hours to the second pass, the Abra Runkuraqay, (3,970 m / 13022 ft), and half-way; you will visit the archaeological complex, a site consisting of a small oval structure that are believed to have served the purpose of a watchtower.

After going over the pass, you will descend towards Yanacocha (Black Lagoon) and enter the cloud-forest to finally arrive at Sayacmarca (3,624 m / 11,887 ft), a beautiful complex made up of a semicircular construction, narrow streets, liturgical fountains, patios and irrigation canals. You will then walk a further 30 minutes to Chakiqocha where you will stop for lunch.

Continue walking towards the third pass, the Abra Phuyupatamarka “Town over the clouds” (3,650 m / 11,876 ft). Along this climb, you will be able to admire the magnitude of the Incas´ ancient craft, by walking along paths semi-detached from the mountain, and rocks that fill up ravines in a perfect order, saving the trail from the rough geography of the Andes.

Entering an Inca tunnel, you will arrive finally to the complex that shares the same name as the pass and is regarded as one of the most complete and best preserved archaeological sites along the Inca Trail to MachuPicchu and from above, one can observe a sophisticated sacred complex made up of water fountains with solid foundations. Journey down along the long stone steps and appreciate the impressive view of the Urubamba Valley, before arriving to Wiñaywayna (2,650 m/ 8,694 ft), the biggest archaeological site on the Inca Trail besides MachuPicchu, which consists of an agricultural centre with numerous terraces, and a religious and urban sector. Here, you will camp and overnight.

DAY 4 – WIÑAYWAYNA – MACHU PICCHU – CUSCO:

After an early breakfast at 4.00 am, walk one hour and a half to Inti Punku “The Sun Gate”  (2,710 m / 8,891 ft) regarded as the front door to Machu Picchu and from where you will have a spectacular view of the Inca citadel. Upon arrival to Machu Picchu (2,400 m / 7,874 ft), you will have a guided tour of the ruins. Later, a shuttle bus will take you to the town of Aguas Calientes, where you will have time to relax and visit the hot springs and finally take the train back to Cusco train station, arrival and transfer to your hotel in Cusco.

Optional:

For those who would like to visit/climb Huayna Picchu, it is important an early morning, shuttle bus to the archaeological site of Machu Picchu as only a limited number of visitors per day are allowed.