(No availability) 4 Day Classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu Hiking Tour in Cusco, Peru
The listing is fully booked, get notified when dates are available
We’ll only ever send you one email notification and will never spam you
Hiking Tour in Peru
The classic Inca trail trek to Machu Picchu is famous for being one of the world’s ten best hikes! Walk in the footsteps of the Inca as you discover astonishing ecological diversity and a wealth of archeological treasures. The Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary covers 32,952 acres and is home to a network of Inca trails, scores of archeological sites, 10 ecological zones (from glacial peaks to tropical forests), over 450 species of birds and 200 species of orchids, as well as the legendary citadel of Machu Picchu!
Highlights
- Hiking the Inca trail to Machu Picchu
- 2-hour guided tour in Machu Picchu
- Professional English speaking guide who is highly experienced in trekking
- Porters to carry tents, food, and cooking equipment
- 3 nights accommodation in tents with comfortable mattresses and pillow
- Daily breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks
- Transportation from Cusco to Piscacucho, bus ticket from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes
Accommodation
You will be accommodated in 4 season Eureka Timberline tents (large and comfortable) with comfortable foam mattresses and pillow.
Tents
Enjoy a good night sleep in their 4 season igloo waterproof, spacious and professional EUREKA tent. All their tents are 4 person tents. Only 2 people will sleep in each, leaving lots of room to spread out comfortably and store your duffel bag.
They also include a little vestibule in front, giving you some extra outdoor space to leave your boots and walking poles so you don’t have to bring the dirt inside.
Foam mattresses
Comfortable foam mattresses are included to separate and insulate you from the ground. They are proud to be the only company providing comfortable foam mattresses for free to all of their clients. Their Thermarest Air Mattresses can be rented to add additional comfort!
Kitchen and dining tents
The dining tent is used as their room to get together during meals or tea time. It gives you a chance to sit down, relax, and chat before and after your meals.
The interior of the dining room includes tables and chairs. The tent has two doors on each side, which will be adapted according to the day’s conditions (sunny days, windy days, and rainy days).
Camping toilet
This has been very much appreciated by most of their clients, especially by their female trekkers, who want a private, clean, and sanitary toilet! SAM Travel Peru toilet facilities have an individual tent and a “camping toilet with a seat.”
Their toilet is always set up a comfortable distance from their campsite. At night, if you need to use the toilet, it is readily accessible and clean, unlike the facilities supplied by the government which can be dirty.
They protect the environment by using Responsible and Sustainable facilities. They make a hole 30 centimeters deep under the seat and the waste goes right in.
At the end of your stay, they will fill it in without creating any contamination to the environment. SAM Travel Peru will not use any chemicals which can contaminate the environment. They do not put the waste into plastics or biodegradable plastics, because they are still destructive to the environment and they really care about protecting the earth.
They protect their crew with their toilet procedures. They will not have to touch the waste because it is in the hole. They really care about protecting their team (guides, porters, cook). Their team is what really makes SAM Travel Peru stand out from all of the other competitors.
Tips: Please always take your own toilet paper with you and put it into the plastic bag provided!
Program
Briefing
The briefing will take place the night before the trek at 6 pm in their office, which is located in the La Casa Del Abuelo shopping center.
Overview
The maximum group size is 8 persons. Their groups are usually between 2-6 persons. Sam Travel Peru specializes in small and private groups and provides personalized service.
The Classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is a 42 kilometer (24.4 mile) hike through the Andes within the Cusco region. The maximum altitude reached is at (4,217 meters / 13,907 feet).
On the second day of the trek, you will climb two mountains. The trail is a fairly difficult trek and you should be well prepared and healthy prior to starting it. You have to be moderately fit and take regular exercise.
In preparation, try walking 15 kilometers / 9 miles in a day or working out in the months leading up to the trek. It is also important to be well acclimatized to the altitude. Try to spend at least 2 or 3 days in Cusco (3,350 meters / 11,047 feet) prior to starting the trek.
Itinerary
Day 1: Cusco – Km 82 – Hatunchaca – Wayllabamba – Ayapata (12 kilometers / 7.5 miles)
Today begins your adventure of a lifetime with the Classic Inca Trail! Your guide will pick you up from your Cusco hotel in their private van at 4:30 am. From there, you travel to Piskacucho, which is known as Kilometer 82, where the Classic Inca Trail begins.
Along the way, you stop for breakfast in Ollantaytambo at about 6:30 - 7:00 am to load up on energy for your first big day. Arriving at KM 82 (8:30 am), you will have some time to organize yourselves, use the restrooms, apply sunscreen, insect repellent, etc.
Here, you need to give your duffel bag to the porters, keeping only a small daypack with the essentials you need during the hike. Once at the Inca Trail checkpoint, be ready to show your passports and your student ID card, if you booked as a student. Your guide will have all of your permits and tickets.
At the start of the trail (2,720 meters / 8,923 feet), you will cross the Vilcanota River and follow its scenic route. The first day is relatively easy, a warm-up along the rolling “Inca flat terrain.”
There, you will enjoy great views of the Inca Fortress of Huillca Raccay, the vast and incredible Inca site of Llactapata (also called Patallacta), the Urubamba mountain range that divides the jungle, the Andes Mountains, and the beautiful snow-capped peak of Veronica (5,860 meters / 19,225 feet), also known as W’akay Willca. You stop for your first gourmet lunch at Hatunchaca, after which you only have about three hours of walking to camp.
Your first campsite is about 2 hours past the small village of Wayllabamba (3,000 meters / 9,842 feet) located in the temperate green valley of the same name. Temperatures at night can be as low as 5 degrees Celsius, depending on the season. It is generally colder in the dry season from May to September.
When you arrive at camp, your afternoon tea and appetizers will be ready for you. Enjoy a hot drink and settle into your tents, which will already be set up for you.
- Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, snacks, afternoon tea, and dinner
- Accommodation: Camping facilities
- Distance: 12 kilometers / 7.5 miles (about 6 hours hiking)
- Difficulty: Easy / moderate
Day 2: Wayllabamba – Dead Woman’s Pass – Pacaymayu – Ch’aqui Qqocha (16 kilometers / 10 miles)
Your guide will wake you up with a hot mug of tea or coffee at 5:30 am. Enjoy your hot drink in your sleeping bag before getting up for a delicious and hearty breakfast.
With your daypacks as light as possible, you start a steep ascent towards the highest pass, Abra de Warmihuañusca, also known as Dead Woman’s Pass at 4,200 meters / 13,779 feet. On this day, you will feel a real sense of achievement upon reaching the top! After a well-deserved break for photos, you begin the descent towards your lunch spot, which is located at Pacaymayu (3,550 meters / 11,646 feet).
On your way up towards the pass, you will see an array of hummingbirds and a variety of other species of birds. There will be plenty of time to appreciate the incredible variety of native plants and the Polylepis, or Q’ueuña trees, which grow in the astonishing cloud forest located at 3,650 meters / 11,972 feet!
After a gourmet lunch, you begin the second two-hour steep climb towards Runkuraqay pass (4,000 meters / 13,123 feet). You arrive at your campsite by 5 pm, where your afternoon tea and appetizers are waiting for you. Temperatures at this campsite are around 4 degrees Celsius during the night.
- Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, snacks, afternoon tea, and dinner
- Accommodation: Camping facilities
- Distance: 16 kilometers / 10 miles (about 9 hours hiking)
- Difficulty: Moderate / challenging
Day 3: Ch’aqui Qqocha – Phuyupatamarca – Wiñay Wayna (10 kilometers / 6.2 miles)
This is the most impressive day so far, so keep this in mind as you ascend on day three! Your guide will wake you up at 6 am with another hot mug of tea or coffee in your tent before you get up for breakfast.
You start the day with a gentle climb towards the archaeological site of Phuyupatamarca, which means “Village in the Clouds.” Here, you reach the third highest point along the Inca trail (3,680 meters / 12,073 feet). The views of the mountains, canyons, and surrounding areas are spectacular!
The extensive Inca site of Phuyupatamarca, is located a few minutes’ walk from the third pass. After visiting this site, you continue walking down 3,000 stairs through the cloud forest to the impressive Inca site of Intipata.
As you descend from the mountains, you will feel the temperature rise. You are approaching not only Machu Picchu, but also the beginning of the Amazon jungle! After taking some time to visit Intipata, you continue to your third campsite Wiñay Wayna (2,680 meters / 8,792 feet).
Today, you will only walk about 4 to 5 hours. You will arrive at camp by lunch time! Temperatures during the night are about 12 degrees Celsius. A short walk from your campsite is the famous Inca site of Wiñay Wayna which means “Forever Young” in Quechua. It is named after a special orchid which grows abundantly in the area.
- Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, snacks, afternoon tea, and dinner
- Accommodation: Camping facilities
- Distance: 10 kilometers / 6.2 mlies (about 5 hours hiking)
- Difficulty: Moderate
Day 4: Wiñay Wayna – Machu Picchu – Cusco (6 kilometers / 3.7 miles)
Wake up time is at 3:30 am. You’ll eat breakfast at 4:00 am and wait at the checkpoint to be one of the first to start trekking when they open the gates at 5:30 am. This is the final part of your journey, and you arrive by 6:00 am at the Sun Gate, also known as Inti Punku.
At that point, the majestic Machu Picchu Citadel will be in front of you with its mystic beauty – an incredible sight for all to see. At the Sun Gate, you will watch sunlight spreading down over the citadel like melting goal, as the sun rises behind you. Finally, you walk downhill towards Machu Picchu Citadel (2,400 meters / 7,872 feet).
After walking about 40 minutes, you enter the Citadel of Machu Picchu from the top through the “House of the Guardians” where you can take the famous postcard pictures of Machu Picchu. From there, you proceed towards the control point, where you register and leave any large backpacks or walking poles.
You are only allowed to take small bags into Machu Picchu, such as camera bags. Walking poles are not allowed because they can damage the stones. Your guide will give you the full guide tour and educate you about the history of the ruins which takes about two hours.
You will see most of the important parts of Machu Picchu and learn about how Machu Picchu is divided into three sectors: Agricultural, residential, and religious. After your tour, those who have booked in advance for the extra hike up Huayna Picchu will have time to enjoy those views on their own.
When you have had your fill of the exceptional views of Machu Picchu, you will take the bus back down to Aguas Calientes for lunch (not included). Depending on your train departure time, you may also have time for some shopping, sightseeing, or a visit to the museum or hot springs.
The Expedition Train at 2:55 or 3:20 pm will take you back to Ollantaytambo, following the spectacular Urubamba River. Close to Aguas Calientes, the canyon is narrow and the river has many beautiful sections of whitewater. You can also see Wiñay Wayna from the train if you look up high on the steep canyon wall!
Back at Ollantaytambo, your driver will meet you at the exit from the train station to take you back to your hotel in Cusco in their private vehicle. You can expect to arrive at your hotel by 7:00 pm.
- Meals included: Breakfast
- Distance: 6 kilometers / 3.7 miles
- Difficulty: Easy
Location
The tour will start on the classic Inca trail in Piskacucho to Machu Picchu. They will bring you to and from Cusco on the first and last day of the trip.
Food
The package includes breakfast, lunch, snacks, afternoon tea, and dinner included in the package. Vegetarian or other dietary needs are available upon request. You will have 1 cook per group.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Snacks
- Drinks
The following drinks are included:
- Tea
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Vegetarian
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
- Other dietary requirements on request
Things to do (optional)
The Huayna Picchu Mountain is an optional trek within Machu Picchu Citadel which do not include a guide. The climb is usually done on your own after your tour of Machu Picchu Citadel. If you would like the extra hike to be guided, please request in advance. There is an extra cost for this extra guided tour.
What's included
- Briefing at their office the night before your trek at 6:00 pm
- 2 hour guided tour in Machu Picchu
- Professional English speaking guide who is highly experienced in trekking
- 3 nights accommodation in 4 season Eureka Timberline Tents
- Comfortable foam mattresses and pillow
- Daily meals, snacks, and afternoon tea
- Boiled water to fill in your water bottles or Camelback (your chef will provide clean water after each meal)
- Hotel pick up on the first morning of the trek
- Private transportation from Cusco to Piscacucho (in their company van)
- Expedition Tourist Train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo and private transportation to Cusco (in their company van)
- Bus ticket from Machu Picchu down to Aguas Calientes
- Porters to carry tents, food, and cooking equipment
- Extra porter for your belongings (you will need only a day backpack to carry what you will need during day)!
- First-aid kit, including emergency oxygen tank
- Hot water for washing purposes
- Permit to the Classic Inca Trail and entrance ticket to the Machu Picchu Archaeological Complex
- Private toilet tent, with a normal toilet seat – this is only for your group
- Dining and cooking tents with tables and chairs, chef and cooking equipment
What's not included
- Huayna Picchu Mountain trek: 75 USD – This needs to be booked in advance and please let them know at the time of booking (it books out very quickly)
- Last lunch at Aguas Calientes
- Vistadome train upgrade: 67 USD per person extra (return only)
- Tips for the crew, guide, cook, and porters
- Sleeping bag (20 USD), air mattress (20 USD), walking poles (15 USD)
- Additional night in Aguas Calientes: From 60 USD
How to get there
Recommended Airports
Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport
62 km
Transfer included
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 40% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid 10 days before arrival.
