Inca Trail To Machu Picchu 5D/4N

Day 1: Cusco – Km82 – Hatunchaca

We will pick you up from your hotel at 5:00 a.m. to begin the famous inca trail. We can pick you up from any hotel, or apartment, if it is located in the cities of Cusco5:00 am, Urubamba 6:15 am, and ollantaytambo 7:00 am. It will be a two hour drive along the beautiful landscape of the Sacred Valley from Cusco to ollantaytambo where we have breakfast in one of the local restaurant then we will drive forty five more minutes to the trail head, piscacucho( km 82). Then you will start preparing for your journey and be ready. In a few minutes walking we are at the checkpoint (please meke sure you have your passport with you to enter the inca trail). We start our journey and the first two hours of the trek are comparatively easy where you arrive to the first inca site, patallacta which is big, beautiful and great views of the snow-capped peak Veronica (5900m / 19000ft) from  patallacta it is another half and hour to get our lunch spot. After lunch and our siesta we will hike for another two hours until we reach the first night’s campsite at Hatunchaca (3000 meters). If you want to buy any energy drinks or snacks you can do so here, you can also buy any essential items such as batteries that you may have forgotten. We’ll arrive to our campsite by 4:00PM and after settling in for a bit you can relax and have a hot drink and snack with your team of porters, chef and guide. By 6:30PM your dinner will be ready, and afterwards you can get some well-deserved rest.

Day 2: Hatunchaca– Llulluchapampa – Pacaymayu

Your porters will wake you up early with a hot cup of coca tea to get you ready for the day. Today is our longest uphill and we will start early. We’ll hike for roughly 4 hours to the highest pass of the trek, Dead Woman’s Pass (4215 meters/13829 feet). Before reaching the pass we’ll stop for a short break to enjoy the views at Llulluchapampa and you can also buy essentials.We descend to the next valley (Pacaymayu Valley – Hidden River). It’s another hour and a half down the side of the valley to our lunch spot. We’ll stop here for lunch and have free afternoon in this campsite (3600 meters).

Day 3: Pacaymayu – Chaquicocha    Phuyupatamarca

Today you will be woken up around 5:30 a.m. It’s 2 hours to the pass and along the way we’ll stop at a small Inca site (Runcu Raccay) and see two waterfalls cascading down the opposite side of the valley. After the second pass, it’s another hour downhill hike to reach the magnificent Inca site, Sayacmarca (an otherwise inaccessible village).
We’ll stop here for a rest and have a quick tour of the site and then watch the Vilcabamba mountain range. It’s then just another 20 minutes until we stop for lunch at Chaquicocha (Dry Lake, 3600 meters). After lunch and siesta  we carry on for two more hours to get our campsite  Phuyupatamarca(3600 meters) from where we’ll have great views overlooking the Urubamba River. Down the valley we get our first views of Machu Picchu Mountain but the site itself is still hidden from view. After dinner, if you’re not too exhausted, we star gazing and we’ll point out the fascinating Inca constellations (It depends of season and wether).

Day 4: Phuyupatamarca – Machupicchu – Aguas calientes

Today is all about the Incas; we visit 3 major sites (Phuyupatamarca, Intipata and WiñayWayna) before we finally arrive to Machu Picchu itself late in the day. With only a short distance left to cover you’ll really have the opportunity to see these sites in detail and learn more about the Inca culture and Machu Picchu in preparation for your visit tomorrow. The area around these Inca sites is also rich in wildlife and with only a handful of people around on this stretch of trail at this time of day it is the perfect opportunity to try and spot some of the more elusive species. We have our last lunch with the porters. Following, it is a tradition on the inca trail to have a thanking ceremony for all the hard work the porters and cooks have provided. Depending your satisfactions you may leave a tip for them, at this time.

The final stretch of the Inca Trail is completely deserted this time of day so our arrival to Machu Picchu via the Sun Gate (IntiPunku) is perfect. With good light and very few tourists about we can get some great photos to the citadel from a distance before carrying on down. After we arrive to Machu Picchu, we’ll head down to Aguas Calientes. We’ve made it!

Day 5: Machu Picchu!

Waking up early we’ll take the first bus back up to Machu Picchu to enter the site as it opens. We’ll have a 2 hour guided tour of the site during which you’ll learn about the Incas and visit all the most important areas of the citadel. After your tour you’ll have free time to explore the site by yourself and if you have permits to climb either Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain. In the afternoon you will take the train back to Ollantaytambo from where you will carry on by our bus back to Cusco.

Includes

• Professional English Speaking Tour Guide
• Assistant Tour Guide for groups of 9+
• Chef
• Porters to carry cooking and camping equipment
• Personal Porter to carry 7kg of personal items
• Pick-up from your hotel
• Transportation by bus to Km82
• Return transportation by train and bus to Cusco
• Water (excluding the first 4 hours of the trek when you need to bring your own)
• 4 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches, 4 Afternoon Snacks and 4 Dinners. If you have a dietary request such as vegetarian food please let us know.
• Dining tent with tables and chairs
• 4 man tent for every 2 trekkers
• Sleeping mattress (you need to carry this unless you hire a personal porter)
• Oxygen bottle
• First aid kit
• Entrance to the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu
• Return bus from Machu Picchu to AguasCalientes

Does Not Include

• Sleeping Bag (Can be hired from us)
• First breakfast on day 1, lunch and dinner on Day 5
• Entrance to Huayna Picchu Mountain or Mchupicchu Montain (USD 75 extra)
• Tips
• Travel Insurance – you are strongly recommended to take out travel insurance for the duration of your trip.

What you need to take

• Original Passport
• ISIC card (if you are a student and want to qualify for the discount)
• Walking boots
• Waterproof jacket / rain poncho
• Warm jacket
• Hat and gloves
• T-shirts
• Comfortable Trousers
• Sun hat
• Sun cream (factor 35 or higher)
• Insect repellant
• Toiletries and handsanitiser
• Personal medication
• Camera and film
• Torch with spare batteries

Group Service Price 2024

Price per person US$779.00

Private Service Prices 2024

• 2 people    USD$1,119 per person
• 3 people    USD$ 949 per person
• 4 people    USD$ 859 per person
• 5+ people    USD$ 779per person
• Important: Prices Include Personal Porter to carry up to 7 Kilograms of each participant.

Discounts:

Student Discount: US$30 (Requires ISIC Card to qualify)
Under 18’s Discount: US$30

Optional Extras:

Sleeping Bag US$30
Walking Poles US$20
Inflatable Mattress US$30
Single Tent Supplement US$30

Extras (Need to book in Advance):

• Machu Picchu Mountain climbing:  USD 75.00
• Huayna Picchu Mountain climbing: USD 75.00
• Vistadome Train Aguas Calientes- Ollantaytambo: USD50.00
• Extra Night in Aguas Calientes: Depends on the type of Hotel desired. How to book:

You can either book by emailing us or by using the Booking form provided on this site.

By e-mail:

Send us your main Departure date and back up date: By providing us with a main date and a back up date for your trek (classic Inca Trail, Lares, Salkantay, etc) you automatically authorize Quinoa Expeditions to use either of these dates for your reservation. Quinoa Expeditions within the next 48 hours (after you have sent us your booking form and confirm deposit was made) will send you an electronic receipt confirming your trek has been officially booked and also to confirm the exact departure date of your trek.

Send us your Personal Details for Booking: Your passport number and other information must be valid. Please advise if you change your passport number after booking the tour (especially for booking the classic Inca Trail as if we do not make a change in your official details, you may not be permitted to do the trek). Please Note changing passports’ numbers requires an extra fee (we are able to change passports numbers easily on our receipt but its also extremely important that we make the changes with the Inca Trail authorities)

Student rate: In order to obtain this discount you must have a valid ISIC card. It is important you scan and e-mail this to us at the time of booking and that it is valid on the date you are booked on the Inca Trail/alternative trek (you will need to show the real ISIC card upon your arrival here in Cusco and in Machu Picchu).

ABSOLUTE ESSENTIALS FOR THE TREK:

• Valid, original Passport (a copy will not be accepted)
• Valid, Student Card (if you booked as a student)
• Trekking boots (light, comfortable and broken in)
• A good quality daypack (light, small and comfortable)
• Water storage for at least 2 liters; either a camel bag or water bottle(s)

FOR YOUR DAYPACKS:

Below is a list of items that we highly recommend you keep with you at all times in your personal backpack. Remember you will be carrying this with you everyday of the trek so we recommend you bring a good quality daypack which is both light and comfortable. It is important to note that due to local regulations, your backpack should not exceed 25L. All larger backpacks can not be taken into Machu Picchu and will need to be stored outside the gates.

• Hat and sunglasses
• Rain gear
• Warm layers (fleece / long sleeved tops)
• Sun cream, bug spray
• Hand sanitizer
• Toilet paper
• Personal medication
• Band-aids, moleskin
• Camera, extra batteries
• Head Torch
• Extra snacks, power bars, chocolate
• Extra money for souvenirs, drinks & tips (small change is useful for paying to use the villagers’ toilets on the first day)

ADDITIONAL ITEMS FOR YOUR DUFFEL BAGS:

During the trek will provide you with a duffel bag in which you can pack any items that you won’t need to keep with you during the day. Our porters will carry this bag for you throughout the trek. Please note this bag should weigh a maximum of 7 kg including the weight of your sleeping bag and air mattress (if you bring/rent one). When rented from us these two items weigh approximately 3 kg. During the Inca Trek, you will travel through different temperatures as you climb/descend, it can also be cold at night when at the campsite. Therefore layers work best!

• Sleeping bag for Inca trail (can be rented from us)
• Air mattress for Inca trail (can be rented from us)
• Some light, comfortable shoes for the camp
• Warm jacket, hat and gloves for Inca trail
• 2-3 t-shirts (wicking t-shirts are best)
• 1-2 hiking pants/trousers
• 4 sets of undergarments
• 4 sets of hiking socks
• 1 Fleece
• 1 Warm, down jacket for the coldest nights
• Quick-dry towel
• Soap
• Wet wipes
• Toothbrush and paste
• Face moisturizer
• Power pack / battery charger
• Plastic bags to keep wet or muddy clothes separate.