Classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu - 4-Day Trek

Between 5:00 and 5:30 a.m. your guide collects you from your hotel in Cusco to begin the journey toward the Sacred Valley. The first stop is the picturesque town of Ollantaytambo, reached around 6:30 a.m., where you enjoy a traditional breakfast to recharge your energy before the trek.

At Kilometre 82, Piscacucho – the official starting point of the Inca Trail – you meet the team of porters, cooks and support staff who will accompany you. After passing the mandatory checkpoint, the walk begins.

This first day is ideal for acclimatization. Along the way you enjoy impressive views of the snow-capped La Veronica peak and walk beside the Vilcanota River until the imposing archaeological complex of Llaqtapata comes into view. The day ends at the Wayllabamba sector, where the chef surprises you with an exclusive lunch before you settle into camp for the night.

The day starts at 5:30 a.m. with a hot, nutritious breakfast prepared by the chef, ideal fuel for the most demanding day of the route. After the team packs the equipment, you begin a steady, paced ascent as the landscape shifts from cloud forest to high puna grassland.

Walking among views of the Andean peaks, you reach the Warmiwanusca Pass, the “Dead Woman’s Pass”, the highest point of the entire Inca Trail at 4,215 metres above sea level. After a well-earned rest and a photo session at the summit, you begin the descent on a trail of Inca stone staircases that winds down the mountain; the air gradually becomes denser and the climate milder as you near the valley floor.

You arrive at the second camp in Pacaymayo, at 3,600 metres, where the porter team welcomes you with applause and a meal that blends contemporary cuisine with fresh regional ingredients. The rest of the afternoon is free to rest and recover.

This is the most physically demanding day of the trek. Walking at a steady, unhurried pace and staying hydrated makes the ascent far more manageable.

Just 30 minutes after setting off you reach Runkurakay, at 3,760 metres, a distinctive semicircular structure that once served as a tambo – a control and rest post. From this point the trail runs along a fully cobbled path that in several sections reaches up to two metres wide.

Continuing the ascent, you visit Sayacmarca, the “Dominant Town”, a beautiful and imposing architectural complex built on a steep cliff. The route then reaches Phuyupatamarca, the “Town in the Clouds”, a site suspended in the heights, from where you begin a striking descent on perfectly preserved stone staircases surrounded by dense vegetation, exotic orchids and the rich fauna of the cloud forest edge.

After about two hours of descent from Phuyupatamarca, the spectacular agricultural terraces of Winay Wayna come into view. Considered by trekkers to be one of the most beautiful sites on the route, this is where you set up the third and final camp.

At approximately 6:30 a.m. you complete the historic stone passage of Inti Punku, the Sun Gate, at 2,720 metres. From here you witness the first rays of sunlight gradually illuminating the majestic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu – the reward every Inca Trail trekker walks for.

After a short rest to take in the view, you descend toward the Historic Sanctuary, where your guide leads a tour of the most important sectors and enclosures of the mysterious Inca city. Once the visit is complete, you board the bus down to the town of Aguas Calientes, with free time in the town depending on your train schedule.

You then board the return train to Ollantaytambo station, where our team is waiting to transfer you to your hotel in Cusco, concluding an unforgettable adventure.

The Machu Picchu visit corresponds to circuit 2A, 2B or 3B; please confirm availability with your travel agent. The climb to Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain is an optional extra.