The Inca Trail is the most famous trek in South America and deservedly so, what with three major sets of Inca ruins reachable only on foot along the way to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Machu Picchu. From cloud forest to puna grasslands, you reach the mythical citadel with three nights camping at our strategically selected campsites.
TIKA TREKKING Arranges Camping trips along the Inca trail to Machu Picchu on a private basis or as group tour, giving you utmost flexibility in your travels. The Inca Trail with TIKA TREKKING is unique in that we offer an authentic hiking experience. Our equipment standard is top of the line featuring 4-season tents, with 3 person tents used for just 2, inflatable (not foam) mattresses and private ecological bathroom tents. This itinerary takes in the iconic Inca trail to Machu Picchu, Lima, Cusco and the Sacred Valley so that you can see some of the best of Peru.
Please note: Due to its popularity, the Inca Trail is carefully regulated with limited permits that sell out well in advance, so contact us for the latest availability or for our expert travel advice on the best alternative hiking trips in Peru that don’t require the same forward-planning!
Daily Summary:
Day 1: Inca Trail Start Point
Day 2: Inca Trail – Dead Woman’s Pass
Day 3: Inca Trail – Pacamayo To Phuyupatamarca – Wiñayawayna
Day 4: Inca Trail – Arrival To Machu Picchu – Cusco
Notes:
- This is a sample itinerary and can be tailored to your interests and travel style.
- Based on two people traveling together in double or twin occupancy
Inca Trail Start Point
This morning a private transfer will pick you up at your hotel to travel to Km. 82, the trailhead. After a couple of hours of gentle hiking, you will reach and visit the Inca ruins of Llactapata (2,600m/8,531ft). Continue on, diverting away from the Urubamba River and following the Cusichaca River towards the village and small agricultural settlement of Huayllabamba, where you will have a picnic lunch and set up camp (3,200m/10,498ft).
- Total trek today approx. 12km (7.5 miles)
- 6-8 hours of hiking (approx)
Inca Trail - Dead Woman’s Pass
After a relaxed breakfast, climb a tough ascending trail with increasingly fantastic views and a clear change of vegetation as you gain altitude. You will pass through a protected cloud forest of native trees before reaching your lunch spot at Llullucchapampa. Continue the tough ascent towards the highest pass of the trail, called Warmiwañusta or Dead Woman’s Pass (4,200m/13,780ft). Enjoy spectacular views in the afternoon as you descend to your campsite at Pacaymayo (3,600m/11,812ft). Your total trek today will cover approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 miles), which is about five to six hours of hiking.
- Total trek today approx. 10km (6.2 miles)
- 5-6 hours of hiking (approx)
Inca Trail - Pacamayo To Phuyupatamarca - Wiñayawayna
After breakfast you will soon encounter the original cobblestone paved trail left by the Incas. You will be able to appreciate the sudden changes in vegetation and geology as you pass through different ecological zones. Today is a long but rewarding, since you will be encountering both original Inca cobblestone trails as well as magnificent archaeological sites along the way. You will climb up and over the second pass, the Abra de Runkuracay, (3,800m/12,467ft). On a clear day your efforts are rewarded with unparalleled views of the snow-covered peaks of the Cordillera Vilcabamba and the lush valley vegetation. Masterful Inca engineering is visible along the trail and at the Inca remains of Sayacmarca (3,640m/11,943ft), a highlight of the trek. Explore the site, have a picnic lunch and continue to the incomparable site of Phuyupatamarca, (“the place above the clouds”) lunch and continue for several hours down to Wiñay Wayna (2,644m/8,675ft), you You will camp here and should have enough time to soak up some of the magical charm of this marvelous campsite.
- Total trek today approx. 20 km (12.4 miles)
- 5-7 hours of hiking (approx)
Inca Trail - Arrival To Machu Picchu - Cusco
After Breakfast you will continue on to Inti Punku, or Sun Gate. This is the point where you will get your first glimpse of the spectacular city of Machu Picchu below you. A quick descent along the wide royal Inca road and you will spot the mysterious site.
After a break you’ll return to the ruins with your guide. “Magnificence” is the only word to describe the scene, as you gaze upon the ruins of Machu Picchu. The main destination on many travelers’ lists, the ‘lost city of the Incas’ is a man-made marvel that has become a symbol for the ingenuity and prosperity of one of the most expansive empires in Latin American history. Only a century ago were the incredible ruins uncovered; a two year-excavation led by Yale archaeologist Hiram Bingham and the National Geographic Society of Washington DC allowed Machu Picchu to gain the prominence that it deserves. Its fascination is due in part to its position, high on a mountain ridge and 2,430m/7,972ft above sea level. Believed to be an Inca settlement built to control the economies of neighboring communities, it is associated with being the royal estate of Pachacuti, the great Inca who sparked the expansion of the empire. Following your visit, take the bus back to the town of Aguas Calientes to catch the Vistadome train (approx. 1.5hrs) back to Ollantaytambo, where a private vehicle will be waiting to transfer you by road to Cusco (approx. 2hrs) to check in to your hotel.
- Total trek today approx. 10km (6.2 miles)
- 2-3 hours of hiking (approx)
- Overnight: Costa del Sol Hotel Cusco
WHAT’S INCLUDED?
This itinerary is based on two people traveling together in double or twin occupancy, excluding flights (international and domestic).
Includes all specified services in the itinerary description
- All transfers and entrance fees
- Hotel accommodations as is seated in the schedule
- Meals as is seated in the schedule
- Hand-selected English-speaking guides
- 24-hour support from our locally based team
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED?
- International or domestic flight tickets
- Tips
Trek Includes :
- Pre-departure briefing
- Collection from your hotel in the morning and transfer in private transportation to the starting point of the trek
- Personal tents: 2 people in each 4-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. Eureka Timberline 4 Outfitter tents are employed when double accommodation is requested and Eureka Timberline 2XT for single travelers
- One inflatable sleeping pad per person
- One pillow per person
- Dining tent with tables and chairs
- Kitchen tent
- Toilet tent with biodegradable toilet facilities
- English speaking professional and official tourist guide (2 guides for groups of over 8 people)
- Chef and cooking equipment
- Porters to to carry tents, food and cooking equipment— days 1 to 4
- Porters to carry personal gear up to a maximum of 9 kg per person (including sleeping pad and sleeping bag) — days 1 to 4
- Wranglers – days 1 to 4
- Accommodation for all our staff
- Meals (03B, L 04, 04D + daily morning snack + daily tea service except last day). Vegetarian or special menus are available at no extra cost
- Filtered boiled water from lunch time on 1st day onwards
- 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 bottle
- Train ticket from the Hydroelectric power plant to Aguas Calientes (day 4)
- Inca Trail and Machupicchu entrance fee
- Bus ticket Aguas Calientes – Machupicchu – Aguas Calientes (day 5)
- Train ticket from Aguas Calientes to Cusco
- Transfer train station-hotel in Cusco
- 24-h guest service: please ask for the emergency number available during your time of visit
What is not included on the trek
- Sleeping bag that you can rent in cusco from our office.
- Breakfast on the first day
- Lunch and dinner on the last day: after the guided tour at Machupicchu, you can enjoy free time to further visit the ruins and choose to have lunch either in Machupicchu or in Aguas Calientes at your own expense.
- Huayna Picchu entrance fee: if you would like to climb this mountain an additional fee of US$ 30.00 per person applies
- Tips: please note that our agency staff is well paid so please feel free to tip or not as you wish
What we recommend that you bring
- A backpack with a change of clothes for the whole period of the trek
- Rain gear (jacket and pants if available) or rain poncho (plastic ponchos can be purchased in Cusco)
- Strong footwear, waterproof trekking boots recommended
- Sandals or jogging shoes for a higher comfort while at camp
- Warm clothes, including jacket, fleeces. Thermal clothing is also recommended, especially for sleeping
- Flashlight/headlamp and batteries
- Camera and batteries (batteries consume more quickly under cold conditions)
- Hat or cap to protect you from the sun, rain and cold
- Sun block
- After-sun cream or hydrating cream for face and body
- Insect repellent — minimum recommended 20% DEET – no malaria risk has been reported
- Handkerchiefs
- Toilet paper
- Snacks: biscuits, energy bars, chocolate, raw fruits, muesli, etc. Please note that we do provide a daily morning snack and our meal service is very complete and well supplied. This recommendation applies for all clients being used to a specific snack, as it may happen that it is not included in our selection
- Water container and water for the first morning. Important notice: plastic water bottles are no longer allowed into Machu Picchu. Plastic water containers (ie. Nalgene) or metal ones are recommended
- Optionally: water-sterilizing tablets in case you pick up water from streams or rivers along the route. Otherwise, we provide filtered boiled water, which is safe to drink and has not reported any health problem so far
- Small towel
- Swimsuit (if you wish to go to the hot springs in Aguas Calientes)
- Cash in soles and/or US$
- Original passport
- Original International Student Identity Card (in case you have applied for a student discount)
- Optional: walking sticks or poles (rubber covers required in order not to damage archaeological sites)
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