Inca Trail – 4 Days

The journey begins with hotel pickup and transfer to Piscacucho (2,700 m / 8,858 ft), a community located at kilometer 82 of the Cusco–Machu Picchu railway, the starting point of the Inca Trail. From there, we start the trek by crossing the bridge over the Urubamba River, continuing along a long stretch of flat terrain until reaching Miskay (2,800 m / 9,186 ft).

Next, we ascend to the village of Llactapata (2,650 m / 8,694 ft) and continue the trail until, after approximately five hours of hiking, we arrive at the Wayllabamba Camp (3,000 m / 9,843 ft), where we will spend the first night.

We wake up around 6:00 a.m. and, after enjoying breakfast, begin the most challenging part of the trek: a 9 km ascent through the Llulluchapampa Valley. As we advance, the landscape changes dramatically, transitioning from the highlands to the puna.

The trail leads us to the first pass, Warmihuañusca, also known as the Dead Woman’s Pass, located at 4,225 m / 13,776 ft. Along the way, it’s possible to see llamas and alpacas grazing among the ichu grass, as well as local flora and fauna of the Inca Trail, including spectacled bears and deer.

After crossing the pass, we descend into the misty Pacaymayo Valley (3,600 m / 11,811 ft), where we will set up our camp for the night.

This is the longest day, but also the most fascinating due to the number of archaeological sites we’ll visit and the impressive cloud forest we’ll cross. We depart early from Pacaymayo toward the second pass, Abra de Runkurakay (3,970 m / 13,022 ft), with a stop halfway to explore the Runkurakay archaeological complex, a small oval-shaped structure located at 3,800 m / 12,467 ft.

After crossing the pass, we descend toward Yanacocha and enter the cloud forest until reaching Sayacmarca (3,624 m / 11,890 ft), a beautiful site featuring a semicircular construction. We pass through the Inca tunnel before reaching the third pass, Abra de Phuyupatamarca (3,700 m / 12,139 ft), where we can appreciate the grandeur of Inca engineering over the valley.

We then continue descending along a stone trail to Wiñaywayna (2,650 m / 8,694 ft), an extensive Inca complex of agricultural terraces that will be our camp. The site is equipped with a bar and hot showers, where we will enjoy a farewell dinner.

We wake up at 4:00 a.m. to leave Wiñaywayna and, after approximately one hour of hiking, arrive at Inti Punku or Sun Gate (2,750 m / 9,022 ft), following a flat stone trail along the edge of the mountain jungle, where we can enjoy the sunrise.

From this point, we descend for about 40 minutes to the Machu Picchu Sanctuary, continuing to the entrance control where we register and leave our backpacks. We then begin a full guided tour of the Inca Sanctuary, lasting approximately two hours, including free time to explore or climb Huayna Picchu (advance reservation required through the agency, as only 400 tickets are available per day).

In the afternoon, we gather in the town of Aguas Calientes, with the option to visit the hot springs, before beginning the return journey to Cusco.