The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is an Inca road that connects the Sacred Valley of the Incas with the ancient citadel of Machu Picchu. The Inca Trail is one of the best preserved sections of the Qhapaq Ñan, the ancient road system of the Inca Empire. Also, it is considered as one of the best trekking routes in South America.
The Inca trail has an approximate length of 39.6 km (24.6 miles) and it takes around 3 days to complete. The 4th day consists of a guided tour to Machu Picchu citadel. Along the trail you will find numerous Inca ruins such as Patallaqta, Huayllabamba, Runcuracay, and Wiñay Wayna.
During the times of the Inca Empire, Machu Picchu was only accessible to priests and members of the royal Inca family. As such, the Inca Trail was a heavily guarded place, which could not be entered by the general population. It is worth noting that the Inca Trail was part of a larger road network, known by the Incas as the Qhapaq Ñan.
The Qhapaq Ñan connected almost all major settlements of the Inca Empire. Its roads and bridges were designed to cover the irregular Andean terrain. Small outposts, known as “tambos”, were located along the Qhapaq Ñan. These buildings were used to provide food and shelter to the chaskis, the messengers of the Inca Empire.
After the Spanish conquest, some sections of the Qhapaq Ñan were used by the colonial government to transport goods and people. However, most of this ancient road network quickly began to deteriorate and disappear.
In 1917, an American expedition led by Hiram Bingham rediscovered the current route of the Inca Trail. Also, most of the archeological sites located along the trail were cataloged and further studied. Nowadays, the Inca Trail is one of the most visited places in the region of Cusco.
Before hiking the Inca Trail, we recommend you to spend some days in Cusco city. By doing this, you will help your body to acclimate to the Andean environment and avoid suffering from altitude sickness.
The Inca Trail is perfect for nature lovers and trekking enthusiasts. You will be exploring the charming cloud forests of Cusco while visiting the numerous Inca ruins of the trail. We are a trusted tour operator and we offer the best travel experiences possible.
At Sanvil Turismo we offer the best travel packages in the region of Cusco. Our tour guides are professionals authorized by the local government to guide treks and tours in the region. They are experts in the history and traditions of each destination you will be visiting.
The Classic Inca Trail is one of our best tours to visit Machu Picchu. We also offer small group tours to Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain, the Salkantay Trek, and the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Explore the beautiful Inca archaeological sites of Peru with us.
Your Hotel in Cusco City
6:00 am
We will pick you up from your hotel in Cusco at 6:00 am. Then, we will drive to Ollantaytambo town where we will board a train to Km 82. Once there, we will enter the Inca Trail after passing some security checkpoints.
We will start our adventure by hiking towards the Miskay campsite, where we will stop to have lunch. Then, we will continue our trek to the Patallaqta Inca ruins. This place served as an outpost to protect the entrance to Machu Picchu.
Then, we will pass the Kusichaca valley to finally arrive at Wayllabamba, located at 3000 meters (9842 feet) above sea level. Wayllabamba is an Andean village which has a small Inca archaeological site known as Patawasi. We will set up our campsite near Wayllabamba. Then, we will have dinner and spend the night.
We will wake up early at 6:00 am to continue our Inca Trail Trek. After packing our things, we will start the most difficult day of our adventure. We will be ascending to the highest point of the Inca Trail, the Warmiwañusca or “Death Woman’s Pass”. This mountain pass is located at 4200 meters (13779 feet) above sea level.
After passing Warmiwañusca, we will descend to Pacaymayo campsite, where we will have lunch. We will spend the rest of the afternoon at Pacaymayo resting. Before going to sleep, we will have a delicious dinner.
We will leave our campsite after having breakfast. The third day is the most interesting of the Inca Trail. We will ascend to the Runcuracay Pass, located at 3950 meters (12959 feet) above sea level. Along the way we will visit the circular Inca ruins of Runcuracay.
Then, we will descend to the Sayacmarca Inca ruins, which used to guard the road to Machu Picchu during the times of the Inca Empire. Afterwards, we will continue our trek to Phuyupatamarca, where we will stop to have lunch.
After lunch, we will hike to Intipata, which features several Inca stone terraces. Finally, we will arrive at the Wiñay Wayna ruins, where we will have a short guided tour of the site. Then, we will set up our campsite near Wiñay Wayna, where we will have dinner and spend the night.
We will wake up at 5:30 am to have breakfast. Then, we will hike to the Inti Punku, a stone structure that marks the entrance to Machu Picchu citadel. Once we cross Inti Punku, we will finally enter Machu Picchu.
Then, you will have a guided tour of the citadel. You will visit the Main Temple, the temple of the Condor, the Temple of the Three Windows, the Intihuatana, among other Inca monuments. If you have booked a ticket to Huayna Picchu mountain or Machu Picchu mountain, our staff will guide you to the respective entrance.
After the tour, we will board a bus to Aguas Calientes town. Once there, you will have free time to have lunch at a local restaurant. However, the lunch is not included in the tour price.
In the afternoon, we will board a train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo town. Once in Ollantaytambo, our staff will transfer you to Cusco city. You will be arriving in Cusco around 9:00 pm.
