Cusco – Piskacucho (Km. 82) – Wayllabamba

This adventure departs from Cusco at 6:00am. Our professional bus driver will take us to Ollantaytambo where we will have breakfast and time to purchase last minute personal items. We will ride a van to Piskacucho (Km. 82) where the official entrance to the Inca Trail is located. Our first stop is Miskay, a Quechua Village, where we will have lunch and rest. Soon after, we will reach Lactate or Patallacta (the largest Inca site) where your guide will give a thorough explanation of this site. After a 2-hour hike, we will reach the first campground called Wayllabamba, located at 9,514 ft or 2,900 meters above sea level.

Wayllabamba – Warmiwañusca -Pacaymayo

Today will be a challenge even for the very fit traveler. But the gamut of emotions you will feel will more than make up for the tough ascent. From the ‘ugh’ of an early morning rise to take advantage of the shadows on the mountain, to the accomplishment of reaching the Warmiwañusca Pass (4,200 meters above sea level or 13,779 ft), to the gratefulness of having completed a very tough hike, day 2 is the most rewarding day. The prize for reaching Warmiwañusca is the view of the many snow-capped mountains all around. After reaching the highest point, we descend towards Pacaymayo, the second campground at 3,600 meters above sea level or 11,811 ft. Here we will have a well-deserved afternoon off to rest and explore the area on your own.

Pacaymayo -Chaquicocha – Wiñaywayna

The third day starts with a highly nutritional breakfast followed by a 45-minute walk to the second highest pass: Runcurakay (3,850 meters above sea level or 12,631 ft). Along the rest of our hike, we will visit the following ruins: Runcurakay, Sayacmarca y Phuyupatamarca. After lunch, we will head to our last campground called Wiñaywayna where we will have a celebration dinner to say good-bye to our porters.

Wiñaywayna – Machu Picchu – Cusco

Today we will also wake up early to eat breakfast and head to the Inti Punku (Entrance of the Sun) or the entrance to “The Lost City of the Incas”, where we will admire the ruins at sunrise and enjoy the panoramic view of Machu Picchu. After a short hike, we will reach the ruins for our 2-hour guided tour of the Citadel. Later we will either walk along another segment of the Inca Trail from the ruins down to Aguas Calientes, or we can ride the bus down. In Aguas Calientes, we will enjoy a well-deserved lunch and free time to explore this town before boarding the train back to Ollantaytambo and then the bus back to Cusco.