Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

Rise early and get ready for your first day of the Inca trail. Your driver will pick you up at your Cuzco hotel and take you to Urubamba, right in the Sacred Valley, where you will take a short rest. Then continue on to Piskacucho Km 82 to meet your trail guide and fellow trekkers.

Hike on through the trail the mighty Incas used to follow to go to the Machu Picchu Sanctuary. Stop for lunch in Miskay. Visit the archeological site of Llactapata, or Patallacta. This impressive Inca site boasts steep terraces, many in pristine condition despite of the centuries of aging and neglection. Many of the ruins along the Inca Trail were "tambos," or rest stops for travelers along the Inca Trail. In the evening, set up camp near Wayllabamba, a small farming village of about 400 people, and enjoy dinner with your fellow trekkers.

Get started early with breakfast at camp and then start trekking to the highest point of the Inca Trail, Warmiwañusca, or Dead Woman's Pass. Take in wonderful views of the Andean mountain slopes and countryside along the way. Cross the Warmiwañusca Pass at 4215m (13,829ft).

After lunch and a break, continue on to the campsite at Pacaymayu near the Pacaymayu River, to have dinner and a well-deserved rest.

Today will reward you with plenty gorgeous scenery, Inca ruins, and perhaps some deer and wildlife. Pass through Inca tunnels, traverse steps carved into solid granite, and encounter several species of butterflies as you enter the lush cloud forest. After a hearty breakfast, head out towards the second highest pass, at 3850m, stopping to visit the ruins of Runcuracay, Sayamarca, and Phuyupatamarca. After lunch, head to Wiñaywayna, meaning "Forever Young," to set up camp for the final night.

After an early breakfast, start on the final 3km of the trek to Machu Picchu. Arrive at Inti Punku, the Sun Gate, where you will be welcomed by a panoramic view of the Machu Picchu citatel - a view that only those who hike the Inca Trail ever get to see. After a short hike down to Machu Picchu, register at the entrance and start on the 3-hour guided Machu Picchu tour with a knowledgable Machu Picchu guide.

Explore the rest of Machu Picchu at your leisure, taking time to visit the Watchman's Hut, the steep terraces, and the many impressive views of this huge city in the foothills of the cloud forest. In the afternoon, take the bus down to Aguas Calientes for a buffet lunch and free time to enjoy the town before returning to Cuzco by train.

If you have an additional day to spare, we recommend spending the night at a hotel in Aguas Calientes, and returning to Cuzco the next day.

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