10 Day Package - Lima - Cusco - 5 Day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

Peru's best-known hike visited by thousands of tourists every year. The classical trek leading to the Sacred Inca City of Machupicchu combines the visit of mysterious archaeological sites, amazing mountain scenery and lush cloud forest rich in Andean flora and fauna. Machupicchu is reached at sunrise on the fourth day.

Itinerary

Day 1 - Arrive Lima

This will be a travel day from home and you may arrive on an overnight flight to Lima, and connect  directly to Cusco's early flight  next morning. Arrangements can be made to assist you onto your connecting flight or we can advise you of the process , or arrange overnight in Lima if required.

Day 2 - Cusco

Most will need the morning to rest and acclimatize to the altitude. After lunch, refreshed and eager we go for an afternoon walk around town and Nearby Ruins, visiting the most sacred of Inca sites - the Koricancha. Winding out of town we will take in the megalithic fortress of Sacsayhuaman, the strange temple of Kenko, and the water fountains of Tambomachay. We gather later for the welcome celebration dinner in our favorite restaurant near the main plaza.

Day 3 - Full Day in the Sacred Valley of the Incas

Today we will visit the spectacular Sacred Valley of the Incas and the stupendous archeological sites of Pisac and Ollantaytambo. Probably built by the great Inca ruler Pachacutec in the 1460s, it was the site of Hernando Pizzaro's defeat by Manco Inca in 1536. Constructed of finely cut polygonal stones and royalties blocks, the fortress and nearby town represent the best of Inca architecture and construction. Large worked blocks, some weighing as much as 100 tons were carried from a site more than a thousand vertical feet above the valley floor using a technique of pecking with hammer stones, then skidded down and across the Urubamba river several kilometers to the temple site. Inclined ramps were built to raise the blocks several hundred feet up hill to the construction area. We have ample time to examine the complex and ponder its many mysteries. We'll also visit the impressive but little understood temple site of Pisac and its megalithic Inca terraces still housed by local peasant farmers. If it's a Tuesday, Thursday or Sunday we'll also spend time at one of the traditional local markets, lunch is usually had in Urubamba or Yucay where the best restaurant services are located. Afterwards to finish the tour at last, Chinchero a colonial village built upon Inca foundation and where typical shopping is usually done. Then we will return to Cusco, at the hotel we will have a pre-departure information meeting as tomorrow the Inca Trail is waiting for us.

INCA TRAIL TO MACHU PICCHU

Day 4 - Cusco to Wayllabamba

Your bi-lingual guide picks you up at your hotel in Cusco for the 2 hour ride by private bus to the small Andean town of Chilca and on to the trailhead at Piscacucho.. Here we will meet our porters and camp staff. As our porters load the heavy gear, we head off down river alongside the rushing Vilcanota river, through pretty cactus gardens with magnificent views of the Wakay-wilca snow-peak, to our right. We'll arrive at the Inca town of Llactapata and spend some time exploring this site before continuing up the Cusichaca valley to thehamlet of Huallaybamba where we camp for the night within view of the river.

Day 5 - Wayllabamba to Pacamayo

After breakfast, we continue up through remnant cloud forest , ascending steadily to the head of a valley below the high pass of Warmiwanusca. If the weather is clear we'll get spectacular views of the Huayanay snow peaks as we climb steadily over the pass and down to treeline in the Pacamayo Valley.

Day 6 - Pacamayo to Phuyupatamarca

Today, a steady one to two hour climb takes us over the second pass where we pick up out first real signs of paved inca road , climbing an impressive carved stairway to the minor ruins of Runturacayt. Continuing up this Inca stairway we cross the pass and drop down to the major and spectacular ruins of Sayacmarca.for lunch. Your guide will explain some of the mysteries of Incan architecture and Inca life and we'll continue on along an exquisite paved inca road, passing through moss and orchid laden cloud forest, to our camp at Phuyupatamarca.

Day 7 - Phuyupatamarca to Machu Picchu

From Phuyupatamarca the trail deends through some of the finest, intact paved Inca road known. Passing through moss and orchid laden mature cloud forest down a steep Inca stairway to Winay-wayna. This site was only discovered in the 1940's and rivals Machu Picchu in splendor. From here it's 2 hours through tree-fern laden cloud forest to Intipunku, the sun gate, where we get our first and awe-inspiring view of the citadel of MachuPicchu. We'll linger here and then wander through Machu Picchu itself in the late afternoon. We camp by the rushing Urubamba river.

Day 8 - Machu Picchu to Cusco

A full day to explore the citadel of Machu Picchu, before returning to Cusco by train at nightfall. On arrival in Cusco we drop you at the hotel.

* Departure and arrival times are approximated.
** Campsites are subject to change according to the designation of the governmental institution regulating the use of the Inca Trail, as well as to our guide's criteria and the group progress

Machu Picchu difficulty degree of this hike moderate to challenging

*** Inca Trail must be booked at least 3 months in advance due to limited spaces available ***

Day 9 - Full Day In Cusco

Your free day to do whatever you like in cusco. If you would like an additional activity planned for this day, please advise us, and we will arrange accordingly.

Day 10 - Cusco to Lima

We will pick you up from the hotel and take you to the airport in cusco to take the early flight to Lima City , after lunch (included) we will meet to join the famous Lima City tour to the most important and typical sites downtown Lima with its typical features of the colonial era, like the Plaza de Armas, Government Palace, Basilica of the Cathedral, Archbishop Palace, City-hall of Lima, railroad station Desamparados, old streets as well as classical mansions of the viceroyal era with moorish-styled balconies. Then we visit the church San Francisco, its monastery, Art Museum and catacombs. Leaving the old downtown Lima we come to San Isidro (el Olivar), the outlook or Love Park of Miraflores, enjoying the constrast of old and modern Lima. Finally, at night time we take you to the airport for your flight back to your country.

Price: Contact us using the book now button for current pricing

Return airline tickets from Cusco to Lima $200 USD pp extra - exact price to be confirmed upon booking request

Prices vary frequently

According to the Resolution #002-2004-UGM-CD, published in El Peruano on Nov 12, 2004, modifying chapter III of the Inca Trail Regulation which refers to Inca Trail space bookings, bookings will only be guaranteed by the governmental institutions when providing full names, nationalities and passport numbers of passengers, and when having paid the full amount of passengers and staff (cook and team of porters) entrance fees.