Peru: Machu Picchu & Classic Inca Trail Adventure
Trip Itinerary
Day 1
Location: Lima
Lodging: Casa Andina
Activities: We will meet you at the Lima airport and transfer you to our downtown hotel.
Day 2
Location: Ollantaytambo
Lodging: Hotel Pakaritampu
Activities: We take an internal flight to Cusco, the gateway city to Machu Picchu. We shuttle directly to the town of Ollantaytambo, where we hike through the nearby archeological ruins.
Day 3
Location: Ollantaytambo
Lodging: Hotel Pakaritampu
Activities: Today we explore the Sacred Valley of the Incas as we continue to adjust to the altitude. We start with a visit to Moray, ruins, and hike downhill to Maras, a series of pools created by the Incas to harvest salt from a salt-laden natural spring.
Days 4-7
Location: The Inca Trail
Lodging: Camping
Activities: The Inca Trail! We hike on the ancient trail of the Incan Emperors. Local guides tell us about the ruins and flora we pass, while our cooks prepare delicious meals to recharge us at lunch and in the evening. On the Classic Inca Trail, total kilometers of hiking each day are fairly moderate: 12, 8, 13, and 13 kilometers. On our final day on the Inca Trail, we emerge to the wondrous site of the Lost City of the Incas, Machu Picchu. We simply sit on our perch above the ruins and soak in the beauty of the area before being bussed down to our hotel in the nearby town of Aguas Calientes ("hot waters").
Day 8
Location: Cusco
Lodging: Picoaga Hotel
Activities: We arise early to explore Machu Picchu in the crisp morning hours before the trainloads of tourists arrive. You'll have the option to climb a steep hill to the temple on Huayna Picchu before taking the train back to Cusco. We celebrate our victory with a farewell dinner.
Day 9
Location: Departure Day
Activities: We spend the morning in Cusco, visiting the ruins of Sacsayhuaman and the Korikancha temple. You'll have a few hours to explore this wonderful town before we take a flight back to Lima.
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Dates: Oct. 20, 2012 - Oct. 28, 2012
Trip Length: 9 Days & 8 Nights
Activities: Trekking
Trekking The Inca Trail
Peru is one of the hot spots of adventure travel, primarily because it’s home to both Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail. What you might not know, however, is that there are many Inca Trails, two of which end at Machu Picchu. The trails are called the Cápac Ñan network, after the Emperor Cápac. We will be walking on the exact stones that were laid down by thousands of workers, more than 500 years ago.
We offer two distinct tours to Peru. Both tours are nine days long, starting and ending in Lima, and include four days hiking on the Inca Trail.
“It was a most wonderful adventure and, for me, a supreme test of physical endurance and determination. The guide, Santiago, is a treasure.” (Jim W.)
Trekking The Classic Inca Trail
The Classic Inca Trail is used by most trekkers in Peru and has been immortalized as a phenomenal adventure travel destination. It is a remarkable four-day hike that crosses Dead Woman’s Pass (4,200 meters or 13,860 feet in elevation), offers stunning views of the surrounding cloud forest, visits several isolated Incan ruins en route, and ends at the Sun Gate overlooking Machu Picchu. Choose the Classic Inca Trail if you are looking for a challenge, or if you have always dreamed of hiking the Inca Trail as it is known to most travelers around the world.
The local staff, who will carry your equipment, cook your meals, and cater to your every need are amazing and help make each expedition a success. While Trekking the Inca Trail, we have a staff to hiker ratio of about 1.5 to 1, with all the staff from the same village, Cachiccata, in the Sacred Valley.
Our lead Peruvian guide, Santiago, is outstanding and is assisted by a team of Peruvian staff. Our version of the Inca Trail includes what we call luxury camping: porters carry most of your gear, your tent will be set up for you, tea, coffee and hot water will be delivered to your tent door each morning, all meals will be cooked for you, and you have use of the all-important toilet tent. The nine-day tour includes airport-to-airport service including Lima transfers, acclimatization hikes in the Sacred Valley, and a post-trek day in Cusco. See this Classic Inca Trail map for an overview of the hike.
Alternate Inca Trail Hike
If you’re interested in seeing Machu Picchu, but want to hike a trail that is significantly less difficult, consider taking our Royal (Alternative) Inca Trail Trek, which will take you on foot to Machu Picchu via the route preferred by Mach Picchu’s ruler. This is an excellent tour for those who either want something more off the beaten-path, or who have physical limitations.
Special Notes
1) Because we must provide a deposit to ensure space on the Inca Trail, which is limited in numbers, the 0 deposit for this trip is not refundable or transferable to another trip, starting seven days after you receive your tour confirmation e-mail and Pre-Departure Packet. Please strongly consider trip insurance!
2) Not included in the tour price are sleeping bag rental of , an internal flight from Lima to Cusco and back, and domestic departure taxes of about per flight. The internal flight is estimated at 0 (0 if you only need a one-way ticket because of your post-tour plans) and will be billed on your invoice.
3) You can optionally pay an additional to climb up Huayna Picchu, the mountain the looms another 1000+ feet above Machu Picchu, when we are visiting the ruins. (The Peruvian government charges an extra fee for this climb.) You will climb with one of our guides and although no technical skills are necessary, the hike is only suitable for those with plenty of endurance, good balance, and no fear of heights.
4) Inca Trail passes are limited to 500 travelers and local staff each day. Passes always sell out! Please book as early as possible.
Accommodations
Our hotels in Peru are three-star or four-star quality; they are always clean and sometimes luxurious. We start our stay in Lima at the Casa Andina hotel, located in a good area of the capital city. In the Sacred Valley town of Ollantaytambo we stay in the Hotel Pakaritampu, a beautiful hotel located right next to Incan ruins. In Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblc) near Machu Picchu, we stay in the pleasant El MaPi Hotel, while our final night in Cusco is at the Picoaga, a four-star, 17th century Spanish mansion.
Trip Photos
For More Information
- See our Peru Frequently Asked Questions page.
- Visit our entire Inca Trail Hiking website.
- See our special page on Machu Picchu.