Traditional Inca Trail • Waypoints Expeditions

06D / 05N

CUSCO – MACHU PICCHU

TOUR GALLERY

WHAT’S INCLUDED?

• Traditional Inca Trail •

01 … / Cusco

¡Welcome to Peru!
Arrival at the Cusco airport, reception and transfer to the hotel located in Cusco city.
Check-in and rest.
Overnight (-)

02 Cusco – Wayllabamba

Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner
You will be picked up from your hotel at the scheduled time, to be transferred in our private mobility to km 82. There will be a tour that crosses the beautiful Sacred Valley of the Incas. After approximately one hour thirty minutes we will pass the small town of Ollantaytambo, where we will make a small stop to take photos of this fortress and take advantage of resting a few moments.
After, we will continue our journey following an unpaved route parallel to the railway line, which will finally take us to Km 82, where we will unpack and get ready to start the hike with our Excursion team (cooks, assistants and porters). In this first section of the Inca Trail, we will visit the small community of Miskay (2650 m.a.s.l), where we will make a brief stop to meet the villagers and try the popular drink known as “chicha”, which is offered by the ladies of the village in this place.

Later we will begin to ascend towards a small plateau, where we will be able to delight ourselves with an extraordinary Andean landscape, as well as observe in the skirts of a mountain the beautiful Inca construction known as “Patallacta”, located at 2750 m.a.s.l. At this point we will stop and our guide will give us information regarding this interesting Inca legacy. Later, we will continue walking for about 2 hours along the Cusichaca River, gradually ascending to a very beautiful point where we will stop for lunch and then take a short break.
Later, we will continue walking through an area full of vegetation, where it is very likely to observe the beautiful giant hummingbird native to this region. After having walked for about 2 hours we will arrive at our first camp, located in the area of Wayllabamba at 3000 m.a.s.l

03 Wayllabamba – Pacaymayo

Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner
On this second day of the Inca Trail we will get up very early, around 06:00 Hrs. This will be necessary to be able to enlist calmly and have a good breakfast before starting the tour. Later, we will begin to walk through a narrow path full of vegetation, passing by a small bridge that will take us through a cloud forest of unsurpassed beauty. In this section of the walk the participants must climb many steps, so it is recommended to take it easy and rest whenever they consider it necessary.
Following the route we will arrive at the sector of Llulluchapampa, here we will make a brief stop to rest and prepare to ascend the highest point of our walk, the famous Warmihuañusca abra, located at 4200 m.a.s.l. These sections are about 2 kilometers long, and are somewhat steep, so it is recommended to walk calmly and stop to rest as many times as needed.
In this section we will find ourselves in what is considered as the most difficult point of the road, since we will reach the 4200 m.a.s.l, however, it is also recognized as one of the most beautiful places in the world, so once we have conquered At the top, we will be rewarded with a beautiful view of the Andean snowcapped mountains.

Once we are at the top we can take the classic photos of the Inca Trail. Then we will descend through a winding valley until we reach a point where we will stop for lunch. During this last trip it is possible to observe several types of wild birds. Finally, we will arrive at the Pacaymayo camp (3500 m.a.s.l), where we will spend the night comfortably. Pacaymayo is an official camp, therefore it has bathrooms and showers (we must take into account and be careful that in this area the water is quite cold). (B, L, D)

04 Pacaymayo – Wiñaywayna

Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner
Many visitors feel that this is one of the longest days of the journey, but at the same time, one of the most beautiful due to the presence of wonderful Inca buildings along the trail.

This day we will get up at 06:00 hrs. After a succulent breakfast we will start our hike up a steep path. Shortly we will arrive at the ruins of Runkurakay located at 3800 masl, a beautiful oval-shaped Inca construction that is believed to have served as an Inca watchtower. After a historical explanation we will continue until we reach the Runkurakay pass, located at 3900 m.a.s.l. During this trip we will find a small lagoon in which you can often see Andean geese and other species of birds of the place. After the passage, we will descend to a beautiful valley full of vegetation; here we will visit the ruins of Sayacmarka, located at 3624 m.a.s.l. After visiting Sayacmarka, we will continue descending towards the cloud forest, to reach the ruins of Phuyupatamarka, composed of impressive fountains and water channels that are spectacular hydraulic engineering works done by the Incas. At this stop we will spend a good time, and then continue descending until we reach one of the most beautiful Inca buildings of the place: the ruins of Wiñaywayna. These are undoubtedly one of the most beautiful of all the ruins, after Machu Picchu. Wiñaywayna means “forever young” and it is said that it acquired this name due to the abundance of an orchid that bears this name. After exploring every corner of Wiñaywayna we will go to our last camp, which is located a few meters from the place. This will be the night in which we will have to say goodbye to our porters and collaborators of the tour, so we will hold a small party to thank everyone for sharing this beautiful experience with the group. (B, L, D)

05 Wiñaywayna – Machu Picchu – Cusco

Box Lunch
On this last day we will get up very early, at 04:00 Hrs to go quickly to the control gate to enter the path that will take us directly to the citadel of Machu Picchu. It is advisable to bring a good flashlight with you, since at this time it is still dark in this place. After having walked for about 1 hour and a half, we will arrive at the “Inti Punko”, or Puerta del Sol, a magnificent point from which you can see the citadel of Machu Picchu in the distance. At this point we can rest for a few minutes, take pictures of the group, to finally descend until we reach the recognized one, as one of the Seven Wonders of the World: “Machu Picchu”.
For a long time it was thought that Machu Picchu was only part of a legend, until in 1911 the North American explorer Hiram Bingham discovered it, only after many expeditions in the area. Machu Picchu rises to a height of 2430 m.a.s.l, in the middle of a tropical forest with an extraordinary location. It was undoubtedly one of the most wonderful urban creations in the Inca boom era. Its enormous walls, terraces and ramps seem to have been naturally cut continuously in the rocky cliffs. Our guide will lead us through a tour of the most impressive sectors of this beautiful Inca citadel. It will take us approximately 2 hours, after which we will have free time to explore the city each one on their own, taste and preference.
Then we will return in the bus to the town of Aguas Calientes, to board the train that will take us back to the time indicated on the ticket, our collaborators will be waiting for you at Ollantaytambo or Poroy station, from where we will transfer you to your hotel in Cusco (B)