Trek Itinerary
Day One - Start the Inca Trail
This morning we will pick you up and take you to the station to catch the train from Cusco, following the Urubamba river to Km.104 of the railway, where you will descend and cross a footbridge to begin your hike at the Inca site of Chachabamba. After a brief visit to this lovely ruin with its water channels and fountains, you start the four-hour ascent that takes you past spectacular overlooks above the great valley, then below a lovely waterfall near the delightful site of Wiñay Wayna (Forever Young). You ascend through this largest and most exquisite of the Inca Trail sites, passing its chain of ritual baths and elegantly curved terracing, and then joining the main Inca trail. You then follow it across a steep mountainside and up narrow stairways through lush, humid cloud-forest of giant ferns and broad-leaf vegetation. Suddenly, you cross the stone threshold of Intipunku (Sun Gate) and encounter an unforgettable sweep of natural beauty and human artistry –a backdrop of twisting gorge and forested peaks framing the magical city of Machu Picchu.
You then walk the last half-hour or so down the royal flagstone walkway, past outlying shrines and buildings and through the heart of Machu Picchu, taking a bus to the town of Aguas Calientes where you will stay overnight in a local hotel.
Day Two - Tour of Machu Picchu
Today, you will enjoy an early morning visit to the famous lost city so we make sure you get there before everybody else: even the people doing the full four-day trail! You then have the rest of the day in both guided and individual exploration. After we’ve seen the most fascinating features of this astounding and mysterious Inca city, you may want to take the optional hike to an amazing overview of the site, or just to investigate Machu Picchu’s hidden nooks and corners.
After having a full experience of this amazing site, we return to Aguas Calientes and board the return train to Cusco.
Prices
This trek can fit into any of our tailormade Peru holidays and the price of £280pp includes the following:
- All transfers to/from Cusco
- Fully guided one-day trek to Machu Picchu
- Guided tour of Machu Picchu
- Lunch on the trek
- Train journey from Cusco to the trailhead
- Train journey from Aguas Calientes to Cusco
- All buses between Machu Picchu and Aguas Calientes
- Entrance fee to Machu Picchu and Inca Trail permit
- One night's accommodation in a 3-star hotel