Guided group walking
7 nights,
hotel-to-hotel
Level: 2+
Moderate plus
Operated by
Exodus Travels
Printed route
directions
Take our ever-popular Inca Trail trek but with the added benefit of upgraded hotels throughout, a Sacred Valley tour and overnight stay, plus thoughtful camp extras. On trek, we have increased the personal weight limit versus our standard itinerary, allowing you to take more clothes and personal items for extra comfort around camp. We have also included your sleeping bag and a wider range of meals created by our camp chef. Our classic Inca Trail trip is designed to give you more time to enjoy the trail by arriving to Machu Picchu in the afternoon for iconic photos and overnight in Aguas Calientes. We return the next morning, fresh and well rested, for our in-depth tour of Machu Picchu and train back to Cuzco.
Set amid hills in the altiplano, the Imperial City of the Incas, Cuzco (11,155ft/3,400m) was the geographic, cultural and political centre of a vast empire which, at its peak, stretched from present-day Quito in Ecuador to Santiago in Chile. After the Spanish conquistadores invaded the city, they started building on top of the Incan structures, resulting in unique architecture, a fusion of the Incan and Spanish colonial styles. Depending on what time your flight arrives, there may be time to wander the cobbled streets, visit the museums, churches and pre-Columbian buildings, such as Qorikancha – the Sun Temple, or to sit in a café and enjoy a coca-tea. There will be a briefing in the evening. Accommodation: Hotel San Agustin Plaza (or similar)
You stay at Hotels and Camping.
Hotels and Camping,
We spend 5 nights in premium quality hotels and 3 nights full-service camping.
The hotels normally used are indicated within the itinerary however accommodation may differ from those stated depending on your departure date. On this holiday, the hotels that we use offer greater comfort than those on our standard Inca Trail tour - all are a minimum of a local 4-star rating. All of the properties are centrally located, with en suite bathrooms and breakfast facilities and many feature Colonial architecture. In Cuzco the properties that we use are all located within the old town and within walking distance of the Plaza de Armas. All hotels have a safety deposit box in the room.
Please note that central heating is very rare in Peru, even in good standard hotels. Most hotels provide plug in heaters and spare blankets.
The trek itself is on a full-service camping basis, meaning that our camp staff will erect and dismantle the tents for you, cook, and do all of the camp chores for you. You need only carry your day pack. We use three-man 4 season Eureka tents purchased in 2019 for those on a twin share basis and two-man tents for singles. The tents are relatively spacious with enough room inside for the kitbags. We provide thermarest-type mats which are about 4cm thick when inflated and 3-4 season sleeping bags with a liner.
We also have a dining tent complete with table and folding chairs, and toilet tents for use during lunch stops as well as during the evenings. A hot drink and a bowl of warm water (to wash with) will be brought to your tent each morning.
We recommend the early booking of single supplements and of pre/post-tour accommodation. A limited number of single supplements (hotel and tent) are available on this trip; please request upon booking.
Today we visit the magnificent Sacred Valley of the Incas, which runs along the Urubamba River near Cuzco. It’s the true heartland of Incan culture and tradition, with the high Andean scenery dotted with old towns and pre-Columbian villages. Here we visit the incredible Pisac ruins, a former citadel that guarded a road from the lowlands and gives way to terraces carved into solid rock. We then visit the Inca ruins at Ollantaytambo (9,186ft/2,800m), the one-time royal estate of Inca emperor Pachacuti. Here huge stone terraces occupy the valley sides and hint at the scale of things to come. Accommodation: Hotel Pakaritampu (or similar)
Early this morning, we transfer (1hr 30min) from Cuzco into the Sacred Valley. Reaching the town of Ollantaytambo, we drive for one hour along the final stretch of road to the start of the Inca Trail at Piscacucho, recognized among adventurers as Km82. After greeting our trekking crew, we show our passports at the checkpoint and begin the fabled Inca Trail trek. Our route today runs alongside the Vilcanota River, beneath the snow-capped peak of Nevado Veronica, passing through cactus gardens and settlements, until we reach the terraced Inca ruins of Llactapata, where we continue up the Cusichaca Valley to camp near the village of Huayllabamba (9,186ft/2,800m). Accommodation: Huayllabamba Camp (full-service camping)
The morning begins, as all do on our Inca Trail trek, with a hot drink delivered to your tent. Today’s journey is both challenging and rewarding, marking the most demanding and best-known stretch of the trail. A slow and steady climb takes us through a cloud forest to the meadows of Llulluchapampa, then we summit Dead Woman’s (Warmihuañusca) Pass, the highest point on the trek at 13,829ft (4,215m). After a well-deserved round of high fives and photos at the summit, we begin our steep descent on original Inca steps to reach our campsite in the scenic valley of the Pacaymayu River (11,811ft/3,600m). Warm up in the dining tent with a hot, fresh meal followed by a well-deserved sleep under the Andean night sky. Accommodation: Pacaymayu Camp (full-service camping)
After a hearty breakfast, we start the day with a climb, which takes us past the ruins of Runquracay and over the Runquracay Pass (12,894ft/3,930m), our second and final pass. From here, the Inca Trail becomes a clearly defined rolling path of flat boulders, providing access to sites only available to those on foot. One of the standout archeological sites we visit is Sayacmarca (11,893/3,625m), perched high above the green cloud forest. From here, we enjoy views of Salkantay mountain as we hike to our spectacular campsite on the ridge above the Inca site of Phuyupatamarca (12,073ft/3,680m), where we can enjoy the sunset and sunrise. Accommodation: Phuyupatamarca Camp (full-service camping)
From Phuyupatamarca, we take the famous Inca steps: a 1.2mi (2km) stone staircase that rapidly descends into an immense panorama, with the peaks of the Vilcabamba range above and the Vilcanota River far below. Reaching Wiñay Wayna, we have plenty of time to explore these beautiful ruins and eat lunch before continuing along a relatively flat section of the trail (by Inca standards, through cloud forest and wild orchids to finally reach Inti Punku (the Sun Gate). From here, we get our first full sight of Machu Picchu, with the Huayna Picchu mountain rising behind… congratulations, you made it! Inti Punku is traditionally busy with photo-taking trekkers in the morning, so our late afternoon arrival affords us unobstructed views of the magnificent ruins. We also get a chance to snap some classic photos of Machu Picchu before we take the 30-minute bus down to the town of Aguas Calientes for a shower and comfortable bed for the night. Accommodation: Hotel Casa Andina, Aguas Calientes (or similar)
Well-rested and refreshed, we return to Machu Picchu this morning for our guided tour. Machu Picchu is an architectural and engineering marvel, the staggering mountain backdrop making it even more dramatic. The Spaniards never found it, the Incas left no records of it, and so Machu Picchu remained an enigma, a city lost for centuries in the jungle until it was rediscovered in 1911 by the American historian Hiram Bingham. Your guided tour highlights the history, culture, architecture and mysteries that Machu Picchu still holds today. This afternoon, we catch the train back to Ollantaytambo (1hr 30min) and continue by private bus to Cuzco (1hr 30min). Accommodation: Hotel San Agustin Plaza (or similar)
The trip comes to an end after breakfast. Either start your return journey home or join one of our exciting extensions, either to explore the jungle trails of the Amazon Rainforest or the high-altitude waters of Lake Titicaca. Speak to your sales representative to book.
We do not currently have departure dates and prices available on-line. The season may have ended for this tour, or we are still in the process of adding these details to our website.
Please contact our sales team on 01606 720199 to for further details or to discuss alternavie trip options.
Guided group walking
7 nights,
hotel-to-hotel
Level: 2+
Moderate plus
Operated by
Exodus Travels
Printed route
directions
