Classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
Visit the world-famous Machu Picchu on this classic Inca Trail adventure.
Itinerary
Your guide will pick you up at your hotel in Cusco at 5:30am to drive to the trailhead at Kilometer 82. The early start is rewarded by the most beautiful drive through the Sacred Valley with dawn breaking around us.
Along the way we stop at the Raqchi look-out to take photos (weather conditions permitting). This gorgeous location overlooks the valley of Urubamba with the Chicon glacier clearly visible in the background. We can also see Mount Veronica and the Urubamba river.
Our drive then continues to the market town of Ollantaytambo, where we will stop briefly to take advantage of some more great photo opportunities.
Finally, we arrive at the trail head at Kilometer 82, also known as Piscacucho. Our porters and chef will meet us here and a delicious breakfast will be waiting for us! After breakfast we go through the Inca trail checkpoint and our adventure on the Inca Trail begins.
The trek starts easily with 2.5 hours of relatively flat terrain to reach the Wilkaraqay Inca site. Here we will have spectacular views of the Llactapata ruins, which was a check point on the Inca trail approach to Machu Picchu. Your guide will talk about the history of the site as well as giving an overview of the history of the Inca trail.
Back on the trail we hike for 2 more hours to Hatunchaca (2,598 m/8,525 ft) where we will have a delicious lunch.
In the afternoon we will hike for another 2.5 hours until we reach our campsite at Ayapata. This campsite is a little further along the Inca Trail than the traditional night-one camp site at Wayllabamba. We chose this deliberately because it is more isolated and much quieter, allowing us to truly enjoy the spectacular display of stars visible in this part of the Andes.
Our chef will prepare a sumptuous dinner for us all to enjoy together before we retire for a well-earned nights rest in our comfortable tents.
Meals: Lunch/Dinner
Accommodations: Camping
Maximum altitude: 3300 m/ 10,824 ft
Minimum altitude: 2,750 m/ 9,020 ft
Distance to walk: 14 km/ 8.7 miles
Approximate walking time: 7 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
After a delicious and nutritious breakfast, we begin our hike to the famous Dead Woman’s Pass! For the first two hours we will be in the cloud forest, passing through various biozones including the low sierra and the high Puna. There are many opportunities to see a variety of plant and birdlife and if we are lucky we may also spot White Tailed Deer roaming wildly.
After this two-hour hike we reach Lluchapampa (3,800 m / 12,460 ft). This is a small camp and it is the last location on the trail to buy supplies. After a 15-minute break we will continue on the trail.
The portion of the trail leading to Warmiwañusca “Dead Woman’s Pass” at (4,215 m/ 13,825 ft) takes around 2 hours and takes us through the most beautiful mountain scenery and the grasslands of the high Andes. We will pause at the top of the pass to admire the majesty of the highest point of the Inca trail (and take photos of course!)
We then descend to the Pacaymayu camp for lunch. After lunch we climb for around 45 minutes to the Inca site of Runcuraccay. Your guide will provide a tour of the ruin before we continue uphill for an additional hour to the Runcuraccay pass (3,950 m/ 12,959 ft).
After a descent of 90 minutes we arrive at the Inca site of Sayacmarca (3,657 m /12,000 ft). Here we will have the chance to see one of the most amazing sunsets across the Aobamba valley!
From here it is just 25 minutes to our campsite for the night at Chaquicocha (3,600 m/11,800 ft).
Once again, we have selected a quieter, more isolated campsite to really enhance our experience on the trail.
Meals: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
Accommodations: Camping
Maximum altitude: 4215 m/ 13,825 ft
Minimum altitude: 3,300 m/ 10,824 ft
Distance to walk: 16 km/ 10 miles
Approximate walking time: 8-9 hours
Area: Andes and Cloud Forest
Difficulty: Challenging
Day 3 starts with a 2-hour hike to the Inca ruins at Phuyupatamarca (3,680 m/ 12,073 ft). From here we will enjoy spectacular views of Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu Mountain, and Huayna Picchu mountain, before getting a guided tour of the ruins.
Now it is time to head into the rain forest! We will walk downhill for 2 ½ hours until we reach our camp. During this stretch of the trail we will visit Inti Pata. Many people feel that the most beautiful pictures of the entire Inca trail can be taken from here. Leaving Inti Pata it is then just 40 minutes to our campsite at Wiñay Wayna (2,680 m /8,792 ft).
Arriving at the campsite we will have lunch and then enjoy some time relaxing before visiting the archeological site that bears the same name as the camp. Wiñay Wayna is the largest and most beautiful archeological site on the Inca trail and means forever young in Quechua, and we are one of the few companies that provide a guided tour of Wiñay Wayna.
Meals: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
Accommodations: Camping
Maximum altitude: 3600 m/ 11,808 ft
Minimum altitude: 2,680 m/8,792 ft
Distance to walk: 10 km/ 6.2 miles
Approximate walking time: 6 hours
Area: High Cloud Forest
Difficulty: Easy
We rise very early on our final day to complete the last few kilometers of the Inca Trail. Leaving after breakfast the trekking here is fairly easy going for around an hour, and brings us directly to Inti Punku or the “Sun Gate”. This is the ancient entrance of the sacred city and gives us our first incredible views of Machu Picchu and (weather permitting) the spectacular sunrise over the Andes.
Our trek ends with one final 45-minute downhill hike to the entrance gates of the city. We will go to the classic photo spot and take those all-important pictures as soon as we arrive. Then there will be a short break before starting our 2-hour guided tour of Machu Picchu. All of our guides are experts in the history and mythology of the site, and really bring the visit to life!
After the tour we travel to Aguas Calientes by bus and then take the train to Poroy or Ollantaytambo where our private transportation will be waiting to transport you back to your hotel in Cusco. Arrival time in Cusco depends on the time of your train ticket but will be in the evening.
Meals: Breakfast
Maximum altitude: 2700 m/ 8856 ft
Minimum altitude: 2,430 m/ 7,972 ft
Distance to walk: 6 km/ 3.73 miles
Approximate walking time: 2 hours
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FAQs
Our average group size is 3 to 8 people and maximum 12 people per group.
We ensure proper staffing, have weigh limits for our porters and we also have a long-standing relationship with all our porters (average of five years). We
believe we have the best porters in the business due to mutual respect. They provide their unbelievably hard work and we treat them as colleagues and family including above average compensation. Most of our amazing porters come from very high small villages of Cusco region.
As everyone reacts differently to altitude, the best indication of how the Inca Trail’s high altitudes will a‑ect you is your previous reaction to high altitudes. The average altitude throughout the trek is 10,000 ft, with altitudes ranging from 9,000 ft to 14,500 ft. The highest campsite is at 12,000 ft.
For this reason all hiking-intensive itineraries include at least 3 days of acclimatization before beginning your hike, which allows some amount of acclimatization and an opportunity to see how you will feel while hiking. Most people experience mild altitude symptoms such as fatigue, headache, trouble sleeping, or light-headedness during their first day or two at elevation. Our guides on the Inca Trail have oxygen available for hikers having problems with the elevation. It is a reasonable precaution to ask your doctor about Diamox or other medications for altitude sickness.
Simply put, the food is scrumptious, hardy, and fresh. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and hearty snacks are prepared and provided for you. Meals are a mix of
local specialties and international favorites. Vegetarian and vegan meals are available upon request, and we can accommodate most dietary restrictions as well with advance notice.
- Sleeping Bag – can be rented from us
- Hiking poles – can be rented from us
- Huayna Picchu mountain ticket
- Breakfast on Day 1 and lunch and dinner on Day 4
- Tips for porters, chef, and guide
The 4 day Inca Trail hike is 25 miles and the distances traveled each day are not terribly long. Although it is generally accepted that anyone who is
accustomed to hiking and outdoors can hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, the altitude can make the hiking these distances feel about twice as difficult as hiking the same distance at sea level.
We recommend that hikers carry the items that they will need each day while hiking such as water, snacks, camera and film. Porters will carry all of your other supplies including camping equipment, clothes, sleeping bags, etc. We generally ask hikers to bring only the belongings that they will need for the trail and leave any unneeded luggage at the hotel in Cusco. Our support staff including professional cooks and porters carry all group gear and 6 kg (13 pounds) per hiker for your own belongings.
- Professional licensed guide fluent in English, Spanish, and Quechua
- A personal porter for the Classic Inca Trail (6 Kg/13 pounds)
- Pre trek briefing 1 to 2 days before the trek
- Support staff including professional cooks and porters to carry all group gear and 6 kg (13 pounds) per hiker for your own belongings.
- Three breakfasts, three lunches, and three dinners
- Drinking water and snacks
- Dining tent with table, stools, and all dining implements
- Toilet tent
- Kitchen tent
- Sleeping tents and air mattress – Four person tent for every two people
- Emergency supplies, including first aid kit, oxygen, and emergency radios
- All group fees, including Inca Trail permits and entrance to Machu Picchu
- Return train ticket from Aguas Calientes to either Ollantaytambo or Poroy
- All transfers, private van to trailhead at km 82, bus from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes, and private van from Ollantaytambo to your hotel in Cusco.
We supply the sleeping tents, tables, chairs, toilet tents, cooking equipment, boiled water, Therma-rest inflatable sleeping pads, and other camping equipment. Our outfitter purchases the highest quality equipment in Peru.
Hikers only need to bring their own personal items and a daypack. A duffle bag will be provided for your belongings at the time of your pre-trek briefing which is done 1 or 2 days before you depart to the Inca Trail so hikers do not need to bring a large backpack unless desired. Proper sun gear, layers of comfortable trekking clothes, trekking poles, mosquito repellent, hiking shoes, a flashlight, a camera, and 1-2 refillable water bottles are recommended. Rain gear such a plastic poncho is also recommended during the rainy season (November-March) and cold weather gear (warm jacket, thermals, hat and gloves) is recommended for the dry season (especially June-August).
In spite of there being a couple places along the trail to buy bottled water, we strongly recommend hikers bring a couple reusable water bottles to limit plastic waste. Water is boiled, treated and filtered by our trekking staff and available to hikers throughout the trek with the exception of the first day.
Our tour guides carry a first aid kit for basic medical problems. They recieve Red Cross First Aid and other emergency training every year. Our team lead over 750 travelers along the Inca Trail each year and we have rarely had a traveler unable to finish the hike. In these rare cases when someone has no felt well enough to finish the Inca Trail hike, the clients has been escorted back to Cusco or to a nearby town and generrally felt well enough to re join the trekking group at Machu Picchu via train a few days later.
Our tour guides are among the very best and most experienced tour guides of Peru. They are from Cusco area and speak English, Spanish and Quechua. Most of our guides have 5 to 10 years of experience leading groups to Machu Picchu through many treks.
Your head guide is Roxner
All trips on Skyhook are run by small, hand-picked local guiding companies. For this trip you'll be led by Roxner and the guiding team based in Cusco.
By booking through Skyhook you'll be joining a small-group trip. This can make it nice and sociable (you'll be added to a group chat after booking), and guarantees great value for money!
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