Day 1: Cusco – Piskacucho Km 82 – Llactapata – Ayapata

The first activity on the Inca Trail Group Tour 4D/3N will be picking you up directly from your hotel in Cusco, Urubamba, or Ollantaytambo. If you’re in Cusco, we’ll pick you up from the hotel at 4:30 a.m., from Urubamba at 5:30 a.m., and if you’re staying in Ollantaytambo, you can have a bit more rest as we’ll pick you up at 6:30 a.m.

We’ll then drive to Km 82, passing the first Inca Trail checkpoint to begin our hike. Please ensure you have your original passport as you’ll need it to enter the Inca Trail.

The first 2 hours of the hike are relatively easy as we head towards our first Inca site, Patallacta. This is an ancient Inca checkpoint for approaching Machu Picchu. From there, we’ll embark on another 2-hour hike to our lunch spot.

After lunch, we’ll walk for another 2 hours until we reach the campsite for the first night, Ayapata (3300 meters). During this last stretch, we’ll pass through 2 small communities. If you wish to purchase any energy drinks, snacks, or essential items you may have forgotten, like batteries, you can do so there.

We’ll arrive at our campsite by 5:00 p.m. After you settle in, you can relax and enjoy a hot drink and snack with the porter team, chef, and guide. Dinner will be served at 7:30 p.m., after which you can have a well-deserved rest.

Hiking Distance: 8.7 miles/14 km (6-7 hours)

Campsite Altitude: 3300 meters (high) above sea level

Difficulty: Moderate (Getting accustomed to the Inca Trail)

Weather: Warm with wind presence

Day 2: Dead Woman’s Pass (Warmiwañuska) – Runccuracay Pass – Chaquiccocha

Starting the second day of the Inca Trail Group Tour 4D/3N, the assigned porters will wake you up early with a cup of coca tea to help you prepare for the spectacular day ahead.

The day begins very early as the route is longer. We’ll hike for approximately 4 hours to the highest point of the trek, Dead Woman’s Pass (4215 meters/13829 feet). Upon reaching the pass, we’ll have a brief break to enjoy the views before descending to the next valley, the Pacaymayu Valley – Hidden River. It’s another hour and a half along the valley’s side to our lunch spot, where you’ll have the opportunity to refill your water bottles.

After lunch, we’ll start ascending again to the trek’s second pass. It’s a 2-hour hike up to the pass where we’ll stop at a small Inca site called Runcu Raccay and see two huge waterfalls on the opposite side of the valley.

After the second pass, it’s another hour’s downhill hike to reach the magnificent Inca site called Sayacmarca (a town otherwise inaccessible). We’ll stop here to rest and take a quick tour.

Later, we’ll witness the sunset over the Vilcabamba mountain range. It’s only another 20 minutes until we stop for the night at our second campsite, Chaquicocha (Dry Lake, 3600 meters).

After dinner, if you’re not too tired, we can do some stargazing and point out the fascinating Inca constellations. In the magnificent sky of the southern hemisphere, far from all artificial lighting, this sky is something to behold!

Hiking Distance: 9.94 miles/16 km (7-8 hours)

Campsite Altitude: 3600 meters (high)

Difficulty: Main day (You will have survived the two Inca Passes)

Area: Andes and Cloud Forest

Weather: Cold and rainy

Day 3: Chaquiccocha – Wiñaywayna

Completing day 2 and starting day 3 certainly deserves a pat on the back! We’ll start early again, exactly at 6:30 a.m.

This day will be the most beautiful of the entire Inca Trail. We’ll hike for 2 hours along what we like to call the “Inca flat” (gradual inclines) and start entering the jungle, known as the Cloud Forest.

As we walk, we’ll have the chance to see the Salkantay Mountain, the second highest snow-capped mountain in the Sacred Valley, and a fantastic panoramic view of the Vilcabamba mountain range.

Towards the end of the Inca flats, we’ll take our path up to the last peak at Phuyupatamarka (3600 meters), from where we’ll have excellent views of the Urubamba River.

From the valley, we get our first glimpse of Machu Picchu mountain, but the site itself is still hidden. From Phuyupatamarka, it’s a 3-hour descent through a section of steps to our final campsite, near Wiñay Wayna (Forever Young).

Wiñay Wayna is the most spectacular Inca site on the trail after Machu Picchu and the most popular camping spot due to its proximity to Machu Picchu. During the descent, we’ll visit 2 Inca ruins, Phuyupatamarka (Town in the Clouds) and Intipata (Terraces of the Sun). We’ll arrive at our campsite around 1:00 p.m for lunch.

Then, the rest of the day you’ll be able to relax so you’re ready for the last day of the trek, at Machu Picchu. Around 4:30 p.m. your guide will give you a brief orientation, and you’ll visit the Inca ruins of Wiñay Wayna for an hour and a half. Your guide will explain the importance of the site and tie together all the information given during the hike. This way, you’ll be fully prepared for your visit to Machu Picchu the next day.

One of the things we most enjoy doing is pampering our guests, so you’ll enjoy a final feast with the porters and chefs. As part of our traditions, we’ll hold a ceremony in the evening to introduce the team to the tourists once again. The purpose of this event is to thank them for the great work done (if you wish to provide a tip for them, you’ll be able to do so right at that moment).

It’s advisable to go to bed at a reasonable time, as the day will start very early so we can reach Machu Picchu at sunrise, hopefully with the weather giving us a beautiful sunrise over the ruins themselves.

Hiking Distance: 6.2 miles/10km (5 hours)

Campsite Altitude: 2,600 meters (high) above sea level (cold weather)

Difficulty: Easy day – All downhill!

Area: High Cloud Forest

Weather: Warm and very humid

Day 4: Sun Gate – Machu Picchu – The Lost City of the Incas

This last day of the Inca Trail Group Tour 4D/3N begins at 3:

This last day of the Inca Trail Group Tour 4D/3N begins at 3:30 AM. We’ll have breakfast at 4:00 a.m. and wait at the checkpoint to be one of the first to start trekking when they open the gates at 5:30 a.m.

We bid farewell to our porter and chef teams to head towards the Sun Gate (Inti Punku). From here, we have spectacular views of the mountains and Machu Picchu in all its splendor.

We’ll reach the Sun Gate by 6:30 a.m., and then it’s just an hour’s hike to reach the Lost City of the Incas. As we walk and get closer to Machu Picchu, the views of the city improve.

Around 7:40 a.m., we’ll reach the final checkpoint and enter Machu Picchu to start our 2-hour private guided tour. After the tour, you’ll be given bus tickets to Aguas Calientes, where you’ll have plenty of free time to explore the town on your own or hike one of the nearby mountains – Huaynapicchu (must be arranged in advance).

Your guide will offer to meet you in the town of Aguas Calientes for your last lunch at a local restaurant. This is optional and not included. During lunch, the guide will distribute the train tickets, so if you decide to skip, please coordinate with the guide to obtain these tickets before leaving for Machu Picchu.

Unless you’ve arranged for a higher category train, we’ll book one of the Expedition class trains departing from Aguas Calientes at 2:55 or 3:20 pm. Please make sure to be at the platform at least 30 minutes before. The journey takes approximately 2 hours to Ollantaytambo or Poroy (depending on the train schedule), where an Alpaca driver will meet you and take you back to the city on our bus, and then drop you off at your hotel.