DAY 1: CUSCO, OLLANTAYTAMBO, PISCACUCHU TO WAYLLABAMBA CAMP.
Today our trekking crew led by our guide will pick you up from your Hotel and drive to Ollantaytambo to have a quiet optional breakfast, after you will drive for 45 minutes to the starting point, Piscacuchu or km 82. Where you will meet our field staff loading the gear, your guide in hand will introduce you to all teams, including cooks, and porters. And guests too. Then you will pass a checkpoint with park rangers, we will start our adventure hiking up and down a gentle path along the Urubamba River with outstanding views of snow-capped mountains Apu Huacayhuillca. (Veronika Mountain) plus the Urubamba mountain range. Until we arrive at Llactapata Inca remains, where you will stop to enjoy the views, and our guide will explain them to you. After you continue hiking in Kusichaca River valley until our first campsite Huayllabamba a small local community, today during your hike, you will stop to have lunch
Distance: 12 km
Time: 6 to 7 hrs
Altitude: from 2600 m to 3000 m
DAY 2: HUAYLLABAMBA, WARMIHUAÑUSCA PASS TO PACAYMAYO ALTO
Today after a healthy breakfast. We will pass the second checkpoint. During our ascent, we will find different ecosystems, such as a primary Andean forest and Andean grassland. This ascent will take us, for five hours, approximately, until we reach the highest pass. Warmihuañusca, or dead woman, passes 4200 m. 14,000 ft. Here you will enjoy the view of 360 degrees. Of Huayllabamba valleys and Huayanay snowed-capped mountains. After enjoying your free time and taking plenty of photos. Also, an overview of the other side of the way, down to Pacaymayo Valley, You will descend for two hours until the camp Pacaymayo is located at the bottom of the mountain.
Distance: 12 km
Time: 6 to 7 hrs
Altitude: from 3000 m to 3600 m
DAY 3: PACAYMAYO ALTO TO PHUYUPATAMARCA
After breakfast, we will depart from Pacaymayo a while later other trekkers. We will start our ascent by the original ancient pathway that takes us to the Runkurakay circular Inca remains. It is the beginning of a mix of Andean, and Amazon reach vegetation, where our guide will explain about the place. We will continue our ascent to the second pass, Runkurakay 3900 m; having enough time to absorb the pure nature and take our photos, we start our way down to Sayacmarka Archeological site where you will explore with our guide, from here the path goes up and down notice that the Inca Trail is well-preserved from this point with a wonderful construction using the natural landscape and geography. The trail crosses the Chaquiccocha, a dry lagoon, and we will cross the (tunnel) adapted by the Incas. In this part of the Inca trail, we will see Outstanding views of Salkantay and Pumasillo snowed capped located in the Vilcabamba mountain range. Until we reach our camp located above the clouds forest. Phuyupatamarka. Considered one of the most important ceremonial centers in the Incan time.
Distance: 9 km
Altitude: 3600 m to 3700 m
Time. 6 to 7 hours
DAY 4: PHUYUPATAMARCA TO AGUAS CALIENTES TOWN
Phuyupatamarca campsite, located on the Inca trail, is considered one of the most beautiful and unique places where you can observe the sunrise and sunset around you, with a 360-degree view of the Urubamba mountain range and Vilcabamba. You will also be able to observe the Machupicchu and Huayna Picchu mountains above it, highly recommended for those people or families who love photography. After enjoying the sunrise and breakfast we will start going down to explore the Inca site Phuyupatamarca. After, we will descend for 3 hours to Wiñayhuayna 2600mtrs. This part of the Inca Trail shows us all the way, through the high engineering skills of the Inca builders. We will keep going down to Intipata, the farming terraces with a magnificent view of the Urubamba River, then we will get to the Wiñayhuayna Archaeological site. After our free time on the site, we will go to have our last lunch, after lunch, we will have a thankful meeting with our trekking crew. From here, we will continue our hike towards Inti Punku 2700 m or the sun gate from where we will have the first spectacular view of Machu Picchu, we will continue our hike to the citadel of the new Seven Wonder of the world where we will have enough time to enjoy and take photos. Then we will head down to Aguas Calientes town, where you will spend the night in the Hotel.
Distance: 10 km
Altitude: 3700 m to 2400 m (Aguas Calientes town 2000 m)
Time: 6 to 7 hrs
DAY 5: EXPLORE MACHUPICCHU AFTERNOON BACK TO CUSCO.
After Breakfast, your guide will pick you up from your hotel for a short bus journey to the entrance of Machu Picchu. Today, you will explore this magical Inca city and enjoy learning about it was built and discovered for 3 hours. You will then have spare time to wander around, and if you got a Ticket for Wayna Picchu you can climb. Note. There are just 400 visitors allowed per day. You have to book in advance the entrance with us to ensure your permit. In the afternoon, we meet in the town of Aguas Calientes. From here, we take the train back to Ollantaytambo or Poroy, depending on the space and private transportation back to your Hotel Cusco.
BRIEFING
The night before your trek, we will go to your Hotel at a coordinated Time with you for your briefing. We will provide you with a duffel bag that will stay with your porters while you hike. This duffel bag should not exceed 7 kg or 14 pounds and does need to include your sleeping bag and air mattress.
PERMITS
As soon we receive your details and deposit, we will purchase your permits, depending on availability. These permits are for a specific date and in your name. They cannot be changed once they are confirmed. Only your passport number is allowed to be updated. The permit includes an entrance to Machu Picchu.
PROFESSIONAL LICENSE TOUR GUIDE
All of our guides who are part of Private Machu Picchu hold a degree in tourism. They studied at Cusco National University. They are passionate about sharing our Peruvian History, culture, gastronomy, and others, they are fluent in English speaking, and many of them speak our local language (Quechua). Furthermore, they will make sure of your safety and lifelong memories.
PORTERS
We include a personal porter who is responsible for carrying your duffel bag. You will not have access to your duffel bag until your campsite. There is no extra fee for this.
TRANSPORTATION
You will have transportation included in this trek from Cusco Hotel or Sacred Valley to Km. 82 starting point and return to your hotel from the train station could be from Ollantaytambo or Poroy.
We include the Vistadome train from Aguas Calientes. You may want to upgrade to the first-class train, Hiram Bingham.
We include the bust ticket from Machu Picchu citadel to Aguas Calientes town.
EQUIPMENT
We provide you with very nice four-season EUREKA TENTS. That is shared by two people. You will also have a dining and cooking tents.
FOOD
We provide you with an experienced chef who is an expert in cooking in the mountains, respecting the food restriction of our clients. Please let us know in advance before your departure. The first-day breakfast and the last-day lunch are not included. Other than that, we provide you with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks for the hike.
WATER
Essential and is required to bring your own water bottle for the trek. We will provide you from the first lunch filtered, boiled, cooled down water to refill your water bottle at every campsite or lunch spot.
FIRST AID
Every tour guide who is part of Private Machu Picchu receives training in first aid from the high mountain specialists we do every February. Your tour guide will have a first aid kit for basic medical situations. Also, in all of our treks, we provide oxygen for emergencies. In the worst cases, our staff will get you off the trail and assist you in getting to the clinic if needed.
TAXES AND FEES
All taxes and permit fees associated with this trek are included in the listed price.
CLIMATE AND WEATHER
The Cusco Region mainly presents two seasons, the rainy season, from November to April, with the heaviest rainfalls usually occurring between January, February, and March, and the dry season from May to October. The dry season is colder, so temperatures can drop to below 0 degrees at night.
Along the Inca Trail, the temperature ranges from 15-20°c during the day if it’s sunny, to 10-28°c during the day if not sunny, or 05-15°c at night in the first two campsites. At Wiñay Wayna and Machu Picchu, at a lower altitude, temperatures are usually warmer, though warm clothes are still recommended at night.
There are benefits and drawbacks to visiting Cusco and Machu Picchu during each season. The dry season is usually crowded at all the sites, and especially on the Inca Trail, you need to ensure your permit at least six months in advance.
The rainy season can be a very pleasant time for you who are looking to do cultural tours or for you who will design your vacations without trekking, including visiting Cusco and Machu Picchu with fewer people.
The altitude of Cusco city: 3400 meters
The population of Cusco: 1,300,000
MACHU PICCHU TICKETS
With the new regulations of the Peruvian government, the Machu Picchu entrance tickets go on sale from 6.00 am to 3.00 pm.
WAYNA PICCHU TICKETS
With the new regulations from the Peruvian government, the Wayna Picchu tickets go on sale from 7.00 am until 10:00 to 11:000 am. The hike Will take 45 minutes up and 30 minutes down all the way. The step is not recommendable for people who have vertigo.
Note: It’s essential to book in advance to ensure your entrance tickets to the sites.
MACHU PICCHU MOUNTAIN TICKETS
The hike will take you 1.45 hrs and 1:00 hrs down. The tickets go on sale in two windows of time from 6 to 7 a.m., and the second group is from 8 to 9 a.m. Takes longer, but it’s more beautiful.
STRIKES
It is the biggest problem in South America, not just in Peru. It can affect us on our tour treks. Roads are often blocked as well as trains stop their operations. Usually, the advice is two weeks in advance to prevent do not affect too much any of this country’s problems on our tours. In the worst-case, Private Machu Picchu Will let you know to cancel the tours or treks. Your health and safety are our top priorities.
ARRIVAL AT CUSCO
Cusco has an airport, mostly for domestic flights from inside the country. Our international airport is Jorge Chavez in Lima.
LATAM Airlines is the biggest company that operates in Peru and has connections all over the world. It is the only airline that doesn’t have too many cancellations in the weather conditions here in Cusco. The time flight from Lima to Cusco is one hour. You can always connect your flights to Puno, Arequipa, Puerto Maldonado Jungle, Iquitos, or the north of Peru, in our extension tours.
There is always a bus option from Lima to Cusco. The time will take you 22 hours.
FOOD
Peruvian cuisine is recognized for its biodiversity of products and continues conquering the whole world. Peruvian food is being awarded internationally for owning the most delicious food in the world.
The Cusco Region has unique gastronomy for the use of local products like potatoes, quinoa, corn, a variety of vegetables, and its exotic fruits, plus guinea pig and alpaca meat. Your travel expert will recommend restaurants that you can visit here in Peru and Cusco.
On our treks, we provide you with delicious food. You just need to make sure to let us know your dietary restrictions before departure on our treks, as well as our chefs are well-experienced in cooking in the mountains.
RECOMMENDED PACKING LIST FOR TREKS
- Passport.
- Valid student card in case you booked as a student.
- Immigration stamp.
- 25lts or 30 lts day pack.
- Water bottle or camelback with 2 lts of storage.
- Footwear, waterproof hiking boots.
- 4 or 5 hiking t-shirts, three hiking pants considering one nice outfit for Machu Picchu, 5 sets of undergarments, 4 pers of socks, one fleece and down jacket for cold nights, a set of rain gears jacket, and pants, a sun hat, wool hat, headlamp, warm waterproof gloves, shoes for camp, quick-dry small towel.
- Battery charger. There is no place to plug in while trekking.
- Sunscreen, face moisturizer, insect repellent, hand sanitizer, wet wipes, toothbrush and paste, toilet paper, personal medication, band-aids, moleskin, and others.
- Camera, phone, music player.
