Day 1: CUSCO, SORAYPAMPA HUMANTAY LAGOON TO SALKAINTAYPAMPA.
Our crew lead by your guide, will pick you up early morning from your hotel for a private transfer to the start point trek, which it will take around three and a half hours. Along this drive, we will pass through farm villages like an Izcuchaca in Anta Province. We will continue driving into Limatambo Valley, very well known for its avocado plantation to Mollepata where will stop to have a quiet optional breakfast and then toward Soraypampa 3900 m /12,084ft. This is our starting point of the Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu amazing place overlooking Salkantay and Humantay snowed-capped mountains, we will start our ascend to Humantay Lagoon considered nowadays one of the most beautiful nature and turquoise color lakes located at the base of the Humantay glacier. After having free time, we will come back to Soraypampa to have lunch. After lunch, we will continue our hike for two hours to get to our basecamp Salkantaypampa 4000 m/12,720ft is a Unique camp without crowded people and a very nice place to see the stars during the nighttime as well as see the sunset and sunrise of the Salkantay glacier. Distance:10.00k.m., Time: 5 to 6 hours, altitude: from 3900 to 4000 meters above sea level.
Day 2: SALKANTAYPAMPA, INKACHIRIASKA PASS TO SISAYPAMPA.
Today, after a lovely breakfast, we leave the main Salkantay trail, We take the path to the right side of the mountain, and the ascent will last us five hours, passing through the pampa japonesa to the Inca chiriaska pass 5000 meters, 15900ts. This is the highest point that we get on the whole trek, where we have a 360° view of Salkantay and Humantay snowed-capped mountains also beautiful turquoise lagoons located under the Salkantay mountain, after resting and enjoying the spectacular views, we start descending a stony path for three hours to our camp Sisaypampa. In between today’s hike, we will stop for lunch, our guide will coordinate with our trekking crew a very nice spot. Altitude: 4100mtrs to Sisaypampa 4000mtrs. Distance: 16 km, Time: 8 to 9 hours.
DAY 3: SISAYPAMPA, KM. 82 TO AGUAS CALIENTES.
Today we will have a lovely breakfast with amazing views of Salkantay mountain, then we will start our descent for five hours along this hike we will pass through a small local community of Pampaccawa (canal Inca) mainly they are cow and horse farmers also you notice the changes of the ecosystem from the high Andes to a lush green forest to Paucarcancha 3000 meters. Paucarcancha is a small, beautiful archeological site located in the original Inca Trail and considered a resting place for travelers back in the Inca time. Then we will continue our hike up and down to km 82. During this hike, we will see the Llaptapata archeological site and a stunning view of Urubamba River. From k2 we will take a short drive to Ollantaytambo train station where we take a train to Aguas Calientes town to the Hotel. The altitude of Aguas Calientes town 2000 M. Distance:18 km, Time: 8 hours.
DAY 4: EXPLORE TO 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 free 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.
WHAT WE RECOMMEND TO BRING
- Backpack with a change of clothes for the whole period of the trek.
- Strong footwear and waterproof trekking boots are recommended.
- Sandals or jogging shoes for higher comfort while at camp.
- Warm clothes, including jackets and fleece. Thermal clothing is also recommended, especially for sleeping.
- Camera and batteries (batteries consume more quickly under cold conditions).
- Sun block or sun cream.
- Hydrating cream for face and body.
- Insect repellent – minimum recommended 20% deet – no malaria risk has been reported.
- Toilet paper and tissues.
- Snacks: biscuits, energy bars, chocolate, dried fruits, etc. Please note that we provide a snack, and our meal service is complete and well-supplied. This recommendation applies to all clients being used to a specific snack, as it may happen that it’s not included in our selection.
- Water container and water for the first morning. Important notice: plastic water bottles are no longer allowed on the Inca trail. Plastic water containers or camelback or metal ones are recommended.
- Optionally water sterilizing tablets in case you pick up water from streams or rivers along the route; otherwise, we provide filtered, boiled water, which is safe to drink and has not reported any health problems so far.
- Small towel.
- Swimsuit (If you have an extra day in Aguas Calientes town, you can go to the hot springs).
- Cash in soles or in Dollars.
- Original Passport, travel insurance, and any important health document you may have to follow any restrictions.
- Original international student identity card (In case you have applied for a student discount).
- Optional, walking sticks or hiking poles (rubber covers necessary to avoid damaging the Inca Trail). If not, we have some here for rent.
OPTIONAL SERVICES TO BE HIRED
An extra hotel night in Aguas Calientes can be booked for you at an additional cost depending on the Hotel you choose. Please note that the additional entrance fee cost is not included if you wish to revisit Machu Picchu the following day.
Massage sessions: us$50 per 1-hour session. Our massage therapists have the highest recognition in Cusco.
RECOMMENDED PACKING LIST FOR TREKS
- Passport.
- Valid student card in case you booked as a student.
- Immigration stamp.
- 25L or 30L day pack.
- Water bottle or camelback with 2L of storage.
- Footwear, waterproof hiking boots.
- 4 or 5 hiking t-shirts, three hiking pants considering one nice outfit for Machu Picchu, five sets of undergarments, four pairs of socks, one fleece and down jacket for cold nights, a set of rain gears jacket, 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.
