If you could only choose one thing to do in Cusco, THIS is IT! This trek is easier and shorter than the classical route. En route to Machupicchu you will tour another Inca ruin called Chachabamba, which is not seen on any other trek. You will also see a waterfall that is so gorgeous it can’t be described!
At the end of the first day you reach the village of Aguas Calientes where you stay for the night. The next day, you take the first bus up to visit Machupicchu.
- Professional English speaking Mountain Guide
- Pre-Departure Briefing at your hotel
- Collection from hotel to start of the trek
- Private Transportation to Train Station in Ollantaytambo and return
- Entrance permits into the Inca Trail and Machupicchu
- 3x Bus Tickets to / from Machupicchu
- Emergency Oxygen bottle and first aid kit
- Roundtrip train tickets on Inka Rail/Expedition Train
- One-night accommodation in a nice and comfortable hotel in Aguas Calientes (double occupancy)
- 1 Box lunch, 1 dinner, 1 breakfast
- Private guided walking tour of Machu Picchu
- Breakfast on the first day
- Lunch on the last day in Aguas Calientes
- Single Room Supplement if required – $45 per room
- Climb up Huaynapicchu or Machupicchu Mountain
- Gratuities
- Clothing: long trousers, convertible pants or shorts, long and short-sleeved T-shirts or shirts, cotton socks. Warm clothes for high altitude areas, especially at night, including sweaters / fleeces and a jacket.
- Rain gear or poncho (you can buy a basic one in Cusco), especially if visiting in the months November to April
- Comfortable footwear, trekking boots recommended
- Camera, films
- Hat or cap to protect you from the sun, cold and rain
- Sun block (high factor)
- Sunglasses
- Insect repellent – minimum recommended 20% DEET – no malaria risk has been reported
- Personal toiletries and medications
- Original passport and passport photocopies
DETAILED ITINERARY
Day 01: Cusco - Km 104 - Chachabamba
We will pick you up from your hotel in the morning and take you to the train station to board the train that will take us to Km 104, on the Cusco – Machupicchu Railroad (starting point of the trek) that takes about two hours. Km 104 is an unscheduled train stop, so you will probably feel a twinge of satisfaction that the train is stopping especially for you. At the drop off, we pass the Inca Trail checkpoint where we will see our first archaeological complex called Chachabamba (2,170m / 7,170ft.).
Traveling on, we will gradually ascend for about 4 hours until we reach the archaeological complex Wiñayhuayna. Once we finish our tour here, we then continue and climb to Intipunku, or The Sun Gate. This will take an hour of hiking along a trail of flat stones on the edges of cliffs in highland jungle. From this spot, we can gaze at Machupicchu. From Intipunku we descend to Machupicchu and take a bus to Aguas Calientes, where you will check into your hotel. Dinner will be at a great local restaurant.
❊ Meals: Box Lunch/Dinner
❊ Maximum altitude: 2,745 m/9,005 ft.
❊ Minimum Altitude: 2,040 m/6,691 ft.
❊ Distance to walk: 13 km/8 miles
❊ Approximate walking time: 5-6 hours
❊ Level of Difficulty: moderate.
Day 02: Machu Picchu - Cusco
It is an early start to Machupicchu to see the sunrise over this magnificent ancient city! We take the first bus up to Machupicchu and have a fully guided tour around 2 hours long. After the tour you have plenty of free-time to explore the citadel on your own and maybe even climb Huaynapicchu or Inca Bridge. Afterwards, you can come back down to the town on a bus for lunch. Your extra time in the citadel is dependent on your return train time. In the afternoon we take the train back to Ollantaytambo where our driver will be waiting to transfer you back to your hotel in Cusco.
❊ Meals: Breakfast.
❊ Maximum altitude: 2,430m / 7,972 ft.
❊ Minimum Altitude: 2,040 m / 6,691 ft.
