Main Info
Overview and Highlights
Hike the 4-day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and explore the Tambopata Amazon Rainforest. The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is one of the most famous trekking routes in the world just like the Incas did!
Through this 4-day adventure you will be able to taste adventure, gastronomy, very unique fauna and flora and the impressive Machu Picchu. The Inca Trail or “the Inca language”, called Qhapaq Ñan in Quechua, refers to the network of roads that were undoubtedly one of the wonders of the Tahuantinsuyu.
According to the Peruvian historian, José Antonio del Busto, who explains that the Inca “King” Huayna Capac increased the road network to the maximum in order to be able to quickly mobilize his army.
The trails varied in quality and size, they could be 6 to 8 meters wide on the coast but, in the mountains the paving was only one meter wide, but the path was audaciously steep and climbed over the difficult Andean mountains.
The jungle of the Madre de Dios department, located in southern Peru, is recognized for being one of the areas with the greatest biodiversity in the world as an authentic ecological paradise or the Peruvian Garden of Eden. Abundant botanical and zoological species, in exuberant landscapes in which you can enter for encounters with wildlife and nature taking Puerto Maldonado as a starting point.
The Peruvian Amazon is abundant, exuberant. The dark green of our jungle is home to dozens of ethnic groups and one of the most biodiverse natural systems on the planet. The Peruvian Amazon offers you a unique opportunity to explore the secrets of its untouched nature, travel back in time and connect with the origin of life. In addition, you can learn about the amazing biodiversity of the region and marvel at the impressive landscapes found in the protected areas of Madre de Dios.
What to bring and advices
- Acclimatization to altitude can be adapted in one or two days. It is advisable to consider the use of personal medication if necessary.
- If you pay the remaining balance (USD currency) or buy a souvenir (some cash in soles, the local currency), it is advisable to bring some cash. You can get some money from the ATM machine that are located in the center of the City of Cusco.
- Rain poncho, rain jacket, proper hiking boots.
- Proper warm clothes, at that altitude is quite cold and windy a bandana will be helpful.
- Sun Glasses.
- Sun block. The sun is really strong You will need to protect your head (with a hat) and skin.
- Extra snacks always recommended.
- A bottle of water.
- Travel insurance this from your site, always recommended.
Itinerary
On arrival at the airport in Lima you will be met and transferred to your hotel, which is located in the Miraflores area of the city. The remainder of the day is at leisure.
Meals:
Night: Hotel in Lima
ACTIVITY LEVEL: free day, Leisure at your discretion.
DRVING TIME: 5 Hours (pick up from apt/htl)
MINIMUM ELEVATION: 4m / 7.87 ft
MAXIMUM ELEVATION: 4m / 7.87 ft
In down town, later in the afternoon we will have a walking tour perfect activity to acclimatize the Cusco Altitude.
Meals:
Night: Hotel in Cusco.
ACTIVITY LEVEL: free day, Leisure up your discretion.
DRVING TIME: 5 Hours (pick up from apt/htl)
MINIMUM ELEVATION: 4m / 7.87 ft
MAXIMUM ELEVATION: 4m / 7.87 ft
We will pick you up from your Cusco Hotel around 07:30 am, then we will start our adventure Our first stop after driving some minutes is the Awanacancha Alpaca farm. Here, you will see the traditional animals of the Incas: llamas, alpacas, viñuna, and guanaco. Your guide will give you background information, Then, we will drive to El Mirador del Valle Sagrado, the Sacred Valley Lookout Point, for amazing views and photos. Following, we will visit the famous Pisaq Market, where People come down from the Andean villages to sell their textiles and vegetables. We will continue the journey up to the Pisaq Inca Archeological site, located on top of Pisaq Mountain in the Sacred Valley. our tour guide will take you to the most impressive spots. Then, we will drive along the valley for about 01 hour, until we reach Urubamba, where we will stop for lunch (Not Included). After lunch, we will drive to Ollantaytambo, where the second heaviest Inca monoliths are to be found. The ruins have an amazing Temple of the Sun, Moon, and The Temple of the 10 Niches. This living Incan town displays narrow walkways, lined with water channels.
Meals:
Night: Hotel in Sacred Valley.
ACTIVITY LEVEL: Moderate
WALKING DISTANCE: Bus and hike, moderate Walking.
WALKING TIME: 04 Hours
MINIMUM ELEVATION: 2040m / 6692 ft
MAXIMUM ELEVATION: 3600m /11811 ft
Depart Ollantaytambo by van to km 82, where we will begin our trek, our pace will be an acclimatization rhythm and very soon we will stop at our first archaeological complex Llactapata at kilometer 2,550m above sea level, 30 minutes to visit this archaeological complex, before continuing our walk to Wayllabamba where we will camp.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Night: Wayllabamba Campsite.
HIKE DISTANCE: 10 km (5359 miles).
WALKING TIME: 5/6 hours.
ACITIVITY LEVEL: Moderate
MINIMUM ELEVATION: 2,700 m/ 8858 ft
MAXIMUM ELEVATION: 3000 m/9842 ft.
After breakfast we will begin our walk through the Valley of Huayllabamba on our journey we will be able to observe the nature and the ecological change of the area until we arrive to (Yunca Chipana) Huayllabamba from where we will climb to Llulluchapampa at 3,750 m.s.n.m., from this point we will be able to appreciate the valley of Huayanay and the first step located at 4,200 (m.s.n.m) Warmiwañusca, called dead woman and camp in the sector of Pacaymayo.
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
NIGHT: Pacaymayo Campsite.
HIKE DISTANCE: 16 km / 9359 mi
WALKING TIME: 9/10 hours.
ACITIVITY LEVEL: Moderate to challenge
MINIMUM ELEVATION: 2,700 m/ 8858 ft
MAXIMUM ELEVATION: 4200 m/13780 ft.
Cross two more passes and ruins along the way. The first pass is Runquraqay at 3,950m (13,113 ft) where, on a clear day, hikers can catch a glimpse of the snow-capped Cordillera Vilcabamba. Hike through cloud forest on the gentle climb to the second pass of the day, walking through original Incan constructions. The highest point of the pass is 3,700m (12,136 ft). On a clear day, enjoy the spectacular views of the Urubamba Valley
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Night: Wiñaywayna Campsite.
ACITIVITY LEVEL: Moderate to challenge
HIKE DISTANCE: 16 km / 9359 mi
WALKING TIME: 7/8 hours.
MINIMUM ELEVATION: 3650 m/ 11975 ft
MAXIMUM ELEVATION: 39000 m/13780 ft.
The final day of the hike starts pre-dawn to reach the Sun Gate before sunrise. Wake up around 03:30 and walk to the checkpoint. Catch the first views of the breathtaking ruins of Machu Picchu on a clear day. Hike down to Machu Picchu for a guided tour of the site and free time to explore. Catch the bus to Aguas Calientes. Eat and relax before your train back to Ollantaytambo will be 2 hors. In Ollantaytambo We will be waiting for you in proper tourist transportation another 2 hours by car to Cusco.
Meals:
Night: Hotel in Cusco.
ACITIVITY LEVEL: Moderate.
HIKE DISTANCE: 7 km (3.11 miles).
WALKING TIME: 3/4 hours.
MINIMUM ELEVATION: 2650 m/ 8690 ft
MAXIMUM ELEVATION: 2430 m/7972 ft.
Free day to explore the Cusco city on your own and go shopping in this fantastic city or do some optional activities like White water rafting.
Meals:
Night: Hotel in Cusco.
ACTIVITY LEVEL: free day
MINIMUM ELEVATION: 3399m / 11151.57 ft
MAXIMUM ELEVATION: 3399m /11151.57 ft
Flight to Puerto Maldonado, get on a bumped road and continue by motorize Canoe to our Comfortable Jungle lodge, at night the you will go for a Caiman Search with your specialist guide.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Night: Tambopata Lodge.
ACTIVITY LEVEL: Relaxed
RIVER ON BOAT DISTANCE: 45mn
WALKING TIME: 1 / 2 Hours
MINIMUM ELEVATION: 182m / 597.113ft
MAXIMUM ELEVATION: 183m / 600.394ft
We wake early in the morning, this day will visit first, tres Chimbadas Lake, which is thirty minutes by boat and forty-five minutes hiking from Posada Amazonas. Once there you will paddle around the lake in a catamaran, searching for the resident family of nine giant river otters (seen by 60% of our lake visitors) and other lakeside wildlife such as caiman, hoatzin and horned screamers. Otters are most active from dawn to eight or nine AM. The next activity will be the Parrot Clay Lick, which is only a twenty-minute walk from Posada Amazonas. From a blind located about twenty meters away you will see dozens of parrots and parakeets descend on most clear mornings to ingest the clay on a river bank. Species such as Mealy and Yellow- headed Amazon, Blue-headed Parrot and Dusky headed Parakeet descend at this clay lick. The clay lick is active at dawn, during the late mornings and mid-afternoons. Time for Lunch, to recover energy and continue for amazing activities. So, We Continue with our Ethnobotanical Tour, a twenty-minute boat drive downriver leads you to a trail designed by the staff of the Centro Ñape. The Centro Ñape is a communal organization that produces medicines out of forest plants and administers them to patients who choose their little clinic. They have produced a trail which explains the different medicinal (and other) uses of selected plants. Time for Dinner and then an especial night walk, you will have the option of hiking out at night, when most of the mammals are active but rarely seen. Much easier to find are frogs with shapes and sounds as bizarre as their natural histories.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Night: Tambopata Lodge.
ACTIVITY LEVEL: Relaxed
WALKING TIME: 1 / 2 Hours
BOAT DRIVE TIME: 1-hour 30mn (Approximately)
MINIMUM ELEVATION: 182m / 597.113ft
MAXIMUM ELEVATION: 182m / 597.113ft
We wake up early in the morning time to be ready and get a delicious Breakfast. Time for a boat drive for 45mn to Transfer you to Puerto Maldonado Headquarters to Airport We retrace our river and road journey back to Puerto Maldonado, our office and the airport. Depending on airline schedules, this may require dawn departures.
Important:
Transfer-in (From Puerto Maldonado to Lodge): we have two departures daily at 13:00 and 14:30.
Transfer-out (Lodge to Puerto Maldonado) : Two daily departures at 07:00 and 08:00 For other schedule possibilities.
Meals:
Night: Not included.
ACTIVITY LEVEL: Relaxed
RIVER ON BOAT DISTANCE: 45mn
MINIMUM ELEVATION: 182m / 597.113ft
MAXIMUM ELEVATION: 183m / 600.394ft
