Inca Trail Trek

Our tour starts in Cusco, the old heart of the Inca Empire and the archaeological capital of the Americas. The Spanish-style city of today, with its pink tiled roofs, arcaded plazas and steep winding alleyways, stands upon tremendous Inca foundations, its links with the Inca Empire are everywhere, from the stone walls that line the city streets, to the museums filled with artefacts and relics. For those arriving in time, our tour leader will meet you in the hotel reception at 1.30pm for a welcome meeting and for those that wish, there'll be the option to go out for lunch at a local restaurant. There are no activities planned today, so you're free to arrive in Cusco at any time. If you'd like an airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive into Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport (CUZ), which is around a 15-minute drive away. Should you miss the welcome meeting, your tour leader will inform you of any essential information as soon as you catch up. The main trek briefing will take place on day two. Later today, you might like to relax and acclimatise to the altitude at the hotel or take a gentle stroll to the Plaza de Armas.

This morning, we'll take an immersive walking tour through the captivating city of Cusco, kicking things off in the colossal archaeological site of Sacsayhuaman, a stone fortress that's still at the core of Cusco's traditions. Winding our way along an old Incan trail, we'll head down to the colonial neighbourhood of San Cristobal, where the plaza gives us a sweeping view over the city's rooftops. Navigating the narrow streets of the old city, we'll reach the aqueduct of Sapantiana, a hidden engineering marvel only known by locals. This aqueduct directs us to arty San Blas, where coffee shops converge with traditional artisan's workshops, we'll explore the cobbled calles, venturing inside the studios to marvel at the local craftsmanship. Entering the main Plaza de Armas of Cusco, the focal point of the city, we're welcomed by the baristas of Three Monkeys Coffee who serve us the finest Peruvian beans. Then, once revived, we'll continue walking, gazing upon the Qoricancha complex, once the Inca's most sacred site dedicated to the Sun God. Our final destination is Mercado de Wanchaq, a local hot spot jammed with rows of colourful stalls and filled with the aromas of seasonal fruit. Slurping freshly pressed juice, we'll watch the sellers hawking their wares before returning to the hotel. The walking tour is approximately 4 kilometres/2.5 miles and is expected to take around four to five hours. The afternoon is free to rest and acclimatise, you might like to visit one of Cusco's museums.

Today has been left free to acclimatise and explore Cusco's old town further. You could walk up to Sacsayhuaman temple for views over the town, or there are several optional excursions available in the Sacred Valley. You can take a half-day walk to visit the Maras salt mine and Moray, a fascinating archaeological site with concentric terraces, said to be used by the Incas as a botanical laboratory. This 6-kilometre/3.7-mile walk is expected to take around three hours. Alternatively, for water sport enthusiasts there is the option to go stand-up paddle boarding on Piuray Lagoon. There is also the chance to visit Cerveceria del Valle Sagrado, the Sacred Valley brewery, including a tour and tasting of the nine craft beers brewed on-site. These activities include a guide and transport and can be booked with your tour leader on the first day.

This morning, we'll leave the city of Cusco behind and drive to Ollantaytambo, an original Inca town. Here we'll have a short walking tour to stretch our legs, visiting a traditional house and our first view of Inca terracing. We'll continue by bus for another hour to reach Kilometre 82, the starting point for the classic Inca Trail. The trail was first explored by Hiram Bingham in 1911 and opened for walkers in 1970. The famous ruins of Machu Picchu are not the only historical remains within the area, many other interesting sites are hidden in places which can only be reached on foot and have scarcely been explored. We'll meet our porters and support staff and begin our trek after lunch. The route crosses the Urubamba River, following a wide dirt trail alongside the riverbank. The undulating path takes us into the Sacred Valley of the Incas to Llaqtapata (2,700 metres/8,858 feet). Here, we'll camp opposite the ruins of Llaqtapata, a spectacular spot with amazing night skies. There are no permanent facilities here but the camp crew will set up a toilet tent for the group to use. Today's moderate 8-kilometre/5-mile walk is expected to take around two-and-a-half hours with an ascent of 100 metres/328 feet.

After a hearty breakfast, we'll cross the river to visit the Llaqtapata Inca ruins before continuing with the trek. Today, we'll follow the course of the Kusichaca River past small communities, crossing it to reach Wayllabamba, a quiet village of Inca origins and the last settlement on the route. After lunch, we'll gradually ascend through the start of the cloud forest to Llulluchapampa (3,800 metres/12,467 feet) which gives us stunning views of the snowy peaks around us. We'll set up camp for the night here. There's a well-maintained facilities block with flushing toilets and sinks at the site. Today's moderate 10-kilometre/6.2-mile walk is expected to take around six hours with 1,080 metres/3,543 feet ascent.

Today we'll have an earlier start as we trek over the Warmiwanusca (Dead Woman's) Pass to 4,200 metres/13,780 feet. The two-hour ascent is one of the more challenging sections of the trek but we'll take it slow and steady with many stops to admire the view and sunrise. After a rest and photo opportunity, we'll descend along a stepped path to the valley of the Pacamayo River with its tropical vegetation. Here, we'll break for brunch before beginning the ascent (mainly on steps) to the second pass of the day. After visiting the ruins of Runkuraqay, it's the final ascent to cross the Runkuraqay Pass (3,950 metres/12,959 feet). After the pass, we'll have a long gradual descent passing into the start of the main cloud forest to reach the bottom of the valley. The Sayacmarca ruins are visible on a rocky outcrop, they command an imposing view and have only one means of access, a narrow granite stairway. We'll cross the valley to reach the Sayacmarca campsite for a late lunch. From here, the trail goes through cloud forest with vines, exotic flowers (among them orchids) and luxuriant trees, with views (if we're lucky) of the snowcapped peaks of Salkantay. We'll walk through an Inca tunnel and along a ridge above the Urubamba River to our campsite above the Phuyupatamarca ruins (3,579 metres/11,742 feet). The campsite has amazing panoramic views of the surrounding peaks and down the valley towards Machu Picchu Mountain. While there is a toilet block here, it's not well maintained, so our crew will set up a toilet tent for our group to use. Today's challenging 15-kilometre/9.3-mile walk is expected to take around eight hours with 1,000 metres/3,281 feet ascent and 630 metres/2,067 descent.

This morning is our final day walking along the Inca Trail. We'll say thank you and goodbye to our porters and begin our trek into Machu Picchu. We'll pass the Phuyupatamarca ruins and spend most of the morning going down, following stone paths and stairways, 80% of which are original Inca architecture. Coming out of the cloud forest, we'll be greeted by spectacular views down the valley, walking through the impressive Inca terraces at Intipata, we'll reach our lunch stop at Winay-Wayna (2,591 metre/8,501 feet). Those who wish can visit the ruins here, this Inca site is built into the steep hillside and, like Machu Picchu, was abandoned for unknown reasons. Winding our way along the edge of the mountain, we'll follow a wide path adorned with wildflowers and orchids to take the final steps up to Inti Punku - the Gate of the Sun. Passing through, there are sudden and fantastic views of the Lost City itself, Machu Picchu. We'll walk down through the site and then take the public bus down the mountainside to our hotel in the town of Aguas Calientes situated on the valley floor below Machu Picchu. Today's moderate 14-kilometre/8.7-mile walk is expected to take around six hours with 1,000 metres/3,281 feet descent.

Our final morning in the mountains is spent at Machu Picchu, probably the most astounding feat of engineering in all of ancient America. Temples, stairways, palaces and gabled stone dwellings are scattered everywhere, testifying to the energy and ingenuity of the builders. We'll have a guided tour with our tour leader before taking the bus back down to Aguas Calientes. Before your guided tour, it's possible to get up early and climb (unguided) the steep peaks of either Machu Picchu Mountain or Huayna Picchu Mountain from where you can look down on the citadel (it is not possible to do both hikes due to time constraints). Machu Picchu Mountain is a 700-metre/2,297-foot climb from the top of the citadel. There are cobbled stairs all the way up with a few eye-opening drops in some parts, but predominantly very enclosed and with a fairly steady, but not too strenuous, gradient. The round-trip takes about two-and-a-half to three hours. Huayna Picchu Mountain is only 350 metres/1,148 feet, half the size of Machu Picchu Mountain, but much steeper. There are many more sheer drops, and it's not suitable for someone with a fear of heights. For those who fancy doing the two-hour climb, you'll be rewarded with world-class views of Machu Picchu and the feeling that you're standing on a precipice at the top of the world. These climbs must be pre-paid at the time of booking. If you change your passport between the time you book and your travel, please take your original passport with you. Those doing one of the optional climbs will take the first bus up to Machu Picchu to begin the climb, after which you'll exit the site and meet up with the rest of the group to take the guided tour. In the afternoon, we'll get the train to Ollantaytambo, located in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, and then return to the historic town of Cusco by bus.

Our trip ends this morning at our hotel in Cusco. There are no activities planned today, so you're free to depart from Cusco at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you'd like an airport transfer today, you'll need to depart from Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport (CUZ). Depending on the schedule of your flights, you might have some additional time to visit a museum or do some souvenir shopping in the winding streets and alleys of the city. If you're travelling onto the Amazon, you'll be transferred to Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport this morning for your flight to Puerto Maldonado.