Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu 4 days

Overview of the tour

Travel from Cusco to the Sacred Valley exploring the best archeological sites and markets, then hike the Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, arriving at the Sungate, from where you will have the 1st and most amazing view of Machu Picchu during the sunset. On the second day, we visit the great citadel with an expert tour guide. you will finish the tour by visiting the Humantay lake with picnic meals.

Highlights of the Trek:

Travel with an authentic Local Tour Operator from Cusco city
Explore the best of the Sacred Valley
Hike the last part of the Iconic Inca Trail
Arrive at Machu Picchu twice
Visit Humantay lake and enjoy picnic meals
Come back to Cusco on the Panoramic trains

Itinerary of the Short Inca Trail

After a delicious lunch, we will continue to Moray to learn about the ancient Inca farming technology, visit Maras and Salineras to later drive to Ollantaytambo – “The Last Living Inca Town,” an old Inca fortified village where we will observe some of the best examples of Inca architecture in the region. Book a hotel in Ollantaytambo

Day 1: Sacred Valley + Maras Moray (Full day)

After breakfast in the hotel, you’ll get picked up from the hotel at 8.00 a.m. Then, drive to Awana Cancha, where we can see Llamas, Alpacas, Vicuñas, and Guanacos. Next, visit Mirador of Taray, the local market of Pisaq, and continue the journey through the Sacred Valley until Urubamba, where we have a buffet lunch in a local restaurant.

Duration: Full day
Meals: Buffet lunch in Urubamba
Hotel: You must book in Ollantaytambo

Day 2: Ollantaytambo – Km 104 – Machu Picchu (16km, 8 hrs)
After breakfast in your hotel in Ollantaytambo, we will drive to the train station where we take the first trains to Km 104, we hike for about 7 to 8 hours to Machu Picchu. We arrive in the afternoon through the Sungate, which gives us a unique chance to see Machu Picchu almost empty. Later we take the bus down to Aguas Calientes.

Box lunch, dinner in a local restaurant (Mapacho Restaurant)
Bus from Machu Picchu
3-star hotel (Waman, Susanna INN, Intipunku or similar)

Day 3: Machu Picchu (The Lost City of The Incas) (3 hrs)
On the last day we will wake up early in the hotel and take the early buses to Machu Picchu, this time we will explore the citadel inside in a 3-hour guided tour, after exploring Machu Picchu you will take the Panoramic train back to Cusco arriving back to Cusco around 7.30 to 8:pm.

Breakfast in hotel, other meals not included
Machu Picchu tour
Panoramic Train train back to Cusco (VTD or 360°)

Day 4: Humantay Lake
Depart at 5:am from your hotel and drive to Humanatay lake. Enjoy our picnic breakfast and picnic lunch prepared by our trekking chef.

Picnic breakfast and lunch
Entry tickets included
Professional tour guide
Round trip transportation

Included

Pick up from hotel for all tours
All transportation during the duration of the tour
Professional tour guides
1 night 3-star hotel in Agua Calientes
Meals mentioned in the itinerary
Entrance ticket to all places we visit
Bus up and down from Machu Picchu
Panoramic Exclusive train to come back (Vistadcome or 360°)

Not Included

Meals not mentioned in the itinerary
Hotel in Cusco
Huayna Picchu or Montaña entrances
Tips for staff

It’s hard to put into words what the 4D/3N Inca Trail Trek with Trexperience was really like. The chef, the porters and the guides were amazing. The food was far better than we eat at home. The natural beauty beats anything you see in photos or videos. The hike was hard - physically and mentally - harder than what I’d imagined. But our guides - Daniel and Susy - helped me when I wasn’t sure I could take another step. Now the aches and pains have faded but the memories will last a lifetime.

By Madeleine B for Classic Inca Trail Hike group tour on Nov 30, 2023

It was an excellent hike.Joseph and Ethel were amazed and very helpful. One person on the group had leg cramp and Joseph gave him his hiking pole and stayed with hime until the person felt better. Joseph explained a lot about the inca history and culture showing his vast knowledge . Ethel also explained the different types or orchids found during the trail. It was fun hike and I really enjoyed it Definitely, would use your company again to discover more of Peru’s wonderful places

By Enid Marisol O for Short Inca Trail 2 days to Machu Picchu on Nov 17, 2023

The trek was well organized and planned. Everything was as explained except we were pleasantly surprised to find better amenities than expected AND cold beer at every site! Our guide, Roger, was excellent and provided us with expert knowledge and pleasant company. The rest of the crew and chefs were also very friendly and the food was surprisingly good. Although parts of the trek were grueling, they always made it enjoyable.

By Cal H for Choquequirao to Machu Picchu trek 6 days on Nov 11, 2023

We went on the 5 day Luxury Inca Trail at the beginning of October. It was a once-in-a-lifetime trip, and the hardest thing I ever did. Kudos to our guide, JJ, who was not only informative, but sensitive to all of our needs. My son had to drop out of the trip after day one because of illness. JJ and TreXPerience took care of everything. He was able to re-join us at Machu Picchu. This trip is beyond luxury. Tea in the cloud forest …. with china. Double mattress bed for my wife and me. Hot shower every day. Portable toilet. Ultra gourmet meals, beautifully presented. The chef, Walter, was incredible. Massage every day. All of this done with a staff of more than 40 people! Leandro the head porter managed amazing people who carried everything and really took care of us. We felt how happy all of the porters were on this trip. And they were all so encouraging. JJ and assistant guide Etel were a great help especially for my wife who was having a hard time with the hike. Assistant guide Luis left the group to personally lead my son back to town and get him to a hotel, and look in on him as he rested. It felt like we were on the trail by ourselves the whole time. Our guide says it’s because the 5 day itinerary has a different, more relaxed timetable compared to the more popular 4-day itineraries. Surreal experience - the changing scenery (ancient farmland, mystical cloud forest, awesomely rugged terrain above the clouds), exploring Inca ruins all along the trail by ourselves, quiet and peaceful without the hundreds of tourists that descend on Machu Picchu. Don’t underestimate how difficult the hike is. But when it’s done, you feel an incredible sense of accomplishment, and you know you’ve seen and done things that only others who have hiked this trail have experienced. Thank you TreXperience for making one of my lifelong dreams come true!

By Douglas W for Luxury Inca Trail 5D4N - Douglas x6 on Oct 30, 2023

I can unreservedly recommend choosing Trexperience for your Inca Trail hike. Everything was well planned and coordinated and the trip went without a hitch. They seem to take good care of their staff, especially the porters, and the food provided on the trek went well beyond the expectations of all the hikers. Meal times made it seem more like a glamping expedition. Our guide Cheff Amilcar (Guide Sutta) was outstanding. He shepherded a group ranging from an eight-year-old boy to a fairly old guy (me) with great skill, keeping us well briefed on what to expect and managing to allow people to travel at their own pace while staying together as a group. Sutta is well travelled outside Peru and is well attuned to people from the Anglosphere, having lived in the US and Australia among other places. He seemed to know everyone along the Inca Trail and was adept at getting us to the right place at the best time — ie, to get the best position for entry to the Machu Picchu site as well as the best campsites. He was a great source of knowledge about both the Incan civilisation and archeological sites and the people and culture of modern Peru. A fair percentage of the people on my hike expressed an intention to do the Saltankay hike with Trexperience and, preferably, Cheff Amilcar in the near future. The idea is appealing to me as well though I’ll need to rest up for a bit. It’s a challenging but doable hike even for the borderline elderly.

By Michael L for Inca Trail to Machu Picchu 7 days on Oct 30, 2023

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About this trip

Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu 4 days

Overview of the tour

Highlights of the Trek:

Itinerary of the Short Inca Trail

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