Trip Duration: 9 days, 8 nights

Difficulty Level: Intermediate/Advanced

Join us as we hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu this May!

This is a intermediate to advanced level trip: the hikes each day are slightly challenging and the altitude can pose additional discomfort but you do not need prior multi-day hiking experience to complete this trek. 

Important Information (please read before booking):

You must arrive/land for this trip to Cusco Airport (CUZ) on May 23rd, 2025 and your departing flight may leave any time on May 31st, 2025. Your trip includes airport transfers from CUZ to your hotel. Flights are not included in this price. We highly recommend when selecting flights that you ensure ample time to catch connecting flights to ensure there are no missed flights due to delays. Travel insurance is also not included in this cost. 

- All deposits are NON-REFUNDABLE.

Our friendly representative will welcome you at the Cusco airport and transfer you to your hotel. Remember, landing at 3,300 meters can be hard on the body. Do not feel concerned if you have shortness of breath or a small headache. These are common and should go away quickly. You can reduce the symptoms by staying hydrated with water and tea. You will have a free day to acclimate and visit Cusco's impressive main square. 

Your briefing session for the Inca Trail hike will take place at 18 hrs at your hotel. You  

will meet your guide and fellow hike members during your briefing session.  

• Accommodations: Rumi Punku ( 3-star hotel )

At 8 a.m. we will pick you up to begin your full-day tour of the Sacred Valley. On our way to Pisaq, we will stop at some beautiful lookout points for photos. Eventually, we will arrive at the traditional market in Pisaq, which offers great souvenir shopping. We will also visit the Pisaq ruins and begin your history of the Incan empire. 

Following, you will make a one-hour trip to Urubamba, where you can get lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, we will drive an hour to Ollantaytambo fortress, where you will explore the Sun Temple. We will spend the night at Ollantaytambo to start our Inca Trail early the next day

Alpaca Expeditions will pick you up from wherever you are staying in Cusco at 4:30 AM, We will then drive to Km 82, arriving at about 7:00 AM. After a delicious breakfast 

prepared by your cook, we’ll go through the first Inca Trail checkpoint to begin our trek (please make sure you have your original passport with you to enter the Inca Trail). 

The first 2 hours of the trek are relatively easy as we make our way to our first Inca site, Patallacta which is an ancient Inca checkpoint for the approach to Machu Picchu. From Patallacta it’s another 2-hour hike to our lunch stop. After lunch, we will hike for another 2½ hours until we reach the first night’s campsite at Ayapata (3300 meters).

On this last stretch, we pass through 2 small communities. If you want to buy any energy drinks or snacks you can do so here, you can also buy any essential items such as batteries that you may have forgotten. We’ll arrive at our campsite by 5:00 PM and after settling in for a bit you can relax and have a hot drink and snack with your team of porters, chef, and guide.  By 7:30 PM your dinner will be ready, and afterward, you can get some well-deserved rest.

Walking Distance: 14 km (6-7 hours)

Campsite Altitude: 3,300 meters high above sea level

Considered: Moderate day (getting used to the Inca Trail)

 Weather: Warm and windy

Your porters will wake you up early with a hot cup of coca tea to get you ready for the day. Today is our longest day and we will start early. We’ll hike for roughly 4 hours to the highest pass of the trek, Dead Woman’s Pass (4215 meters/13829 feet). On reaching the pass we’ll stop for a short break to enjoy the views before setting off again to descend to the next valley (Pacaymayu Valley – Hidden River). It’s another hour and a half down the side of the valley to our lunch spot and a chance to refill our water bottles. 

After lunch, we begin ascending again to the second pass of the trek. It’s 2 hours to the pass and along the way, we’ll stop at a small Inca site (Runcu Raccay) and see two huge waterfalls cascading down the opposite side of the valley. After the second pass, it’s another hour downhill hike to reach the magnificent Inca site, Sayacmarca (an otherwise inaccessible village). We’ll stop here for a rest and have a quick tour of the site and then watch the sunset over the Vilcabamba mountain range. 

It’s then just another 20 minutes until we stop for the night at our second campsite Chaquicocha (Dry Lake, 3600 meters). After dinner, if you’re not too exhausted, we can do some star gazing and we’ll point out the fascinating Inca constellations. In the magnificent Southern Hemisphere sky, away from all the artificial lighting, this sky is something to behold!

Walking Distance: 16 km (7-8 hours) 

Campsite Altitude: 3,600 meters high above sea level (chilled weather) 

Considered: Top day (we will survive two passes) 

Area: Andes and the cloud forest 

Weather: Cold and rainy

We begin early again, waking up at 6:30am to begin what is commonly felt to be the most beautiful day of the whole Inca Trail. We hike for 2 hours along what we like to call “Inca flat” (gradual inclines) and begin to enter the jungle, known as the Cloud Forest. 

As we walk we will have the opportunity to see the majesty of Salkantay, the second-highest snow-capped mountain in the Sacred Valley, and a fantastic panoramic view of the Vilcabamba mountain range. 

Towards the end of the Inca flats, we begin to make our way up to the last peak at Phuyupatamarka(3600 meters) from where we’ll have great views overlooking the Urubamba River. 

Down the valley, we get our first views of Machu Picchu Mountain but the site itself is still hidden from view. From Phuyupatamarka it´s a 3-hour walk down a flight of steps to our last campsite, close to Wiñay Wayna (Forever Young). 

Wiñay Wayna is the most spectacular Inca site on the trail after Machu Picchu and the most popular campsite because of its proximity to Machu Picchu.

During the descent, we visit 2 Inca ruins, Phuyupatamarka (Town in the Clouds) and 

Intipata (Terraces of the Sun). We arrive at our campsite around 1:00 PM to have lunch and then relax for the entire afternoon so that you’re relaxed and ready for your final day at Machu Picchu. At around 4:30 PM, your guide will give you a short orientation and you will visit the Inca ruins of Wiñay Wayna, spending about an hour and a half there. 

We will explain the significance of the site and combine all the information given during the trek so you’re fully prepared for your visit to Machu Picchu the following day.We like to spoil our guests as we enjoy our last feast with the porters and chefs. It’s an Inca Trail tradition to organize a ceremony in the evening to introduce the team to the tourists once again and to thank them for the great job done (if you wish to provide tips for them then you can do so at this time). It is advisable to go to bed at a reasonable time in order to get up in the early hours of the morning to arrive to Machu Picchu at the crack of dawn in the hopes that the weather will give us a beautiful sunrise over the ruins at Machu Picchu.

Walking Distance: 10 km (5 hours)

Campsite Altitude: 2,600 meters high above sea level (chilly weather)

Considered: Easy day (downhill only)

Area: High cloud forest

Weather: Warm and very humid

 Machu Picchu Day  

The wake-up time is at 3:30 AM. We’ll eat breakfast at 4:00 AM and wait at the checkpoint to be one of the first to start trekking when they open the gates at 5:30 AM. We’ll wave goodbye to our team of porters and chefs and then it’s “Forward On” to the Sun Gate (Inti  Punku). From here we have spectacular views of the mountains and Machu Picchu in all its glory. We reach the Sun Gate by 6:30 am and then it’s just an hour's trek downstairs to reach the Lost City of the Incas. As we approach Machu Picchu the views of the city just get better and better! At about 7:40 AM we’ll reach the final checkpoint and enter Machu Picchu to begin our 2-hour private guided tour. 

After the tour, you’ll be given your bus tickets to make your way down to Aguas Calientes and you’ll have plenty of free time to explore on your own or climb one of the neighboring mountains – Huaynapicchu (must be arranged ahead of time).

Your guide will offer to meet you down in the village of Aguas Calientes to enjoy your last lunch in a local restaurant. This is optional and not included.  

At lunch, he will hand out train tickets, so if you choose to skip, please arrange to get  

these before leaving him at Machu Picchu. Unless you arranged for an upgraded train, we will book the Expedition class train departing Aguas Calientes at 2:55 pm Please make sure you are on the platform at least 30 minutes ahead of time. This train will be 2 hours to Ollantaytambo where an Alpaca driver will meet you and drive you back to the city on our bus, then we will drop you off at the Hotel. 

Considered: The most exciting and magical day (early wake-up at 3.30 AM) 

Area: High Cloud and Subtropical Forest 

Weather: Hot and very humid (bring lots of water) 

Walking Distance: 5 km altitude at Machu Picchu: 2400 m

 Free Day & rest  

You will have a free day to celebrate your achievement of hiking the Inca Trail.

Rainbow Mountain  

We will pick you up for the Rainbow Mountain hike at 4:00 – 4:30 am from any hotel,  

Airbnb, or hostel in Cusco. It will be a 2½ hour drive to the trailhead – we will arrive at  

around 7 am. Here at the trailhead, our chef will make a delicious breakfast, including coffee, hot chocolate, teas, bread, fruit salad, eggs, and hot drinks. Cusco’s elevation is  3300m / 11,300ft, and the trailhead called Phulawasipata is at 4200m/ 14,300ft. 

Cusco’s weather is usually quite cold, and the trailhead is even colder, so early in the morning. Be sure to bring a warm jacket, scarf, hat, and gloves. After breakfast, we’ll hike about 2 hours uphill to the Rainbow Mountain range. At a slower pace, it could be 2¾ hours, or if you are really fit quick and acclimatized well, some people can do in 1½ hours. The hike up includes some short breaks where the guide will explain some important information about the mountains and the geography of the area. Perhaps you’ll have a chance to catch sight of some of the locals, including llamas and alpacas that frequent this area. 

The trail itself is quite wide and helpful for those with vertigo or fear of heights. The trek is best during the dry season as the trails are not paved. The trail can be a bit dusty, and in the rainy season, it can be slippery since it may be wet. However, with good waterproof hiking shoes and trekking poles, it will be just fine. This is your opportunity to see why Rainbow Mountain has become an Instagrammers delight according to CNBC! 

Upon your arrival at the top of Rainbow Mountain, around 9-10:00 am, you will have  

about 1 hour to explore the spectacular views of the surrounding areas – valleys,  

mountains and to view the highest glacial mountain in Cusco–Ausangate, whose summit is at an elevation of 6,384m / 20,944ft, making it one of the tallest mountains in Peru. After giving you a bit of time to take some treasured photos, your guide will tell you some intriguing facts about this fascinating place – like why the colors?! – and he will also share some details about the Inkan history. A few last photos of this spectacular mountain and we will begin our descent. 

We do this a little differently than other groups. Instead of hiking the same route as they do, we hike to a lookout point to see the Red Valley and continue with our hike. 

This valley is the icing on the cake, and many of our hikers say that it is even nicer than Rainbow Mountain! It is about 2½ hours mostly downhill from Rainbow Mountain, to the end of the trail, which is near where we started the hike. Here you will enjoy a fresh meal prepared by your chef, which includes cold drinks, appetizers, soup, and the main course. 

After lunch, it will be another 2½ hour drive to Cusco, where we will drop you off at your hotel at around 4:30 – 5:30 pm

Journey to Lima  

You will have one last chance for souvenir shopping in Cusco. We will transfer you to the airport for your flight to Lima.