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We will pick you up at your hotel in Cusco at 5:30 a.m. and head to the village of Ollantaytambo. Here we will enjoy a nutritious breakfast (not included) and have the opportunity to buy some snacks before finally starting our trekking adventure. We will head to Piscacucho (KM 82) and begin our first 2-hour hike to Patallacta (2750 m / 9020 ft), an Inca archaeological site with spectacular scenery, located in the lush green Urubamba Valley. After visiting this fascinating site, we will continue walking for 45 minutes to our lunch spot. Our cook will prepare a delicious meal and we will have time to rest. Then we will walk for 1.5 hours to our Wayllabamba camp (3000 m / 9800 ft), where we will have a well-deserved rest and an afternoon snack, followed by a tasty dinner before going to bed.
After a hearty breakfast and a cup of hot coca tea, we will hike for approximately 4 hours to the highest pass of the trek, the Paso de la Mujer Muerta (4215 m/ 13 829 ft). Upon reaching the pass, we will stop for a short break to enjoy the fascinating views before we start our 2.5 hour descent again to the next valley of Pacaymayo (3600 m/ 11 800 ft). We will have tea and a freshly prepared dinner and spend the night at our campsite.
Our team will wake you up early with a cup of hot coca tea. This day will be the longest and most challenging, so we have a nutritious breakfast to prepare us for the day. We will continue our hike surrounded by jungle vegetation and a series of incredible Inca archaeological sites ahead. The first archaeological site we visit is the ruins of Runcurakay (3,760 m/ 12,300 ft). Unlike other buildings of Inca origin, the Runkurakay ruins present the peculiarity of having circular enclosures among their structures, something unusual in the design of Inca cities. After a brief rest, we walk for 1.5 hours to the archaeological site of Sayacmarka. These ruins are located on a rocky road at 3,600 m altitude and look like a maze of houses, squares with fountains in the middle and narrow streets. We then arrive at our lunch point in Chaquicocha, where we have time to relax. After 2.5 hours of hiking, we arrive at the next archaeological site of Puyuptamarca (3600 m/11 810 ft), also known as “The city above the clouds”. There are Inca ruins with five small stone baths, which during the rainy season contain constant fresh running water. From there we begin our 3 hour descent to our camp Wiñayhuayna, where we will have tea and dinner. This will be a special meal as it will be the last one with our team and we will say goodbye to our porters.
Walking distance: 15 km/10 miles
Today we will wake up at 3:30 am, have breakfast and descend to the checkpoint. We will wait there for a little over an hour until the gates open. Once we have passed through the checkpoint, we will hike 1.5 hours to the Sun Gate (Inti Punku), the ceremonial entrance to Machu Picchu. We will have our first glimpse of the majestic Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu. From there we will descend for 40 minutes to the citadel of Machu Picchu, the “Lost City of the Incas”. This complex is considered a jewel of Inca architecture. It is a complete town with different neighborhoods, squares, alleys, buildings, astronomical observatories and terraces. The city was rediscovered on July 24, 1911 by the American researcher Hiram Bingham. Our local guide will share his knowledge about this sacred place and show us around the complex. Later, you will have enough free time to explore the archaeological site on your own.
