Languaje
English - Spanish
Best Season
March - December
Departure City
Cusco
Guide
Professional Guide
Maximum Altitude
4,650 m / 15,256 ft
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Walking Hours
8-9 hours
Tour Operador
Salkantay Trekking
Activities
Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
Trip Type
Best Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
Difficulty
Medium

Overview

Itinerary

Cost

Map

DESCRIPTION

The Rural Inca Trail Experience

This epic trek combines two of the most incredible trails

in Peru. You get to enjoy the highlights of the off-the-
beaten-path Ancascocha Trek and the amazing 2-day

Inca Trail, famous worldwide. You’ll spend the first three
days away from the crowds and enjoying the rustic
Andes. You’ll be away from the typical tourist trails
and be amazed by the astounding mountain views
all around. We’ll pass by remote communities who still
live and work off the land as they have done for many
generations.
For the last 2 days, we’ll be making our way to the
well-known Inca Trail and trace in ancient footsteps
as we follow the path through well-preserved Inca
constructions and marvel at the ancient culture’s
engineering feats. We’ll end this fantastic trip with a
visit to one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and
UNESCO World Heritage Site, Machu Picchu.

Day 01 :

Cusco | Soqma - Perolniyoc - Racaypata - Rayan - Kuychiccasa Pass - Chancachuco

Refreshing Waterfalls and
Fascinating Inca Sites

We’ll start our adventure early and pick you up from
your accommodation in Cusco to take you to the trek
starting point. From there, we’ll walk for 3 hours to the
Perolniyoc waterfall, where you’ll have time to freshen
up and snap some excellent photos to take home.
We’ll continue for another hour to Racaypata Inca
archaeological site. Here, your guide will tell you all
about this amazing place, and you’ll also get to take
in the stunning surroundings. You’ll then enjoy your
first lunch made by our excellent chefs.
After eating, we’ll make our way up for 3 hours to the
Kuychiccasa Pass and witness farming fields and
beautiful Andean wildlife, like alpacas and condors.
Snowy mountains will be by your side all the way.
When we get to the top, you’ll be able to spend
some time looking out at the fantastic views before
heading downhill for 1:45 hours to our campsite in the
Chancacucho Valley. Rest and look up at the clear
Andean sky while you wait for a delicious dinner and
then bed.

Day 02 :

Chancachuco | Ancascocha - Huayanay Pass - Quesqa

Enjoy Some of the Most Amazing
Views in the Expansive Andes

We’ll wake up early to enjoy a nutritious breakfast
before we head out for an hour to take some
astounding views of La Veronica glacier. Then, we’ll
make our way down to the community of Ancascocha
and cross the beautiful valley where it sits that’s
crossed by a crystalline stream. We’ll continue uphill
for another hour and then be rewarded with some
astounding views and enjoy some lunch.
In the afternoon, we’ll be walking uphill to the highest
spot of the route, the Huayanay Pass. You’ll also have
the chance to experience a part of the original Inca
Trail while you walk through more amazing scenery.
The walk down will be relaxing, and we take it slowly
as we head to this evening’s camp in the Quesqa
Valley. It’ll then be time for another great dinner and
to relax for the night.

Day 03 :

Quesqa | Paucarcancha - Piscacucho, KM 82 - Ollantaytambo

Venture Along the Classic Inca Trail

We’ll be up at dawn again to leave the valley and
make our way to the Paucarcancha Inca site as the
vegetation surrounding us thickens. Once there, you’ll
be able to enjoy a spectacular view of the original
Inca Trail, and your guide will take you on tour. Then,
we’ll head down for 5 hours along a part of the
Classic Inca Trail until we reach KM 82. We’ll have a
delicious lunch and enjoy some rest.
In the afternoon, we’ll transfer you to Ollantaytambo
on our transport and check you in to your hostel.
You’ll be able to explore the quaint Inca town before
having a tasty meal in a restaurant and heading to
bed.

Day 04 :

Ollantaytambo | KM 104 - Wiñay Wayna - Machu Picchu - Aguas Calientes

The Most Important Site on the Inca Trail

Today, we’ll take you to the train station in
Ollantaytambo to catch a ride to KM 104, where the
Short Inca Trail begins. You’ll enjoy hiking through
some beautiful landscapes surrounded by huge
mountains and lush vegetation. We’ll stop off at some
Inca archaeological sites, including Wiñay Wayna,
the most important site on the Inca Trail.
After lunch, we’ll keep walking until we reach the Sun
Gate, from where you get to enjoy your first views over
the astound Machu Picchu. We’ll catch a bus down to
Agua Calientes to enjoy dinner in a great restaurant
before heading to bed in our hotel. You’ll need to rest
early to be up before dawn tomorrow.

Day 05 :

Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu - Ollantaytambo - Cusco

Tour the Incredible Machu Picchu

The big day is finally here! Today you will explore the
incredible Inca citadel of Machu Picchu. Therefore,
we ́ll get up early to avoid the large crowds, be able
to visit the site in peace, and enjoy it to the fullest.
From here, we ́ll have a one-and-a-half-hour guided
tour with our guide through the most important areas
of the site before walking up one of the additional
mountains, if you booked tickets in advance.
Around noon, it will be time to return to the small town
of Aguas Calientes for lunch at a restaurant of your
choice before heading to the station and boarding
the train to Ollantaytambo, from where our private
transportation will be waiting for us to return to
Cusco, where you will finally stop walking and rest.