Classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu 4 Days – 3 Nights

Your Classic Inca Trail adventure begins before sunrise. Our team picks you up from your hotel in Cusco at 5:00 am and we travel by bus to KM 82 (2,700 m / 8,858 ft), the official starting point of the trail. Here you will meet the porter team, complete the permit check, and take your first steps onto one of the most famous trekking routes in the world.

The first section of the trail passes through large agricultural fields and traditional Andean villages where ancient customs are still very much alive. After approximately three hours of walking, we stop for a buffet lunch at Hatunchaka (3,000 m), a small village where you can buy snacks and water and use the facilities.

In the afternoon we continue through lush valleys and gradually ascending terrain toward Wayllabamba (3,300 m), the last village on the route and the final point where locals live along the trail. From here the path enters the protected sanctuary and the landscape begins to change. We set up camp at Ayapata and enjoy a hot dinner as a group before resting for the most challenging day ahead.

Includes today:

✔ Hotel pickup and transfer to KM 82
✔ Buffet lunch at Hatunchaka
✔ Dinner at camp
✔ Bilingual guide and briefing
✔ Camping at Ayapata

Day 2 is the hardest day on the Classic Inca Trail, and the one you will remember most. We wake early and begin climbing steadily through the Ayapata ravine (3,300 m) and Llulluchapampa (3,850 m), a wide open plateau surrounded by mountains where you can see the pass ahead of you.

The final climb to Warmiwañusca, known as Dead Woman's Pass, at 4,200 m (13,780 ft) is steep and demanding. The altitude makes every step feel heavier. But when you reach the top and turn around to take in the panoramic views of the Sacred Valley below, every effort disappears. This is the highest point on the entire Classic Inca Trail and one of the most rewarding moments of the four days.

From the pass we descend into the Pacaymayo valley (3,500 m) where our chef team is already preparing a hot lunch at camp. The afternoon is free to rest, recover, and enjoy the silence of the mountains. Dinner is served at camp and the whole group gathers around the feeling of having conquered the hardest day.

Includes today:

✔ Buffet breakfast at Ayapata camp
✔ Buffet lunch and dinner at Pacaymayo
✔ Bilingual guide and daily briefing
✔ Camping at Pacaymayo

Day 3 is the longest day on the trail and also the most scenic. The constant change in ecosystems makes every hour feel like a different world. We begin by climbing to the second mountain pass at Runkuracay (3,950 m), where a panoramic view of the Aobamba valley opens up 1,300 meters below in the heart of the tropical forest.

Along the way we visit three impressive Inca archaeological sites. First, Runkuracay (3,750 m), a circular ruin with spectacular valley views. Then Sayacmarka (3,650 m), a clifftop fortress built on a narrow ridge above the cloud forest. And finally Phuyupatamarka (3,600 m), known as the "town above the clouds," where we stop for a buffet lunch surrounded by ancient terraces and mist.

In the afternoon the trail descends steeply through thick cloud forest into a completely different climate zone. We reach our final camp at Wiñayhuayna (2,650 m), next to one of the most impressive archaeological sites on the entire trail. Dinner is served here and the atmosphere is electric, everyone knows that tomorrow is the day you arrive at Machu Picchu.

Includes today:

✔ Buffet breakfast at Pacaymayo camp
✔ Buffet lunch at Phuyupatamarka
✔ Dinner at Wiñayhuayna camp
✔ Bilingual guide and daily briefing
✔ Camping at Wiñayhuayna

This is the day everything has been building toward. We wake at 3:00 am, pack up camp by headlamp, and walk in the dark toward the checkpoint. The cloud forest is silent and the stars are still out above you.

After approximately one hour of walking, you arrive at Inti Punku, the Sun Gate, at 2,720 m. This was the original entrance to Machu Picchu used by the Incas more than 500 years ago. From here, the citadel appears below you between the mountains, illuminated by the first light of morning. It is a moment that is impossible to prepare for and impossible to forget. After three days of walking, the view hits differently.

From the Sun Gate you walk for approximately one hour, descending gradually as Machu Picchu reveals itself from different angles before you arrive at the classic viewpoint for the iconic photograph. Then your bilingual guide leads a 3-hour guided tour of the citadel, taking you through the sacred fountains, the Temple of the Sun, the Intihuatana stone, the agricultural terraces, and the residential sectors of this extraordinary UNESCO World Heritage Site.

After the tour, we take the bus down to Aguas Calientes for free time. You can have lunch on your own, visit the local market, or soak your feet in the hot springs. In the afternoon we board the train back to Ollantaytambo and then transfer by bus to Cusco, arriving in the evening.

Includes today:

✔ Breakfast at Wiñayhuayna camp
✔ Bilingual guide and daily briefing
✔ Machu Picchu entrance ticket
✔ 3-hour guided tour of Machu Picchu citadel
✔ Bus Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes
✔ Train Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo
✔ Transfer back to Cusco