Early in the morning our staff will collect you from your hotel, we will take you to the Inca Trail head at Piscacucho which is located in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, 03 hours away from Cusco and at the foothills of a huge snowcapped mountain called Veronica.

We will start hiking at 2,630mt/8,630ft to our campsite at Huayllabamba 2,950mt/9,670ft the last populated village en route to MachuPicchu.

One of the highlights today is the rewarding view of Patallacta (Inca settlement) which has remained abandoned for centuries but during Inca period was a main center of administration for the Sacred and the Cusichaca Valleys, since it holds an strategic location in the intersection of both.

Birdlife is quite varied: Sparrows, swallows, swifts are frequent; the world’s largest hummingbird (19cm/7.5in) Patagonia Gigas or simply Giant Hummingbird is always present at camp early in the morning and before sunset.

• Walking distance: 11.7 km / 7.25 miles.
• Walking time: 06 hiking hours approx.
• Terrain: Undulating terrain with a 30 minute ascend at the end of the day.

We rise early this morning and depart ascending from the Cusichaca Valley towards the tributary Valley of the Llulluchayoc river in direction of Warmiwañusca at 4,200m/13,700ft (Dead Woman’s Pass).

Today is considered by many the hardest day of the trek, when the reach the highest point of the Inca Trail, where mountains touch the sky.

After Dead Woman’s Pass we have a long descend to the subtropical Pacaymayu Valley where our camp will be located at 3,500m/11,450ft surrounded by the cloud forest and inspiring views.

Birdlife is abundant today: Finches, Tanagers, Thrushes, Seedeaters, Flower piercers, Hummingbirds and even possibly the Andean Condor could be spotted. The cloud forest is also habitat of the Spectacled Bear (Tremarctus Ornatus), the largest mammal of this ecosystem.

• Walking distance: 8.5 km / 5.15 miles
• Walking time: 8.5 hiking hours approx.
• Terrain: Mostly uphill (06km/3.7miles ascending) and the last 02 hours are steep downhill.

This is the longest day of the trek and by many hikers their most favourite, today we will ascend to the second highest pass of the Inca Trail: Runquraqay Pass at 3,900m/12,700ft before descending to the dense cloud forest and visit Sayacmarca Ruins 3,600mt/11,450ft which boasts an amazing panoramic view of this pristine forest. Then we will hike along a perfectly preserved section of the Inca Trail cutting its way on the mountain side and through the cloud forest, a world of tiny orchids, lush bamboo, dripping moss and big trees, which is intermittently engulfed in a sea of clouds.

Our lunch will be at Phuyupatamarca (name in quechua for: eternally over the clouds) 3,650mt/11,900ft carefully selected by us since very often (clear skies allowing) offers breathtaking 360 views of snowcapped mountains and also MachuPicchu near the bottom of the valley, a perspective that only hikers get, a view of HuaynaPicchu and MachuPicchu from way above.

In the afternoon we will have a long descend to Wiñayhuayna Camp 2,650mt/8,800ft which lays next to the ruins only discovered in 1940 and baptized under the name of the orchid Wiñayhuayna.

The highlights today are the 06 archeological sites: Runquraqay, Sayacmarca, Qonchamarca, Phuyupatamarca, Intipata and Wiñayhuayna. also the rich wildlife which will include the melodies of Inca Wrens, which is an endemic bird of this forest.

• Walking distance: 13.5 km / 8.5 miles
• Walking time: 11.5 hiking hours approx.
• Terrain: Difficult terrain (Inca steps) mainly steep up and down

Early this morning we will make our way to the SunGate (IntiPunku) 2,740mt/8,800ft where we will first lay eyes into MachuPicchu site. After enjoying the glory of MachuPicchu from the distance we will walk down into it. We will delve into this enigmatic site and unveil its secrets as we walk around its narrow streets, temples and ceremonial plazas.

After our tour we will board one of the MachuPicchu buses, which will take us for the space of 30 minutes to MachuPicchu Pueblo (formerly called Aguas Calientes) 2,000mt/6,550ft to board the train + bus bound to Cusco City.

-End of our services-

• Walking distance: 5.25 km / 3.3 miles
• Walking time: 3 hiking hours approx.
• Terrain: Irregular and undulating over Inca stone trail and steps.