Inca Trail & The Amazon Rainforest hiking enables you to discover this Andean country visit its capital see its growing progress, stay at a jungle lodge in the Peruvian Amazon to spot incredible wildlife, hike through the ancient ruins of Cusco and visit the Sacred Valley of the Incas, immerse your senses at the colorful local markets, visit the Incan town of Pisaq and the fortress of Ollantaytambo, follow the Incas footsteps on the ancient Inca Trail for 4 days and 3 nights finishing at the breathtaking Machu Picchu.
From the ancient town of Cusco to jungle exploits in the Amazon and the famous Inca Trail Hike, this Peru Amazon tour from Cusco has it all. Fall in love with the Sacred Valley before starting one of the most excellent short hikes in the world. We begin the Inca Trail, hiking through exquisite landscapes, following the course of the Urubamba River, over the high pass at Warmiwañusca, and later the second pass at Abra Runkuracay. The vista of the Andes will amaze you. From here the path turns through the Gateway of the Sun to Machu Picchu, where we take our time touring this astonishing and mysterious site. The river boat trip and rainforest walk in the rainforest are high points. You will stay in a jungle lodge - an ideal place for rainforest hikes, spotting wildlife and canoeing. This eventful trip ends in the lovely town of Cusco.
Sustainable Tourism: Inca Trail Machu is very keen and happy to promote and practice sustainable tourism by being eco-friendly and supporting local communities
Physical Activity: 3-Moderate to Difficult - Some points are high.
Service Level: All Inclusive.
Age Requirement: 4+. Please note: all participants under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Crew: Inca Trail Machu Representatives in Lima and Cusco, professional local bilingual Tour Guides, a Cook and Porters.
Accommodation: 3* hotels (5 nights), jungle lodge (2 nights), campsites (3 nights).
Meals: 10x breakfast, 5x lunch, 5x dinner, 3x afternoon tea.
Transportation: 3x domestic flights, transportation by private van, motorboat transportation for all amazon river expeditions, 1x train.
Camping equipment: All camping equipment included!
Highlights of the Amazon to Inca Trail |
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| Lima | Amazon Rainforest | Cusco | Sacred Valley | Inca Trail | Machu Picchu |
Inca Trail Machu DOES NOT permit this exploitation!! We guarantee that our porters carry only an amount given by the Peruvian law!! There is still a long way to go when it comes to a reserve of adequate meals, backpacks and warm dry sleeping accommodation.
Please note that Day 1 is an arrival day and no activities have been planned, so you may arrive at any time. Similarly the last day is a departure day during which no activities are planned. Our representative will be waiting for you at Lima airport with a paper with your name on it. You will then be transferred to your hotel in Lima. Some of Lima's finest galleries, museums, shops and restaurantsare around here. Established by Francisco Pizarro in 1535, Lima is the oldest capital in South America, with an excellent mixture of Spanish colonial and 19th century Europen architecture. If you have time we recommend the Museo de la Nacion or the Larco Herrera Museum.
Fly from Lima, the capital city, to Puerto Maldonado, deep in the Peruvian jungle, the Amazon. Travel by motorized canoe through the Madre de Dios river to our lodge settled deep in the jungle. On our journey to the lodge, you will have the chance to see bird species typical of the river or forest edge.
The jungle lodge combines native architecture and materials with low impact, trying to preserve the environment and the ecology. The lodge rooms are simple but comfortable, with mosquito nets for individual beds, flush toilets, and showers, but no hot water, and kerosene lamps for lighting, there is no electricity. Local community members make up the majority of the lodge staff, including multilingual naturalist guides.
Explore the amazon with local guides before flying to Cusco, located high in the Peruvian Andes.
Cusco is considered the mecca of Peru. This gorgeous colonial town offers nearby ruins, cobble-stoned streets, museums, churches and a lively atmosphere. The city has several good museums, including the Coricancha and the Archaeological Museum, which also house a small art museum, the Regional History Museum and the Religious Art Museum. For the most adventurous, will find optional activities such as white water rafting in the Urubamba River; horseback riding around archaeological sites (Sacsayhuaman, Tambo Machay, and Puca Pucara), and mountain biking down to the Sacred Valley, Moray-Maras, and perhaps visiting an Inca ruin along the way.
You will be driven to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The Sacred Valley provided the Inca culture with large amounts of food agriculturally and includes various Inca remnants. The valley has been formed by the Urubamba River also known as the Vilcanota River and it goes through Pisac and Ollantaytambo up to the ancient natural sanctuary of Machu Picchu.
The Sacred Valley is a lush agricultural region that keeps supplying Cusco City with lots of its production. We are taken to the impressive Inca site of Pisac, an archaeological complex situated on the hillside high above the town, with amazing vistas of frost-topped mountains. This place has fascinating agricultural terracing carved into the mountainside. Uphill are well-kept temples, including a Solar Clock or Intiwatana which are magnificent designs. Carrying on our tour of Pisac we then go to its long-established market. An excellent location for buying some keepsakes! We have enough free time here to have a wander and buy some crafts or try some classic Andean foods and drop into one of the wood ovens for a tasty empanada or bread. Then we stop in Urubamba, considered to be the capital of the valley, to have a buffet lunch offering Andean cuisine (not included in the tour). Afterward, we continue to Ollantaytambo, a little town brimming with native atmosphere and occupied since Inca times, we stop at the principal temple that was used as an Incan fortress during the Incas resistance. Beautiful views for some awesome photos.
We will be taken to the hotel where we can have some downtime for the rest of the day in this small town before we hike to Machu Picchu the next morning. Overnight stay in Ollantaytambo.
The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is physically demanding but worth it! An entire system of connections of joining roads linked Cusco to its colonies and its other commonwealths. The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu was part of that system. This wonderful route runs from high mountains down to cloud forests, going through ecological zones with an array of flora and avifauna and a variety of archaeological sites. There will be cooks, and porters to carry most of the equipment so you just need to bring a backpack with the necessities. It is within the ability of the most reasonably fit. This 44 km (27 miles) trek is often steep with 2 high passes to be crossed. Temperatures at night may fall below zero so it is important to be prepared for that! It also sometimes rains, even in the dry season.
Day 06: From the trailhead, at km 82 the route follows the left bank of the Urubamba River. We visit the Inca archaeological sites of Willca Raccay and the ruins of Llacatapata. We then continue up the Cusichaha River Canyon which offers magnificent views of the Cordillera Oriental, including the beauteous Veronica Mountain (5850m). Lunch in Chamana and continue along the Cusichaca River until reaching the village of Huayllabamba. From there we ascend through high Andean land coverd with trees and bushes named to a large area of flat land without trees named Llulluchapampa, the location of our first campsite.
Day 07: You will cross the highest pass on your second day at Warmiwañusca (translates to 'Dead Woman's Pass)! (4050m)(13,280ft) before descending as far as Pacamayo where you have a lunch break. We then go downhill, along a paved Incan road to the ruins of Runkuracay and Sayacmarca. We then get over the second pass - Abra Runkuracay and walk down the 'Royal Inca Highway' down to Sayacmarca, finally reaching our campsite at Chaquicocha.
Day 08: Today we come into the cloud forest and descend to the ruins of Phuyupatamarca by way of a stone stairway. This is one of the best preserved and completed sites. It is on top of a hill and its name in Quechua means "Town above the clouds". After a guided tour we have lunch there. From there the route goes down a dizzying slant along Inca stone steps for about 3 hours to the ruins of Wiñay Wayna, a charming Inca site positioned in thick forest. We have a guided tour, after dinner we set up camp at Wiñay Wayna.
Day 09: We'll walk up the ancient stairs to Intipunku, the Sun Gate, which is 2 more hours from where we'll get our first view of Machu Picchu. Once we arrive at the Inca city, together with our guide, we'll explore the temples, houses, farming terraces, and Inca palaces, depending on the circuit you choose for your visit to Machu Picchu. Throughout the tour, you'll have plenty of time to take amazing photos (keep in mind that the circuit takes about 2 hours). Additionally, you can choose to climb Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu mountain, although this requires a prior reservation and an extra fee. In the afternoon, we'll return to Cusco by train.
Today you have time to explore at your leisure, maybe visiting some of the sites on foot or by bus. For the archaeological fans, the Inca sites of Q'enqo,
For the more adventurous there are optional activities such as white water rafting on the Urubamba River (grade 2-3) or mountain biking into the Sacred Valley of the Incas or Maras-Moray-Salineras and perhaps visiting some Incan sites along the way. You don't need to have the experience to do these activities, instructions are given and all safety equipment is provided and get ready for one last night in the city.
Price: U$ 50
Transfer to Cusco airport after breakfast. End of the tour or alternatively, a good time to extend your trip!
Please note: a return flight to Lima can be arranged upon request!
Meal budget: Please allow USD 100-150 for meals not included.
Solo Traveler: Please note that if you have booked the "Solo Traveler" option for this tour, you receive your own single room for all overnights and a single tent for the Inca Trail.
Local flights: There are three local flights included in the cost of your tour. It is very important that we have got your passport details at the time of booking in order to process all air tickets! Internal flight tickets are issued locally and will be given to you prior to each flight departure!
