Private Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

Our tour guide and hiking team will pick you up early in the morning from your hotel to start your exciting adventure. If you’re in Cusco, we’ll stop by between 4:30 and 5:00 am; if you’re in Urubamba, between 5:30 and 6:00 am, and if you’re in Ollantaytambo, you can sleep a little more because we’ll pick you up between 6:30 and 7:00 am.

From wherever we pick you up, you'll board our private transportation that’ll take you to the place known as Piscacucho, KM 82, which is the starting point of the hike. There, our cook will prepare your first breakfast while you organize your backpack and last bits needed for the trek. Then, you’ll meet the entire trekking team that’ll accompany you along this exciting adventure and will guarantee you some unforgettable memories in the middle of the sacred mountains of Cusco. Please be sure to take your original passport with you to enter the Inca Trail — if you forget this, there’s no way you can enter the route.

Now, we must pass through the checkpoint and start the ultimate Inca experience in Peru!

To help ease us into the trail, the first 2 hours of the path are relatively flat. In this beautiful valley, we'll walk among agricultural fields of potatoes, corn, and barley, with the company of the Sacred Urubamba River and the imposing glacier of La Veronica beside us all the way. That’s some pretty spectacular scenery; we think you’ll agree.

Then, we will head on to Wilkaracay and admire the fascinating archaeological site of Llactapata, which boasts its stone constructions amid three valleys. We’ll then continue for 20 minutes more until we get to Tarayoc, where we’ll have our lunch. You’ll be surprised by the delicacies our chefs have prepared for you in the middle of the mountains!

Once you’re full, we have other three-and-a-half hours of walking until we arrive at our first campsite in Ayapata (3,300 m / 10,827 ft). If you need to buy a snack to eat or drink or forget your camera batteries, don't worry. In this last section of the day, we’ll walk through two small communities where you can buy whatever you need. We’ll arrive at the camp around 5:00 pm. It’ll now be time to relax your tired legs while enjoying a snack or sipping a hot drink. A delicious dinner will be ready at 7:30 pm, and then a well-deserved night of rest awaits you.

We’ll wake you up very early today with a hot coca tea in your tent to warm you up and give you a fantastic boost to begin the day. Today, the longest and most exhausting day of the path awaits, and we’ll be off as soon as we’ve enjoyed breakfast.

We’ll start by hiking uphill for 4 hours to the highest point of the trek, the Dead Woman’s Pass, at 4,215 m / 13,829 ft. At this point, you’ll find it’s the perfect opportunity to open all your senses and connect your soul with those immense mountains everywhere you look. Feel the spirit of the thousands of ancient Peruvians who walked these roads in complete harmony with nature all those hundreds of years ago.

We’ll then descend for an hour and a half to the bottom of the valley to a place called Pacaymayu, where we’ll have lunch — remember, every time we stop, you’ll get the chance to refill your water bottle.

After enjoying a delicious lunch and some rest, we’ll ascend for 45 minutes to the Inca complex of Runcuracay. We’ll explore this small archaeological site and observe two stunning waterfalls on the mountain slopes, which are stronger during the rainy season.

Then, we'll continue to the summit for around 45 more minutes to reach the Runcuracay pass. Put your backpack to one side for a moment, rest, and enjoy the landscapes surrounding you because this is the last section of the Andean snowy peaks you’ll see along the route. This place makes an excellent spot to perform a small ceremony and leave an offering to the mountains and our Mother Earth, known as Pachamama to the locals in the Andes.

Later, we’ll descend for 1 hour to the archaeological site of Sayacmarca, located in an almost inaccessible spot, but it’s well worth the visit. We’ll take a break from trekking here to discover the secrets of this ancient site in the company of our knowledgeable guide. You’ll really love how passionate our guides are and how they make the mountains come alive and conjure up images of the ancient culture. The Incas’ mysteries will be revealed, little by little, as the sun descends and casts a gorgeous red glow over the Vilcabamba mountain range.

From there, we’ve just got 25 more minutes to go until we reach our second campsite in Chaquicocha (3,600 m / 11,811 ft). After another tasty dinner made by our chefs, we’ll be able to observe the stars and learn a little more about the fascinating constellations in the Andean skies, far away from the nearest city.

Congratulations are in order — you overcame the most challenging day! And today a beautiful reward awaits you.

After resting in our comfortable tents and enjoying breakfast, we’ll begin our day at 6:30 am. Remember to look to the left side of the valley to see the majestic glacier of Salkantay on the top of the Aobamba Valley before we continue with our trek.

We’ll walk for an hour and a half to the last summit of the path, Phuyupatamarca (3,650 m / 11,975 ft). From here, you can enjoy the gorgeous landscapes of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, accompanied by plenty of lush vegetation, trees, bamboo, and a blanket of clouds that cover the mountains.

Next, we'll visit the Phuyupatamarca archaeological site, from where you’ll get a glimpse of Machu Picchu Mountain surrounded by the Urubamba mountain range.

Afterward, among the expansive vegetation and bird song, we’ll descend for two-and-a-half hours until Inti Pata, an amazing agricultural spot with large terraces. You’ll get the most beautiful, panoramic view of the Sacred Valley of the Incas from here and the Urubamba River, which runs through the valley like a snake in the middle of the gigantic mountains.

Thirty minutes more hiking awaits us until we reach our campsite near the Wiñay Wayna archaeological site. This complex, whose name means “forever young,” is considered the most impressive of the entire route, not counting Machu Picchu, of course, and is what many hikers look forward to on this route. You’re now getting very close to the lost city of the Incas! We’ll arrive at the camp around 1:00 pm for a delicious lunch.

At 4:00 pm, you’ll take a guided visit to the Wiñay Wayna archaeological site. Once again, our guide’s magical explanation will bring the site to life and make it easy for you to imagine what life was like all those years ago. You'll discover water sources, sacred places dedicated to the natural deities like Rainbow Temple, and incredible agricultural platforms. Wiñay Wayna is an excellent place to learn a little more about the fascinating history of the Incas.

Before the end of the day, we’ll enjoy a small celebration with everyone on the team that’s accompanied us along the way: porters and cooks. Remember that they’ve worked very hard to ensure you feel comfortable and safe during the last few days. By spending this time together, we thank them for all their care and affection. Naturally, you can also thank them with some tips, which are custom on routes to Machu Picchu. Here we’ll say goodbye to our cooks and porters.

After our enjoyable celebration, we recommend you go to sleep because we'll start the next day extremely early. The Wonder of the World, Machu Picchu, awaits us in all its glory.

Today, all the efforts you’ve made over the last few days will give you the biggest reward. We’ll wake up at 3:30 am so that there’s enough time to organize our backpacks and get to Machu Picchu. We’ll provide you with a nourishing box breakfast and water for your bottle to help you on your way at this early hour.

At 4:00 am, we’ll head to the checkpoint to ensure we’re one of the first groups to enter the Inca citadel. At 5:30 am, we’ll start to walk for around 1 hour to the Sun Gate (Inti Punku). Get ready because from there you’ll see this marvel of Inca architecture and engineering for the first time. You’ll feel goosebumps all over you as you marvel at the sight below.

Congrats, you made it! You’re already inside Machu Picchu. Bow down to this holy place that’s quietly waited for your visit to change something that’s hidden deep within you. We have another hour of walking until we enter the Machu Picchu fortress, the Lost City of the Incas. At 8:00 am, we’ll arrive at the last control point and enjoy a brief rest to recuperate our energies. We’ll then enjoy a one-and-a-half-hour guided tour of this marvel and all the significant areas.

The intimate connection between human beings and nature is revealed powerfully in Machu Picchu. Immense stones harmoniously link together to form temples, passages, houses, and aqueducts that still function after five centuries. Machu Picchu was built in an inaccessible place to resist the fierce attack of oppression and to remind modern men that only in true communion with Pachamama, our Mother Earth, we can fully exist.

Once you’re ready, you’ll catch the bus down to Aguas Calientes and meet with your guide, where you’ll enjoy your last lunch in a local restaurant. Your guide will then give you your train tickets for the Vistadome Panoramic Train exclusive service and any last bits of information you need to return back to Cusco. Please make sure you are present on the platform at least 30 minutes before the departure of your train.

You’ll arrive at Ollantaytambo train station. There, a representative of Salkantay Trekking will be waiting for you to take you in our private transport to the door of your hotel.