Cusco, Inca Trail & Machu Picchu - 9 Days

Day 1: Arrival in Lima

Arrival at Lima airport. Meet our representative for a transfer to your Lima airport hotel.

Day 2: Arrival in Cusco

After breakfast, return to the airport for your flight to Cusco. Upon arrival, meet our representative for a transfer to your Cusco hotel.

Be sure to take it easy on this first day at altitude. Visit a museum, people-watch on the Plaza de Armas, or find a cafe where you can relax. In the evening, choose among Cusco’s many options for casual or fine dining.

Day 3: Cusco City Tour

This morning you’ll have time to explore Cusco on your own. Explore the vendor stalls at San Pedro Market, browse artisan workshops and art galleries in the San Blas neighborhood, or visit the Pre-Columbian Art Museum (MAP) or Casa Concha (Machu Picchu Museum).

After lunch, meet your guide for an afternoon tour of Cusco’s must see sights. You’ll start on the Plaza de Armas, where your guide will begin to tell you about the history of South America’s oldest continuously inhabited city. You’ll enter into the Cusco Cathedral, formerly the site of a temple to the Inca creator deity Viracocha and today a treasure trove for religious art produced by native artisans in the years after the Spanish Conquest. You’ll continue to Santo Domingo Monastery, which was also constructed on the site of an Inca temple, Qoricancha or the Temple of the Sun. The building of the church atop the ruins ironically preserved parts of the Inca structures, which were revealed intact after a devastating earthquake in 1950 crumbled the Spanish construction. Next, you’ll visit the Inca ruins outside of Cusco, beginning at the fortress of Sacsayhuaman (site of an important battle between Inca and Spanish troops), and wrapping up the day with stops at Q’enko, Puka Pukara, and Tambomachay.

At the end of the tour, you’ll be returned to your hotel in Cusco. Hit the town to see Cusco by night or enjoy a quiet evening in.

Day 4: Sacred Valley Tour

After breakfast, meet your guide for a tour of the Sacred Valley, which in Inca times was littered with royal palaces and temples and today is renowned for its breathtaking landscapes. Your first stop is Pisac town, with its famous market and impressive hilltop ruins. At the market, your guide will point out local products like potatoes, giant corn, and natural dyes, and you’ll have a chance to browse the souvenir stalls for one-of-a-kind gifts. Next, you’ll drive up the hill to the Pisac ruins, which sprawl across a narrow mountain ridge and most likely protected the southern entrance to the Sacred Valley. You’ll continue down the road to Urubamba and stop for lunch (not included) at a buffet restaurant serving Peruvian specialties. The final stop is in Ollantaytambo, where you’ll climb to the top of the fortress ruins for panoramic views across the former Inca heartland.

At the end of the tour, you’ll be dropped of at your hotel in Cusco, where you’ll sleep one more night at altitude before the start of the trek.

Day 5: Begin The Inka Trail Trek to Machu Picchu

Transfer from Cusco to the start of the Inca Trail trek at Piscacucho km 82. After crossing the trailhead checkpoint, you’ll walk on a mostly flat trail to the community of Miskay, take a short rest, and then continue on a steeper path to the first archaeological site at Patallacta. After lunch, you’ll continue walking for about 2 hours until you reach the first campsite at Wayllabamba.

Hike distance: 7.5 miles (12 km)
Minimum altitude: 8,860 feet (2,700 meters)
Maximum altitude: 9,840 feet (3,000 meters)
Approximate time: 5 to 6 hours
Gradient: Moderate

Day 6: Inka Trail Trek

The second day of trekking is the most difficult due to the terrain and the altitude, but also the most rewarding for the gorgeous views you’ll get along the way. You’re encouraged to find a pace that’s most comfortable for you. After breakfast, you’ll begin the climb to Abra de Warmiwañusca, known in English as “Dead Woman's Pass,” at over 13,700 feet (4,200 meters). On the other side, a stairway path descends steeply into the Pacamayo Valley and your campsite for the night.

Hike distance: 5.6 miles (9 km)
Minimum altitude: 9,840 feet (3,000 meters)
Maximum altitude: 13,780 feet (4,200 meters)
Approximate time: 6 to 7 hours
Gradient: Challenging

Day 7: Inka Trail Trek

Today you’ll be treated to the trail’s most impressive archaeological sites which are scattered between the trek’s final two passes, Runkurakay and Phuyupatamarca. You’ll begin with an uphill climb to the circular ruins of Runkurakay, continuing on to the ruins of Sayacmarca or “Inaccessible Town” and the Phuyupatamarca. At day’s end you’ll arrive to the last campsite at Wiñay Wayna.

Tonight you’ll have dinner and celebrate the near completion of the trek alongside the trekking staff who have accompanied you this far. The cooks and porters will walk ahead of you the next morning to catch an early train back to Cusco. Remember, it is customary for trekkers to contribute to a tip pool, which will then be distributed amongst the staff (guide, cook, and porters). A good tip amount ranges $10-$40 USD per hiker. These tips are voluntary, so feel free to tip according to the service you received.

Hike distance: 9.3 miles (15 km)
Minimum altitude: 8,860 feet (2,700 meters)
Maximum altitude: 1,2960 feet (3,950 meters)
Approximate time: 8 to 9 hours
Gradient: Moderate

Day 8: Machu Picchu Tour

Wake early for breakfast and then start walking the final stretch of the trail to Inti Punku, the Sun Gate entrance to lost Inca city. Descend the stone path to the Inca citadel. After a short rest, you’ll meet with your trekking guide for a 2-hour tour of Machu Picchu. You’ll visit the primary temples and palaces of the Inca citadel and then you’ll have time to explore the ruins on your own.

In the late afternoon, return to the train station for the trip back to Cusco.

Hike distance (to Machu Picchu): 2 miles (3 km)
Minimum altitude: 7,875 feet (2,400 meters)
Maximum altitude: 8,860 feet (2,700 meters)
Approximate time: About one hour of hiking
Gradient: Moderate

Day 9: Departure from Cusco

Grab breakfast in the morning and then meet our representative for a transfer to the Cusco airport and the start of your journey back home.