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Machu Picchu
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Inca Trail Trek 2 days / 1 night
The Inca Trail is one of the most beautiful hiking trails in the world. It crosses fascinating landscape in the middle of the Andes Mountains and leads to Machu Picchu. Extraordinary Inca vestiges perched on magnificent peaks, in the heart of lush vegetation of astonishing ecological diversity, offer an undeniable attraction to this route.
This trek traditionally lasts 4 days. But, for people who do not have the required physical condition or simply the time to complete the trek in 4 days, we offer a short option that allows, in 2 days to do part of the Inca Trail to the Inti Punku (The Sun Gate) and visit Machu Picchu.
As the number of tickets is limited each day, we recommend that you book this hike at least 3 or 4 months in advance.
Show more +Duration
2 days – 1 night
Season
March to November
Difficulty
Medium
Altitude
2050m to 3250m
Include
Your reservation includes
Transportation, Tickets, and Guides:
- Transfer from Cusco to Poroy or Ollantaytambo by vehicle
- Train ticket from Poroy or Ollantaytambo to Km 104
- Machu Picchu – Aguas Calientes bus ticket (first day)
- Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu round-trip bus ticket (second day)
- Aguas Calientes – Ollantaytambo tourist train ticket and vehicle to Cusco
- Entrance ticket to the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu
- Professional English-speaking guide For a bilingual Spanish-English guide, contact us.
Food and Accommodation:
- 1 breakfast, 1 lunch (picnic), 1 dinner (vegetarian option)
- 1 night hotel in Aguas Calientes (room with private bathroom)
First Aid:
- Oxygen tank
- First-aid pharmacy for any emergency
Your booking does not include
- Breakfast on the first day and lunch on the second day in Aguas Calientes
- Entrance to Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain. You have to book the ascent to these peaks well in advance: only 400 people can visit this mountain each day, while Machu Picchu receives more than 2,500 visitors a day. It is not possible to buy an entrance ticket only to Huayna Picchu or Montana Machu Picchu. Everything goes hand in hand with an entrance to Machu Picchu.
- Also, as a passenger on the Inca Trail, you get entrance to Machu Picchu but not to Huayna Picchu or Montana Machu Picchu. If you wish to attend one of these summits, you must pay $70 or $35 if you are a student and present your valid student card, issued by your University.
- Walking steaks. If you wish, you can rent them at our agency
- Entrance to the hot springs of Aguas Calientes (20 soles/person)
- Tips for the staff.
Learn more
- Accessibility: from March to January (Inca Trail is closed in February). High season – March to January.
- Price: Contact us specifying the hike you are interested in.
- Group: Several types of services are possible: private and small group (maximum 8 people).
- Day 1: Cusco – Km 104 – Wiñayhuayna – Aguas Calientes
- Day 2: Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – Cusco
Itinerary
Day 1: Cusco – Km 104 – Wiñayhuayna – Aguas Calientes
Cusco (3,250 m) – Km 104 – Wiñayhuayna (2,650 m) – Aguas Calientes (2,040 m)
12 km – 6 hours of walking
Around 4:30 am, hikers are picked up by the guide at their hotel. The trip begins by minibus and travels through the Sacred Valley of the Incas to the town of Ollantaytambo. There a train awaits for us that follows the course of the Vilcanota River and takes us to Km 104, the starting point of our walk.
The adventure begins! We set off to discover a first archaeological site: Chachabamba, located at an altitude of 2,270 m. It is a vast terraced agricultural area where products were stored before being transported to Machu Picchu. We continue our way up the mountainside and enjoy a magnificent view of the Urubamba River. Along this tour, we discover different species of wild orchids, fragrant flowers, hanging ferns, etc.
Along the way, you will find the Wañayhuayna site (2,650 m), a fabulous urban construction perched on a rocky outcrop, overlooking the Urubamba valley. Wañayhuayna in Quechua means “Always young”; It is also the name of a native variety of orchids. We have lunch in this fabulous place where we enjoy an extraordinary view. In the afternoon, we continue down the mountainside, through beautiful misty forests, towards the Inti Punku, “Sun Gate”. Machu Picchu is then offered to us in all its splendor.
Stimulated by the extraordinary pleasure we felt in front of the Inca city, we start the last part of the road that will allow us to admire the prestigious citadel from all angles. This is the perfect time and place to take photos and keep a lasting memory of the hike (from the upper terraces of the upper part of Machu Picchu). Next, we go to the main entrance of the enclosure. The actual visit will not take place until the next day. For the moment, we head to the town of Aguas Calientes at the foot of the sanctuary of Machu Picchu where we will settle in a hotel for the night. The whole group meets in the evening at a restaurant, the opportunity to plan with the guide, the visit of Machu Picchu for the next day.
Day 2: Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – Cusco
Aguas Calientes (2,040 m) – Machu Picchu (2,430 m) – Cusco (3,250 m)
After breakfast, we take one of the first transfers to Machu Picchu, enjoy the dawn and the unforgettable discovery of the site. The same guide who accompanied the group all the way, leads the visit of Machu Picchu for 3 hours, this time at the bottom of the site (we don’t go back to the top today). Among all the wonders of the lower part of the site, we discovered the Main Square, the circular Tower, the Sacred Sundial, the Royal Apartments, and the Temple of the Three Windows. So many opportunities to learn more about the Inca way of life, their beliefs, their cults and their religious ceremonies.
It should be noted that the discovery of Machu Picchu is subject to visiting circuits, designed by the Ministry of Culture, which visitors must scrupulously respect and that do not allow them to return.
For lunch at the Machu Picchu site, there is only one expensive restaurant, while in Aguas Calientes you will find restaurants accessible to all budgets. A shuttle bus departs every 15 minutes from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes. In the afternoon, the return train takes you from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo. The journey takes 1 hour and 45 minutes. Departure time may vary depending on the number of seats available at the time of booking. Then, the route from Ollantaytambo to Cusco is done in one of our vehicles that will drop you off at your place of accommodation in Cusco.
If you opt for the ascent to Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain (optional visit), here are some important recommendations:
Tickets for these climbs must be purchased in advance, at the same time as booking the tour (please note that the number of places are limited).
Additional information
Please note
Travel and health insurance
We strongly recommend that you have insurance for cancellation, interruption, lost luggage, delay, emergency medical evacuation, and medical care. Carry copies of insurance throughout your trip. Welcome to Peru cannot be held responsible for any accidents or loss of personal property attributable to trekkers.
Tips
For the guide and staff accompanying you, tips are always welcome.
What can I take with me?
- Passport: all participants must carry it with them
- If you are a student, you must have your valid student card, issued by your University, in order to benefit from a discount. You will have to scan it at the same time as the passport and present it at various points along the way
- Travel insurance certificate
- Backpack between 30 and 40 liters, with waterproof layer
- Walking shoes
- Socks
- Short-sleeved or long-sleeved shirts
- Rain poncho and hat. The temperature is very cold and it can rain. In this case, wet clothes don’t have time to dry. Therefore, it is necessary to bring a change of clothes.
- Waterproof jacket
- Long or short pants because the temperature varies a lot and very quickly
- Swimsuit and sandals for the Aguas Calientes showers and thermal baths
- Sunscreen and mosquito repellent lotion
- Disinfectant gel
- Cantinflora
- Toilet paper
- Personal medication. All hikers must declare if they have an illness
- Camera
- Front camera We recommend that you carry two sets of batteries
- Appetizers and cereal bars
- Money in soles.
Reservation
A non-refundable deposit must be made to confirm the booking. The deposit will be used as follows:
- Entrance to the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu
- Bus tickets from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes
- Round-trip train ticket Aguas Calientes – Ollantaytampbo
- Application fees.
For any booking, the financial advance must be accompanied by a copy of your passport, as well as all your personal details: full name, passport number, nationality, age, gender.
A purchased ticket cannot be resold. Entrance fees to archaeological sites, bus and train tickets are nominative and non-refundable.
Decreasing rate from 5 people, please contact us.
Payment methods: See our General Terms and Conditions of Sale.
Booking confirmation
The balance must be paid in dollars or soles (local currency). Full payment must be made no later than 2 days before the start of the trek. In case of non-payment of the balance within the specified time, Welcome to Peru reserves the right to cancel the reservation. The deposit previously paid and invested in the preparation of the trek is non-refundable. Once the balance is paid, no refund is possible because the final budget for the entire trek is definitely invested.
Important notes
It may turn out that the changes occur the day before or the day of departure, depending on:
- Bad weather
- Road conditions
- Strikes that may disrupt the organization of the walk or make it dangerous.
In these circumstances, Welcome to Peru offers you an alternative: either different dates or tours. But this choice is made within a limited framework: the date of the entrance tickets to Machu Picchu and that of the train tickets cannot be renegotiated with the different companies. Train schedules are also subject to change and depend on Peru Rail. They are confirmed after paying the full price of the trek.
All tourists must bring their personal crew.
Tourists are obliged to inform us of their state of health and must bring their own medication.
Price
Price varies by group size. Get a price quote or ask for a price now
Book now
Tour: Inca Trail Trek 2 days / 1 night
Group service
Tour guide
Hike, Bus & train
Hotel
Meals
Group service: Fixed departures, in a maximum group of 8 passengers.
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