CUSCO - KM 104 - AGUAS CALIENTES

Inca Trail - Guests will be collected from their respective hostels around 4:00 a.m. and transported to Ollantaytambo (train station). After a 1 hour and 30-minute train journey, they will disembark at kilometer 104, the trailhead, where registration will take place before beginning the hike to the first Inca site, Chachabamba. The hike continues up the mountain to a stunning waterfall, leading to the lower section of the remarkable ruins of Wiñaywayna.

Following lunch at Wiñaywayna, the journey proceeds through a picturesque cloud forest teeming with bromeliads, orchids, and ferns. Upon reaching the Sun Gate of Machu Picchu, the first view of the Machu Picchu citadel can be enjoyed. Afterward, the group will descend to the checkpoint and take a bus down to the city of Aguas Calientes for dinner and an overnight stay.

Hot Springs (Aguas Calientes) - The hot springs are not included in the package price and cost 20 Peruvian soles.

Huayna Picchu - Huayna Picchu Mountain offers an additional hike from the Machu Picchu citadel, taking approximately 45 minutes.

AGUAS CALIENTES - MACHU PICCHU - CUSCO

Hot Springs (Aguas Calientes) - After a hearty breakfast, guests can immerse themselves in the history and mystery of the Incas. The first bus departs at approximately 5:30 a.m., arriving at the ruins by 6:15 a.m. This early time allows for a peaceful exploration of this sacred site. A guided tour of Machu Picchu, lasting around 2 hours, will reveal its mysteries and archaeological insights, provided by an expert guide. Generally, there is about 6 hours of additional free time, depending on train schedules during peak season. There is also an option to climb Huayna Picchu Mountain (please confirm with your guide, as the guided tour may occur after Huayna Picchu).

Machu Picchu is a captivating and enigmatic location that has fascinated archaeologists and visitors for nearly a century. Situated atop a steep, lush green peak 8,000 feet high in the Andes of southern Peru, it is accessible only by a winding road from the roaring Urubamba River or by a four-day trek along the challenging Inca Trail. Imagine the thrill when the adventurous Yale professor-explorer Hiram Bingham, guided by local villagers in 1911, first laid eyes on the jungle-covered citadel abandoned by the Incas four centuries earlier. Bingham eagerly explored the site over the next five years, clearing away vegetation and identifying palaces, temples, and a celestial observatory from what is believed to have been a summer palace or ceremonial center for the first Incan emperor, Pachacuti. Although most of its gold and treasures were looted around the time of the Spanish conquest, he unearthed thousands of artifacts and transported them to New Haven for study. The Incas constructed their mysterious city here to be closer to the gods. Its lofty position in the clouds meant that the conquering Spaniards never discovered or destroyed it. Visitors to Machu Picchu can see well-preserved ruins nestled among the majestic Andes: palaces, baths, temples, tombs, sundials, and farming terraces, along with llamas roaming among hundreds of gray granite houses.

• Pick up from your hotel at 04:00 am
• Pre-departure briefing at 7 pm
• Excellent English-speaking guide
• Bus to Ollantaytambo train station (2 hrs)
• Tourist train to Km 104 (Inca Trail trailhead)
• Permits and fees for the 2-Day Inca Trail
• Guided visit of Chachabamba, Wiñaywayna
• Two-hour guided tour at Machu Picchu
• Guided tour in Machu Picchu on the second day
• Hostel private room for 2 in Aguas Calientes (shower and bathroom)
• Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included
• Tourist train return to Cusco or train to Ollanta and transport back to Cusco

• Breakfast on the first morning and lunch on the last day after machu picchu
• Entry to the hot spring in Aguas Calientes 20 soles (optional)
• Bus up and down aguas caliente - Machu picchu one way US$12
• Lunch and Dinner on the 2nd Day
• Tips for your guide is not mandatory.
• Entry to Hot springs in Santa Teresa

The Inca Trail holds the title as the most renowned hike in South America, and is viewed by numerous experts as one of the top 5 hikes globally. Despite its brief span of just 10 miles (16km), it uniquely blends breathtaking mountain views, verdant cloud-forest, exotic subtropical jungle and a captivating array of Inca features from paving stones to ruins and tunnels. The culmination of the trail is simply unmatched: Machu Picchu, the enigmatic ‘Lost City of the Incas’

• Original passport and copies
• student cards from your own university
• You only need to carry a small day pack
• Water to drink ( 2 liters)
• Camera, binoculars
• Waterproof jacket or rain poncho
• Warm jacket
• Sun hat and gloves
• T-shirts / shirts
• Comfortable hiking zip off trousers
• Basic toiletries
• Hat or cap for the sun, essential
• Sunscream with sun protection
• Insect repellent for mosquitoes (Malaria or Yellow fever not been reported)
• Rain pants
• Bathing suit (for hot springs in Aguas Calientes)
• Sun protection cream ( factor 35 recommended ) sun is strong
• Insect Repellent ( for mosquitos )15 % of deet at least
• Water bottle
• Comfortable hiking boots, runners or sturdy shoes
• Money in soles or dollars. ATM´s or cash machines and travelers cheques in Aguas Calientes are more expensive to change
• Short pants , Plaster and bandages
• Walking poles (with rubber tips) they can also be hired from us (they can be used on the Inca Trail if they have rubber tips)
• NOTE: walking poles are not allowed into machu picchu city

If you cancel at least 6 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel between 2 and 6 day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a 50% refund.
If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.