Your unforgettable Classic 4-Day Inca Trail across the Andean heights begins in the morning. Our private bus with the experienced, professional guide will pick you up and go to the starting point of the hike, which is km 82, outside Cusco City. There you will register, meet the porters and kitchen staff who will do the Classic Inca Trail with you.

From km 82 (located at 8,850 feet / 2,700 meters above sea level), we will hike until the Wayllabamba campsite. The first two hours of the walk are light and then we’ll reach Miskay, for an energizing, healthy lunch prepared by our professional kitchen staff. Afterwards, there will be a great uphill hike for about 3 or 4 hours. On this section, we will visit the first Inca site of the Trail, Patallacta, take many pictures and have a guided tour.

Finally, we arrive at Wayllabamba, where our cooks and porters will be waiting for you with a delicious dinner ready, and also the whole camp. After eating, you will have free time to enjoy the campsite and the wonderful, starry Andean night! (L, D)

You’ll wake up to a delicious cup of coca leaves tea, which is a millenary, healthy Andean secret for energy and altitude sickness, then have breakfast and resume the exciting hike.

Initial altitude for day 2 is 9,850 feet (3,000 meters), starting level of a 5-hour hike until 13,800 feet (4,200 meters) at the Warmiwanuska or Dead Woman’s Pass, a place that offers a unique, unforgettable view of the Andes range. It is the highest point of the trek.

After Warmiwanuska, which is the hardest part of the Classic Inca Trail, there is a 1-hour downhill hike until the lunch area, which our professional cookers will have ready. After lunch, the walk continues for another 1 hour until the campsite at Pacaymayo, and you will have the rest of the journey to enjoy this peaceful spot. At night, our kitchen staff will treat everybody with a delicious dinner! (B, L, D)

After a delicious, nutritive breakfast, the hike continues! On this day the Trail includes several wonderful Inca sites! The first stretch will go from Pacaymayo (11,800 feet / 3,600 meters above sea level) to the Runkuracay pass and site (12,800 feet / 3,900 meters asl). After this pass, the hike is mainly downhill, getting to Sayaqmarca, an almost unreachable Inca remain, quite challenging to access.

Next we will arrive at the lunch area for day 3. Afterwards, the hike resumes until the amazing Winaywayna Inca complex, also the place for our campsite. There you’ll have the rest of the day to relax and at night, dinner prepared by our expert kitchen staff. (B, L, D)

After a yummy breakfast, the hike resumes from Winaywayna (Quechua for “forever young”) to the Inti Punku or Sun Gate, where the arrival will be after two hours. Congratulations! At this point the Classic Inca Trail is officially finished! It’s a perfect spot to celebrate!

The magnificent view you can enjoy of Machu Picchu, Sanctuary of the Incas, is surely a great reward! Next, there is a short hike to the citadel itself and then the unforgettable professionally guided tour of Machu Picchu to see and learn about the astonishing sacred retreat.

After the guided tour, you will have more time to continue exploring the citadel the way you like! The afternoon in Aguas Calientes is free for you to go visiting or shopping around the village, enjoy the hot springs and have lunch. Around 18:45 you will board the train to Ollantaytambo, and our staff will pick you up there after a 1:30-hour ride, for going to Cusco City on our private bus. In Cusco City we’ll transfer you to the hotel at 22:30 approximately. (B)

We leave Cusco early in the morning and drive to Mollepata for breakfast. We then continue to Soraypampa, the starting point of our trek. After a steady hike, we arrive at our first camp. In the afternoon, we take an acclimatization hike up to the stunning turquoise waters of Humantay Lake before returning to camp for dinner under the stars.

This is the most challenging and rewarding day. We wake up early and hike up to the Salkantay Pass at 4,600m (15,090ft), right next to the magnificent snow-capped Salkantay peak. After taking in the breathtaking views, we descend into the cloud forest, noticing a dramatic change in scenery and climate, until we reach our camp in Chaullay.

Today’s hike is much easier and warmer as we walk through the high jungle (ceja de selva). We will see coffee, banana, and passion fruit plantations, alongside beautiful waterfalls. We arrive at our camp in Santa Teresa, where you have the option to visit the soothing Cocalmayo hot springs to relax your muscles.

We hike along the Santa Teresa river valley towards Hidroelectrica, where we have lunch. From there, we follow the train tracks through the lush jungle, enjoying our first distant views of the Machu Picchu mountains. We arrive in the town of Aguas Calientes, where we will spend the night in a comfortable hotel.

The big day! We take one of the first buses up to Machu Picchu to watch the sunrise. You will enjoy a 2-hour guided tour of the citadel, exploring its most important temples and terraces. Afterwards, you have free time to explore. In the afternoon, we take the train back to Ollantaytambo, followed by a bus to your hotel in Cusco.

We depart Cusco and drive to the village of Cachora to meet our horsemen and pack animals. We begin our hike with stunning views of the Apurimac canyon and the Padreyoc snow-capped peaks. We descend deep into the canyon until we reach our first campsite at Chiquisca.

We start early to cross the Apurimac River at Playa Rosalina and begin a steep, challenging ascent to Marampata. After lunch, we continue our hike on a gentler path until we reach the archaeological site of Choquequirao, the “sister city of Machu Picchu.” We camp nearby and enjoy the sunset over the ruins.

We spend the entire morning exploring the immense, crowd-free ruins of Choquequirao, including the main plaza, the terraces of the sun, and the famous stone llamas. After a guided tour and free time, we begin our descent back into the Apurimac canyon, returning to camp at Playa Rosalina or Chiquisca.

We wake up early to avoid the midday sun and hike back up the canyon wall towards Capuliyoc. From here, it’s an easy walk back to the town of Cachora. We say goodbye to our trekking team, board our transport, and return to Cusco in the late afternoon.

We drive from Cusco through the Sacred Valley to the town of Lares. Here, we enjoy the natural volcanic hot springs before starting our trek. We hike up through beautiful Andean valleys, interacting with local Quechua communities known for their colorful textiles, until we reach our camp in the village of Huacawasi.

This is the most challenging day. We hike up to the Ipsaycocha Pass (4,450m/14,599ft), passing grazing alpacas and llamas along the way. After taking in the stunning mountain views, we descend to the beautiful Ipsaycocha Lake for lunch. We continue our descent to our camp in the traditional weaving village of Patacancha.

Our hike today is mostly downhill. We walk through a beautiful valley, passing the terraces of Pumamarca, until we reach the living Inca town of Ollantaytambo. We enjoy lunch here and have time to explore the cobblestone streets. In the afternoon, we take the scenic train ride to Aguas Calientes, where we sleep in a hotel.

We take an early bus up to Machu Picchu to experience the ruins in the morning light. After a comprehensive 2-hour guided tour of the magnificent citadel, you have time to explore on your own. Later, we head back down to Aguas Calientes to catch the train to Ollantaytambo, and our bus takes you back to Cusco.

We will pick you up from your hotel very early (around 4:00 a.m.) and drive south for about 2 hours to the town of Cusipata for a hearty breakfast. We then continue to the trailhead. The hike takes about 1.5 to 2 hours up to the spectacular Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca) at an elevation of 5,200m (17,060ft). You will be rewarded with breathtaking views of the colorful mineral stripes and the snow-capped Ausangate peak. After taking photos and enjoying the scenery, we hike back down, have a buffet lunch, and return to Cusco around 4:30 p.m.

We pick you up from your hotel around 4:30 a.m. and drive to the town of Mollepata for a delicious breakfast. We then continue our drive to Soraypampa (3,900m). From here, we begin our 1.5-hour uphill hike to the stunning Humantay Lagoon (4,200m). The turquoise waters sitting at the base of the Humantay glacier make for one of the most beautiful landscapes in the Andes. After taking time to relax and take photos, we hike back to Soraypampa, enjoy a buffet lunch in Mollepata, and return to Cusco in the late afternoon.