The Inca Trail

You spend this morning exploring the vast fortress of Sacsayhuaman. The skillfully constructed outer walls consist of massive blocks of stone, the largest weighing over 350 tonnes. Close by you also visit some of Cusco’s outlying Inca sites – Q’enqo, Puka Pukara and Tambo Machay. A short drive of about 30 minutes brings you to Pisac where the local Thursday market fills the main plaza with bustle and brightly-coloured costume. Sitting high above the town perch the ruins of Pisac with sweeping terraces and spectacular views. After a 40-minute drive through the heart of the valley you arrive in Yucay your base for the next two nights.
Hotel - 2 nights (B)

Driving along the Sacred valley, you pass many buildings that show the highly developed organisation of the Inca; nowhere more so than the terraced complex of temple, fortress and granary at Ollantaytambo, guarding the entrance to the Urubamba Gorge. We stop to explore the Inca site before a short drive takes us to the trailhead at the entrance to the national park at Piscacucho.  You begin the walk before lunch along the banks of the Urubamba river below the snow-capped peak of Mt. Veronica. Then in the afternoon a gentle climb brings you to a pleasant campsite just beyond the ruins at Llactapata (2950m). You carry only a daypack containing personal items as a team of porters carries all your main luggage, camping equipment and supplies. You will be provided with a duffle bag in which to put items needed for the trek. Anything you don’t need is left behind in Cusco in your main bag. Dome tents for sleeping are supplied and meals are served in a mess tent with folding tables and stools. The camp sites have basic toilet and washing facilities. Your team of porters and cooks take care of all camp chores leaving you free to relax and enjoy the magnificent Andean scenery. About 4/5 hrs easy walking today. Camp - 1 night (BLD)

It will be a cold morning in the high Andes as we leave camp and start the ascent to the second pass at Runkuracay (3998m). At the summit we may experience spectacular views of the surrounding mountain glaciers and steep fertile gorges in the knowledge that the most strenuous parts of the trail are behind us. On the descent we encounter the first long stretches of original Inca paving leading to the Inca ruins of Sayacmarca high on a rocky spur above the trail. The mountain-top trail now meanders through thickets of cloud forest and even a short Inca-made tunnel until you reach our camp above the ruins at Phuyupatamarca (3800m). The Inca named this settlement the “town in the clouds” and you will see why as you observe the clouds rising from the temperate valleys hundreds of meters below. About 6/7 hrs moderate walking. Camp – 1 night (BLD)

Rising early this morning your group has Machu Picchu ruins largely to itself before the train brings in day-visitors from Cusco. The magnificent lost city, rediscovered by American archaeologist Hiram Bingham in 1911, stands on a high saddle dominated by the jungle-clad peak of Wayna Picchu. You have time to make the vertiginous climb to its summit for dramatic views of the city spread out below or simply just wander the myriad of steps and stairways of the site, revealing as they do a vast complex of immense structural, historical and archaeological worth. Later in the day you catch the train back to Cusco. Hotel - 1 night (B)