This journey takes you deep into the heart of the Andes and to the lush cloud forest of Machu Picchu, where you can explore archaeological sites surrounded by mountains. Discover the Inca marvels of the Sacred Valley and traverse the renowned Inca Trail. Hiking the Inca Trail is more than an adventure; it is a complete experience that reconnects you with nature, history, and your inner strength. Behold the awe-inspiring stone citadel of Machu Picchu, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, and immerse yourself in the wildlife of the Tambopata National Wildlife Reserve.

Package details:

Duration
10 days 9 nights
Activities
Aqueology, trekking, wildlife
Difficulty
Challenging
Maximum Altitude
3300 msnm
Destination
Cusco, Sacred Valley, Inca Trail, Machu Picchu, Tambopata
Group Size
Small group or private
Overview

Explore the historical capital of Peru and the Inca Empire, which has a rich cultural heritage. Discover the Sacred Valley of the Incas and the surrounding archaeological sites. Next, we continue hiking the legendary Inca Trail, which is one of the most popular hikes in South America and is often listed as one of the top ten hikes in the world. On this 4-day adventure, you will encounter the perfect combination of history and natural beauty. Visit the ancient Inca site and get to Intipunku (Sun Gate) before sunrise to see Machu Picchu. Following the itinerary, we take a commercial flight to the jungle city of Puerto Maldonado to explore the rainforest and wildlife of Tambopata National Reserve. On the last day, you could fly back to Lima to connect with your international flight.

Note: Direct flights from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado are not available on Thursdays or Fridays.

Highlights

  • Explore huge Inca temples and Andean terraces
  • Combine traditional tours with the adventure of trekking the Andean mountains
  • Hike one of the best trekking in the world
  • Arrive at Machu Picchu through the Sungate
  • Stay at the best and least crowded campsites
  • Return from Machu Picchu  on the panoramic trains (Vistadome or 360°)
  • Explore the rainforest and wildlife of Tambopata National Reserve
  • Enjoy Peruvian meals

Itinerary at glance

Day 1 / Arrival in Cusco and city tour

  • Pick up from the airport and transfer to hotel in Cusco
  • Explore the huge archaeological site of Saqsyhuaman
  • Explore the surrounding ruins of Qenqo, Tambomachay, and Puca Pucara
  • Visit the Inca Temple of the Sun Qorikancha
  • Spend the night in Cusco City

Day 2 / Super Sacred Valley tour

  • Full-day tour with lunch included
  • See llamas, alpacas, and other camelids in a llama farm
  • Explore the archaeological Inca sites of Pisac, Moray, and Ollantaytambo
  • Visit the local handicraft market of Pisac
  • Visit the Inca salt mines of Maras
  • Lunch at a tourist restaurant to taste Peruvian meals
  • Spend the night in Ollantaytambo, an Inca living town

Day 3 / Inca trail / Km 82 - Llactapata - Ayapata

  • Breakfast in Ollantaytambo, drive to Km 82, and start a 4-hour hike until lunchtime.
  • Visit Patallacta, Willkarakay, and local villages.
  • After lunch, continue for 2 more hours to Ayapata campsite.
  • Distance: 13.5km / 8 miles.
  • Campsite Altitude: 3,300m / 10,826ft.
  • Difficulty: Moderate to Challenging

Day 4 / Ayapata - Warmiwañusca - Runkuraqay - Chaquicocha

  • Start with a 4-hour hike to Dead Woman's Pass.
  • After lunch, conquer the second mountain, Runkuraqay Pass.
  • Visit Runkuqay, Sayacmarca, Conchamarca Inca Sites.
  • Campsite at Chaquicocha (3,600m / 11,811ft).
  • Distance: 16km / 10 miles.
  • Difficulty: Challenging

Day 5 / Chaquicocha - Phuyupatamarca - Wiñaywayna

  • After breakfast, hike for 2 hours to Phuyupatamarca.
  • Start a 3-hour hike down to the cloud forest.
  • Visit Phuyupatamarca, Intipata, and Wiñaywayna Inca sites.
  • Distance: 10km / 6 miles.
  • Campsite at Wiñaywayna (2600 m - 8530 ft).
  • Difficulty: Moderate to Challenging.

Day 6 / Wiñaywayna - Machu Picchu - Cusco.

  • Early 2-hour hike to the Sun Gate and Machu Picchu.
  • 2 to 3 hours guided tour of Machu Picchu.
  • After the tour, head to Aguas Calientes and return to Cusco by train and road.
  • Distance: 6km / 3.7 miles.
  • Final Altitude: 2,430m / 7,972ft (Machu Picchu).
  • Difficulty: Moderate

Day 7 / Cusco - Puerto Maldonado - Tambopata

  • Flight from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado (not included).
  • Enjoy a 25-minute boat ride towards Inkaterra Hacienda Conception Lodge.
  • Immerse yourself in the depths of the rainforest with the Conception Trails jungle walk.
  • Take a Twilight River cruise to find nocturnal creatures.

Day 8 / Tambopata - Sandoval Lake

  • Hike through the rainforest of Tambopata and glide across Lake Sandoval. 
  • Climb the Inkaterra Canopy Walkway for panoramic views of wildlife.
  • Observe wildlife activity under darkness, exploring the Rainforest by Night.

Day 9 / Hacienda Concepcion oxbox lagoon

  • Discover many of the rainforest's tropical plants up close at our organic bio-orchard.
  • Visit Palmetum, where you will see a collection of Amazonian palms. 
  • Paddle on an oxbow lake and test your fishing skills on the lookout for piranhas. 

Day 10 / Hacienda Concepcion - Puerto Maldonado - Lima

  • Set off by boat from the lodge until you arrive at the airport in Puerto Maldonado city.
  • Flight back to Lima (not included).

Pricing

  • From 4 to more, in a double or twin room: $1669
  • Single supplement: $265
  • Hotel upgrades are available to 4-star or 5-star hotels
  • Contact us for less than 4 participants to get a quote
Full Itinerary
Day 1 / Arrival in Cusco and city tour

At the given time, we pick you up from the airport in Cusco or your hotel. If you are taking a flight from Lima to Cusco, please arrive before 11 am to have enough time for lunch since the tour starts around 12.50 pm from your hotel.

City tour and nearby archaeological sites: We will pick you up from your hotel and start the tour by visiting Cusco's main plaza and the surrounding streets, which still have Inca walls. Then, we will visit the 12-angled Inca stone, representing the architectural masonry of the Inca. Then, we will continue to the Inca Temple of the Sun, which was called Qorikancha in Inca times. The Coricancha, or Temple of the Sun, was the most important temple in the Inca Empire, and it was dedicated to Inti, the Sun God. There, we will find amazing Inca stonework and learn more about the Inca religion and architecture.

Following the tour, we drive towards the hills of Cusco, where the Sacsayhuaman archaeological site is located. There, we will find astonishing, huge Inca walls made of enormous stone bricks with tons of weight. It was a ceremonial and military center, a marvel at the ingenuity of Inca engineering, believed to worship lightning. We also visit the ceremonial temple of Qenqo and the fountain of Tambomachay. After the tour, we take you back to your hotel.

Included:

  • Tourist minivan with wide windows, air conditioning, and a professional driver
  • A professional English-speaking tour guide
  • Entrance tickets to visit the mentioned places
  • Hotel in Cusco (3-star with a great location)
Day 2 / Super Sacred Valley tour

Full-day tour with lunch included. Around 7 am we pick you up from your hotel and set off towards the north of Cusco. Our first stop is a llama farm where you will see llamas, alpacas, and other South American camelids, as well as learn about Inca weaving techniques.

We continue to Pisac Archeological site where you can find stunning Inca ruins and breathtaking views. Highlights include terraced agricultural areas called Andean Terraces that showcase the Incas' advanced farming techniques. The site also features ceremonial plazas, intricately carved stone structures, and a Sun Temple with an Intihuatana stone, believed to have been used for astronomical observations and rituals. Pisac Archaeological Site is a captivating blend of historical significance and natural beauty.

Next, we visit the Pisac handicraft market, where you can find beautifully handcrafted textiles with intricate Inca motifs, including alpaca wool garments, blankets, and rugs, artisanal ceramics, jewelry made from silver and semi-precious stones, and intricately carved wooden items are also popular offerings.

We continue to the farming village of Urubamba for lunch at a carefully selected tourist restaurant, where you can savor authentic Peruvian cuisine. After a delicious meal, we drive to Maras Inca salt mines to find ancient salt pans showcasing traditional salt production methods from Inca times. Then, we continue to the circular Andean terraces in Moray. These unique circular terraces were used by the Incas for experimental farming and studying the effects of different microclimates on crops.

Finally, we drive towards Ollantaytambo village, considered the last living Inca town, to enjoy a guided tour of the archaeological site. There, you will find amazing temples with fine architecture. The site includes ceremonial centers, residential areas, and agricultural terraces, all reflecting the strategic and cultural importance of the Inca Empire.

Spend the night in Ollantaytambo village.

Included:

  • Tourist van with wide windows, air conditioning, and a professional driver
  • A professional English-speaking tour guide
  • Entrance tickets to visit the mentioned places
  • Meals: buffet lunch at a tourist restaurant 
  • Hotel in Ollantaytambo (3-star with a great location) 
Day 3 / Inca trail - Km 82 - Llactapata - Ayapata

We will head to Km 82, arriving at approximately 8:00 AM. On the way, we will stop at Ollantaytambo to enjoy breakfast in a local restaurant; then, we'll proceed to Km 82 and pass through the checkpoint to begin our journey to Machu Picchu (ensure you carry your original passport). The initial two hours of the trek are quite manageable, leading us to our first Inca site, Patallacta. This ancient city exemplifies the Inca's diverse lifestyle and offers stunning panoramic views.

Leaving Patallacta, a two-hour hike takes us to Hatunchaca, located on the heart of the Inca Trail, where we'll enjoy lunch. After lunch, a 2-hour hike brings us to Ayapata (3,300 m/10,826 ft), our initial campsite on the legendary Inca Trai. We plan to reach the camp by approximately 5:00 PM, allowing time to prepare the beds in the tent, clean, and enjoy tea time with beautiful views. Dinner will be served later, followed by a well-earned night's rest.

  • Campsite Altitude: 3300m – 10826ft
  • Highest altitude: 3300m – 10826ft
  • Distance: 13.5km – 8 miles
  • Duration: 8 hours
  • Meals: breakfast, snacks, lunch, tea time, & dinner
  • Accommodation: Camping
  • Difficulty: Moderate to Challenging
Day 4 / Ayapata - Warmiwañusca - Runkuraqay - Chaquicocha

Wake up with coffee or coca tea in your tent and prepare for our trek's toughest day. After breakfast, we'll hike for 4 hours to reach Dead Woman's Pass (4,214 m/13,829 ft.), offering stunning views of the high mountains. Next, we descend for two hours into the Pacaymayu Valley, where we'll enjoy lunch prepared by our trekking chefs. After lunch, we'll ascend again for 2 hours to the Runkuraqay Pass (4,000 m/13,123 ft.) and then walk for another 2 hours to our Chaquicocha campsite.

Along the way, we'll explore ancient sites like Runkuraqay and Sayacmarca. After a full 10-hour day of hiking, we will finally arrive at the Chaquicocha campsite (3,600 m/11,811 ft.) just in time to witness a beautiful sunset over the Vilcabamba mountains. If you're still feeling energetic, the clear night sky offers a great opportunity for stargazing.

  • Campsite Altitude: (3,600m / 11,811ft)
  • Highest altitude: 3600
  • Distance: 16km / 10 miles
  • Duration: 10 hours
  • Meals: Meals: Breakfast, snacks, Lunch, tea time, Dinner
  • Accommodation: Camping
  • Difficulty: Challenging
Day 5 / Chaquicocha - Phuyupatamarca - Wiñaywayna

On this relaxed day, our five-hour journey to the campsite covers diverse ecosystems and enters the cloud forest. We'll enjoy views of the majestic Salkantay, Cusco's second-highest peak in the Vilcabamba range. Arriving at Phuyupatamarca (3,600 m/11,811 ft), we're greeted with stunning Urubamba River and Machu Picchu Mountain vistas. Then, we will descend for 3 hours to Wiñaywayna (Forever Young). On the way, we will explore two notable Inca sites: Phuyupatamarca (City in the Clouds) and Intipata (Terraces of the Sun), each offering spectacular views of the Andes.

We're expected to arrive at our campsite around 1:00 PM, ready for lunch and rest. The afternoon is dedicated to relaxing, chasing llamas, showering, and visiting the Inca site of Wiñaywayna for a thorough exploration. Later, we'll return to our campsite for tea and dinner. 

  • Campsite Altitude: (2600 m - 8530 ft)
  • Highest altitude: 3600m – 11811ft
  • Distance: 16km - 10 miles
  • Meals: Breakfast, snacks, Lunch, tea time, Dinner
  • Distance: 10km / 6 miles
  • Campsite at Wiñaywayna (2600 m - 8530 ft)
  • Difficulty: Moderate to Challenging
Day 6 / Wiñaywayna - Machu Picchu - Cusco

On our most important day – the arrival at the legendary Lost City of the Incas – we wake up very early. After breakfast, we will head to the checkpoint and wait until it opens at 5:30 AM, when we will start our 1-hour hike to the Sun Gate. We will have a fantastic view from this site, and Machu Picchu is just an hour’s hike downhill. Around 7:30 AM, we will arrive at the final control point to begin our 2-hour guided tours. Later, you can explore Machu Picchu alone or climb Huayna Picchu Mountain (which must be booked as far in advance as possible). Your guide will explain how to take the bus from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes for lunch and return to Cusco by the panoramic Vistadome train and private van, dropping you off at your hotel.

  • Final Altitude: 2,430m / 7,972ft (Machu Picchu)
  • Distance: 6km - 3.7 miles
  • Hike Duration: 2 hours
  • Guided tour of Machu Picchu:  2-3 hours
  • Meals: Breakfast
  • Difficulty: Moderate

Included:

  • Breakfast at the campsite.
  • Guided tour in Machu Picchu.
  • Entrance ticket for Machu Picchu.
  • Professional English-speaking tour guide.
  • Bus tickets from Machu Picchu down to the village.
  • Panoramic train to Ollantaytambo station.
  • Transport back to Cusco and drop off at your hotel.
  • Meals: Breakfast.
  • Hotel in Cusco: Budget, Superior, or Deluxe, according to your package.
Day 7 / Cusco - Puerto Maldonado - Tambopata

We will take you to the airport two hours before the flight departs towards the jungle city of Puerto Maldonado. Regular flights depart Cusco around 11 am and arrive at Puerto Maldonado around 11.45 am. Once there, staff of the lodge will pick you up in a minibus and take you to the river dock. Then, you begin Amazon adventure with a 25-minute boat ride navigating the clay-colored Madre de Dios River to reach Inkaterra Hacienda Conception Lodge. After a refreshing time in your room lunch is served at the palm-thatched Casa Grande dining room. Then we explore the rainforest on foot, starting from the Eco Center.

We explore the Conception trails for an immersive introduction to the ecosystems of the Amazon basin. lnkaterra Hacienda Concepcion harbors primary and secondary rainforests inhabited by exotic wildlife and tropical plants. Witness dusk in the rainforest in a guided Twilight River boat ride. At this time of day, the wildlife in the jungle changes. Try to find caimans lurking on the riverbanks. Enjoy â-la-carte dining, made with local Amazon ingredients. Spend the night in the jungle.

Included:

  • Transfer to Cusco airport in a tourist van or minibus
  • Transfer to the lodge by ground and boat
  • Guided tours
  • Lunch and dinner
  • Lodge accommodations
Day 8 / Tambopata - Sandoval Lake

Buffet breakfast is served from 05:30 am. Then we explore the Sandoval Lake in a dug-out wooden canoe, and quietly paddle through a stream, and glide onto the lake, flanked by picture-perfect palms. Sandoval Lake is a glassy, ox-bow lake located inside the protected Tambopata National Reserve and is home to many species of birds, the endangered giant river otter, red howler monkeys, red-bullied macaws, anacondas, side-neck turtles, black caimans amongst others. Return to Inkaterra Hacienda Conception in time for lunch.

In the afternoon, we visit the Canopy Walkway, which is a sophisticated network distributed over ecologically constructed hanging suspension bridges strung between eight treetop observation platforms above the forest floor. We will ascend the tower of 38 meters (124 feet) above ground, trying to find wildlife like toucans, trogons, woodpeckers, monkeys, and more. This is a great opportunity to appreciate the rainforest from the rooftop and gain a sense of its size. Once at the lodge, you can take a night walk into the hidden forest. If you prefer a good rest, the spa is available. A la carte dinner is served from 19:00.

Included

  • Guided tours
  • Breakfast, lunch and dinner
  • Lodge accommodations
Day 9 / Explore the jungle

We visit an organic bio-orchard after breakfast to learn about tropical plants and their medicinal uses that local people used through generations. Later, we visit the Palmetum which is a collection of Amazonian palms in a plot reserved for rainforest restoration and conservation.
Enjoy a relaxing paddle boat ride after lunch. We explore in a dugout canoe on Inkaterra Hacienda Concepcion's oxbow-shaped lagoon, locally called cocha. We would find the bizarre hoatzins in the surroundings, maybe caymans and piranhas, and birds flying through the jungle. With the catch-and-release technique, you may test your fishing abilities by looking for piranhas with a basic wooden rod, just like the local indigenous people do. Spend the night at the lodge.

Included

  • Guided tours
  • Breakfast, lunch and dinner
  • Lodge accommodations 
Day 10 / Puerto Maldonado - Lima

Enjoy your last morning with the unmistakable sounds of the jungle. The check-out time is at 10 am, and you can enjoy a good breakfast before that. then we must take the boat back to Puerto Maldonado in a 25-minute return trip along the Madre de Dios River. Then, we will take you to the airport for your flight back to Lima. Please provide your flight information. 

Note that activities and excursions are subject to change depending on weather conditions.

End of the tour 

Inclusions of the package

  • Airport transfers
  • Hotel pick-up and drop-off
  • Transport for the tours
  • Professional English-speaking guide
  • Entrance tickets to the places to visit
  • Meals described and breakfast at hotels
  • Hotel accommodations in the category selected.

Not Included in the package 

  • Flight tickets
  • Gratuities
  • Travel Insurance

Inclusions of the Classic Inca Trail trek:

  • Pre-departure briefing
  • Pick up from your hotel in Cusco or Sacred Valley
  • All Transfers Included during the four days
  • Permits to Inca trail.
  • Entrance ticket to Machu Picchu
  • Duffle bags for your personal stuff 7 kilos
  • Personal Porter to carry your stuff (Max 7 kilos)
  • Porters to bring food and equipment
  • Trekking chef to prepare your meals
  • Professional tour guide
  • Bus ticket from Machu Picchu
  • Panoramic Trains to return (Vistadome or 360)
  • 4 breakfasts, 3 lunches, and 3 dinners
  • Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options
  • Camping equipment (tents, chairs, tables, pillows)
  • First aid kit, Oxygen tank, satellite phones
  • All taxes and fees included

Not included in the Inca trail trek:

  • Sleeping bags, Trekking poles, Air Mattress
  • Last Day lunch
  • Huayna Picchu Mountain
  • Travel Insurance

Inclusions for the jungle tour to Tambopata

  • Round-trip transportation by land and river (Airport/Lodge/Airport)
  • Excursions with an Inkaterra Explorer Guide in Spanish or English
  • Small groups up to 8 participants with one guide
  • Check-in 1 pm / Check-out 10 am
  • Luggage storage room
  • Personalized Wake-up calls
  • Full board
  • Welcome drink
  • Turndown service between 6 pm – 8 pm
  • Entrance Fee to Lake Sandoval

Not Included

  • Flight tickets
  • Gratuities
  • Binoculars