The Inca Trail in Comfort

The overnight group flights to Cuzco leave London this evening.
**

Day 2

Set amidst hills in the altiplano, the Imperial City of the Incas, Cuzco
(3,400) was the geographic, cultural and political centre of a vast empire
which, at its peak, stretched from present-day Quito in Ecuador to Santiago
in Chile. After the Spanish conquistadores invaded the city they started
building on top of the Incan structures, resulting in unique architecture, a
fusion of the Incan and Spanish colonial styles.
The group flights usually arrive in the mid-afternoon, giving time to wander
the cobbled streets admiring the old houses, visiting its interesting
museums, churches and pre-Columbian buildings, such as Qorikancha – the Sun
Temple, or to sit in a café, enjoying a coca-tea watching locals go about
their business.
There will be a briefing in the evening.
*Hotel San Agustin Plaza / Eco Inn (or similar)
*

Day 3

Today we visit the magnificent Sacred Valley of the Incas and the incredible
ruins at Pisac before continuing on to Ollantaytambo, where we spend the
night.
The Sacred Valley, which runs along the Urubamba River near Cuzco, is the
true heartland of Incan culture and tradition, which is still strong today.
The high-Andean scenery is dotted with old towns and villages dating back to
pre-Columbian times. The ruins of the Citadel at Pisac guarded a road from
the lowlands and gives way to a picturesque landscape of terraces carved into
the solid rock itself. The Inca ruins at Ollantaytambo give you a sense of
the scale of what is to come as huge stone terraces scale the valley sides.
This was the royal estate of Inca Emperor Pachacuti as well as being of
religious and defensive significance.
*Hotel Pakaripampu (or similar)**
*

Day 4

The Classic Inca Trail is a tangential branch part of a 45,000km road network
linking the whole empire to Cuzco. It was built in the 15th Century to reach
Machu Picchu but was abandoned soon after the Spanish conquest. American
adventurer, Hiram Bingham travelled along the trail when he came across Machu
Picchu in 1911. The trail opened to the public in 1970.

This morning we follow a track beside the river (45 minutes) to the start of
the Inca Trail at Piscacucho, commonly known as Km82. After greeting our
trekking crew, we show our passports at the checkpoint and begin the Inca
Trail trek. The trail runs alongside the Vilcanota River beneath the
impressive snow-capped Nevado Veronica, passing through cactus gardens and
fields of corn until we reach the enormous Inca ruins of Llactapata, where we
continue up a side valley to camp near the hamlet of Huayllabamba.

*Walk Profile: approx. 11km / 6-7hrs walking*

*Full-service Camping - Huayllabamba Camp*

*Inca Trail - Meals Included: /breakfast lunch dinner/*

Day 5

This is the longest and most strenuous day. A long climb (largely up stone
staircases) takes us first through an area of cloud forest to the meadows of
Llulluchapampa, then over the Warmihuañusca (Dead Woman's) pass, at 4215m
the highest point on the trek. After quite a long, steep descent we camp in
the scenic valley of the Pacamayo River (3600m).

*Walk Profile: approx. 10km / 6-7hrs walking*

*Full-service Camping - Pacamayo Camp*

*Inca Trail - Meals Included: /breakfast lunch dinner/*

Day 6

We start the day with an easier climb which takes us past the ruins of
Runquracay and over the Runquracay Pass (3930m). From now on the Inca Trail
becomes a clearly defined path made of flat boulders. We pass the ruins of
Sayajmarca and suddenly enter rainforest; at one point the trail passes
through an Inca tunnel. We camp at a spectacular campsite on the ridge above
the Inca site of Phuyupatamarca (3680m) to benefit from the views of sunset
and sunrise.

*Walk Profile: approx. 12km / 5-6hrs walking*

*Full-service Camping - Phuyupatamarca Camp*

*Inca Trail - Meals Included: /breakfast  lunch  dinner/*

Day 7

From the ridge, we embark on the infamous Inca steps: a two-kilometre stone
staircase taking us rapidly downhill amid a panorama of overwhelming
immensity, with the peaks of the Vilcabamba range above, and the river
thousands of metres below. After visiting the attractive ruins of Wiñay
Wayna, we have an undulating walk through cloud forest high above the river
to Inti Punku, the Sun Gate. From here we get our first full sight of Machu
Picchu itself, with Huayna Picchu rising behind.

Traditionally busy with groups of trekkers clamouring for photos, we plan our
arrival at Inti Punku later in the day so we can enjoy unobstructed views of
the magnificent ruins. Whilst most groups choose to visit Machu Picchu today,
we'll pass around the edge of the ruins and exit the site, descending to
Aguas Calientes for a well-earned rest, a shower and a comfortable bed for
the night. Our trekking permits allow us one entry into the site, which we
use for our tour tomorrow when we are refreshed and more able to enjoy it.

There is usually time for an optional visit to the hot springs in Aguas
Calientes, however, in recent years they have become over-crowded and the
water quality can suffer as a result. We will be reunited with those who have
been on the Moonstone Trek at the hotel this afternoon.

*Walk Profile: approx. 9km / 6-7hrs walking*

*Hotel Casa Andina, Aguas Calientes (or similar)*

*Inca Trail - Meals Included: /breakfast lunch/*

Day 8

In order to beat the day-trippers arriving from Cuzco and reach the ruins as
early as possible, a very early start is required to queue for Machu Picchu;
only government-registered buses can make the 30-minute drive up the winding
road to the site entrance and during high season (May-October) queues can be
hours long. 

Machu Picchu is one of the architectural and engineering marvels of the
ancient world and what makes it all the more dramatic is its mountain
backdrop of staggering immensity. The Spaniards never found it, the Incas
left no records of it, and so Machu Picchu remained a great enigma, a city
lost for centuries in the jungle until it was rediscovered in 1911 by the
American historian Hiram Bingham. 

New regulations for visiting Machu Picchu are now fully enforced; of the
three possible visiting slots, we will purchase the morning slot from 06:00
until 12:00 (unless unavailable), you will be limited to a maximum of four
hours within the site and must be accompanied by a guide. There will also be
three set routes to follow around Machu Picchu; we select the most
comprehensive route. 

We catch an afternoon train back to Ollantaytambo (1hr 30 mins) and continue
by private bus to Cuzco (2hrs 30 mins).

*Hotel San Agustin Plaza / Eco Inn (or similar)*
*
*

Day 9

For land only travellers, the trip ends in Cuzco after breakfast today. Those
who are travelling on the group flights will be taken to Cuzco airport this
morning for your domestic flight to Lima where you will connect with your
overnight international flight to London.

Day 10

The group flights arrive into London this afternoon.
**