Day 1: Cusco – KM 82 – Llactapata

Today begins with an early morning pick-up from your hotel at 06:00 a.m., and a bus journey to KM 82 which is the starting point of our walk. To help you settle in to the trek, we will slowly make our way along the banks of the Urubamba River where we’ll have great views of the snow-capped mountain, Veronica (5900m/19000ft) and we’ll come across a variety of native plants and birds. Before heading to our main destination and campsite, Llactapata (Patallacta), we’ll visit a small Inkan fortress called Vilca Raccay that is just off the main trail.

Llactapata (2650m/8692ft) receives fewer visitors as it is not on the main Inka Trail, but as we will be going at a more relaxed pace, we will be able to enjoy the peace and tranquility of this beautiful site.

Day 2: Llactapata – Llulluchapampa

Today is another relatively easy day. Most groups would be powering ahead along the Inka Trail and would be heading over Dead Woman’s Pass, the highest point on the trek and one of the hardest and longest climbs on the trail. Instead, we’re going to take things at a more leisurely pace and our goal for today is a campsite at 3800m/12460ft just before the pass, Llulluchapampa. This breaks up the hardest stretch so that we’ll complete it in two days, making the climb significantly easier.

On the way to Llulluchapampa, we’ll once again go off the beaten track to visit the least visited of all the sites on the Inka Trail, the Inka fort of Paucarcancha. As we climb up to Llulluchapampa, we’ll pass through various bio-zones including the low sierra, cloud forest and the high puna (high sierra). There are many opportunities to see a variety of plants and birdlife, and if we are lucky we may also spot a White-Tailed Deer.

Day 3: Llulluchapampa – Phuyupatamarca

Today is our longest day, with two high passes to cross. Luckily for us, we’ll be very close to the first pass and once we’ve reached the second, the walking becomes easier with the path flattening out. We will see some of the best views from the trail today, with snow-capped peaks, beautiful scenery and cloud forest all around us. We’ll also visit two Inka sites: Runcuraccay and Sayacmarca.

Our campsite for tonight is at Phuyupatamarca (3680m/12073ft) and from there we’ll get our first views of Machu Picchu mountain far in the distance (the site itself is hidden from view). The sunset views from this quiet campsite are fantastic.

Day 4: Phuyupatamarca – WiñayWayna – Machu Picchu

Today is all about the Inkas. We will visit 3 major sites: Phuyupatamarca, Intipata and WiñayWayna, before arriving to Machu Picchu itself later in the day. With only a short distance left to cover, you’ll have the opportunity to look around these sites in detail and learn more about Inkan culture and Machu Picchu in preparation for your visit tomorrow. The area around these sites is rich in wildlife, and with only a handful of people on this stretch of the trail at this time of day, it is the perfect opportunity to try and spot some of the more elusive species.

The final stretch of the Inka Trail is completely deserted this time of day, so our arrival to Machu Picchu via the Sun Gate or Inti Punku, will be perfectly timed. With good light and very few tourists around, we can get some great photos of the citadel from a distance before continuing down. After we arrive at Machu Picchu, we’ll head down to Puente Ruinas (the campsite near Aguas Calientes) to be greeted by our porters for our last night camping together. We’ve made it!

Day 5: Machu Picchu

Waking up early, we’ll take the first bus back up to Machu Picchu to enter the site as it opens. We’ll have a 2-hour guided tour of the site during which you’ll learn about the Inkas and visit all the most important areas of the citadel. After your tour you’ll have some free time to explore the site by yourself and if you have permits, to climb either Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu mountain. In the afternoon you will take the train back to Ollantaytambo, and then the bus back to Cusco.