Short Inca Trail

We will pick you up from your hotel in the early morning and take you to the train station. Your fully guided hike will begin at Km 104 of the Cusco-Machu Picchu railroad. During this beautiful short trek, you will experience spectacular high forest scenery dominated by snow-capped peaks, and there will be plenty of time to visit the picturesque Wiñay Wayna archaeological site.

You will have your first glimpse of Machu Picchu from the Sun Gate, or Intipunku, high above the Inca city. Forty minutes later, we will arrive at Machu Picchu, from where we will continue the descent to the small town of Aguas Calientes.

Traveling time:

Cusco–Poroy Train station (private vehicle): 13 kilometers / 8 miles (30 minutes)

Poroy –Km 104 of the railroad (train): 91 kilometers / 56.5 miles (3 hour 15 minutes)

Trekking distance:

9.3 kilometers / 5.8 miles (5-6 hours)

Altitude:

• Km 104: 2,201 meters / 7,219 feet.
• Wiñay Wayna: 2,665 meters / 8,743 feet.
• Intipunku: 2,693 meters / 8,833 feet.
• Machu Picchu: 2,460 meters / 8,071 feet.
• Aguas Calientes: 2,070 meters / 6,791 feet

Meals included: Box lunch.

Today will be devoted to your guided tour of Machu Picchu, the lost city of the Incas rediscovered in 1911. Our experienced and knowledgeable guide will escort you as you visit the site’s temples and palaces and explore its residential and agricultural areas.

Other options on this second day include scaling the mountain known as Huayna Picchu or visiting Machu Picchu Mountain, (subject to advance booking), before the return trip to Cusco by train.

Traveling time:

Machu Picchu – Poroy Train station (train): 99 kilometers / 61.5 miles (3.30 minutes)

Poroy Train station – Cusco (private vehicle): 13 kilometers / 8 miles (30 minutes)

Altitude:

• Aguas Calientes: 2,070 meters / 6,791 feet.
• Machu Picchu: 2,460 meters / 8,071 feet

Meals included: lunch.

The minimum number of participants for each group is 2. In the event that we do not reach the minimum number of persons required for a selected date, we will try to offer you an alternative trek date or refund your trek deposit in full. Andean Adventures Peru can operate with a single participant on a private tour basis (many of our clients choose to travel individually).

That depends on the availability of places on the Inca Trail. We cannot guarantee that once you have booked, your friends will also be able to do so. On certain dates during the high season, we recommend that groups of travelers who want to hike the Inca Trail should do so under a single booking. Refunds are not given for the Inca Trail, and so if your friends don’t manage to get a place on the same date, or if those who succeed in booking decide to cancel the trip, there will be no possibility of a refund.

There is no official restriction on the age limit for the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu or other treks in Peru. However, as a responsible trekking and hiking company we recommend that children under 9 years of age should not hike Inca Trail. 12 years is a better age to do the Inca Trail. Also, all children under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.

The maximum group size is 16 persons. For more than 16 persons, a second group must be organized. A single guide travels with 8 participants. For larger groups, an assistant guide will also accompany the participants.

If you are traveling alone and are willing to share a tent, with a member of the same sex or partner, family member or friend, then there is no additional cost. If, however, you would like your own private tent an additional supplement will be payable. Please contact us in advance, because this option will depend on the availability of spaces at the campsites designated by the Peruvian Ministry of Culture.

If you want to hire the services of an extra porter to carry your personal gear, then you must let us know at the time you make your booking for the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. By letting us know in advance, you ensure we will be able to organize the services of an extra porter for each day of the trek. If you make this request in Cusco just days before the start of your trek, the extra porter will only be able to accompany you during the first two days of the Inca Trail.

The Inca Trail is a 43-kilometer (25-mile) trek through a mountainous region, involving hiking for 5-7 hours a day at high altitude and over rough terrain. Make no mistake, the Inca Trail is a fairly difficult trek and you should be well prepared and healthy prior to starting it. You should be fit and exercise regularly before your trek. It is also important to be well acclimated before starting the trek. We recommend spending 2 or 3 days in Cusco (3400 meters / 11,154 feet above sea level) prior to starting the trek. If you do not take regular exercise or have a heart, respiratory, knee or back problem, do not consider doing the trek.

Both in Cusco and on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, days tend to be warm and nights cold. On the Inca Trail, from April through October, which is the dry season, the weather during the day is warm. During June, July and August nights can be cold, and a good four season sleeping bag is recommended. The rainy season runs from November through March. In February, which is the rainiest month of the year, the Inca Trail is closed for maintenance.

Use of plastic bottles on the network of Inca Trails to Machu Picchu is not permitted. Other treks do not have this restriction but we always recommend and encourage our travelers to use reusable canteens or second use plastic water bottles. Our cook will provide you with boiled water to refill your bottle at all the campsites.

All foodstuffs are purchased immediately before departure to guarantee freshness, and they are correctly packaged and handled by our trained staff to ensure food safety. We use cloth bags when making our purchases, rather than plastic. The produce is fresh and bought directly from local farmers. Also, we pack the produce in cloth bags and hermetic multiuse containers, avoiding the use of plastic in order to make our operations as green as possible.

You will need to carry your daypack with all the personal items you need during the day. The rest of your luggage will be transported by us (van / porters). Porters are only permitted to carry 8 kilos for each person (including sleeping bag). As a company, Andean Adventures Peru is committed to the well-being of its porters during treks, ensuring that they are properly paid, well fed, and comfortable at our campsites.