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INKA TRAIL 4 days.
The Inka Trail is the most popular trail of
the Andes and one of the most famous in the
world. What makes this trail so special is
its rich culture and biodiversity. Along the
trail you can find Inkan sites, various
unforgettable landscapes from snow-covered
mountains to rainforests where the exotic
vegetation includes over 300 varieties of
orchids. You can also find many ecological
zones. Walking the Inka Trail will give you
the sense of the incredible history of the
most advanced ancient culture in South
America. To understand the significance of
the Inka Trail, it is important to learn
from indigenous people who still practice
the same traditions as the Inkas. The
descendants of the Inkas still live in
Andean communities today.
Availability
To protect the historic
trail, the number of people allowed to hike
the Inka Trail each day is limited to 500
(including hikers on the 2-Day and 4-Day
hike and all tourists, porters, cooks and
tour guides). For this reason, you should
reserve your spot as soon as possible.
Sometimes the spots are filled three to four
months in advance. To reserve the Inca
Trail, we need to send your personal
information to the Inca Trail Regulator
Office. This office needs all reservations
at least four days from the start of your
hike. Note that spots will fill more quickly
in the high tourist season (June through
September).
A NOTE ON GROUP SIZE
Wayki Trek is
committed to taking small groups because we
believe small groups make it easier to walk
together and enjoy nature on the trail at
your own pace. People are also more likely
to arrive to each checkpoint at nearly the
same time. In smaller groups, you will make
connections with people on your tour,
sometimes lasting for the duration of your
travels in Peru and onward.
Small groups
also require less space in campsites,
enabling the guide to select the best
location. Additionally, the cook and porters
are able to have closer relationships with
the tourists, can meet individual needs and
can more easily tend to environmental issues
such as waste disposal and contamination.
With a smaller group, your guide will also
be able to pay closer attention to personal
health and safety concerns.
WAYKI
EXPERIENCES
Something unique that
Wayki Trek offers is what we call
“WAYKI EXPERIENCES”. Only available if you
do the 4 or 5 -Day Inka Trail, you can spend
a night getting to know our porters that
will assist the group on the hike. We will
transport you and a guide the night before
you start the hike to a porter’s house in
the countryside to enjoy a typical Andean
meal and spend the night chatting with
locals. You will see a typical Andean
kitchen and learn ancient traditions. One of
Wayki’s priorities is sustaining good
relations with porters by providing them
with the same food as the tourists during
the trek and creating the “Wayki
Experiences” to connect the porters and
tourists. We are the only travel agency in
Peru that offers a similar experience.
INCLUDED SERVICES
-
Transportation from your hotel to the
start of the trail
-
Entrance
fee to the trail and MACHUPICCHU
-
Bus ticket
from MACHUPICCHU to AGUAS CALIENTES
where you will enjoy your last meal as a
group
-
Train
ticket back to CUSCO at the end of your
journey (backpacker class).
-
Camping
equipment such as an igloo, waterproof,
spacious tents, a kitchen tent manned by
a professional cooking staff, dining
tent and a toilet tent. We also provide
you with mattresses, camping chairs, and
a camping table. Our guides are equipped
and trained to use a First-Aid kit,
oxygen and a radio to communicate.
-
Complete
meals during the trip (you’ll never be
hungry!). When you wake up in the
morning, you will be greeted at your
tent by a selection of teas, as well as
soap and a bowl of warm water to wash
your face. Breakfasts include milk,
coffee, herbal, dark and coca tea, and a
combination of bread, butter and jam,
pancakes, scrambled eggs or oatmeal. For
lunch you will eat traditional Andean
food. Dinner includes chicken, beef or
lamb, fish with potatoes, pepper or
other main dishes. Snacks include fruit,
chocolate candies or sandwiches. We also
provide our famous teatime, which
includes a buffet of teas, popcorn and
other delicious goodies.
-
Accompanying you will be a professional
chef who grew up in the countryside as
well as several porters who will carry
the equipment from the company as well
as all of the food provided.
Additional Optional Services that are
included when you book the Inka Trail.
1.
The “Wayki Experience” where you can visit
the porters’ village.
2.
One night in our backpackers hostel before
or after your hike.
3.
Wayki’s kitchen and dining room to prepare
food.
4.
Wayki’s hot showers that are available at
any time of the day.
5.
A safe storage room to leave your backpacks
in Cusco.
6.
A tour of Cusco (city tour)
NOT INCLUDED:
-
sleeping
bag (you may rent a sleeping back from
our office)
-
Lunch on
the last day after visiting MACHUPICCHU.
-
Tips for
porters and guides.
-
Extra
Porters to carry personal things
Prices
and Discounts:
Adult: $480.00
Student: $450.00 when you show your
University student card with a correct
expiration date.
Children under seven years of age receive a
30% discount. Children between 7 and 15
years pay the student price but must show a
copy of their passport.
Groups of five people or more receive a $15
discount per person.
Members of the South American Explorer club
also receive a $10 discount.
HOW
TO BOOK
To reserve your spot on the trail with Wayki
Trek, each person must pay a deposit of
$200.00 and then pay the rest at our office
in Cusco two days before your trek beings.
To register, send an email with the
following information: complete names,
passport numbers, date of birth,
nationality, and gender. Let us know the
date you are looking to hike and we will
send you back the availability. To make the
deposit, use WESTERN UNION (http://www.westernunion.com/).
The recipient’s name is Gorki Dalens Paucar.
Once you have made the transaction, you will
need to send the money transfer control
number (MTCN). Notice that only the complete
details and the money deposit will prove
your participation in any of our trips.
Following Inca Trail laws and regulations,
we use the money deposit to buy your
entrance fee to MACHUPICCHU. To get the
student discount, please send us a scan of
both sides of your student card through
email at the time you wish to reserve your
spot. Valid student cards include the
International ISIC cards and college and
high school student cards that contain the
student’s name, institution and expiration
date.
Cancellations
a) Because
of the strict regulations of the Machupicchu
Park, once you have made your reservation,
you cannot cancel the space that you have
reserved. You also may not alter the name or
date of the reservation. If you are unable
to come on the date you have reserved, we
cannot reimburse you.
b)
We can return most of
your deposit only if you cancel 30 days or
more in advance. But, we cannot reimburse
the entrance fee to the Inka Trail because
Wayki purchases the tickets from Machupicchu
Park when you reserve your spot.
c) If
you cancel between 30 and 10 days before
your trek, you must pay 50% of the total
cost.
d) If
you cancel between 10 and 3 days before your
trek, you must pay 80% of the total cost.
e) If
you cancel one or two days before your trek,
you must pay 100% of the total cost.
f) In
the exceptional case that you decide to head
back once you have started the trail, you
must pay extra expenses such as food and
transportation. You may join the group in
Machupicchu for the walking tour and use all
of the services onward.
Important information
about your passport:
1. Once you have
reserved, Wayki must give your information
to Machupicchu Park. This information
includes your name, passport number,
nationality, gender and age. Everything
listed above must be the same upon arrival
to the start of the Inka Trail. It is very
important that you bring your original
passport for the park to verify your
information. If any of the information does
not match upon arrival, you may not be able
to start the trek.
2. In the case that your
passport number changes between reserving
your spot and the start of your trek, you
have two options. You may send us a copy of
the new passport at least ten days before
the start of your trek. The change costs $12
that you must pay to Machupicchu Park upon
arrival. The other option is to bring your
old as well as your new passport to the
start of the trail. This option will not
cost you anything.
3. If your information
does not coincide upon arrival to the Inka
Trail, Wayki may not be held responsible.
RECOMMENDED
PACKING LIST
-
original
passport
-
hiking
backpack
-
warm
clothes for the nighttime
-
flashlight or headlamp
-
insect
repellent
-
sun block
cream
-
water
purifying tablets
-
Canteen
for water
-
raincoat
-
personal
medical kit
-
personal
toiletries
ITINERARY:
DAY
1: START OF THE INCA TRAIL
We will pick you up in the early morning
from your hotel and take you in one of our
privately owned vehicles to the start of the
trail, stopping at a place to have breakfast
before beginning the trek. There, you will
begin the journey, warming up on the
relatively flat part of the trail. After two
hours, you will reach the first
archaeological center of PATALLACTA, where
we will appreciate the impressive
landscapes, flora and fauna. This site and
others will show the importance of this
valley in the context of Incan history.
After lunch, we will continue ascending to a
semi-tropical valley for two hours until
arriving at our camp, HUAYLLABAMBA, where we
will spend the night.
DAY 2: HUAYLLABAMBA – PACAYMAYO
After breakfast, we will start hiking early
on the morning of the second day, passing
through different climatic and ecological
zones. We will ascend to WARMIWAÑUSCA. We
will walk amongst abundant vegetation with
various types of trees. This pass is known
by many as the world’s highest cloud forest.
After the toughest part of the journey, an
ascent of nearly 5 hours, we will arrive at
the highest point, known to some as Dead
Woman’s Pass. From there, we will take a
well-deserved break and observe the beauty
of the deep valleys. If we’re lucky, we will
see the flight of the condors and will pass
among the thick clouds in the sky. After
this rest, we will descend towards our
second camp at PACAYMAYU.
DAY 3: PACAYMAYO – HUIÑAYHUAINA
From PACAYMAYU, we will climb steeply up the
opposite side of the valley wall, towards
the second pass. About halfway up lies a
small, round, roofless stone building. This
Incan ruin is known as RUNKURACAY, a
building thought to have been an
astrological site and a sort of checkpoint
for couriers following the trail to
MACHUPICCHU. After a short tour, we will
continue to ascend towards the second pass,
the Abra de RUNKURACAY. On the far side of
the pass, the trail descends towards a
valley and a shallow lake. At this point,
the trail changes from a dirt path to a
narrow stone roadway, containing the exact
stones that were in place when the Inca’s
walked the trail. The trail after the pass
leads to a second, larger Inca site,
SAYACMARCA (“Town in a Steep Place”). This
Incan ruin was built on a rock overlooking
the trail and is accessible only via a
single narrow stone staircase. On the left
of the staircase lies an overhanging rock
wall and on the right a sheer drop with
expansive vistas of the Peruvian
countryside. This site is roofless and
slightly overgrown, but the walls still
stand strong and the shape of the fortress
can easily be seen. We will also see a stone
aqueduct, which once carried water to the
farmlands. After touring SAYACMARCA, we will
descend to the valley floor. The roadway
takes the form of a long causeway leading
across what may once have been a shallow
lake. We will stop at this valley to enjoy
lunch. After lunch, you will begin to climb
again. At this point, you will pass through
interesting Incan structures, including a
tunnel that is eight meters long and wide
enough to allow humans and animals to pass
through. After this tunnel, we will reach
the third pass and enjoy the third Incan
site, PHUYUPATAMARCA ("Cloud-level Town").
We will learn about the ritual functions
that the Incan used this site for. Here we
will see baths that Incas bathed in before
they reached MACHUPICCHU. The highest bath
the reserved for the nobles, while the baths
lower down on the side of the structure were
used by the lower class. After this Incan
site, we will reach another one,
HUIÑAYHUAYNA, ("Forever Young"). At this
site, we will enjoy your dinner and settle
for the night.
DAY 4: MACHUPICCHU
On the last day of the trek, we will wake up
early and follow a wide, relatively flat
path. After about an hour and a half, we
will climb a narrow flight of stone steps
leading to INTIPUNKU, the sun gate. After
three and a half days of trekking, we will
look through the rectangular doorway of the
sun gate and take in your first views of
MACHUPICCHU. From there, we will descend
into MACHUPICCHU. There, your guide will
give a thorough, three-hour tour. Following
the tour, you will have time to yourself
before taking the bus to AGUAS CALIENTES and
having your last meal with the group.
Additional
options that you might need:
Extra
porter.-
Depending on your physical fitness, the
hike can be strenous. If you would like to
lessen your load, you can hire an extra
porter to carry your belongings. You can
either hire a porter to carry 8 kilos (18
pound) for $50 or a porter to carry 15 klos
(33 pounds) for ($95).
Included in this service is the porter’s
salary, entrance fee to Machupicchu and
food. If you decide to use this service, the
porter will carry your packs until Aguas
Calientes. You should reserve your extra
porter upon reserving the trek because the
extra porters are also considered a part of
the 500-person maximum on the trail.
Extra
Information:
Staying in
Sacred Valley: If you are staying in the
Sacred Valley instead of Cusco city, we will
still be able to pick you up from your
hotel. Please call us in advance and we will
be able to accommodate you.
Sleeping
bags and backpacks: Wayki considers
sleeping bags and backpacks personal items
that each tourist must carry on the trail.
If you do not have a sleeping bag you may
rent one in our office or at a nearby shop
in Cusco. In the office, we have two types
of sleeping bags, synthetic (-5ºC or 23ºF)
that cost $10 to rent and feather (-10ºC or
14ºF) that cost $15 dollars to rent.
Extra
night in Aguas Calientes: If you would
like to spend extra time in Aguas Calientes
before returning to Cusco, there are many
hotels that you can reserve before or when
you get there. Please let us know if you
plan to spend extra time in Aguas Calientes
so we can book the appropriate train ticket
to Cusco.
Extra day
in Machupicchu: If you want to spend an
extra day in Machupicchu after spending
another night in Aguas Calientes, you will
have to pay an additional entrance fee and
bus ticket to Machupicchu. You may want to
spend another day in Machupicchu to be able
to climb Waynapicchu Mountain that offers a
spectacular view. You may also wish to leave
from Aguas Calientes and hike mountain
Putucusi towards the mandorpampa valley
where you will find abundant flora and
fauna. especialmente se podra ver el gallito
de las rocas (What is this?) .
Train
reservations if you stay an extra night in
Aguas Calientes: If you plan to stay an
extra night in Aguas Calientes and tell
Wayki before we have made the train
reservations, you will not have to pay an
extra fee. In the case that you tell us
after we have already reserved your ticket,
the train company will charge you a fee to
change your ticket, varying in price based
on seat availability. If you choose to stay
in Aguas Calientes once you are already
there, you must change the train ticket at
the terminal. Fortunately, there are many
trains that leave at different times to
Ollantaytambo.
Walking sticks:
You may find walking sticks helpful on the
trek. The trail varies between valleys and
mountains, inclines and declines and about
70% of the trek consists of stairs. It is
not necessary to have a walking stick, but
if your knees tend to hurt when you walk for
long periods of time, you may find it
helpful. You may bring your own or rent one
in Cusco. At the start of the Inka Trail,
locals sell wooden walking sticks. We do not
recommend wooden sticks because they have
caused damage to the flora in the area.
Wayki recommends that you use aluminum ones
with protective covers on the point for
environmental reasons.
Banks and ATMs:
There are banks and ATMs in Aguas Calientes,
but the service fee to take out money can be
much higher. Many tourists find it best to
bring money from Cusco city.
Hot springs: You
may choose to take advantage of the hot
springs in Aguas Calientes. The entrance fee
to the hot springs is s/10 ($3). You may use
the hot springs after the trek, before you
take your train, or any available time you
might have in Aguas Calientes. If you wish
to go to the hot springs, you should bring a
bathing suit or rent one there.
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