Inka Trail 4 days

The Inka Trail is the most popular trek in the Andes and most famous in the world. What makes it so special is its richness and diversity - Inka sites, unforgettable views, snowy mountains and junglecloud forests where the exotic vegetation includes one hundred varieties of Orchids. This trek presents extraordinary ecological variety.

MACHU PICCHU itself cannot be fully understood without the experience of the Inka Trail. Its principle sites are ceremonial in character, apparently in ascending hierarchical order as you near the city. This Inka province was a unique area of elite access. The trail is essentially a work of spiritual art, like a gothic cathedral and walking the trail was an act of devotion. The four days of hiking covers about twenty-eight miles, starting at an elevation of 8,400 feet above sea level and ending at 7,800 feet. You must cross two high mountains passes with a maximum elevation of 13,700 feet. Trail conditions are generally good on this ancient byway. The guides are professional, knowledgeable, and English speaking. They can explain the significance and the history of the trail. We use excellent equipment and serve savory nutritional meals. The porters required to carry equipment for this trek are friendly, happy and helpful.

SIZE GROUP (03 people minimum and 08 people as maximum)

INCLUDED:

Private bus to trail head, entrances fee to the trails, Machupicchu entrance fee, camping equipment such as igloo, water proof and big tents (available in simple, double or triple), a kitchen tent manned by cooking staff, dining tent and a toilet tent as well provided, mattress, camping chairs, camping table. First-Aid Kit, oxygen, radio communications, sleeping mattress and tent for our porters) Complete Meals during trip, (breakfast is provided each day with the following available, “milk coffee tea coca tea, bread, butter and jam pancakes scrambled eggs, salad and oatmeal”, lunch is provided with typical Andean food. Dinner every day which includes Chicken, Beef or lamb, fish with Potatoes rice, pepper or other such main dishes. Snacks are provided (fruit chocolate candies or sandwiches). Also we have our famous tea–time which has buffet of teas, pop corn, and a wake up tea in your tent every morning), Professional English speaking guide, professional chef, porters (they bring all company equipment and food) , bus ticket from Machupicchu to Aguas-Calientes town (train station), and return train to Cusco in a tourism class train.

There is also the possibility to take part on the "WAYKI OPTION" (Available only with the 4days Inka Trail”, which means that you can participate on the life of our porters for one day (it is done a day before your Inca Trail begins). So, your trip lasts 5 days). You will visit the village where our porters live, you will see their activities and have opportunity to participate in their life per one day. So, you will be involved in their traditions, at night we go to their home where you will have delicious typical Peruvian food. That would be a very nice experience, it doesn’t increase your payment, it’s free. This is the only way to proof that we really have good relations with our porters and they are happy working with our company, some other companies doesn’t have good relation with their porters. And notice that we are the unique company who offers this kind of option in Peru.

Prices:

us $390.00 per adult

us $360.00 per student, (with valid student card).

Prices from march 2009

us $ 410.00 per student

EXCLUDED:

Sleeping bag, the last day lunch after visiting Machupicchu, (you can have your lunch at any of the many restaurants in Aguas Calientes), tips for porters and guide (customary tip completely up to you)
Items we suggest you should bring. Original passport, back pack, Warm clothes for the night, flashlight, insect repellent, sun block cream, water purifying tablets, raincoat, personal medical kit, toiletries and things you see useful in a trek.

WE TAKE SMALL GROUPS!!

Always a small group is better to keep walking together and enjoy the nature of the trail, there is a possibility to make friend and share experiences, interacting more closely with each other. Whereas, in larger groups (10 – 16) people it trend to split into factions. Moreover in larger groups trends to be a sizeable difference (often over one hour in a section of the trail) between the fastest and slowest member of the group. This makes it more difficult for the guides, cooks and porters to make their effective labors. In small groups, people are more likely to arrive at roughly the same time to hear the guide’s explanations. In larger groups they are more likely to arrive at different times and this will mean the faster ones waiting and becoming frustrated.

Small groups require less space in campsites and this enables the guide to select better locations. Larger groups are restricted in their choice. Also our porters are given the same food as the tourists. In larger groups agencies often provide inferior food for the porters. In small groups the guide, cook and porters have a more intimate relationship with the tourists and are better able to meet individual needs and attend to environmental issues such as waste disposal, contamination, etc. In larger groups there is less control.

The smaller the group the closer attention can be paid to health and safety issues, as the group will be together more of the time. Because of these reason in our standard service we take small groups, only in a group of friends and delegations we manage larger groups.

HOW TO BOOK:

To reserve the Inca Trail we need to send your personal information to the Inka Trail REGULATOR OFFICE, according to the Inka Trail regulation last disposition (the government makes the rule). The reservation has to be done until 4days before starting the trip at least. The entrance to the Inca Trail is restricted to protect the area to only of 500 people per day. (This means between the 4days and 2days Inka Trail) this means that if we consider all the tours guides, cooks, and our porters only 200 visitors can go for the Inka Trails in a day. Because of this reason It’s important for us to make a reservation before than availability are full, in the low season the availability gets full with couple weeks advanced, for the high season (June, July, august, September) gets full with 3 and 4 months advance, so we advice you to reserve as soon as possible to avoid missing spaces.

For a valid reserve, you only have to madeposit, and the remaining you have to pay at your arrival to Cusco in our office. For your reservation you have to send through e-mail the following: complete names, passport numbers, date of birth, nationality, gender and a money deposit of US $ 200.00 per person by the WESTERN UNION ke a prepayment ( http://www.westernunion.com/ ) the recipient name Gorki Dalens Paucar . Once done it you need to send the money transfer control number (MTCN), notice that only the complete details and the money deposit will proof your participle in any of our trips, this money deposit we use to buy your entrance fee to Machupicchu according the Inka Trail rules. If there are students, please send a scan of the student card through e-mail at the same reserving time (valid student cards are only the International ISIC cards, and also the college and high school student card if contains names, career university name and expiring date (send both sites). (Are not valid teachers card, youth travel card or). The student card gives you us$30 as a discount. In the 4days traditional trail.

ITINERARY:

DAY 1.- We will pick you up early from your hotel and we are going to trail head (82km), then we will begin our journey, the first part is easy but you'll enjoy visiting some inca sites like PATALLACTA where you'll appreciate the intact city with religious, astronomical and administrative functions in inca times,after visiting that place we will smell and have our typical lunch. A long the way we will see local communities and ascent slowly to semi-tropical valley with a lot of flora and fauna until arrive to our  firts campsite.

DAY 2: HUAYLLABAMBA – PACAYMAYO.

It is the famous day because we will ascent to the highest point of the inca trail (4200m).

After breakfast, we continue ascent gradually passing through different micro climates and ecological zones, the firts couple of hours we hike amongst abundant vegetation with trees of wild origen well known for the local people as the highest rain forest in the world, the next hours we will see the tipycal andean area with a lot of straw (ichu), perpetual snow on the mountain until arrive to highest point 4,200 m (warmi wañuscca) from there we will admire the chain snowed mountains called "cordillera de los andes part", beautifull deep valleys if we have a good luck we will see the flight of condors, you'll feel close to the sky, after having a short nap we descent through hilldown to our second campsite.

DAY 3: PACAYMAYO – WIÑAYHUAINA

It is the most interesting part where we will visit several inca cities, intact inca paths and cross the rainforest area with hundreds of orchids.

From Campsite we will walk up to RUNKURACCAY archeological site with astromical function, then we will continue to ascent to the second pass(3600m) from there we will see how the valley is opening to the rainforest,then we get down about 40 minute we arrive to nexth inca city SAYACMARCA with many misteries, PHUYUPATAMARCA with water fountains or temple of the water and WIÑAYWAYNA  known as  "forever young" because it was built for several centuries forever and ever .Last city is located near to our last campsite (close to machupicchu).

DAY 4: TO MACHUPICCHU.

It is the waiting day because we will visit one of the seven  modern wonders of the world.

Then, we will wake up very early (4.00am) after having breakfast we will hike to the SUN GATE where we will see the sunrise and the best view of Machupicchu where we will enjoy the magic landscape of the lost city of the incas.Our visit into machupicchu it will take around 2-3 hours of guiding tour after that you'll have free time and explore by yourself all the citadel. In the afternoon get down by bus to Aguas Calientes to take the train back to Cusco and transfer you to your hotel.   

More programs

More Inka Trail Programs: