INCA TRAIL - 5 days
The Inca Trail – 5 Days is a trek for those people that like to observe with detail the landscape and scenic views of the Trail. In the same way that our Classic Inca Trail – 4 Days. The whole trek is 44 Km. However, one of the main difference is that besides the number of days, this trek is recommended for our passengers that want to take more time to explore the Inca trail and do so in a much slower pace. The walking time per day in average is 5-6 hours. Our trekkers will enter Machu Picchu using Old Inca Trail and visiting the smaller Inca ruins that are located along the way. This trekking is suitable for those passengers who plan to stay in Cusco for 1 week or longer. Couples that want to have a personal experience with nature, groups of friends and alone travelers that want to enjoy the nature and the challenge are some of our trekkers on this route.
What’s included
1. Wayki Experience (optional). In you have time and are interested, we can visit the porter community to meet their families and learn about their customs and traditions and spend the night with them.
- Visit to the porter community
- One night in the community in a tent or bed of one of the local families.
- Meals (1 dinner and 1 breakfast on the second day)
- Local transportation to the community.
This is a free activity for travelers who book their hike at least 30 days beforehand. For bookings within 30 days, the Wayki Experience costs $40.00 USD per person.
2. A briefing one day before your hike. Here, we’ll give you all the necessary information about the hike and answer any questions you may have.
3. Entrance permits to the Inca Trail, Machu Picchu and Huaynapicchu mountain. Once we have received confirmation of your reservation and your deposit, we’ll immediately apply for your permit at the Ministry of Culture (the institution which regulates the Inca Trail) to ensure that there is enough space for you and the necessary porters. We can also reserve tickets for either Machu Picchu Mountain or Wayna Picchu at the same time (note that these are optional and have an additional cost. See “Not Included” below
4. Field Staff:
- Professional Guides: specialized in trekking and selected from accredited universities. Our guides are fluent in English and have five to twelve years of experience in different hikes of the region. They are skilled at managing groups under pressure and are experts at first aid and rescue techniques. The majority of them come from different Andean communities and bring with them their cultural heritage. Along with the rest of the field team, our guides will make your journey a unique experience.
- Chefs: Trained in local gastronomy schools, they are experts in modern Andean cooking, traditional Peruvian meals, international food styles and vegetarian cooking. They have deep knowledge of the nutritional properties of their meals and are experts at cooking as quickly as possible. And all of this, of course, with a strong emphasis on hygiene and food safety during preparation.
- Porters: Responsible for carrying all the group gear and your 8kg (17.6lb) of personal items. They come from various rural communities from the Cusco region, where they still maintain their local customs and traditions. (If you decide to come on the Wayki Experience, you’ll get to experience these first hand.) We provide them with accident insurance during the trek and with suitable clothing that allows them to work in comfort. Our porters are also hosts responsible for making your journey an unforgettable experience.
Camping Equipment
- Tents: These are 4-season, high mountain tents from the brands North Face, Eureka, and Mountain Hardwear. They can withstand harsh winter weather, including heavy rain and snow.
- Sleeping Mats: Our inflatable Thermarest mattresses guarantee a warm, comfortable night’s sleep on the trail.
- Sleeping Bags: We use down sleeping bags rated to -10 Celsius (14 Fahrenheit) to ensure a warm night’s sleep.
- Dining Tent: Our spacious dining tent, complete with chairs and a table, gives us all the room we need to enjoy our meals no matter the weather outside.
- Cooking Tent: Comes with all the equipment necessary for our chef to prepare your meals (gas stove and all food prep utensils).
- Bathroom Tents: These tents have toilets with water pumps, and we’ll set them up at all our lunch spots and campsites.
5. Meals: 4 breakfasts, 4 morning snacks, 5 lunches, 4 afternoon snacks, 4 dinners.
We’ll have variety of food throughout the hike, all of which will be loaded with the protein, vitamins and carbohydrates to give you the energy that you’ll need on the hike.
Breakfasts: Fruit salad, yogurt, oatmeal, chocolate, milk, coffee, tea, pancakes, scrambled eggs, bread and butter.
Morning Snacks: Fresh and dried fruit, crackers, and sweets (chocolate, other candy)
Lunches: Buffet-style, with soup, 2-4 different main dishes, desserts and hot drinks. The mains will include Peruvian classics, such as lomo saltado (stir-fried beef with rice and French fries) and aji de gallina (mildly spicy, creamy chicken pure), among other options. We can also make vegetarian options.
Afternoon snacks: Popcorn, crackers, coffee, chocolate, milk, and a variety of teas.
Dinners: Soups, chicken, pasta.
Water: We’ll provide you with boiled water every day of the hike, from lunch onwards.
6. Transportation
- From Cusco or the Sacred Valley to the trailhead at Km. 82 in a Mercedes Benz minibus.
- A bus from Machu Picchu down to Puente ruinas campsite (last night).
- Round trip bus from Campsite to Machupicchu and to Aguas Calientes town.
- Return train ticket (Expedition class) from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo after your visit to Machu Picchu.
- Bus from Ollantaytambo to your hotel in Cusco.
7. Biodegradable products: Personal hygiene products for our staff and clients, and soap for cleaning cooking and camping equipment.
8. Emergency Equipment.
- Satellite Telephones: Each one of our groups carries a satellite telephone at all times to communicate with our office in case of emergency or for clients to use in case they have a personal emergency in whatever part of the world.
- Radios: These have a 10km range and 8 frequencies for our guides, chefs and porters to communicate amongst themselves. Additionally, the radios can be used to communicate with the Machu Picchu and Inca Trail park guards in case of emergency.
- Medical assistance by satellite calling: Our guides are very well trainned in first aids but Keep in mind that only a medical professional can write up a medical prescription. Our guides are not allowed to prescribe a treatment for our clients. Is For this reason, we implemented a Doctor’s assistance on the way by sateilite phone calling in case any medical Emergency.
NOT INCLUDED
- Breakfast on the first day and lunch on the fifth day.
- Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu mountain ($75.00)
- Tips – These are VOLUNTARY. Each traveler may decide for him or herself whether to give one.
- Travel Insurance: This is not a requirement, but we always recommend that our clients purchase it in case there are problems with their flights or unexpected health problems come up. Be aware if your travel insurance policy has altitude restrictions: some policies are void above 4,000m (13,123ft), and the Inca Trail goes as high as 4,200m. Other hikes in the Cusco region may go as high as 5,000m.
