4-Day Inca Trail Hiking Tour to Machu Picchu via Dead Woman's Pass

• We will start the 4-day Inca Trail hike by picking you up at your hotel at 05:30 AM and driving from Cusco to Ollantaytambo, then onward to Km 82. Here, we will register to enter the classic Inca Trail and meet all the staff members who will trek with us.
• From Km 82, begin a gentle 2-hour hike until we arrive at our first Inca site, Will Raccay, and the enormous Patallacta, an ancient Inca checkpoint on the approach to Machu Picchu. From Patallacta, continue with another 2-hour hike to our lunch stop.
• After lunch, hike for another 2.5 hours until we reach the first night's campsite at Ayapata (3,300 meters). On this last stretch, we pass through two small communities. If you want to buy energy drinks or snacks, you can do so here. You can also buy essential items, such as batteries you may have forgotten.
• Arrive at our campsite by 5:00 PM. After settling in for a bit, you can relax and enjoy a hot drink and snack with your team of porters, chef, and guide. By 7:30 PM, dinner will be ready, and afterwards, you can get some well-deserved rest.

Walking Distance - 14 km / 8.7 miles

Campsite Elevation - 3,850 meters / 12,631 feet

Difficulty Inca Trail Hike Day 1: Moderate

Max. elevation: Ayapata 3,850 meters / 12,630 feet

Min. elevation: Starting Point (Km 82) 2,350 meters / 7,709 feet

Meals: Lunch & Dinner (plus snack and afternoon tea)

Accommodation: Camping

Weather: Warm and windy

• Drink coca tea in the morning to acclimatize to the high altitude. Soon after, enjoy a hearty breakfast prepared by the trail chef. With this energy, start the second day's adventure. Hike the Inca Trail for around 4 hours to the highest pass of the trek, Dead Woman's Pass (4,215 meters / 13,829 feet). On reaching the pass, stop for a short break to enjoy the views before setting off again to descend into the next valley, Pacaymayu Valley - Hidden River. It is another hour and a half down the side of the valley to our lunch spot.
• After lunch, begin ascending again to the second pass of the trek. It is a 2-hour climb to the pass, and along the way, stop at a small Inca site, Runcu Raccay, and see two huge waterfalls cascading down the opposite side of the valley. After the second pass, continue with another hour of downhill hiking to reach the magnificent Inca site of Sayacmarca, an otherwise inaccessible village.
• Stop here for a rest, enjoy a quick tour of the site, and then watch the sunset over the Vilcabamba mountain range. It is then just another 20 minutes until we stop for the night at our second campsite, Chaquicocha (3,600 meters / 11,811 feet). After dinner, if you're not too exhausted, we can do some stargazing and point out the fascinating Inca constellations. In the magnificent Southern Hemisphere sky, away from all the artificial lighting, this is truly something to behold.

Walking Distance: 16 km / 9.94 miles (7-8 hours)

Campsite Elevation: 3,600 meters / 11,811 feet

Difficulty Inca Trail Hike Day 2: Moderate to Challenging

Max. elevation: Dead Woman's Pass 4,215 meters / 13,829 feet

Min. elevation: Pacaymayu Valley 3,300 meters / 10,826 feet

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner (plus snack and afternoon tea)

Accommodation: Camping

Weather: Cold and rainy

• Begin hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu early, waking up at 6:30 AM to start what is commonly considered the most beautiful day of the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu tour. Hike for two hours and begin to enter the jungle known as the Cloud Forest.
• Towards the end of the Inca flats, make your way up to the last peak at Phuyupatamarka (3,600 meters). From there, enjoy great views overlooking the Urubamba River.
• Take a 3-hour walk down a flight of steps from Phuyupatamarka to the last campsite, close to Wiñay Wayna (Forever Young). Wiñay Wayna is the most spectacular Inca site on the Peru Inca Trail tour after Machu Picchu and the most popular campsite because of its proximity to Machu Picchu.

Walking Distance: 10 km / 6.2 miles (5 hours)

Campsite Elevation: 2,600 meters / 8,530 feet

Difficulty Inca Trail Hike Day 3: Moderate

Max. elevation: Phuyupatamarka 3,600 meters / 11,811 feet

Min. elevation: Wiñay Wayna 2,600 meters / 8,530 feet

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner (plus snack and afternoon tea)

Accommodation: Camping

Weather: Warm and very humid

• Wake-up time is at 3:30 AM. Eat breakfast at 4:00 AM and wait at the checkpoint to be among the first to start trekking when the gates open at 5:30 AM. We'll wave goodbye to our porters and chef team, and then it's "Forward On" to the Sun Gate (Inti Punku). We will have spectacular views of the mountains and Machu Picchu in all its glory.
• Walk downhill for an hour and enter the hidden Royal Citadel of the Incas. Here, we will have a 2-hour guided tour through this incredible ancient city to visit temples, terraces, palaces, priests' houses, the sundial, the industrial sector, and the farming fields. Be amazed at the Incas' engineering ingenuity, which was far ahead of its time and still partially a mystery today. Without modern tools or even steel and iron to work with, the people who built this city were geniuses at organizing this community sustainably and beautifully on the side of a mountain, even bringing water in canals through its streets for the people to use.
• After this tour, you are free to explore by yourself.
• Another option is walking to see the Incan Bridge. You can stay and enjoy this magical city for as long as you need before taking the bus down to the town of Aguas Calientes. If you leave before the train, you will be able to have lunch, visit the hot springs, and walk around the town and the artisan market.
• At 16:22 hrs (subject to availability), take the train to Ollantaytambo. A private bus will pick up our group and drop you off at your hotel in Cusco at about 20:00 hrs. Rest your feet and body now, but we assure you your heart will still be soaring for weeks and years.

Considered: The most exciting and magical day (early wake-up 3:30 AM)

Area: High Cloud and Subtropical Forest

Meals: Breakfast

Weather: Hot and very humid (bring lots of water)