Green Toad Bus

1st Day: Cusco - Km. 82 - Wayllabamba Camp

You will be picked-up at your accomodation in Cusco very early, generally pick-up time is from 6.30 to 7am at the hostels. After a 3-hour bus ride and a 1-hour break in the town of Urubamba to get supplies, the bus arrives at Km 82 on the route to Machu Picchu. Every tourist has to register here at the checkpoint in order to start the trekking (you must have the passport you reserved the Inca Trail with and entered the country on). From here only 42 km over mountains, Andean valleys, rivers and tropical forets stretch between you and Machu Picchu. The first stretch is basically flat with easy ascents and takes barely 1 hour to cover. The trek goes on after lunch by descending and ascending a canyon. Later on, from the top of the hill, the ruins of Llactapata citadel come into view. The trails winds down to enter the valley of the Kusichaca river, from where a light climb gets you to the camp at Wayllabamba. Up to this point, it´s a 2-3 hour hike since lunch. The camp lies 3 000 m high and it´s cold at night. After dinner and before going to sleep, it´s a good chance to look at the stars. On clear nights, it´s possible to see most of the Milky Way, some constellations like Orion´s Belt and if lucky a shooting star.

2nd Day: From Wayllabamba Camp to Paqaymayo Camp

Wake-up calls begin around 6am for breakfast and packing. The second day is considered by far the most difficult, due to the 1,200 m ascend to the highest point on the trail, the Warmiwañusca pass or "Dead Woman´s Pass" at 4,200 m. This stretch usually takes from 4 to 5 hours. Once there, it´s recommended to take a break and wear thick clothes, for it´s generally cold. Don´t forget to bring warm clothes for this pass!

Once through the pass, the trails head down for 2 hours to the next camp. However, some groups take lunch midway to have a break and others do it at the camp in Paqaymayo, where we stay overnight. This way, almost the whole afternoon is devoted to rest.

3rd Day: From Paqaymayo Camp to Wiñaywayna Camp

This is the most interesting day, besides being the longest. It begins with a 1 and a half hour ascend to the Runkurakay pass, located at 3,950 m. There´s a stop at an ancient Inca checkpoint on the way, as well as at a lagoon where deer often drink from. After this pass the trail basically goes down. Other four ruins lie along the way to be visited: the first is Sayacmarca, which during Inca days was also a checkpoint for the trails leading into Machu Picchu. The hike continues on to Phuyupatamarca, where groups do lunch and visits the ruins here. From this moment the ascend is pretty steep and difficult, for it mainly consists of steps. Finally, we make it to the ruins at Intipata, a complex of terraces built halfway on a mountain slope, covered by dense vegetation. The trail leads to the camp at Wiñaywayna which offers rest, a shower and a cold beer. Once settled, we could visit the ruins of Wiñaywayna, similar to those of Intipata, but way more impressive.

4th day: From Wiñaywayna Camp to Machu Picchu

This starts earlier than normal, since 5:30am is the time to start towards Machu Picchu. The flashlights will come in handy, it´s still dark at this hour and the trail is rather narrow. In one and a half hours, we arive at Inti Punku or "The Sun Gate", from where it´s possible to admire for the first time the majestic Inca city of Machu Picchu. From here it´s only 30 minutes to your guided tour of Peru's most famous Inca ruins.

The Tour of Machu Picchu will take around 2 hours, and then you have free time to explore the site more, or head to the town of Aguas Calietes to soak in hotsprings or walk around the shops and restuarants (your bus ticket to Aguas Calientes is included). Then it is back to Cusco via the train on the comfortable backpacker class.

• TRANSPORTATION TO THE START OF THE INCA TRAIL
•  PORTERS TO CARRY ALL CAMPING EQUIPTMENT 
•  FULL SERVICES OF PORTERS TO ERECT TENTS & PERFORM GENERAL DUTIES AROUND THE CAMP SITES.
•  A COOK TO PREPARE ALL MEALS & RELATED TASKS.
•  MEALS, SOME SNACKS, AFTERNOON TEA & HOT DRINKS (From lunch on day 1 until breakfast on day 4)
•  GUIDED TOUR OF ALL ARCHAELOGICAL SITES DURING THE FOUR DAY TREK AS WELL AS MACHU PICCHU.
•  ALL NESSESARY CAMPING EQUIPTMENT, COOKING AND DINING TENT, CAMP STOOLS & ROLL MATS.
•  DRINKING WATER EN ROUTE (Boiled)
•  ENTRY TICKET TO INCA TRAIL & MACHU PICCHU
•  RETURN TRAIN TO CUSCO (BACKPACKER CLASS)
•  FULL SERVICES OF AN ENGLISH SPEAKING GUIDE THROUGHOUT THE INCA TRAIL.
•  BUS FROM MACHU PICCHU TO AGUA CALIENTES.
• DUFFLE BAG

•  DRINKS ON INCA TRAIL (Water, Sodas, Beer)
•  TIPS TO PORTERS, COOKS, ASSISTANT GUIDES AND GUIDE (100 Soles,  If possible in small denominations.) Believe us, they earn it!
•  SLEEPING BAG 
•  LUNCH ON DAY 4 OF THE INCA TRAIL in Agua Calientes, prior to returning to Cusco
•  WE RECOMEND that you take along approximately 150 - 200 soles in small denominations.

• PASSPORT
• SLEEPING BAG
• WATER PROOF CLOTHING.
• PLASTIC BAGS or something similar to place your belongings in to keep everything dry.
• TOILET PAPER. (Very important)
• BASIC PERSONAL TOILETRIES.
• WATER BOTTLE. 
• WARM CLOTHING FOR COLD NIGHTS. (Fleece, long pants, woollen hat, gloves) 
• SPARE UNDERWEAR & SOCKS.
• PERSONAL MEDICATION
• CAMERA & BATTERIES
• SNACKS (Chocolates, chips, biscuits, energy bars.)
• TORCH / FLASH LIGHT (Very Important) and spare batteries.
• RE-HYDRATION SATCHELS
• BASIC FIRST AID KIT (Band-aids, Imodium, panadol)
• SUNSCREEN, SUNGLASSES, HAT & MOSQUITO REPELLANT.
• WALKING CLOTHES IN LAYERS. I.e.: - (zip off pants, fleece etc.)

The Inca Trails begins at Km 82 from Cusco City in the direction towards Machu Picchu. It covers a 39 km distance.

Climate is rather varied along the trek. During the day, it´s generally sunny and dry (first two days), but a bit humid on the third and fourth days. At night, it´s cold at the first two camps, but it changes to temperate at the third camp. The wet season starts at the end of November and goes through to March. This makes trekking more difficult, but the landscapes benefit from the rain.

Scenery and landscapes gradually change along the trail. The landscape reflects Andean features like steep snow-topped mountains, forests and creeks during the first two days. In turn, vegetation goes more tropical on the third day, ressembling a rain forest. Llamas, hawks, lizards and an occasional deer may be seen along the hike.

See our inca trail map in our package page

For thousands of years, South American civilizations developed themselves apart from the rest of the world. The last of these people were the Incas, who extended over the territories of Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina,  placing their political center in Peru. As the Romans did, the Incas produced monumental stone buildings, as well as an extensive network of paved roads to link the farthest corners of their vast Empire. Many of them have recently been re-discovered and cleared, such as the Inca Trail, allowing modern man to admire the best example of the routes trodden by the first Spainish invaders, who couldn´t help but praise every inch of these ancient trails.

The Inca Trail served as a pilgrimage route to Machu Picchu, trekked by the Inca King himself in the 15th century. It wasn´t intended for commercial purposes, as there were other easier trails to carry products, llamas and people to Machu Picchu. The purpose of the Inca Trail was religious and ceremonial, a pilgrimage that included rituals for worshiping the mountains along the route, and along the way you can visit ceremonial centres such as Verónica and Wakaywilka. On the Inca Trail you will overcome high snow-covered peaks, and then sneak down into the jungle, where access grows difficult by the minute, and it is right here where the Sacred City of Machu Picchu rests.