Inca Trail Trek 5D

Accommodation

• Tent: 2 people in a 4-person tent, allowing for greater comfort and backpack storage!
• Basic foam mattress. If you would like greater comfort during the trek we can rent you an inflatable mattress. See Optional Extras & Upgrades below.
• 1 night accommodation in Aguas Calientes in a Standard Hotel. This will be a nice, clean and safe hotel with breakfast included and private bathroom. You can also upgrade to a higher quality hotel.

Meals

• Dining tent with camp tables and chairs, and kitchen tent for the cook to prepare meals
• Cook and cooking equipment, plus assistants for larger groups.
• Meals as indicated in the itinerary. Our professional cooks prepare a combination of traditional Peruvian and Western cuisine. Talk to your guide if you have certain preferences! Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options available. When served, salads are washed in boiled water.
• Boiled water to drink on the hike (which you can carry in your own reusable water bottle)
• Filtered water provided during the drive on the first day
• Dinner in Aguas Calientes.
• Lunch on the last day.

Transport

• Collection from your hotel on the morning of the Inca Trail Trek departure
• Private transport from Cusco to the trailhead and return at the end of the trek
• Bus between Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu
• Train ticket (Expedition service) from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo
• Private transport from Ollantaytambo to Cusco.

Trekking Team

• English/Quechua/Spanish speaking professional guide, plus an assistant guide for groups over 8
• Porters, who carry camping equipment, food and kitchen utensils. We provide duffel bags at your briefing for your personal items (up to 7kg/15lbs per person). If you wish to take more, you can hire a personal porter. Please contact us for costs.
• Tents, sleeping bags and mattresses for our staff to sleep in, plus a budget for their meals

Safety

• First aid kit including emergency oxygen bottle

Additional

• Pre-trek briefing
• Inca Trail Permit
• Entry to Machu Picchu

Meals

• Breakfast on the first morning
• Dinner on the last night

Equipment

• Sleeping bags. Available for rent if you don’t have one with you.
• Toilet tent is not included on Inca Trail routes because we use facilities provided by the Ministry of Culture.

Other

• Tips for the guide, cook and muleteers
• Flights to/from Cusco
• Travel Insurance
• Entrance to the hot springs
• Entrance to Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain

Equipment Available for Rent

• Porter to carry your own things
• Sleeping Bag suitable for -5˚C
• Deluxe sleeping bag suitable for -15˚C
• Light-weight aluminum walking stick. Two sticks are recommended for tough hikes.
• Thermarest inflatable mattress
• Thermarest inflatable pillow

Service Upgrades

• Single-occupancy tent supplement
• Comfort Camping Upgrade
• Aguas Calientes Hotel Upgrade
• If you’d like more flexibility in your return travel to Cusco, consider upgrading to the Vistadome train (Executive Class) for an extra $35 per person.
  This upgrade must be requested at time of booking.

Optional Activities

• Extra Day at Machu Picchu
• If you’d like to hike Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain , let us know at the time of booking as it requires a separate permit.

Important!

• When calculating the cost of renting equipment, calculate using the length of the entire trip, not just the number of trekking days.
• Please be careful with rented equipment! You are responsible for the cost of replacement if something is damaged or broken.
• Any upgrades or trip extensions must be requested at time of booking.

• A fleece or down jacket is an essential item at this elevation;
• Hiking trousers with zip off shorts are a good idea, as day time temperatures can be quite warm, yet temperatures plummet as soon as the sun goes down. You can supplement these with leggings or thermals to wear underneath;
• A rain poncho or waterproof jacket is also important. It can rain or even snow at certain times of the year!;
• Water-resistant trekking boots are advisable. The trail on this hike can sometimes be muddy and wet, so we also recommend to bring extra socks!;
• A warm sleeping bag, rated to -15°C (5°F). If you prefer, you can rent one from us;
• A headlamp or torch;
• A high factor (SPF) sunscreen, a sun cap and sunglasses. The sun can be really strong, especially in dry season. Sun protection is essential!;
• A small daypack to carry your necessary items for each day’s hiking.

Our guides are all licensed and receive regular training. They share their experience, professionalism, knowledge and enthusiasm with our passengers on every trek.

Get to know our team!

General Information about hiking with Apus Peru

• Each guide has their own preferred route and so the route you trek might not correspond exactly to the route described here.
• The times cited in this itinerary are approximate. Walking times depend on the group, and the guide may change lunch spots and campsites, depending on the progress of the group.

Specific Information About Hiking the Inca Trail Trek 5D

• The Inca Trail is not open in February
• “Relaxed” does not mean “easy”. The 5D Inca Trail Trek goes at a slower pace with shorter hiking days, but the route is still challenging. You must be fit and in good physical health to do this trek!
• Campsites or itinerary are subject to change, depending on the time of booking and availability of campsites. The Ministry of Culture, the government institution responsible for operating the Inca Trail, allocates campsites to authorized trekking companies on a first-come, first-served basis, and so we cannot guarantee that all campsites described in this itinerary will be available when you book.

Booking Your Inca Trail Trek 5D

• A scanned copy of your passport and a non-refundable deposit must be provided upon booking an Inca Trail trek. This is due to government regulations which require complete passport details and full payment of the Machu Picchu entrance fee in order to issue a permit. Your reservation will only be confirmed when we have your entrance ticket in our hands.
• If your passport number changes after you book, you must tell us immediately or you will lose your booking. If the name or number on your passport is different from the name or number on your Inca Trail permit, you will not be allowed to start the trek and you will not be entitled to a refund.
• You must carry your original passport with you on the trail.
• If you booked the Inca Trail at a student rate, you must bring your valid student card on the trail with you. If you do not present your student card, you will not be allowed to start the trek and you will not be entitled to a refund, nor given an opportunity to pay the full rate.

Extras & Upgrades on the Inca Trail Trek 5D

• If you’d like to hike Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain , let us know at the time of booking as it requires a separate permit.
• This trek includes transportation by train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo on the Expedition service (Tourist Class), followed by bus transport from Ollantaytambo to Cusco. If you’d like more flexibility in your return travel to Cusco, consider upgrading to the Vistadome train (Executive Class) for an extra $30 per person. This upgrade must be requested at time of booking.

• Total Walking Distance: 13km
• Total Walking Time: 6h
• Minimum Altitude: 2800m (9,186 ft) / Maximum Altitude: 5832m (19,133 ft)
• Altitude of camp: 3000 m (9,842 ft)
• Approx. night temperature: 3°C (37.4°F)

Today will be a relatively easy and relaxed day, starting at a respectable 6 am when we pick you up from your hotel to drive to Ollantaytambo. Arriving at this incredible living Inca city, we’ll have a chance to stretch our legs, pick up supplies and have a coffee or “second breakfast” at one of the local cafes or restaurants. We recommend Hearts Café, a social enterprise run by the NGO Living Hearts. Proceeds from the café support children in the villages surrounding Ollantaytambo.

From here we continue to the trailhead at Km 82 (also known as Piscacucho, 2,800m / 9,186ft) where we’ll have to show our entry tickets, original passports and student cards (if applicable). Crossing the Vilcanota River, we head towards the Inca fortress of Huillca Raccay where we’ll have stunning views of the area, we will continue trekking along the valley created by the Kusichaca River, gradually climbing until we reach the farming community of Huayllabamba (3000m / 9842ft). All along the way we see spectacular views of the Vilcanota mountain range on the opposite side of the Urubamba River, where the impressive Mt Veronica reigns at a breathtaking 5832m/19,133ft in altitude! We’ll also pass an incredible diversity of wild flora and fauna along the way.

• Total Walking Distance: 9 km
• Total Walking Time: 6h
• Minimum Altitude: 3000m (9.842 ft) / Maximum Altitude: 4200m (13,779 ft)
• Altitude of camp: 3600m (11,811 ft)
• Approx. night temperature: -2°C

We wake up early continuing on the trail, we leave Huayllabamba behind to begin the most difficult part of the trek: an abrupt and steep ascent that stretches for 9 km and reaches the first mountain pass on the Inca Trail, the Abra Warmihuañusca (Dead Woman’s Pass) (4200m / 13,799 ft).

We will only climb halfway up the pass today, stopping at Pacaymayo instead where we will spend the night. As we climb, the landscape changes from sierra to puna (a dry and high area with little vegetation), and we have the chance to spot llamas and alpacas grazing on ichu, one of the few plants that grow at that altitude. We also cross an area of cloud forest, home to many different kinds of birds, including hummingbirds and sparrows, as well as the elusive Andean bear, also called the Spectacled Bear (Tremarctus Ornatus).

• Total Walking Distance: 11km
• Total Walking Time: 6h
• Minimum Altitude: 3600m (11,811ft) / Maximum Altitude: 3970m (13,022 ft)
• Altitude of camp: 3700m (12,139 ft)
• Approx. night temperature: -3°C (27°F)

After breakfast, we continue our hike up to start to climb to the second pass, the Abra Runkurakay (3970m / 13,022 ft). Halfway up, we visit the archaeological complex with the same name. This site, located at 3750m / 12,303 ft, consists of a small oval structure that is believed to have served the purpose of a watchtower. After going over the pass, we descend towards Yanacocha (Black Lake) and enter the cloud forest to finally arrive at Sayacmarca (3624m / 11,889 ft). This is a beautiful complex made up of a semicircular construction, enclosures at different levels, narrow streets, liturgical fountains, patios, and irrigation canals.

Continuing up an easy climb, we arrive at the third pass, the Abra Phuyupatamarca (3700m / 12,139ft). Along this climb we can appreciate the magnitude of the Incas’ ancient craft as we walk along paths semi-detached from the mountain, and see rocks that fill up ravines in perfect order, saving the trail from the multileveled Andean geography. Phuyupatamarca, which means “town above the clouds,” is one of the most complete and best-preserved archaeological complexes along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, and is located on the highest point of a mountain. We set our camp in Phuyupatamarca and spend the night here.

• Total Walking Distance: 11km
• Total Walking Time: 5h
• Minimum Altitude: 2650m (8,694 ft) / Maximum Altitude: 2700m (8,858 ft)

If the weather is good, we start today with one of the most spectacular sunrises on the entire Inca Trail Trek!

We then start our way through the long descending stone steps which will lead us to Wiñaywayna (2650m / 8694ft). Wiñaywayna is the biggest archaeological site on the Inca Trail beside Machu Picchu and consists of an impressive complex made up of an agricultural center with numerous terraces, a religious sector, and an urban sector, and offers spectacular views over the Urubamba River valley.

After our visit, we leave Wiñaywayna to climb to Inti Punku, The Sun Gate (2700m / 8858ft). This will take an hour of hiking through highland jungle, along a trail of flat stones that line the cliff edge. From this fabulous spot, we may enjoy spectacular views over the sacred citadel of Machu Picchu, weather permitting. From Inti Punku, a short walk brings us down to the entrance of Machu Picchu. Before reaching the entrance, we will take a side path off the trail to go down to Aguas Calientes, as we will save Machu Picchu for tomorrow. We take the bus down to Aguas Calientes where we’ll check into the hotel, before enjoying a celebratory dinner. Then it’s off to bed as we’ll have an early start tomorrow!

A Standard Hotel is included in your trek price, but we also offer the option to upgrade if you’d like a little more comfort!

If you’re feeling adventurous you may wish to hike Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu mountain, but take note: this requires an extra permit, and they can sell out well in advance! Be sure to tell us at booking if you would like to add one of these hikes. For more tips on what to see, check out our Visiting Machu Picchu page.

Want more time to explore? Consider our Extra Day Upgrades.

We return to Aguas Calientes by bus and then start our journey back to Cusco in the afternoon by Expedition (tourist class) train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo. There, our driver will meet us and transfer you directly back to your hotel in Cusco. Total travel time is about 4 hours from Aguas Calientes to Cusco.