Inka Jungle Trail to Machu Picchu. This trip is an exciting 4-day combination of biking & hiking.  With the help of our bikes, we ride for 6 hours downhill, first crossing the sacred snowfields to get to the cloud forest en-route to Machu Picchu. In the next couple of days, we will see more fantastic views among the mountains, valleys and passing by small villages, coca crops and other different plants & fruits, and the famous coffee tree of these hot valleys where we will be able to see the old Inka Trail and the sacred river Urubamba, arriving to the small town of Aguas Calientes and then Machu Picchu.

* Duration: 4 days/3 nights.
* Starting point: Cusco/Abra Malaga/Santa Maria.
* Ending point: Aguas Calientes/Machu Picchu.

* Physical Demands Rating: Moderate.
* Age Restriction: 14 years old.
* Trip Code: MTS - 0010.
* Tour Type: Trekking, Biking.
* Accommodation: Family Lodge/2 nights/1 Hotel.
* Service Level: Standard - Deluxe.
* Guarantee: Departure is Guaranteed.
* Style: Personalized.
* Carbon Emissions: 365 CO2-E.
* Group Size: 2 Minimum, 10 Maximum.
* Transport: Train, walk, Bike, Mini-Van.
* Price From: 350 US$

Day 1 (Downhill Mountain Bike):

Hotel pick-up at 7:00AM, the starting point of our adventure is the city's main square. We leave the city seeing the towering surroundings with rolling hills until we reach the town of Chinchero overlooking the Sacred Valley of the Inkas.

After descending this mountainside, we arrive to Ollantaytambo and then we will go up to reach the Abra Malaga (Pass at 4,350 masl) approx. at midday…the starting point of the downhill ride (just in case the weather won't be OK for us & our bikes, we'll go to the next starting point) the hamlet of Carrizales where we will rest and have our lunch, after that we will begin to descend the cloud forest to the hot valleys towards the Amazon basin, this trip will be for 5-6 hours, crossing little rustic villages, then we will stop 2 times en-route to visit the archaeological center of Inkatambo (Inka Lodge) & Wamanmarka (Falcon land), then we will arrive to Santa Maria where we have our lodging and dinner.

Day 2 (Trekking):

We will wake up very early at 5:00AM and have breakfast, then we will start walking near the riverside and we will continue to go up the route to get to the start of the ancient Inka jungle trail as well as crossing the Oroyas (cable car bridge) and suspension bridge in this hike, we can observe the region's wild animals like hummingbirds, parrots, eagles, etc. Also we will see (and maybe taste) wild fruits and medicine plants like: avocados, yucca, oranges, tangerines, pacay, mango, cacao, coffee, coca shrubs, etc. Then arriving to the village of Quellomayu we will have 1 hour approx. to rest and have lunch. After that, we continue walking by the river for about two hours to get to the hot springs of Cocalmayu very near the town of Santa Teresa to relax for about one hour and then we will arrive to Santa Teresa (where we will eat and rest).

Day 3 (Trekking):

We will get up at 7AM and we will have breakfast, then we will continue the trek to the hydroelectric plant near one big waterfall where we will be passing by many cascades and specially one falling down from 45m. approx., where you can take a shower if you want (optional), after that, we will arrive to the hydroelectric plant to rest and to have lunch, then we will walk over 2 hours to reach our final destination...AGUAS CALIENTES, where we will have our lodging and dinner, then we'll have the briefing on Machu Picchu for the next day.

Day 4 (Machu Picchu - Cusco):

We will get up very early at 5AM to take the bus to the archaeological complex of Machu Picchu (optional climb up by foot) where we will see the wonderful sunrise and we will have 2 hours with our guide to visit this complex, after that you will have free time to walk around of this complex (optional climb up to Wayna Picchu peak).

Finally, we return down to Aguas Calientes at 1:30PM to take the train back to Ollantaytambo and on to Cusco.

What you need to take :

• Standard trekking backpack.
• Sport clothing.
• Short pants and trekking shoes.
• Water purifying pills or enough mineral water bottles.
• Photo camera or video camera.
• Insect repellent.
• Sunblock cream.
• Hat or cap.
• Sunglasses.
• Raincoat.
• Extra money.

Including:

• Hotel passenger pick up.
• Private bus transportation.
• Bikes with front suspension, gloves and helmet.
• 3 Lunches, 3 Dinners, 3 Breakfasts.
• 2 overnights in a country lodge (all basic services included) and one overnight in Aguas Calientes hostel (with private bath & hot water).
• Entry ticket to Machu Picchu.
• Bilingual professional guide service.
• Train back to Ollantaytambo.
• Guide assistant (for more than 8 persons).

Not including:

• First day breakfast and last day lunch.
• Round trip bus ticket.
• Snacks or additional drinks.
• Entry to hot springs (Santa Teresa).
• Lodging in Cusco.

Lodging & Prices : Our team of travel consultants has carefully selected the Hotels based on their excellent value and high standards. (Lower Prices + Top Service = Best Value). We can book any hotel for you at competitive rates, but published prices are based on the Qeros Tours Peru Top Hotel Picks.   

Occupancy Hotel Category

Double/triple               Tourist 2-star                 Superior 3-star                Deluxe 4/5-star

Price From:                   000 SS$                         000 SS$                           000 SS$

Prices may vary according season, availability & client preferences. Certain transport costs may not be included. Please contact one of our expert Travel Consultants for more information.

What makes this trip responsible ?

Environmental Impact

Qeros Tours Team is promoting the environment conservation in the Inca Trail and other trails to Machu Picchu. We operate a minimal impact policy in our Peruvian trips, this can include different cooking methods, packing out the group waste, and taking less invasive routes. On all of our Inca Trail trips, 100% of the group waste is removed and in many other trips all non-biodegradable waste is removed and we never build fires at our campsites. Also, all of our guides will talk about the local environment conservation and some of the challenges facing it. All the guides work to minimize the group's impact to share their knowledge of it. Our camp staff, porters, cooks & mule wranglers where used are paid their wages and receive all accommodations, transport & food. Regular training courses about cultural & environment conservation are held for all the staff.

Community Projects

We contribute directly to many community projects in the Cusco region. Last year we have been responsible for the organization of one medical mission in the traditional village of Cacacollo located on the Sacred Valley (Pisac) giving medical attention to 1,000 locals with the cooperation of Orange Adventist Medical Mission-USA. We are promoting the local & traditional textile & handicrafts market with the local people of Cacacollo, inviting our customers to visit that market and help the economy of the locals.

Please, feel free to ask about our volunteering programs and social projects that you could visit on your trip, and if/how you could help support them.

How difficult is the trek ?
We recommend that trekkers have a good physical health and a taste for adventure. The level of enjoyment that clients get out of an alternative trek depends on numerous factors, such as the amount of time you have had to properly acclimatize to high altitudes before departing, your age, your general fitness level and your trekking experience.

How far in advance should we reserve our trekking tours ?

We recommend that you make a reservation for the Inca Trail treks as far in advance as possible. We suggest booking 4-6 weeks in advance.

Will we need any documentation in order to get on the trail ?

Yes, the documents which you used to book the trip can be made with personal IDs such as original passports (preferred).

What is the situation with drinking water during the trek ?

The water is collected from local streams and is boiled throughout the trip. You can also buy water purification tablets. Another option would be to buy mineral water for the trek in Cusco and bring it with you (but that will add some weight to your luggage) or buy mineral water on the trail, that will be a little more expensive.

Is there a toilet tent and shower ?

Yes, there is a toilet tent for all the alternative Inca Trail routes but on the Classic Inca Trail, at all campsites there are public toilets that you can use. All campsites have cold shower with only the last campsite at Wiñaywayna having warm showers for a small additional cost.

How much luggage can I bring on the trek ?

For the trekking tours you should only take the items you are willing to carry during the hike. Other belongings can be left in storage in your hotel in Cusco. Horses will carry the provided equipment such as the tent, while you are responsible for your sleeping bag, clothing and other personal items. You are able to hire an extra horse to carry your belongings up to the weight of 20kg.

How many other travelers can we expect will be on the Inca Trail with us ? How many support people (porters, cooks, guide) in total ?
The maximum number of people in a group on the Inca Trail is 10. There is one guide & assistant for every group and 1 cook, 5 horses. The majority of the people on the trail are not trekkers, but the support team of guides, porters, horsemen & cooks.

Is it customary to tip the guides & porters ?  If so, how much is recommended ?

Again, it depends on the number of people that are going to be on the Inca Trail and it is also very hard to estimate the proper tip that you could give. On the last night of your trek, there is a tipping custom: all the hikers put their tips together and give them to the guide. The guide will then distribute that money between all the Inca Trail personnel. We advise anything from $10 to $40 per hiker but you should only tip according to the level of service you believe you have received.

I was going to bring just a small backpack for my 5 days in Peru. Please let me know the minimum amount of clothing & items I can bring.  I don't want to overpack ?

You are able to leave the majority of your personal belongings in storage at your Cusco hotel, so you only need to carry what you need for the trail. If you only have a suitcase you can rent a backpack for the trail.

List of recommended Inca Trail treks clothing items:

Head: a hat to protect you from the sun, a knitted hat for the cold nights & mornings, sunglasses, sunblock, lip cream (Chap Stick).
Upper Body: 3-4 T-shirts (1 for hiking, 1 for sleeping, 1 for emergency), 1 good warm all-terrain sweater/jacket for cold weather, 1 thick sweater for sleeping, insect repellent, gloves/mittens for your hands.
Lower Body: 1 pair of hiking pants (old comfortable jeans are fine, the lighter the better), 1 pair of shorts (not necessary but comfortable), 1 pair of sweatpants for sleeping, socks (important, 4 pairs of socks, always try to keep dry, clean socks for sleeping), Band-aids (or special blister aid) for your feet (better safe than sorry), comfortable sneakers or hiking boots.

How much does it cost to rent equipment ?

There are two types of sleeping bags for rent:

A feathered type costing $ 5,00 per day.
There are two types of backpacks available for rent, a 35-liter & a 40-liter available for $4,00 per day.

You can also hire an extra horse for the duration of the trek for $20 per day to carry your bag up to the weight of 20kg.

Rentals can be arranged by your travel advisor. Other equipment you might want to rent such as boots, flashlights & coats, can be arranged in Cusco.

Is it possible to walk from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes instead of the bus ? If there is a road, how far is it ?

Yes, it's possible; you can follow the same road as the bus and it will take you about 40 minutes to go down from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes.

What are the restrictions on access to Huayna Picchu ?

Only 400 people a day are allowed on the short trail, with access from inside Machu Picchu itself. From 7AM to 9AM, 200 people can enter and then another 200 at 10AM. Entrance is on a first come-first serve basis.

Are there any ATMs ?

Yes. It is best to get the money you want from Cusco and you'll find them around Plaza de Armas inside some stores & shops. ATMs are widely available in Peru and most hotels & restaurants accept payment by credit card as long as you can also show your passport/ID.

What sort of food can I expect on the trail ?

Each tour is accompanied by a chef who will prepare all your meals for you. The food is hearty, plentiful & filling to keep you energized for the journey. Please notify us if you have any special requirements. Below find an example menu for the trek :