Classic Inca Trail and Manu Jungle Amazon 8 Days

Depart from Km 82 and cross the Urubamba River Bridge and begin our walk in the footsteps of the Incas. We travel along the winding path that skirts the river, offering views of the Vilcanota mountain range. Our route journeys through the narrow Cusichaca valley and later we’ll reach the indigenous community of Huayllabamba.

Our local crew of porters cook and guide look after us well for the duration of the hike. Porters carry the majority of the gear for the hike, so those passengers doing the hike only need to carry a small daypack for the daily essentials. We camp at Wayllabamba. Approx. walking time 5 hours (CAMPING)

On the second day, we climb the long steep path to Warmiwañusca, or Dead Woman’s Pass. Don’t be put off by the name – with your guide’s encouragement you’ll make it to the top and enjoy the fantastic view that awaits you! At 4215 m (13769 ft) above sea level, this pass is the highest point of the trek. The second pass of the hike is Runcuracay (3998 m)(13113 ft) where on clear days, we enjoy superb views of the snow-capped Cordillera Vilcabamba. Tonight we camp at Pacaymayo. Approx. walking time 7 hours (CAMPING)

Today the trail goes through some beautiful cloud forest on a climb that is steeper than Dead Woman’s Pass but shorter (1 ½ hours), you will walk through a causeway and a tunnel, both original Inca constructions. The highest point of the third pass is at 3700m (12136 ft). On clear days you are rewarded for all this work with beautiful views of the Urubamba Valley below.

Soon you reach the serene ruins of Phuyupatamarca, or the ‘Town above the Clouds’, at about 3650 m (11972 ft) above sea level. We camp for the final night close to Wiñay Wayna (Forever Young) ruins, a grandiose terraced hillside site, with panoramic views of the valley below and just a short hike from Machu Picchu. Approx. walking time 8 – 9 hours.(CAMPING)

Today we visit the remarkable Machu Picchu. There is no way to describe the feeling of the first views of Machu Picchu, as the mist rises off the mountains early in the morning and the famous ruin appears in front of you. It may be called the Sun Gate but bear in mind we are in the cloud forest and sometimes “Cloud Gate” would be a more suitable name.

The morning is dedicated to exploring the extraordinary site of Machu Picchu, where your guide will be on hand to explain and give you an insight into the life of the Incas at Machu Picchu. For the keen, there’s also the opportunity to climb the sacred peak of Huaya Picchu. In the afternoon, we take the train from Aguas Calientes back to Cusco. Approx. walking time 2 hours. (HOTEL)

We leave from Cusco in our comfortable bus, ascending to the folkloric town of Paucartambo. On the way, we visit the Pre-Incas funeral towers of Ninamarca. Then we drive through the impressive cloud forest full of plants and beautiful orchids, here we take our first hike and we have the chance to observe Peru´s national bird-Cock of the Rocks (Rupicola Peruviana), monkeys and many different species of birds. With luck the only South American bear-the Spectacled Bear (Tremarctos ornatus). In the evening we arrive at Pilcopata, and we sleep in a typical lodge. Showers and toilets are shared.

After breakfast, we will continue by private bus to Atalaya. On the way we will stop to observe a coca plantation, we will also stop at a viewpoint where you can get a good overview of the jungle and river. From Atalaya, we leave by motorized boat to Aguas Calientes, where you can bathe in the natural hot springs. In the afternoon we will walk in the jungle for several hours in order to appreciate the many different kinds of animals, birds, plants and flowers. If we are lucky we will see monkeys. In the evening we will come back to the campsite for dinner and sleep in tents close to the Alto Madre de Dios River.

We will leave early to visit the parrot clay lick and after breakfast we will continue by boat, stopping to visit the native community of Shintuya on the way. Before lunch we will walk in the jungle for several hours and see different animals, birds such as tiger heron, eagle, flycatcher, kingfisher etc. and many different kinds of plants and flowers.

We will then take the boat to Soga de Oro. In the afternoon we will visit Salvation Lake where we will take a balsa raft and see the pre-historic Hoatzin bird, watch the beautiful sunset and after dark we will look for Caimans. In the evening we will build a bonfire, relax and have some drinks and a BBQ. We will spend the night at Soga de Oro sleeping on raised platforms in tents.

After Breakfast, we will return to Atalaya by boat where our private bus will be waiting to take us back to Cusco. We return to Cusco via the cloud forest and Paucartambo. We will arrive back in Cusco in the late afternoon. Add on the Nazca Lines, the Amazon Rainforest, Colca Canyon, and other extension tours or treks. Let us know.