Day 1: Cusco - Abra Málaga - Huamanmarka - Santa María
We will begin our Inca Jungle tour at 6:30 am with a pick up from your hotel. On our way out, we’ll pass by the towns of Chinchero, Urubamba, and Ollantaytambo, all belonging to the Sacred Valley. The adventure begins at Abra Málaga a 4,316m / 14,160 ft high pass, with its impressive view of the snowcapped Huacay Willca (Mt. Veronica). Here we will receive our biking equipment, bicycles and safety instructions.
Then we will begin our bike descent, crossing different ecological zones such as Puna and Cloud Forest, both having a huge range of flora and fauna. After 3 hours of biking downhill, we will finish our bike journey at the archaeological remains of Huaman Marq’a. Here we will take the van again and drive 25 minutes to the town of Santa Maria (approximately 1,200m / 3,937ft). Overnight accommodation, dinner and breakfast on the next day.
Day 2: Santa María - Qellomayo – Hot Springs - Santa Teresa
After a delicious breakfast, we will begin hiking to the town of Santa Rosa (about 1 hour), touring this ancestral part of the Inca Trail network known as the Qhapaq Ñan. Here we will see numerous birds, including parrots, hummingbirds, and eagles, and also plantations of coca (the Sacred Leaf of the Incas), coffee, yucca, and fruit trees (orange, mango, and banana). We will have a little break and talk with people from the community of Pispitayuc, where we will relax in hammocks and enjoy the antics of monkeys and capisos.
We’ll restart the trek, taking in the beautiful and dramatic landscapes of the Vilcabamba mountain range. After this viewpoint, the trail descends to the small village of Qellomayo. We’ll have lunch here and then begin the last part of the trek, approximately 2 more hours. We end up at the Cocalmayo hot springs (optional) and afterwards reach the town of Santa Teresa. Overnight accommodation here, dinner and breakfast on the next day.
Day 3: Santa Teresa - Hidroeléctrica - Aguas Calientes
Continuing in the footsteps of our Inca ancestors, we will walk the first 3 hours from Santa Teresa, seeing more coffee and coca plantations along the way. We end up at the hydroelectric power station, hidroeléctrica (1,900m / 6,270 ft), where we’ll have lunch and a break, then continue for 3 hours along the train track to reach the town of Aguas Calientes.We will have the afternoon free. Come night, we will gather for dinner and plan the climb to Machu Picchu on the next day.
Day 4: Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu - Ollantaytambo - Cusco
At 5:00am, after breakfast, we will start our last day, walking up to Machu Picchu for around an hour. At the entrance of this Inca citadel, you will show your ticket to start your 2 hour guided tour. After the guided visit, you will have free time to tour Machu Picchu at your leisure and to climb up Huayna Picchu Mountain (optional). You can also visit a number of other places, such as Inti Punku (the Sun Gate) and the Inca Bridge. At the end of our tour, we will return to Aguas Calientes to take the train to Ollantaytambo, where a bus awaits to return you to Cusco.
