This trip follows a similar itinerary to our popular Inca Trail trek but with upgraded hotels throughout, an included Sacred Valley tour and included sleeping bag hire. While on the trek itself, we also offer a more varied range of meals and a higher personal weight limit than on our standard Inca Trail itineraries, allowing you to take more clothes and personal items to give that little extra comfort. This trip is designed to maximise the time spent at Machu Picchu with an early morning tour of the ruins, quieter at that hour before the crowds of day trippers and other trekkers arrive.
Inca Trail Permits: An Inca Trail permit is required to walk the Inca Trail. These are strictly limited and are highly sought after, therefore we strongly recommend booking at least 6-8 months in advance to avoid disappointment. On dates where Inca Trail permits have sold out we can offer either the spectacular remote Moonstone Trek or a One Day Inca Trail Option in its place – please enquire for details.
Set amidst hills in the altiplano, the Imperial City of the Incas, Cuzco (3,400) was the geographic, cultural and political centre of a vast empire which, at its peak, stretched from present-day Quito in Ecuador to Santiago in Chile. After the Spanish conquistadores invaded the city they started building on top of the Incan structures, resulting in unique architecture, a fusion of the Incan and Spanish colonial styles.
The group flights usually arrive in the mid-afternoon, giving time to wander the cobbled streets, visit the museums, churches and pre-Columbian buildings, such as Qorikancha – the Sun Temple, or to sit in a café and enjoy a coca-tea.
There will be a briefing in the evening.
Hotel San Agustin Plaza / Eco Inn (or similar)
Today we visit the magnificent Sacred Valley of the Incas and the incredible ruins at Pisac before continuing on to Ollantaytambo, where we spend the night.
The Sacred Valley, which runs along the Urubamba River near Cuzco, is the true heartland of Incan culture and tradition, which is still strong today. The high-Andean scenery is dotted with old towns and villages dating back to pre-Columbian times. The ruins of the Citadel at Pisac guarded a road from the lowlands and gives way to a picturesque landscape of terraces carved into the solid rock itself. The Inca ruins at Ollantaytambo give you a sense of the scale of what is to come as huge stone terraces scale the valley sides. This was the royal estate of Inca Emperor Pachacuti as well as being of religious and defensive significance.
Hotel Pakaripampu (or similar)
The Classic Inca Trail is a tangential branch part of a 45,000km road network linking the whole empire to Cuzco. It was built in the 15th Century to reach Machu Picchu but was abandoned soon after the Spanish conquest. American adventurer, Hiram Bingham travelled along the trail when he came across Machu Picchu in 1911. The trail opened to the public in 1970.
This morning we follow a track beside the river (45 minutes) to the start of the Inca Trail at Piscacucho, commonly known as Km82. After greeting our trekking crew, we show our passports at the checkpoint and begin the Inca Trail trek. The trail runs alongside the Vilcanota River beneath the impressive snow-capped Nevado Veronica, passing through cactus gardens and fields of corn until we reach the enormous Inca ruins of Llactapata, where we continue up a side valley to camp near the hamlet of Huayllabamba.
Walk Profile: approx. 11km / 6‐7hrs walking
Full-service Camping - Huayllabamba Camp
Inca Trail - Meals Included: breakfast lunch dinner
This is the longest and most strenuous day. A long climb (largely up stone staircases) takes us first through an area of cloud forest to the meadows of Llulluchapampa, then over the Warmihuañusca (Dead Woman's) pass, at 4215m the highest point on the trek. After quite a long, steep descent we camp in the scenic valley of the Pacamayo River (3600m).Walk Profile: approx. 10km / 6‐7hrs walking
Full-service Camping - Pacamayo Camp
Inca Trail - Meals Included: breakfast lunch dinner
We start the day with an easier climb which takes us past the ruins of Runquracay and over the Runquracay Pass (3930m). From now on the Inca Trail becomes a clearly defined path made of flat boulders. We pass the ruins of Sayajmarca and suddenly enter rainforest; at one point the trail passes through an Inca tunnel. We camp at a spectacular campsite on the ridge above the Inca site of Phuyupatamarca (3680m) to benefit from the views of sunset and sunrise.Walk Profile: approx. 12km / 5-6hrs walking
Full-service Camping - Phuyupatamarca Camp
Inca Trail - Meals Included: breakfast lunch dinner
From the ridge, we embark on the infamous Inca steps: a two-kilometre stone staircase taking us rapidly downhill amid a panorama of overwhelming immensity, with the peaks of the Vilcabamba range above, and the river thousands of metres below. After visiting the attractive ruins of Wiñay Wayna, we have an undulating walk through cloud forest high above the river to Inti Punku, the Sun Gate. From here we get our first full sight of Machu Picchu itself, with Huayna Picchu rising behind.Traditionally busy with groups of trekkers clamouring for photos, we plan our arrival at Inti Punku later in the day so we can enjoy unobstructed views of the magnificent ruins. Whilst most groups choose to visit Machu Picchu today, we'll pass around the edge of the ruins and exit the site, descending to Aguas Calientes for a well-earned rest, a shower and a comfortable bed for the night. Our trekking permits allow us one entry into the site, which we use for our tour tomorrow when we are refreshed and more able to enjoy it.There is usually time for an optional visit to the hot springs in Aguas Calientes, however, in recent years they have become over-crowded and the water quality can suffer as a result. We will be reunited with those who have been on the Moonstone Trek at the hotel this afternoon.
Walk Profile: approx. 9km / 6-7hrs walking
Hotel Casa Andina, Aguas Calientes (or similar)Inca Trail - Meals Included: breakfast lunch
In order to beat the day-trippers arriving from Cuzco and reach the ruins as early as possible, a very early start is required to queue for Machu Picchu; only government-registered buses can make the 30-minute drive up the winding road to the site entrance and during high season (May-October) queues can be hours long.
Machu Picchu is one of the architectural and engineering marvels of the ancient world and what makes it all the more dramatic is its mountain backdrop of staggering immensity. The Spaniards never found it, the Incas left no records of it, and so Machu Picchu remained a great enigma, a city lost for centuries in the jungle until it was rediscovered in 1911 by the American historian Hiram Bingham.
New regulations for visiting Machu Picchu are now fully enforced; of the three possible visiting slots, we will purchase the morning slot from 06:00 until 12:00 (unless unavailable), you will be limited to a maximum of four hours within the site and must be accompanied by a guide. There will also be three set routes to follow around Machu Picchu; we select the most comprehensive route.
We catch an afternoon train back to Ollantaytambo (1hr 30 mins) and continue by private bus to Cuzco (2hrs 30 mins).
Hotel San Agustin Plaza / Eco Inn (or similar)
For land only travellers, the trip ends in Cuzco after breakfast today. Those who are travelling on the group flights will be taken to Cuzco airport this morning for your overnight flight to London.
During your holiday you stay at the following hotels. If you'd like to extend your time at any of these or, if you'd like to enhance your stay with an upgraded room, just let us know at the time of booking.
To find out more call our sales team on 1-800-267-3347, use our live webchat or email usa@exodustravels.com
Our aim is to provide holidays that are unbeatable for choice and flexibility. We've listed our most popular travel options below, however you aren't limited to these - we can tailor-make virtually any holiday to suit.
To find out more about the travel options available call our sales team on 1-800-267-3347, use our live webchat or email usa@exodustravels.com
Here at Headwater we thrive on feedback from our customers. It's the only way we can continue to develop, and where necessary improve, our services and ensure our holidays continue to be the best they can be. As this is a relatively new holiday, we don't yet have any customer reviews available from our customers, but here are the comments that have been received from previous Exodus travellers.
I found hiking the trail a real challenge but our guide Holger Collantes, and his assistant Mel, were just amazing. Their support and encouragement got me through. They really were the best! Holger was also an absolute mine of information about Peru - there were no questions he couldn't answer. The Inca remains and, of course, Machu Picchu itself were magical. The people, the food ... all incredible.
This trip was fantastic from start to finish. Really well organised by Exodus. We loved every minute of this trip, the Inca sites you visit along the way and the amazing scenery just make this amazing, it really does make it about the whole 4 days of hiking rather than just the last one when you arrive at Macchu Picchu. We were lucky to be hiking with a fantastic group of people and our guide and porters were incredible. The chefs and porters deserve a special mention, the food was incredible, and arriving at camp every day to find everything set up and a drink waiting for us made it feel much more like glamping!!
The views on the trek were really wonderful, Cusco is a beautiful city. There is lots to see on this trip.
A wonderful trip which was superbly organised.
Amazing and challenging adventure! We did the Inca Trail in comfort with the Amazon extension.
Great guide (Mike) who was very knowledgeable, great fun and very helpful to everyone in the group. Porters and food provided on the trek itself were outstanding. Weather was generally very good which obviously helped our enjoyment and the scenery stunning. We were also fortunate enough to see a spectacled bear on the 'run up' to Dead Woman's Pass. An experience you will remember for the rest of your life - no matter how young you are!
Fabulous trip; very well organised and executed by Exodus.
This was a brilliant trip. The Inca Trail in Comfort was well organised & a good mix of trekking and sightseeing. Our guide, Mike, was great & the camping porter team were inspiring. The camp chef provided excellent meals. The hotels were comfortable & the camping was as good as camping gets. The group gelled well together. The Lake Titicaca Extension is also well worth doing and good value. We were very happy with all aspects of the trip & would recommend it to anyone with a reasonable level of fitness.
This was a challenging but most rewarding of adventures on the Inca Trail. A group of individuals of varying ages, abilities and backgrounds became a team over the 4 day trek. Our guide and leader, Mike, was inspirational giving of his knowledge, experience and friendship throughout.
The trek to Machu Picchu in Comfort is very much a trek worth taking. Machu Picchu is very impressive as you might imagine, but somewhat overshadowed by the majesty of the Peruvian mountainside that you trek through to reach it. I was blown away by the views along the treks, particularly from Dead Woman’s Pass and our final campsite at 4000m. I do not normally write reviews and the thing that makes me want to is to highlight just how amazing our tour leader Cesar Smith (“Smithy”) was. I have never encountered a more friendly, informative and inspiring trek leader in all of my travels. Easily the best tour guide I have ever encountered. Smithy’s passion for his country, mountains and knowledge of historical contact are impressive enough, but his support for the entire group was outstanding. A few in the group struggled with some altitude effects and fitness. These members were sensitively supported by Smithy, whilst he also facilitated those of us wanting to trek faster to do so. Friendly and informative with a contagious passion for the trek, I cannot say enough good things about Smithy, our tour leader. If you have options of choosing dates with his involvement, he comes with my highest recommendation. In terms of the trip, there are parts that are physically challenging, so I would advise reading the training guide. My wife and I trained for the trip and were very glad we did.
My husband and I travelled to Peru and walked the Inca trail. In over 20 years of travel (and having walked the trail before some 15 years ago) I have never before felt moved to provide a review. Of course the Inca trail and Machu Picchu were, as expected, amazing. The stand out factor was our guide, Cesar Smith aka Smithy.
Joining the group as a solo traveler is often intimidating but the people, the guide and the team have made this a memorable and fantastic experience. Our guide embraced us all with our different abilities backgrounds and personalities and created a fantastic group and team. Between us we had an adventure of a lifetime supported by the most fabulous trekking crew.
Would really recommend this extra trip. Only negative was the hotel which was not the one in the trip notes and was far from the standard of the other hotels.
Excellent trip, you need to be fit as the trek is not easy but it is well worth it when you get to Machu Pichu. You learn a lot on the way from the guides and their support is genuine. Food was really good and overall the trip was fantastic and you get to see some amazing places. The tents could do with an update. You need poles but those who didn't have them were able to hire which is great.
Excellent trip, you need to be fit as the trek is not easy but it is well worth it when you get to Machu Pichu. You learn a lot on the way from the guides and their support is genuine. Food was really good and overall the trip was fantastic and you get to see some amazing places. The tents could do with an update. You need poles but those who didn't have them were able to hire which is great.
Our guide, Wilmer, was extremely knowledgeable, interesting and helpful. Chef provided excellent food, hotels were comfortable. There were some magical moments such as watching the stars and moon at night and the sunrise in the morning over the mountains. I would recommend the trip although recommend getting to Cusco a couple of days early to acclimatise.
What a fabulous experience, amazing views, great walking, excellent catering and accommodation, a truly memorable trip and you get to visit Machu Picchu! Brilliant, we thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend this trip, outstanding.
Walking the trails ancient Inca pavements provided breathtaking mountain panoramas and impressive archaeological sites seemingly at every turn, coped with a physical challenge including traversing the high point at Dead Woman’s Pass. Culminating in the truly stunning natural location of Machu Picchu. Our leader, Mike, provided a fascinating insight into Inca beliefs and their way of life that really brought the civilisation to life. At the same time he motivated, advised, cared for and entertained each and everyone! Our Cheskis support team amazed – conjuring 3 course meals from a tiny kitchen tent and portering all tents and equipment with a real style. Truly unforgettable!
The Inca Trail was always on our bucket list and this trip was beyond our wildest dreams. We had a fantastic group of people but our tour guide Mike really made the trip a 5 star experience! He was extremely knowledgeable of the Inca and Pre Inca culture as well as knowing the Inca Trail like the back of his hand, giving us a secluded environment away from the crowds of the trail. Above all else he kept us safe and made us feel extremely comfortable under his leadership. I would highly recommend him as a tour guide to anyone! Mike was a key connection between us and the porters, who provided fantastic meals and service throughout the trip. We were all truly amazed at what the porters were able to achieve! Thank you Mike, Safe travels, Holly and Sam
A wonderful trip to my top Bucket List destination.
I have just returned from Peru and would thoroughly recommend this trek. From enquiry to booking and throughout the trip, the service was excellent. Having been on several other trek's throughout the world I had high expectations and these were exceeded! The Inca Trail is an incredible journey and our guide was exceptional. Throughout I felt well looked after, the customer care was superb. I would happily recommend Exodus to anyone, it was 25 years since my last holiday with Exodus, I will not leave it so long this time! The porters were an inspiration and the food provided on the trek was superb!
Our group of three selected this trek as we wished for a more challenging and less crowded hiking route. The scenery was gorgeous and we also saw many Incan sites, p,us examples of everyday life---children walking down the mountain to school, a family harvesting their potato crop, animals being moved to high pastures, etc. Aside from another group of about ten hikers (which we passed early each day and never saw the rest of the day), we were alone to enjoy the unbelievable vistas and beauty of the country! Our guides were very knowledgeable and we felt well cared for. And kudos to our cook who managed to feed us wonderfully and with great variety!
Very well organised trip.A lot harder than the impression given on the website and very challenging if fitness levels not good. Altitude sickness can be a problem and do come prepared to cope with all weathers.The food provided by the porters carrying the luggage was excellent. If you like learning about history and being active this is the holiday for you.
Well I can honestly say this was the hardest thing I have ever done, but at the same time, the sense of achievement after walking through the Sun Gate and seeing Macchu Piccu, it was incredible and emotional.
Fantastic 4 days trekking to Machu Picchu. Our guide Wilbert Ramos was truly exceptional - managing our timing so we missed the crowds, fluting us up the mountain and continually impressing us with his encyclopaedic knowledge. Thank you Wilbert!
Overall a fabulous trip that gives you a great insight into the culture and history of Peru alongside the personal challenge of the Inca Trail. Fabricio and Marcia were great guides who gave everyone the space to complete the hike in their own way. Service on the trek with respect to food and camping were also exemplary. We were very well looked after. Would highly recommend!
Well organised with a nice group of fellow travellers. Superb porters and good camping experience.
A great trek, with the added benefit of an inspiring history!
What a fantastic trip. The Inca Trail and the visit to Machu Picchu are to be savoured. There is a need to take lots of pictures (decent camera recommended) as there is just too much to take in. Reminiscing by relaxing, going through the photographs on a large screen, glass of wine in hand is a great way to relive this experience of a lifetime
You can be confident that our pricing includes all the standard requirements of your holiday and many additional extras. Always ensure that you are comparing like for like when booking your holiday.
This 7 night guided walking holiday includes:
All breakfasts, 4 lunches and 3 dinners
All transport and listed activities
Sleeping bag hire for trek duration
Inflatable sleeping mat for trek duration
Tour leader throughout
Flights from London (if booking incl. flights)
Arrival and departure transfers
Full porterage throughout trek
Exodus kitbag
How to book:
For further details, or to check availability, speak to our sales team on 1-800-267-3347 or complete our holiday enquiry form (we'll contact you at a time that's most convenient for you).
To enquire about this holiday, or for further information, call our sales team on 1-800-267-3347 or complete our holiday enquiry form.
We do not currently have departure dates and prices available on-line. The season may have ended for this tour, or we are still in the process of adding these details to our website. Please contact us for further details.
This holiday is operated by our sister company, Exodus
4 nights premium hotels and 3 nights full-service camping
4 days point-to-point walking with full porterage
Altitude maximum 4215m, average 3050m
Increased personal weight limit of 10kg on trek
Travel by private bus and train
