Travel Detail

Meal Plan: Buffet Breakfast

Casa Andina Premium Collection Cusco is a beautifully renovated 18th-century manor house, just 3 blocks from Cusco's Plaza de Armas, replete with authentic colonial character. It offers the intimacy of a boutique hotel but the comforts and services of a much larger property. Several rooms in the original structure of the hotel feature surviving colonial frescoes unearthed during renovation.

After travelling by train from Cusco to "Kilometer 82" (where you will disembark and begin the Inca Trail), the walk begins by following the course of the Urubamba River, which is an alternative route to the traditional path, allowing the group to avoid crowds and explore less visited Inca constructions, such as Salapunku. You will enter the classic trail at a different checkpoint a few kilometers distant, and visit the fascinating archaeological site of Patallaqta, then set course for a less-used camp where you will settle in for a quiet evening. Distance Walked: 9 km (5.6 miles). Highest Elevation: 2,690 meters (8,824 feet) above sea level.

Starting today's journey behind the other groups of hikers, you'll be able to enjoy the scenery at a relaxed pace. You will pass through Andean forests with native trees and have lunch surrounded by lush vegetation near Ayapata, accompanied by the tranquil forest. In the afternoon, hike up to the camp in Llulluchapampa. Here you and the group can spend time with the porter's team and share mountain life experiences. At dusk, with a magnificent view of the Huayanay Mountain, you will take part in an Andean ceremony of gratitude to Mother Earth and ask for the permission and protection of the Apus (mountain spirits) for the arduous ascent the next day. Distance Walked: 9 km (5.6 miles). Highest Elevation: 3,760 meters (12,336 feet) above sea level.

Today will be the most challenging and memorable day. The route begins with an ascent to the highest point of the journey, the Warmi Wañusca Pass, which affords a spectacular view of the Vilcabamba and Vilcanota mountain ranges. After taking in the sights descend briefly and then start the days second ascent: up the Runcuraccay Pass. After crossing this final pass, and as the elevation decreases, the landscape transforms, turning green as you enter the jungle. Soon, the Sayaqmarca archaeological complex reveals itself, marking the beginning of one of the best-preserved sections of the trail that demonstrates the quality of Incan architecture, with tunnels and spiral stairways. Today's end goal will be Phuyupatamarca, another of the less-crowded camps - and a local favorite since it offers an ever-stunning view of the mountains, river, and clouds below. Distance Walked: 11.5 km (7.15 miles). Highest Elevation: 4,215 meters (13,829 feet) above sea level.