This tour package 3 Days Sacred Valley & Inca Trail Hike is a perfect combination of culture and history where you can learn about the rich history of our Inca ancestors as well as the indigenous people who still live in the Sacred valley of the Incas today.
This tour takes you along the Short Inca Trail, known as one of the Inca trail routes most frequented by travellers seeking adventure in a protected ecological preserve. This trail is truly one of a kind, well known for its natural environment where you can appreciate the most varied natural fauna and flora and appreciate the different ecological wonders, all of which you experience with the imposing backdrop of snow peak mountains, rivers and Inca complexes such Chachabamba and Winay huayna.
NOTE: If you want to experience 1-night camping for a truly outdoor experience, you can request it before booking your trek (see info on Short Inca Trail with Camping). On this version of the hike, you camp at Puente Ruinas which is below Machu Picchu Mountain and enjoy two meals prepared by our gourmet chef.
Inca Trail Private 3 Days – Highlights
You will have thorough briefing with your guide 1 or 2 days before your trek. Your guide will meet you at your hotel and you can take this opportunity to ask questions and make any final preparations.
We will pick you up early from your hotel and then we head to the Sacred valley to start our Sacred Valley Tour. Our first stop will be at Pisac market where you will be able to appreciate the Inca textiles and other handicrafts before then visiting the Inca complex of Pisac to be able to appreciate the wonder of its architecture as well as its Inca terraces that still remain today. Then you will learn about the rich history of our Inca ancestors in a tour given by our local guide. After that we will continue to our the lunch place where can opt to enjoy a buffet lunch of local Andean delicacies in the Sacred valley of Urubamba before travelling on to the Inca citadel of Ollantaytambo where we will explore this majestic Inca city surrounded by its terraces and temples. After enjoying a tour of the complex and exploring it further we will go to our hotel where you can rest.
Meals: Not included
Accommodation: 2* Hotel
The next day we will wake up early to go to the train station, which is only 15 minutes from our hotel in Ollantaytambo, where we take the train to 104 Km of the Inca trail, which takes about 1 hour. Km 104 is an unscheduled train stop so you will probably feel a twinge of satisfaction that the train is stopping especially for you – and by knowing you are about to see things that no one else will get to! At Km 104 we will get off the train and pass the Inca Trail checkpoint where we will see our first archaeological center called Chachabamba (2,170 m / 7,170 ft). These ruins were one of the last shelters that the Incas used before they reached Machu Picchu. This site was also used as a religious and administrative center and features several buildings.
Then, we will gradually ascend for about 2-3 hours climbing Inca stone steps while our guide points out different flora and fauna along the trail. We will then pass a tall waterfall before arriving at the archaeological site called Wiñay Huayna at (2,650 m / 8,700 ft), which is named after an orchid and means ‘Forever Young’ in Quechua. We will climb to the top of the ruins and enjoy lunch with an incredible view of the Urubamba River and the Sacred Valley. This large site sits on a mountainside and features experimental terraces that the Incas used to grow different crops. We will visit an important temple with 7 windows that was dedicated to the rainbow as well as observe the amazing engineering of water channels that still function today.
Once we finish our tour here, we will continue our hike for about one and a half hours longer on a part of the Inca Trail which is relatively flat, with small ascents and descents along the way. At about 5pm we will reach the Sun Gate (2,720 m / 8,920 ft), which is called ‘Inti punku’ in Quechua. This is where we will have our first view of Machu Picchu and from there we will head down into the ruins of Machu Picchu. We then take the bus down to Aguas Calientes and then check in to our hotel for a well earned rest.
Meals: Box Lunch / Dinner
Accommodation: 2* Hotel
Maximum altitude: 2,720 m / 8,920 ft
Minimum Altitude: 2,040 m / 6,691 ft
Distance to walk: 13 km / 8 miles
Approximate walking time: 5-6 hours
We will get up early and have breakfast in the hotel, then we will catch the bus to Machu Picchu in Aguas Calientes. We will aim to be in Machu Picchu by 6am in order to hopefully catch a spectacular sunrise. Once we reach Machu Picchu you will enjoy a private 2 hour walking tour of the site given by our expert local guide.
If you have elected to climb Huayna Picchu mountain (the price for this is not included in your tour price), you will begin the hike at 10am. If you are not climbing the mountain, you will continue exploring Machu Picchu before you return to Aguas Calientes by bus.
Upon arrival in Aguas Calientes, you will board the Expedition train back to Ollantaytambo (train station). From Ollantaytambo you will travel by private van to Cusco and we will drop you off at your hotel. Arrival time in Cusco depends on the time of your train ticket, usually we return at around 7pm.
Meals: Breakfast
Maximum altitude: 2,040 m/ 6,691 ft
Minimum altitude: 2,440 m/ 8,052 ft
Accommodation: Not Included
The price for the Sacred Valley Tour & Short Inca Trail is as follows (if you are group of family or friends with 3 or more people, please don’t hesitate to contact us directly for a special price):
Optional upgrade (Need to book in advance subject to availability):
