South & Central America

The Inca Trail

The Inca Trail is one of South America’s most famous and enchanting hiking trails, which normally takes four days to complete. The combination of fascinating Inca ruins, stunning mountain views, exotic vegetation and a serene sense of the spiritual importance attached to this trail by the Incas ensures this is one of the most interesting and rewarding walks throughout the continent.

Starting at Kilometre 82 or 88 on the Cusco to Quillabamba railway line this is traditionally where you begin the walk (or if you are doing a ‘serviced walk’, then this is where you will meet your porters & guide). You start the trek by going through semi-arid terrain along the Urubamba river with magnificent views of the snow capped mountains and you then arrive at the first Inca ruins at Llactapata, which were part of a large settlement with many farming terraces and were thought to have been used to keep other settlements in the area supplied with food. You continue the trek to Wallabamba [3650 m] where you camp for the night.

On Day 2 the trail continues steeply up through the meadows to the Warmihuanusca Pass (Dead Woman’s Pass) [4050m] where you get lovely views across to the other side of the valley that leads to the Runkurakay ruins, once an old post-house. After that you head down to the Sayacmara ruins [3600m] for another night’s camping and lovely views across the Aobamba Valley .

The next day continues towards the Phuyupatamarca ruins (known as Cloud level town) where there are adjacent Inca observation platforms overlooking the Salkantay mountain (6270m). The trail continues through forested hills past the ceremonial centre of the Phuyupatamarca ruins.

Early on Day 4 you leave camp and head towards the path that goes down to the Winay Wayna ruins, the most important after Machu Picchu and from here you can see the newly uncovered terraces of Intipata (Sun Place). After the final hike you reach Inti Punku, the last pass and the entrance to the ancient city and it is from this point that Machu Picchu ’s mystical serenity can be truly savoured.

For those with limited time or a disinclination to sleep under canvas, they can leave the train at Kilometre 104 and enjoy a beautiful 5 hour walk, known as the Inca Express, which follows the last stage of the Inca Trail.

Camping:
Serviced Camping with guide, porters & a cook

For those looking for a different option, there is also the first Trans Andean Lodge to Lodge Trek operated on set departure dates and starting and finishing in Cusco.  The Soraypampa Route to Machu Picchu takes 6 nights / 7 days and nights are spent in comfortable and enchanting mountain lodges.  Please call our office on 01905 731373 for more information.