Located in Cusco, it allows us to create tours connecting mainly the “Southern Route” (Lima, Ica, Arequipa, Puno and Cusco). The most popular tour in Cusco is the Inka Jungle which combines culture and adventure sports such as bicycle, boating, zip line and hard walks for 4 days until you reach Machu Picchu.
The Inca Jungle Trek to Machu Picchu is the best option for those who prefer a more adventurous and adrenaline pumping way to hike to Machu Picchu. Inca Jungle is the most entertaining way to get to Machu Picchu. It is important that you pay attention to these Inca Jungle Trek Tips so you can have an amazing and unforgettable experience. The trail combines trekking with mountain biking, an opportunity to enjoy rafting and ZIP line too. In addition a part of the trail leads through the latest discovered Inca path called Qapaq Ñan. With lots of activities to discover.
The beginning of the bike ride starts at an altitude of 4,350 m.a.s.l. and then it descend to only 1,900 m.a.s.l. The bike ride offers you a visit of the Inca ruins, a view of splendid waterfalls, meeting local settlers and a chance of collecting exotic fruits along the path! Like the icing on the cake, the next day we continue the trek through the coffee and coca plant and subtropical fruit. The third day of the trek you go to Aguas Calientes and have the best time there making the ZIP Line. Last day we reach the overwhelming Incan citadel – Machu Picchu where our Tour Guide explains you each part function and its history.
You can admire beautiful mountains on the way as well as subtropical areas of a cloud forest. One of the highlights of the trek is a visit of the amazon, lovely and hot thermal baths where you can refresh yourself in its healing water that benefits your body. The baths, which temperature ranges from 40ºC to 44ºC, owns therapeutic effects on rheumatism, skin ulceration and other skin problems as well as bone pains.
Inca Jungle Tour OverviewSustainable Tourism: At Tierras Vivas, we are happy to promote and practice sustainable tourism by being eco-friendly and supporting local communities
Tour Operator: Tierras Vivas Travel
Service Level: Comfortable, tourist-class accommodation, tourist-class train, and private transport.
Trek’s Difficulty: 2 – moderate; a low-altitude hike, accessible to healthy travelers.
Activities: Rafting and Zipline are included in Inca Jungle tour
Age Requirement: 4+. Please note: all participants under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Permits: It is included in your hike your Machu Picchu ticket. Please note: the trail is fully booked months in advance during the high season.
Crew: A Tierras Vivas Representative in Cusco and a professional bilingual Tour Guide on the Inca Jungle Trail to Machu Picchu..
Meals: 3x breakfast, 3x lunch, 3x dinner.
Transportation: Transportation by private van, 1x train.
Accommodation: Hostels with a dorm and a shared bathroom (2 nights), Hotel with a private room and a private bathroom (1 night).
Group: Minimun 2 people and Maximun 15 people (What is difference between Large group vs Small group)
Importart Note: On the Machu Picchu Jungle Trek is not included the water. On the route you will find the local market and you can buy the water, it is not expensive and you can help to the communities.
Day 01: Cusco – Abra Malaga – Santa Maria
Day 02: Santa Maria – Santa Teresa
Day 03: Santa Teresa – Hidroelectrica – Aguas Calientes
Day 04: Machu Picchu – Cusco
Departure Point: Cusco – We pick you up from your hotel.
Departure Time: 06:30
Briefing Point: Our guide will visit your hotel 2 or 1 day before the trek
Briefing Time: Between 17:00 – 18:00
Return Point: Cusco – Our driver will drop-off in your hotel or Airbnb department
The Inca Jungle is not Inca Trail, this hike is top alternative trek. Inca Trail Reviews – Tierras Vivas and Book Now!!
Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain are two mountain peaks which tower over the Machu Picchu archeological site. To climb one of the mountains you need to purchase a Huayna Picchu ticket + Circuit 4 or Machu Picchu mountain + Circuit 3 and your Machu Picchu entry ticket-passes cannot be purchased separately from entry ticket. Usually the Machu Picchu ticket will be used during the guide tour and the mountain tickets are only for your climb up to the mountain, and once an entry ticket has been purchased a mountain pass cannot be added or canceled.
Do I need to book it in advance? The Inca Jungle Trail has departures guaranteed, but train tickets and entrance to Huayna Picchu mountain are subjet to availability. For that reason, we HIGHLY recommend booking it in advance to ensure you receive exactly what you want!
PLEASE NOTE: May, June and July are peak months of a HIGH TOURIST SEASON in Cusco. It means that train tickets ARE SELL OUT QUICKLY!! Please be aware that the trek leaves daily; however, return train tickets may not be available, if you like to book on last moment. To avoid this inconvenience, please book it several weeks in advance!
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Early morning, we pick you up from your hotel in Cusco to transfer by private vehicle passing Sacred Valley of the Incas to a starting point of the trek at Abra Malaga (4,350 m.a.s.l.) which is the highest place of the trek. There we sit on a bicycle and start biking down for about 4 hours to the small town of Santa Maria. On the route, you can appreciate an Incan site, cloud forest´s birds, medicinal plants, butterflies, snakes and tropical fruits. We also can visit local families to find about their daily routine. When in Santa Maria, we accommodate ourselves in a familial basic hostel where we can have a shower. After dinner, we spend the night there.
Inca Jungle: Rafting in the afternoon in Santa Maria, 3-5 class of rapids. (Included)
We continue our trip early morning after breakfast getting progressively steeper until we get to a restaurant where we have lunch. Then we can relax in hammocks admiring surrouning coca plantations. Later on, we continue trekking to later reach an authentical Inca path – “Qhapaq Ñan”!! The path winds around steep hillsides and sheer gorges for approximately half a mile.
Please note that this part of the trek is not for people suffering from vertigo!!
Later, we descend to the famous hot springs of Cocalmayo and refresh ourselves in its healing water!! After that, we trek to Santa Teresa, a town located at Santa Teresa River. There, we accommodate ourselves in another familial simply hostel.
We have early breakfast before taking a private transport to Llucmabamba Town. There we observe a stunning sunrise above a lovely landscape with Machu Picchu in its centre!! Later, we descend to bamboo groves and a cloud forest with increasingly thick vegetation and tall trees offering us some excellent birdwatching opportunities! Later in the afternoon, we get to Hidroelectrica (a hydroelectric plant) Railway Station and there we start following trails leading us to the Aguas Calientes Town. We spend the last night in a more comfortable hostel there with private rooms and bathrooms offering us a hot shower.
Inca Jungle tour: ZIP Line in the morning in Santa Teresa. (Included)
After an early morning breakfast, we hike for 1 hours 20 min up to the mysterious city of Machu Picchu that we enter for the early morning best photos opportunities! Then our Tour Guide shows us around the Incan city and explains us about its history and purposes. After the guided tour, we have an opportunity to climb up for about 45 minutes to Huayna Picchu, a peak above Machu Picchu that serves to take some panoramic pictures of the Incan city. Then, we are given time off to spend and explore Machu Picchu on our own.
In the afternoon, we return by train to Ollantaytambo (alternatively to Poroy), from where we are taken by van back to Cusco.
Machu Picchu is both, the best and the least known site of the Incas as it is not mentioned in any Spanish conquistador´s chronicle so that contemporary archaeologists can not do anything more than just speculate on its functions. Local Quechuan farmers had known about Machu Picchu for centuries before an 11-year-old boy showed the American historian Hiram Bingham (who was in a search of Vilcabamba) this site on the 24th of July 1911. At that time, all the rest of the world became aware of its existence. However, the site was covered with thick vegetation so Hiram Bingham along with his team returned and within the years of 1912 and 1915 cleared its surface. Over the years, plenty of work has been done on excavating and studying the site. Despite these efforts, many unanswered questions remain.
Usually our hike is starting from Cusco, but we can pick you up from your hotel outside of Cusco. Please check your trip and location for pick you up.
| Trip/ Hiking | Starting point & pick up |
| Inca Trail | Cusco, Chinchero, Urubamba, Yanahuara, Ollantaytambo |
| Salkantay Trek | Cusco |
| Lares Trek | Cusco, Pisac |
| Rainbow Mountain | Cusco |
| Ausagante Trek | Cusco |
| Choquequirao trek | Cusco |
| Inca Jungle Trek to Machu Picchu | Cusco, Urubamba, Yanahuara, Ollantaytambo |
| Inca Quarry Trail | Cusco, Urubambam Yanahuara |
| Day tours | Only Cusco |
Hiking pants and T-shirts are recommended during the day, complemented by sweaters, fleeces and waterproof jackets. It is very convenient to have light raingear available in the daypack (rain poncho or jacket and/or rain pants) as the weather changes easily and rains can suddenly occur. At night, warm clothing is required, down jackets can be useful, otherwise a fleece and a jacket. During the third day (if sunny) and in Machu Picchu, convertible hiking pants are useful, as can be switched into shorts if necessary. Machu Picchu has a warm climate, getting only cold at night. The rest of necessary implements are included in the “What we recommend that you bring” list.
The short Inka Jungle Trek to Machu Picchu is the best option for those who prefer a more adventurous and adrenaline pumping way to hike to Machu Picchu. The trail belongs to the Alternative Treks to the Inca Trail and it combines trekking with mountain biking, an opportunity to enjoy rafting and ZIP line too. In addition a part of the trail leads through the latest discovered Inca path called Qapaq Ñan. You can admire beautiful mountains on the way as well as subtropical areas of a cloud forest. Short Inka Jungle Trek to Machu Picchu.
