Inca Trail and Amazon Rainforest

In the morning of the second day, private transportation takes you from the hotel to the airport, where you will board a flight for the small city of Puerto Maldonado, considered to be the gateway to the Southern Amazon. From the airport, a motorboat takes you to a lodge, hidden away in the forest, which is constructed in such a way to minimize environmental impact. Rooms are clean and cozy, with mosquito nets over the beds, flush toilets, and showers (without hot water). There are kerosene lights for nighttime, as there is no electricity. The hotel staff and guides are almost all locals.

The days in the jungle will consist of exploring the surrounding area, which is full of biodiversity. This is a great location for spotting local animals, especially birds, of which there are over 1,300 species, 32 of which are parrot species. In fact, the parrots of the Tambopata region make up 10% of the world’s population. Other fascinating birds common in the area are harpy eagles, hoatzins, and capped herons. There are also about 200 mammal species in the area, which include tapirs, peccaries, jaguars, ocelots, river otters, and 4 different species of primates. Other good spots are the 1,200 species of butterflies, and you will definitely see many of the 10,000 plant species. You are more likely to hear than see the 90 different kinds of frogs in the area, which are mostly tiny and hard to spot, but at night can certainly speak up. All the plants and animals of the Amazon are protected by law.

On the final day, the motorboat will return you to the airport, where a flight will take you into the city of Cusco. Upon arrival to the hotel, it is recommended to spend a while relaxing and acclimating to the altitude of 3,400 m or 11,000 feet above sea level.

The following morning, you take private transportation down to the Sacred Valley, which is lush and green, supplying much of Cusco’s produce. This beautiful valley is 600 meters lower than Cusco, and is therefore on average 5°C or 9°F warmer, making it a very pleasant location. The tour through the valley starts in Pisac, which is both a modern town with a bustling market as well as the location of Incan ruins. There is an optional 2 hour trek up to the ruins. For lunch, the tour stops in Urubamba, considered the capital of the valley, for a buffet lunch of traditional Andean foods. The final stop is in Ollantaytambo, another modern town with ancient Incan architecture and a significant ruins site. It is the best surviving example of Incan urban planning and is crisscrossed with water channels. This charming town overlooking the Urubamba River Valley is where you stay for the night, in a hostel.

This day starts off with transportation to the Inca Trail checkpoint at Piscacucho, called Km 82. Here, the tour enters the Inca Trail and you begin the challenging hike along this historic path. The first morning, walking along the Urubamba River, you pass two Incan archeological sites, Willca Raccay and, later, the enormous site of Llactapata. At the Cusichaca River Canyon there are views of the Cordillera Oriental and Veronica Mountain. Lunch is in Chamana, and from there the trail continues alongside the Cusichaca River, passing through the village of Wayllabamba. At this point, the trail slopes upward until you reach the first campsite, at 3,850 m.a.s.l., Llullucha Pampa, for dinner and a deep sleep.

Early in the morning, after breakfast, the hike continues upwards to the Dead Woman’s Pass, “Abra Warmiwañusqa” in Quetchua. This is the highest point of the entire trail, at 4,200 meters above sea level, with stunning views of the surrounding snowy mountains. From this point, the trail continues down to 3,300 meters in Pacaymayo Valley for lunch. Further on in the valley are the ruins of Runkarcay, where the hike stops for a guided tour of the site. The next pass is at 3,860 meters above sea level, which passes the Yanacocha Lake and leads to the next Inca site, Sayacmara. The campsite for the night is Chaquicocha, where you eat dinner and recover from the punishing day of hiking.

The first Incan site passed on this third day of hiking is Phuyupatamarca, which is first viewed from a pass of the same name. This site is one of the most well preserved and complete ruins along the Inca Trail. Located on the top of a mountain, it is aptly named “Town above the Clouds”. The group stops here for a tour and lunch. Next, there is a long and steep descent through the cloud forest, to the final campsite at Wiñay Wayna at 2,700m. There are ruins here as well that you are guided through, including religious, urban, and agricultural sections. There is a delicious dinner and then an early night to prepare for the final day, the early morning start on the hike to Machu Picchu.

This final day on the Inca Trail starts very early, before the sun has risen, so that the group can arrive at the Sun Gate (a unique opportunity for those who arrive via the Inca Trail) in time to watch the sun rise over Machu Picchu. Afterwards, there is a 2 and a half hour guided tour of the city. Later, you can climb to the summit of either the mountain Machu Picchu or Huayna Picchu, both of which have incredible birds-eye views of the Lost City of the Incas and of the rest of the landscape. Finally, a bus takes you down to the city of Aguas Calientes where you board a train back to Ollantaytambo, from where there is a bus the rest of the way to Cusco, where you arrive by evening.

One final day to enjoy the magic of the city of Cusco, or just to rest after completing such a difficult trek. You have most of the day free to do whatever interests you around the city. There are plenty of fascinating museums and lots of delicious food to try, as well as a variety of tourist attractions in the city and the surrounding area. Later, you get picked up from the hotel to get taken to the airport for the short flight back to Lima, and then driven from the airport to the hotel where you will spend your final night in Peru.

Free day in Lima. You can explore the capital of Peru - Lima city or you can walk around the Miraflores district and Barranco. Taste the Peruvian food such as Ceviche, Lomo Saltado, etc. Discover the Parque del Amor in Miraflores. 

After an incredible trip throughout Peru, you finally are transported to the airport to leave, at whatever hour your flight is scheduled for. If it is later in the day, this is another good opportunity to enjoy the warmth and beauty of the city of Lima, to walk the streets and eat authentic Peruvian food once more.

Please Note: The return flight to Lima from Cusco can be changed upon request. Also if you want to extend your trip, please let us know in advance and we will be happy to help you! 

• Welcome by our Representative and Tour Leader at arrival;
• Domestic flights: Lima – Puerto Maldonado - Cusco - Lima;
• All airport arrival and departure transfers;
• Accommodation: 3* hotels (6 nights), a Jungle lodge (2 nights), camping (3 nights);
• All entrance fees according to the itinerary, Inca Trail Permit including;
• Tierras Vivas Tour Leader, He/ She will travel during your tours.
• Bilingual local Tour Guides as per the itinerary;
• A professional Cook;
• Porters to carry food, camping and cooking equipment and 7 kg of each passenger's stuff during the hiking;
• Meals: 10x breakfast, 6x lunch, 4x dinner and 3x afternoon hot beverages during the Trail (If you are a vegetarian, please advise us in advance. A vegetarian meal option is for NO extra cost!);
• Camping equipment of the Inca Trail: personal double tents, Inflatable mattress (Term-a-Rest Mattress);
• A blanket and a pillow
• A sleeping bag (for up to -5°C);
• Duffel bag (for your personal belongings for the hiking);
• Day Pack Rain Covers for the trek ;
• Rain ponchos;
• Tables and chairs, a cooking tent with cooking equipment, dining and toilet tents;
• Tourist land transportation in accordance with the itinerary;
• A shuttle bus down from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes Town;
• Tourist train (Expedition Class) from Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu) to Ollantaytambo;
• Motorboat transportation in the Amazon Jungle.
• First aid kit including emergency oxygen bottle for the Inca Trail.

• Pre & post tour accommodation,
• International flights and airport departure taxes,
• Meals not mentioned,
• Entrance fee to Huayna Picchu ($85);
• Travel insurance,
• Tips and baggage portage to local staff (please note: it is a custom to give tips in Peru; however, it is not obligatory),
• Other extras not specified.

Meal budget: Please allow USD 100-150 for meals not included.

Single room: Please note that if you have booked the "Single Room" option for this tour, you receive your own single room for all overnights and a single tent for the Inca Trail.

Local flights: There are two local flights included in the cost of your tour. It is very important that we have got your passport details at the time of booking in order to process all air tickets! Internal flight tickets are issued locally and will be given to you prior to each flight departure!

All Tierras Vivas adventure group tours are accompanied by a Tierras Vivas tour guide, representative, or expedition team. The aim of our tour guides is to take a hassle out of our customers’ trips and to help them to have the best trip possible. The tour guides provide information on each place visited, offer suggestions of what to see and to do, and can recommend a good place to eat. The guides have a broad general knowledge of each location visited during a tour, including historical, cultural, religious and social aspects. We also use local tour guides where we think that more specific knowledge could add more enjoyment to visited places.

Accommodation in Lima:

Hotel Las Palmas

Address: Calle Bellavista N 320

Tel: (+51) 1444 6033

Accomodation in Puerto Maldonado:

Carlos Expedition Lodge 

Accommodation in Cusco:

Hotel Prisma

Address: Calle Matara N 394, Cusco

Tel: (+51) 8422 4466

Accommodation in Ollantaytambo:

Hostal Las Orquidea Real

Address: Av Ferrocarril , Ollantaytambo

Tel: (+51) 84 204032

Accommodation on the Inca Trail

Camping: 3 nights

Campsite: Llulluchapampa / Chaquicocha / Wiñaywayna

During this trip, you will be in a variety of different climates. Lima is generally warm, but Cusco and the Inca Trail are at a much higher altitude and therefore much cooler, even getting down to freezing at night during the dry season. The rainforest is hot, humid, and buggy, Puno is one of the coldest cities in Peru. So, the goal is to be prepared for all kinds of weather and temperatures and still pack as light as possible to make it easier to carry all your luggage. Here is a suggested packing list for this trip.

• Original Passport and copies
• Travel insurance and copies
• Flight tickets
• Cash in USD or credit cards
• Our service voucher (sent by us to you)
• Entry visa and a proof of vaccination (if applicable)
• Day pack (to carry your personal items during daily travels)
• Rain gear (a raincoat and waterproof trousers or a rain poncho - these can be purchased in Cusco)
• Hiking boots – waterproof if possible
• Sandals (for greater comfort while at a campsite)
• Warm layers, such as a jacket or sweater (thermal clothing is also recommended for cold nights while camping)
• Hat and/or a cap, for warmth as well as protection from sun and rain
• Sunscreen
• After-sun cream or hydrating cream for face and body
• Insect repellent– recommended minimum is 20% DEET (please note that no malaria has been reported during this trip!)
• Camera and its charger/batteries (please note that batteries are consumed quickly under cold conditions)
• Solar-charging flashlight/headlamp or flashlight/headlamp with extra batteries
• Handkerchiefs and toilet paper
• Small towel and toiletries,
• Underwear and warm socks
• Hiking pants, convertible if possible
• T-shirts, long pants, shorts, long-sleeved shirts
• Swimsuit
• Bottled water for the first morning and a water bottle.
  Important: plastic bottles are not allowed on the Classic Inca Trail! Please bring a metallic bottle or Nalgene
• Optional: Snacks (biscuits, energy bars, chocolate, raw fruits, muesli, etc.)
  Please note: we do provide a daily morning snack and our meal service is very complete and well supplied. The recommendation of taken own snack applies only for customers who like a specific snack that might not be in our menu.
• Optional: walking sticks (please note: rubber covers are required for the Inca Trail!!); you can also rent it from us,
• Please note: we provide with filtered boiled water during the entire Inca Trail, but if you like to use water from streams along the trail, you need to take some water-purifying tablets with you.

Due to high popularity and recently implemented government regulations, the Inca Trail can be fully booked many months in advance. Since this trip includes the Inca Trail, it is important to book early in order to ensure a spot on the trail. Check our calendar of Inca Trail availability. During peak dry season, the Inca Trail can sell out up to 4 months in advance. If there are no spots left for when you want to do this trip, there are a variety of similar trips available without the Inca Trail, many of which still include a trip to Machu Picchu.