Private Inca Trail 5 Days to Machu Picchu

All welcome meetings (briefings) are delivered by your tour leader/ trek leader at your hotel at 5:00 PM the night before your trek. If you are unable to make it at that time, please, let us know with a reasonable time in advance to coordinate a different time.

Travellers whose tour is a package; the welcome meeting will be upon their arrival in Cusco once they are transferred from the airport to the hotel. Briefings are approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour long, where you will receive your duffel bags.

A great Peru Summit Adventures duffel bag will be given to you at your briefing time. En route, your porters will carry them and have them returned to you at each campsite.

You need to consider the maximum weight of 7kg/ 15 pounds. Remember 4kg/ 8.5 pounds will be for your clothes and other personal items. The remaining 3kg/ 6.5 pounds will be for your sleeping bag and sleeping pad. Duffel bags will be given back to the Peru Summit Adventures office crew at your hotel upon your arrival from your trip.

This trip is Level 5, Strenuous. The trek starts at 8,856 feet (2700 m), reaches a maximum elevation of 13,828 feet (4,215 m), and the highest place we camp is 11,975 feet (3,650 m). The total mileage hiked is about 27 miles/ 43 km. This trail might be a bit rugged at some sections, and not the well-maintained trails you may be accustomed to in the United States or hometown. But, do not worry, you can hike at your own speed for the most part, since the tour is in a small group or it is just yours with the accompany of your Trek Leader.

If the group consists of 9 participants, there will be an additional Group Sweep (assistant guide). On the trail, you will just carry your own daypack for the items that you want with you on the trail, such as a water bottle and a jacket or a camera. Our team of Inca Trail porters carries all your other gear in duffel bags from camp to camp. The altitudes at our campsites, our first camp is at 9,842 feet (3,000m), second camp at 11,975 feet (3,650 m), third camp at 8,694 feet (2,650m).

Machu Picchu now has two different time windows to visit – either morning or afternoon. Your entrance ticket will be issued for only one session, morning session or group, and when your time window is over, you will leave the site with your leader and take the bus back to Machu Picchu town/ Aguas Calientes town, otherwise, the Rangers will ask you to leave.

• Morning group: 6:00 AM – 12:00 PM
• Afternoon group: 12:00 PM – 5:30 PM

If you have tickets to hike either Huaynapicchu or Machu Picchu Mountain, you will have some extra time. If you wish to spend the whole day at Machu Picchu, we are glad to add an afternoon session ticket to your booking for $50.00 per person, if so, let us know.

If you are able to make some extra effort and make a short hike to one of the mountains next to the Machu Picchu to have unique breathtaking views from above, then consider in your booking one of these mountains. Any of the mountain options, the ticket will be issued for the first window session, it means, you will hike first and after that, you will explore the Machu Picchu with your leader. This hike might be unguided.

• Huaynapicchu Mountain: It is the most popular one and must be booked in advance since it sells out very quickly months in advance. The hike takes approximately 45 minutes to the top, and other 45 minutes to return. Tickets are sold in time sessions stating when you can start this hike. The first session is from 7:00 – 8:00 AM and the 2nd session is from 10:00 -11:00 AM. Again, this refers to the timeframe when you can start your hike. All Wayna Pichu tickets are booked for the first session. 4-Day and 7-Day Inca Trail Trekkers CAN NOT do this hike and enjoy a tour of the ruins instead. Time will not allow for this.
• Machu Picchu Mountain: It is a bit longer, a bit less popular, and more amazing than Huaynapicchu. It takes 1.5 hours to the top and another 1.5 hours to the bottom. Again, there are two-time windows, from 7:00 – 8:00 AM and 9:00 -10:00 AM. All Machu Picchu mountain tickets are issued for the first session. 4-Day and 7-Day Inca Trail Trekkers CAN NOT do this hike and enjoy a tour of the ruins instead. Time will not allow for this.

Inca Trail permits availability will be reflected on our website, based on it you can book your permits. The rules and regulations controlling the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu are continually changing and it is important to be aware of the issues detailed in this information before embarking on your adventure to Peru.

To protect the Inca Trail’s monuments and environment, the Peruvian government only issue 200 permits a day for hikers (plus an additional 300 permits for the licensed porters and staff who carry the gear and work on the trips). Permits sell out extremely fast in advance! We must obtain your permit for you when you sign up, so we urge you to book your trip at least six months in advance, especially if you are considering going between May and September. Once this limit of 500 people is reached, the Trail is effectively closed off for the day and no further bookings can be made.

All permits to trek must be bought as far as possible in advance with complete and correct passport information, to which no modifications can be made. Any attempts at modifications result in a loss of the permit and any money paid. So we do REQUIRE a copy of your passport on a good resolution at the moment of booking. The date of passport expiry – Must be valid for a least 6 months past the date of travel.

Please note: The passport number and name will be used to identify yourself as you enter the checkpoint at the start of the trail, throughout the hike and Machu Picchu. If this information does not match the information you have submitted at the time of booking confirmation, changes and corrections can be subject to extra fees as discrepancies can lead to being denied admission to the Inca Trail. These regulations and rules are strictly enforced by the governing bodies of the Inca Trail and are out of the control of Peru Summit Adventures, meaning no exceptions can be made.

If you are denied access to the Inca Trail in the unlikely event, as a result of providing incorrect or invalid information during the booking time, the cost of accommodation, train tickets, and other services during this time will be the responsibility of the individual and not Peru Summit Adventures.

Average daytime temperatures in and around Cusco generally range from 55º – 75º F with evenings cooling down into the 40º and 50º. Much of this itinerary takes place in the mountains, where weather can change very quickly and evening temperatures regularly drop into the 30º and 40º. As our treks are planned during the “dry season”, days are typically clear and pleasant, with afternoon clouds occasionally building and leading to small amounts of rainfall, and morning temperatures usually range from 35º and 45º with some frost on the tents, and frosty plains in some locations. While April and November departures may experience slightly higher amounts of rainfall, all-day rain is unusual. We will be hiking over multiple mountain passes which are over 14,104 ft, so should you be prepared for unpredictable mountain weather.

The Inca Trail can be hiked all year round except in late January and February, the rainiest months, and February when the trail is closed for repairs.

Please be advised during the wet season (Jan – March) if there are periods of severe rainfall some of the campsites on the Inca Trail may become unusable and unsafe. In the interest of your safety, there may be some changes made locally to the trekking itinerary if the conditions of the campsites are assessed to be unsafe.

The trail reopens on March 1st when the rainfall lightens up and the mountains are still green. High season begins in May and extends through September, as these are the driest months. October through December is considered shoulder season when occasional rainfall is possible, but keep in mind that the highlands of Peru are a temperate desert and it is not uncommon for it not to rain for weeks at a time even in the height of the rainy season and also the weather can be changeable during the day or during the week through this shoulder season.

You must be in shape to take this trail and must be honest with us about any health conditions or concerns you might have before booking this trek and be honest with your leader during the hike, while our leaders are not medical professionals, they do have first aid and mountain emergency procedures training.

You are responsible for assessing whether a tour is suitable for you. You should consult your physician to confirm your fitness for travel and participation in any planned activities and for up-to-date medical travel information well before departure. You should seek your physician’s advice on vaccinations and medical precautions. Peru Summit Adventures will not provide any medical advice. It is your responsibility to assess the risks and requirements of each aspect of the tour based on your unique circumstances, fitness level, limitations, and medical requirements.

Please be advised that quite often we are in isolated areas and away from medical facilities and for legal reasons our leaders are prohibited from administering any type of drug including headache tablets, antibiotics, etc. When selecting your tour, please carefully read the itinerary and assess your ability to cope with our style of travel.

The Inca Trail is mostly stone-paved (Inca stones) and it goes up and down across green valleys and mountains while crossing two high-altitude passes. Any fit experienced hiker will enjoy this hike, but we recommend you make an extra effort to prepare by engaging in regular exercise well beyond your normal routine. To accelerate your conditioning, try walking faster than 1.5 miles per hour, walking on steeper inclines, using your gym’s stair-climbing machines, or going on full-day hikes (also a good way to break in your boots), when you go on a full-day hike, consider to carry your daypack with some items inside at least 15 pounds/ 7 kg. Please be aware that there are a few sections of long, steep stone staircases, so we do suggest to bring hiking poles to protect your knees.

In the unlikely event, you develop extreme altitude sickness or any other disease that prohibits you from hiking, and you still wish to visit Machu Picchu by train, we will gladly work with you to coordinate this trip. Since this will be a new trip, it will require extra fees. However, we will use as much of the original itinerary to keep costs low. Because of this, we recommend you consider at least $300 as an emergency budget for things that may happen during the tour and might incur additional expenses.

If you experience issues while hiking and can not continue, a Peru Summit Adventures staff (leader in extreme situations, a porter, group sweep if there is one, or another group member) will assist and accompany you to the closest road and wait while a car comes to pick you up and transfer you to the nearest health clinic.

You are responsible for your items throughout the tour. Please be diligent about where you drop off your things and remember to grab all items from our vans, your tents, restaurant, etc. Do not leave anything unintended during your hike. Other trekkers or teams might pick it up not knowing whose it is.

Travel insurance is compulsory in order to participate on any of our tours. When traveling on a private tour, a group tour, you will not be permitted to join the group or start the tour until evidence of travel insurance has been sighted by your leader. Travel insurance is inexpensive and mandatory. With trips being planned months ahead of time, you never can predict what could happen. Adventure travel includes more risk than the average trip. Insurance is a way to protect the investment you have made on this journey.

The following trekking items are not included on the tour, so you can rent from us.

• Pair of trekking poles: $5 a day
• Sleeping bag: $5 a day

Hiking between 7 to 9 hours every day covering the 43km / 26.71 miles of trail, with plenty of stops to enjoy the unique nature visuals along the trail. We will start the hike at Piscacucho village (Km 82), the section of the trail on day one and the first section on day two, the trail is pretty much a “bridle path”, after the place called Llulluchapampa on day two, the original section of the Inca trail begins, which goes until Machu Picchu. We will learn about the local culture, local flora/fauna, history, delivered by our great storyteller Tour Leader.

There are two high points, one is Warmiwañusca (Deadwoman) pass at 4,215m/ 13,829 ft, and the other is Runkuracay pass at 3,950m/ 12,959 ft. We will end this amazing adventure exploring the stunning ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu with our tour leader discovering its mysteries.

We will interact with our porters engaging them in games, talks, this will be a memorable experience for both you and them, our idea of the Inca Trail is to involve our porters in your experience that way you will have an opportunity to understand about their culture, language, and more.

We will eat amazing food (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, tea time), all fresh, just made, and organic food, all prepared by our chef. All this food experience we’ll be always in our dining tents with chairs, table, at night with lamps, and many more amenities. At night we will take a time to get our cameras ready to spot some constellations and take some awesome shots of the milky way. Our accommodation for the night will be in four-season tents with Therma rest sleeping pads and sleeping bags.

Discover remnants of a well-preserved historic civilization, as well as a thriving modern culture. Relish in the beauty of nature, breathtaking mountain peaks, and archaeological sites (temples, dwellings, crops terracings) from one the most powerful empires in human history. Meet local people (Quechua porters) and grassroots Leaders who’ll share their contributions to Andean society.  Hike the original section of the Inca Trail and embrace Machu Picchu after 4-day trekking. Hike up to the highlands then to immerse into the cloud forest, enjoy the magical ancient city of Machu Picchu, as well as other archaeological sites along the trail.

Start the day in your tent with wake-up call, which is a hot coca tea, next, you will have breakfast surrounded by great Andes mountains with lush forest or highland deserted vistas depending on the day, and stunning views generally. Get ready your rucksack and your fedora, your duffle bags should be given to your porters to carry them to the next campsite.

Spend the day hiking and getting different types of microclimates, different views every single minute, getting some archaeological sites, enjoying some fascinating stories delivered by our Tour Leader. Stop at a scenic spot about mid-day for lunch, generally on the halfway to the next campsite.

End your day with nice tea time, then a typical-cooked dinner made from our locally-sourced ingredients. At night, we’ll take a glance at the sky to learn about the Andean constellation, and take some great shots of the milky way. End your activity of the day, resting in a comfortable four-season tent with nice sleeping pads, and sleeping bags.

Tipping is part of the tradition of any trek to Machu Picchu and a personal appreciation based on the team effort and it can make a big difference to locals employed who will be with you. While we pay good wages to our entire crew, anything extra is always appreciated. Although it may not be customary to you, it is of considerable significance to the people who will take care of you during your travels. Please know that gratuities aren’t compulsory on your trip, you should never feel pressured into this.

Normally, the participants in a group pool their tipping money together for the leaders, porters, and chefs, or you might do this individually, or your leader will offer to collect the money and tip as a group. Tipping your Leaders is more personal and needs to be decided based on your relationship, quality, and length of the service with them and done separately from the group or could be individual, this happens mostly once the tour is over in Machu Picchu or Aguas Calientes Town.

Porters and Chefs prefer local currency (Peruvian Soles) if possible. Leaders are happy with both currencies–US dollars, or Peruvian Soles. Ask your Leader for specific recommendations based on the circumstances and culture, preferable during your welcome meeting time before your trek begins.

• Chef: $35 – $80 USD or the equivalent in Soles (from all group or participants)
• Porters: Each porter $20 – $50 USD or the equivalent in Soles (from all group or participants)
• Leaders: The amount is an entirely more personal preference, however, as a guideline, $40 -100 USD per person can be used.