Cusco, Sacred Valley and Classic Inca Trail 7D/6N

DAY 01 CUSCO ARRIVAL – CITY TOUR

We meet you at Cusco Airport. The transfer to the hotel is short, but the change is immediate: the city sits at about 3,400 meters, and the air feels drier and thinner. At the hotel we offer coca tea, an Andean custom for the first hours at altitude. It is not a miracle cure, but it helps you ease in.

We leave the morning free on purpose. The best plan is to have a relaxed lunch, stay well hydrated, and not overload the day. At 1:30 p.m. we set out on the city tour.

We begin at Qoricancha, the ancient Temple of the Sun. Beneath the Santo Domingo convent, the Inca walls are still visible, fitted with a precision that contrasts with the colonial church built on top. From there we walk through the Plaza de Armas and the historic center, to see how today’s city was built over Inca Qosqo.

In the afternoon we go up to the ruins surrounding Cusco. At Sacsayhuamán, the massive stone blocks fitted without mortar stand out. Nearby is Qenqo, a sanctuary carved into living rock and used for ceremonies. We close the circuit at Puca Pucara and Tambomachay: a control post and a water shrine. Around 6:00 p.m. we take you back to the hotel.

Overnight in Cusco.

DAY 02 CUSCO: SACRED VALLEY – OLLANTAYTAMBO AND CHINCHERO

Pickup at 8:00 a.m. We leave Cusco on the road that descends toward the Vilcanota Valley. Along the way, if the weather cooperates, the landscape changes: from the dry highlands to a river valley with terraces and villages.

The first major stop is Pisac. From above you can see the archaeological complex on the hillside: terraces, enclosures, and the Inca cemetery on the mountain across the way. It is not just an add-on to the market; it was an agricultural and defensive city that watched over this entrance to the valley. We then go down to the town and walk through the market, where barter, textiles, and sales for travelers still coexist.

Lunch is at a restaurant in the valley, usually in the Urubamba area, where the climate is milder than in Cusco.

In the afternoon we arrive in Ollantaytambo. The town still keeps its Inca layout: narrow streets, canals, and walls that continue to carry water. The fortress is more than a viewpoint: it was a military, agricultural, and ceremonial center, and also a point that controlled the route toward the cloud-forest edge. Climbing its terraces helps explain why this place mattered so much: whoever held it held the valley.

On the way back to Cusco we stop in Chinchero, higher and colder. Remains linked to Túpac Yupanqui remain, along with an Inca wall in the square and a colonial church built on pre-Hispanic foundations, with paintings on the portico. If there is a textile demonstration, it is worth staying: you can see the dyeing process with plants and cochineal, from wool to loom.

Approximate arrival in Cusco: 6:30 p.m.
Overnight in Cusco.

DAY 03: INCA TRAIL TO MACHU PICCHU (CUSCO – KM 82 – WAYLLABAMBA)

Hotel pickup around 6:00 a.m. Private transfer to Km 82 (Piscacucho), the starting point of the Classic Inca Trail, passing through Chinchero, Urubamba, and Ollantaytambo (approx. 2–3 hours). After the permit checkpoint, the first section follows the Urubamba River, with views of Mount Verónica (approx. 5,800 m / 19,029 ft). Lunch in Miskay. We continue toward Llactapata (Patallacta) along the Kusichaca Valley to the campsite at Wayllabamba (3,000 m / 9,843 ft).

Hiking time: 5 – 6 hours
Distance: ~12 km
Campsite: 3,000 m / 9,843 ft

DAY 04: INCA TRAIL TO MACHU PICCHU (WAYLLABAMBA – WARMIWAÑUSCA – PACAYMAYO)

After breakfast, the most demanding day of the trek begins. We climb at a steady pace through a queuña (Polylepis) forest to Llulluchapampa (approx. 3,750 m / 12,303 ft), a high plain at the foot of the pass. From there we ascend to Warmiwañusca Pass, also known as Dead Woman’s Pass (approx. 4,215 m / 13,829 ft), the highest point on the Classic Inca Trail. The descent into the Pacaymayo Valley (approx. 3,600 m / 11,811 ft) is steep. Lunch is served there and camp is set up. In the afternoon there is time to rest.

Estimated hiking time: 6 to 7 hours
Total distance: 11 km
Campsite altitude: 3,620 m / 11,877 ft.

DAY 05: INCA TRAIL TO MACHU PICCHU (PACAYMAYO – CHAQUICOCHA – WIÑAY WAYNA)

After breakfast we climb to the ruins of Runkurakay and cross the pass of the same name (approx. 3,950 – 4,000 m / 12,959–13,123 ft). We continue to Sayacmarca. Lunch is usually at Chaquicocha. In the afternoon we follow the original stone-paved trail through cloud forest to Phuyupatamarca, then descend (a long section of steps; we often pass Intipata) to the campsite beside Wiñay Wayna (approx. 2,700 m / 8,858 ft).

Estimated hiking time: 7 to 8 hours
Total distance: 16 km
Campsite altitude: 2,700 m / 8,858 ft

DAY 06: INCA TRAIL TO MACHU PICCHU (WIÑAY WAYNA – MACHU PICCHU – CUSCO)

This day starts before dawn. At 4:00 a.m. we have breakfast at camp and, around 5:00 a.m., we set out for the checkpoint. Here we say goodbye to the porters: they return to Cusco with the tents and equipment.

We walk through cloud forest to Inti Punku, the Sun Gate. From there you see Machu Picchu for the first time. We descend into the citadel; arrival is usually between 7:00 and 8:00 a.m., depending on the line at the checkpoint.

In Machu Picchu the guide covers the main sectors (about two hours, according to the assigned circuit).

Later we take the bus down to Aguas Calientes. Lunch is at each traveler’s expense. At 2:55 p.m. we board the train to Ollantaytambo and then continue by road to Cusco. Estimated arrival at the hotel is between 6:30 and 7:30 p.m.

Hiking time: 2 to 3 hours
Distance: 5 km
Altitude of Machu Picchu: 2,430 m / 7,972 ft
Overnight at a hotel in Cusco.

DAY 07: CUSCO – RETURN TO LIMA

At a suitable time, hotel pickup and transfer to the airport for your return flight to Lima.

This is how our 7-day adventure in Cusco and the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu comes to an end.