Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu full Day “Express”

All information meetings and briefings take place in your hotel at 6:00 p.m., the night before the trek/tour begins. These meetings last about 30 to 45 minutes. If you are unable to be there, please schedule another time via email, phone, or Whatsapp.

If you have a pending balance, you must pay it until one day before your hike/tour. Otherwise, your trip reservation will not be verified. If feasible, we would prefer it if you could pay the remaining balance for the trek/tour in cash, either in US dollars or local currency, at our Cusco office. You may withdraw money from many ATMs along Avenida Sol, which offer both US dollars and Peruvian Soles. Alternatively, you can pay with a credit/debit card or PAYPAL, either online or in person, but please keep in mind that our payment gateway (Izipay) will apply a 5% service charge. We apologize that we are unable to take bank or traveler’s checks as payment for the balance.

During the trip, your primary luggage can be housed in our office (arranged with us on the briefing day or via email) or at your hotel, both of which are free of charge. Any equipment you will not need during the hike can be safely stored at your hotel. Almost every hotel will offer this service. Do not leave valuable items in your suitcases; instead, put them in the hotel safe and receive an itemized receipt. For added security, keep goods like credit cards in a sealed, signed envelope.

There will be a hot breakfast to start the day (porridge, eggs, toast, tea and coffee), a packed lunch on the mountain or at your camp, and a satisfying hot supper in the evening (soup, followed by rice, potato or pasta, sauce, and fruits). There will be enough drinking water because we will be drawing from local water sources. To purify the water, add iodine drops or tablets. The staff will collect water in the morning and evening for drinking and cooking. If you have any specific food requirements or allergies, please notify the walk leader before departure.

Some months are better than others, as you will see below. Peru has both a dry and wet season. Andean Ecotravel recommends hiking during the dry season rather than the rainy season due to harsh weather. The wet season consists largely of rain, snow, and ice, making the trail difficult and views limited.

January: less recommended
February: closed
March: less recommended
April: Recommended
May: Highly recommended
June: Highly recommended
July: Highly recommended
August: Highly recommended
September: Highly recommended
November: Recommended
December: Recommended

Andean Ecotravel may take you up from your accommodation if it is located in Cusco’s Historical Center. Your guide will organize the pickup time during the briefing session, however please bear in mind that the time may change by 30 to 45 minutes owing to traffic. Cusco is a historic city, with many tiny cobblestone alleyways. Some hotels and Airbnbs may be located on car-free streets or on long, steep slopes, making luggage transportation challenging. We strongly recommend that you book accommodations with easy access.

Returning from Machu Picchu needs some logistics, so don’t worry. Everything is included in your tour.
You’ll board a bus at Machu Picchu and travel 25 minutes to the little city of Aguas Calientes. The busses are boarded based on their arrival.
In Aguas Calientes, you will take a train to Ollantaytambo. Your guide will provide you with train tickets that show the boarding time. Make sure you arrive on the platform 30 minutes early. The train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo takes 1 hour and 45 minutes.
When you arrive at the station, our representative will be waiting to take you to Cusco or directly to your accommodation. The trip from Ollantaytambo to Cusco takes 1 hour and 30 minutes.

There are no bathrooms along the wilderness trail, so make sure to bury all waste. Where local conditions allow, we set up basic long drop toilets in the camps. Mountain streams will be the primary washing facilities! When you arrive at camp at the end of the day’s walking, your camp personnel will bring washing bowls filled with warm water. Take plenty of toilet paper and antiseptic wipes or antibacterial hand gel.

Because group trips include a diverse range of people, physical conditions and ages may differ. By agreeing to join a group trip, you acknowledge that some persons may be quicker or slower than you. As a result, each person can travel at their own pace throughout the path. A group may desire to modify the trip; however, the guide will decide, after speaking with all participants, whether such modifications are possible.

Please, pay attention to where you leave your belongings and remember to take everything when you leave our transportation, tents, or restaurants. Throughout the excursion, you are solely responsible for your objects.