The Inca road system/inca trek/inca trail.

Concern about overuse leading to erosion has led the Peruvian government to place a limit on the number of people who may hike this trail per season, and to sharply limit the companies that can provide guides. As a result, advance booking is mandatory. A maximum of 500 people, including guides and porters, are permitted to begin the trail every day. As a result, the high season books out very quickly.

The Inca road system (Qhapaq Ñan) was the most extensive pre-Columbian trail in South America, linking together about 40,000 km of roadway and providing access to over three million km² of territory spreading from Santiago, Chile to Quito, Ecuador. Famously, relay messengers (chasqui) kept the distant corners of the empire connected to its leadership by running messages transcribed by knotted cords (quipu) and objects in 6 to 9 km shifts for mountain leaders. These same roads once travelled by tens of thousands of chaqui, nobles, functionaries, soldiers, porters, and llama caravans are today visited by thousands of TERRA QUECHUA PERU travelers a year.

The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is actually three routes, which all meet up near the Sun Gate (Inti-Pata), the entrance to Machu Picchu. Located in the Andes mountain range, the Trail passes through ten types of Andean environments, from the low dry mountain forest of the valleys and the Urubamba rivier through cloud forest and alpine tundra to the High Jungle Zone of Machu Picchu. A high proportion of Peru's flora and fauna can be found in this habitat, and an estimated 10-20% of these are endangered. Incan settlements, tunnels, and ruins dot the trail before its terminus at the Sun Gate on Machu Picchu mountain. The two longer routes require an ascent to beyond 12,000 ft (3,660 m) above sea level.

Trip Characteristics

Duration 2 days 1 nights
Grade Moderate
Activities Hiking Touring/Day walking
Accomodations (hostel)

Itinerary

Day 1 Departing Cusco; train from ollantaytambo to Km. 104 until wiñaywayna and  inty pucho ( sun gate) ,hostal
Day 2 Ascent to the Inca Trail's , en route to machu picchu.

FIRST DAY : CUSCO-104 KILOMETER TO WIÑAYWAYNA
Transfer from the hotel to the train station. Train to KM 104. At this point we start trek for 3 hours approximately to the well preserved remains of the ruins of Wiñay Wayna (2900 mts. altitude). On the way we can see beautiful waterfalls. After lunch, we keep walking for about 2 more hours to get the sungate and then we go down to Machupicchu town ( aguas calientes )

SECOND DAY : AGUAS CALIENTES TO MACHU PICCHU
After breakfast we have an early start and we will walk for 1 hour and half to get one of the greatest archaeological discovery of modern times is revealed. machupicchu so get where the most beatiful spot is , the postcard site to take postcard pictures and the the guide will expalin you the story of machupicchu for about two hours an then you will get free time to you will have plenty of time to explore by yourself ( you can climb huaynapicchu mountain ( it takes one hour up and one hour down ). And the after you enjoy machupicchu ypu must be at Aguas Calientes station to take the train back to ollanta and bus back to cusco .

      Includes:

• Pre-departure briefing
• English speaking Private inca trail tour guide
• Entance fee to inca trail and machupicchu
• Train Ticket (cerrojo-backpacker) Round Trip /poroy/km104/and aguas calientes /ollantaytambo or poroy see below
• Meals 1Lunch, 1Dinner, 1Breakfast.
• 1night in a hostal in aguas calientes
• Transfer Hotel - Station - Hotel 
• Bus down from machupicchu to aguas calientes ( where we sleep first night ).
• first aid kit, oxigen baloom and Free Luggage storage. When you go on the trek it is best to leave any luggage that you are not going to need behind in Cusco. Nearly all the hotels in Cusco provide a secure luggage deposit. Put any valuables in their safe. Very rarely do hotels charge for this service especially if you are returning to the same hotel after the trek. If there are any problems with your hotel we can arrange to store your luggage at our quechuas expeditions office.

   

Doesn't include:

• Breakfast on the First day
• Lunch on the last day
• Bus ticket from Aguas calientes to Machu Picchu (optional) one way US$7 and round trip US$14

what you need to bring :

• Original passport (and *International Student card (ISIC) if applicable)
• Travel Insurance card is essential
• Walking boots
• Waterproof jacket/rain poncho
• couple of T-shirts
• Comfortable trousers (zip off pants )
• Sun hat , Bathing suit (for hot springs in Aguas Calientes)
• Water Purification tablets ( recommended micropur)
• Sun protection cream (factor 35 recommended)
•  Insect repellent ( for Aguas Calientes and Machupicchu )
• Toilet paper
•  Personal medication
• Camera and films
• Torch with spare batteries ( we recommend head lights )
• Some extra snacks ( like chocolates ,candies )

TERRA QUECHUA PERU - CHECK REAL-TIME INCA TRAIL PERMITS OFFICIAL AVAILABILITY 2010

PRICE PER PERSON