• Pre-trek briefing
• Collection from your hotel on the morning of your Huchuy Qosqo Trek departure
• Private transport from Cusco to the trailhead and return at the end of the trek
• Entry fee to Machu Picchu and Huchuy Qosqo ruins
• English/Quechua/Spanish speaking professional guide, plus an assistant guide for groups over 8
• Tent: 2 people in a 4-person tent, allowing for greater comfort and backpack storage!
• Basic foam mattress. If you would like greater comfort during the trek we can rent you an inflatable mattress. See Optional Extras & Upgrades below.
• Cook and cooking equipment, plus assistants for larger groups.
• Meals as indicated in the itinerary. Our professional cooks prepare a combination of traditional Peruvian and Western cuisine. Talk to your guide if you have certain preferences! Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options available. When served, salads are washed in boiled water.
• Toilet tent
• Horses and horsemen, who carry camping equipment, food and kitchen utensils. We provide duffel bags at your briefing for your personal items (up to 7kg/15lbs per person).
• 1 emergency horse which can be ridden if you are feeling ill or if you are a little slower
• Dining tent with camp tables and chairs, and kitchen tent for the cook to prepare meals
• Tents, sleeping bags and mattresses for our staff to sleep in, plus a budget for their meals
• First aid kit including emergency oxygen bottle
• Train ticket (Vistadome service) from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes
• Celebratory dinner in Aguas Calientes.
• Lunch on the last day.
• 1 night accommodation in Aguas Calientes in a Standard Hotel. This will be a nice, clean and safe hotel with breakfast included and private bathroom. You can also upgrade to a more luxurious hotel.
• Bus up and down between Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu
• Train ticket (Expedition service) from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo
• Private transport from Ollantaytambo to Cusco

• Breakfast on the first morning.
• Dinner on the last night.
• Entrance to the Aguas Calientes hot springs
• Entrance to Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain
• Sleeping bags. Available for rent if you don’t have one with you.
• Tips for the guide, cook and porter
• Additional horses for your personal luggage

See What To Bring for our comprehensive recommendations on what to pack for your trek. For more great suggestions, check out our blog about How to Prepare for a Trek in Peru.

We offer you the opportunity to personalize your trek and make your experience more comfortable through our Optional Extras and Upgrades. All options are available during the reservation process; please ask your sales consultant for more information.

• • Extra horse to carry luggage exceeding the allowed 7kg (15lbs) per person
  • Extra horse for you to ride, and horseman to lead it
  • Sleeping Bag suitable for -5˚C
  • Deluxe sleeping bag suitable for -15˚C
  • Light-weight aluminum walking stick. Two sticks are recommended for tough hikes.
  • Thermarest inflatable mattress
  • Thermarest inflatable pillow
  • Single-occupancy tent supplement
  • Comfort Camping Upgrade
  • Aguas Calientes Hotel Upgrade
  • Extra Day at Machu Picchu
  • If you’d like more flexibility in your return travel to Cusco, consider a train upgrade. This upgrade must be requested at time of booking.
  • If you’d like to hike Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain, let us know at the time of booking as it requires a separate permit.

Important!

• • When calculating the cost of renting equipment, calculate using the length of the entire trip, not just the number of trekking days.
  • Please be careful with rented equipment! You are responsible for the cost of replacement if something is damaged or broken.
  • Any upgrades or trip extensions must be requested at time of booking.

• Students: USD $30 off, in certain circumstances. Please enquire for details about eligibility.
• Youth 12-17: 5% off. A valid passport must be presented upon booking.
• Children 5-11 years: 15% off. A valid passport must be presented upon booking.
• Children 0-4 years: 75% off. A valid passport must be presented upon booking. Children under 4 will not count towards the total number of guests in a group, but will be charged 25% of the per person price based on final group size. For example, a group of 4 adults and one child under 4: adults will be charged the full price per person based on a group size of 4 and the child will be charged 25% of the per person price for a group of 4. Children under 3 will not be considered to occupy a seat on any train or bus, and instead must ride on a parent’s lap. Car seats, cribs and other baby needs may not be included and must be discussed in advance. For more information about travelling with infants and toddlers, please see this blog as well as the Age Requirements section of our Booking Conditions.
• 5% off a day tour listed price when you also book a 3-day or longer trek operated by Apus Peru

Want to join a trek? Ready to confirm a departure date of your own, but interested in having others join you? Then Trekkers Wanted is for you! Our innovative Trekkers Wanted system matches people up who are interested in hiking the same trek, bringing costs down and multiplying the fun for everyone!

Read More about Trekkers Wanted, post your trek or search for confirmed departures!

• Each guide has their own preferred route and so the route you trek might not correspond exactly to the route described here.
• The times cited in this itinerary are approximate. Walking times depend on the group, and the guide may change lunch spots and campsites, depending on the progress of the group.
• Remember that no trek in the Andes is easy. You still should be fit and prepared to hike in difficult conditions.

• Does this trek sound like just what you were looking for? If you’re ready to book or just want to find out a bit more information, fill out the Inquiry Form in the top right-hand corner of this page to get the ball rolling. You’ll be connected with one of our amazing sales people who will be able to turn your dream of hiking in the Andes into a reality. For more information on the entire booking process, please see our How To Book page.
• Travel insurance is a must! World Nomads offers travel insurance for adventure activities.

• • Total Walking Distance: 12kms
  • Total Walking Time: 7h
  • Minimum Altitude: 3,800m (12,467 ft) / Maximum Altitude: 4000m / (13,123 ft)
  • Altitude of camp: 3,800m (12,467 ft)
  • Approx. night temperature: -5˚C (23˚F)

We leave Cusco early and take private transport towards Tambo Machay. After seeing the ruins from a distance, we start to hike, climbing steeply upwards from where we will have spectacular views over the city. Over the course of the day, we will cross four gentle passes, the highest of which is 4000m (13,123 ft). Along the way, we will pass pretty alpine lakes and pastoral landscapes with grazing alpacas and potato fields. Towards the end of the day, we connect with an ancient Inca trail which will lead us down to a village filled with stone houses with thatched roofs. We will camp at the small hamlet of Pucamarca for the night.

• • Total Walking Distance: 4km
  • Total Walking Time: 4h
  • Minimum Altitude: 3,000m (9,842 ft) / Maximum Altitude: 3,800m / (12,467 ft)

After breakfast, we continue our hike to Huchuy Qosqo, passing through a narrow but magical canyon and with wonderful views over the Sacred Valley on the other side. After about 1:30 more hours of walking we will arrive at the Huchuy Qosqo ruins, an infrequently visited ancient Inca site that translates as “Small Cusco”. We will have time to explore the ruins and ponder its role. From here we have a 2.5h steep and slippery descent into the Sacred Valley. We will have a late lunch in the typical and untouristed village of Lamay.

From Lamay it’s off to Ollantaytambo, the living Inca village, traveling by private car. If we have time, you can explore this incredibly quaint town with its narrow, cobblestone streets and stone buildings, or climb up to the Inca ruins above the village (there is an extra fee to climb the Ollantaytambo ruins not included in your Huchuy Qosqo Trek price. Please tell us at booking if you would like to visit these ruins). In the late afternoon, we will travel by train to Aguas Calientes, where we will check into our accommodations and enjoy a celebratory dinner.

• • Total Walking Distance: 6km
  • Total Walking Time: 3h
  • Minimum Altitude: 3,700m (12,139 ft) / Maximum Altitude: 3,800m / (12,467 ft)

Today we will get up in pre-dawn hours in order to take the first bus up to Machu Picchu. If we time things just right, you may get to witness the sunrise over this amazing Inca citadel from the Watchman’s Hut or even Inti Punku, the Sun Gate. Our guide will give us a 2-3h guided tour of Machu Picchu, and you will have the option to visit some of the other highlights on your own.

You may want to climb Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain to cap off your Machu Picchu experience, but remember that permits are limited and must be reserved at the time of booking! There is an additional cost to hike Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain not included in the price of this trek. For more tips on what to see, check out our Visiting Machu Picchu page.

Want more time to explore? Consider our Extra Day Upgrades!

After visiting Machu Picchu, you can take the bus or walk back down to Aguas Calientes. From there, we return to Cusco in the afternoon by the Expedition (tourist class) train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo, where our driver will meet us and transfer you directly back to your hotel in Cusco. Total travel time is about 4 hours from Aguas Calientes to Cusco.