Inca Jungle Trek 4 Days – Inca Jungle Trail Cusco

Day 1: Cusco – San Luis – Santa Maria (Biking)

We will be picking you up from your hotel in Cusco between 0745 and 0800 in the early morning. We will then embark on a drive along the Sacred Valley of Incas to Ollantaytambo. From here, we will drive you up the hill to Abra Malaga pass. This is the highest point of Inca Jungle Trek to Machu Picchu. 

That is where we are will get our bikes off of the vehicle to start the ride downhill experience. In case of fog, your guide will decide to change the starting point. 

During the hours long downhill ride you will see some great views of the immense Convención Valley and you will also see some beautiful flora from the different microclimates that you pass through.

About halfway down, we will be able to visit the Inca ruins of Waman marca. Here we will take a break. Also, we will need to choose a suitable spot to have some Lunch along the way.

Finally, after about 4 hours of downhill biking we will be reaching the altitude of 1,430 meters. We will arrive in Santa Maria where we will have dinner and spend the night in a basic, but comfortable tourist hostel. 

In this area you will already start to see the flora and fauna of a more humid forest area indicative of the nearby jungle. Our guide will brief you on the following day’s itinerary. 

Day 2: Santa Maria – Santa Teresa (Hiking)

We will be serving you a healthy breakfast full of fresh fruits from the region. Then we will leave quite early in the morning from the hotel. 

We will be hiking on a trail further into the jungle region. Here we will be able to see different plantations. 

We will then hike on the Inca Trail (Qhapaq Ñan) which is the original Inca path. 

Even the air that we will be breathing here is noticeably some of the cleanest air that you could find in the world. Upon reaching Santa Teresa, you will have the opportunity to take a dip in the hot springs. 

We will spend the night in a basic lodging in the small community.

Day 3: Santa Teresa – Hydroelectric – Aguas Calientes

At 0745 in the morning, we will be leaving the hotel and will be doing a short hike to reach the suspension bridge and cross the Vilcanota river. This river was sacred to Incas. If you want to express some adrenaline rush, you can hop on a hanging transport container and cross from the river. 

On our way, you will get the opportunity to witness the flora and fauna of the region. The region is home to different butterflies, parrots, birds and insects. We will also have a chance to visit the Inti Watana (solar clock).

For lunch we will be reaching the Hydroelectric plant. It gets its name because of the hydroelectric dam that is nearby. That is the plant that produces electricity for Cusco. 

We will  have some Avocado for lunch, which is known to be especially delicious in the area. Then we will continue hiking along the railway lines to Aguas Calientes train station. 

This will roughly be a three hours hike. We will be hiking along the railway tracks. This is the same route that the renowned American explorer, Hiram Bingham took when he rediscovered Machu Picchu. 

At Aguas Calientes, we will be accommodating you in a basic hotel. We will then meet for dinner where our guide will be briefing you on the following day’s itinerary.

Zip Line Optional and additional tour

Cola de Mono Canopy (Zip line/Flying Fox) is an adventure activity in which participants are harnessed and attached by pulley to a cable anchored to two different mountains. They slide from one mountain to the other fast enough to feel like they are flying.

This Canopy is Peru’s first, and one of South America’s highest. There are 2500 m of cables in seven sections. The longest ride or section is 400m long, and the highest is 150m high.

• The maximum speed reached on the cables is 60 km/h.
• This tour takes approximately 2 hours.
• Take-off and arrival points are platforms of earth and rock.
• The complement to the activity is a rock-climb up a vertical ladder (Via Ferrata) more than 150m above the Rio Sacsara.

An orientation is given before the activity, in our cable school at our base camp under the cables of the canopy.

The tour starts with a walk up hill of about 20 minutes, and after the circuit of 7 cables there’s a short walk back down to our base, where equipment is returned.

Day 4:  Machu Picchu – Cusco

Reaching Machu Picchu is the most important part of our Inca Jungle Trail Cusco trip. We will give you the option of how you want to arrive at this sacred site. You can either walk up the stairs for 1hr 20 minutes at 4.00am or you can take the first bus at 5.30 am, which takes 30 minutes. 

We need to wake up early in order to arrive early to Machu Picchu to see the sunrise over this beautiful place (weather allowing) and once we enter you will have a guided tour around the area for 2 hours. Then you will be free with the options of climbing Huayna Picchu or the Sun Gate. 

Both have breathtaking views but make sure there is plenty of time to explore Machu Picchu. Sungate or Inti Punku is the gate through which those hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu enter the citadel.

After you have taken in all of Machu Picchu, you will return to Aguas Calientes to enjoy lunch with your guide. Then board the afternoon train to Ollantaytambo where you will board a bus and return to Cusco at approximately 6.35pm.

Included:

• Transport  Cusco-San Luis village
• Professional  Guide.
• Quality mountain bike with front suspension
• Meals included from lunch on the first day until breakfast on the last day
• Accommodation included in basic family hostel for 2 nights, 1 night in tourist hotel in Aguas Calientes.
• Fully equipped first aid kid
• Bus down from Machu Picchu
• Entrance fees to the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu
• Train back to Cusco or back to Ollantaytambo with a bus for the rest of the way back to Cusco

Not Included:

• Hot springs in Santa Teresa (s/ 10)
• Last lunch in Aguas Calientes
• Tips

Inca Jungle Trek 4 Days Packing List

• Sun block
• Insect Repellent
• Bottle of Water
• Sun Hat
• Towel
• Short Pants
• Trekking Shoes
• Personal Belongings
• Rain Coat
• Bathing Suit
• Some Extra Money (hot Springs in Aguas Calientes and/or Some Drinks).