Glamping on the Inca Trail
Glamping on the Inca Trail
Glamping on the Inca Trail
9 Days Starting and ending in Cuzco
Visiting: Peru
Tour Overview
Hike the Inca Trail, enjoying exquisite food, soothing massages and a comfortable bed each night. We take the classic route, from the Urubamba River, across mountain passes, through cloud forests and past crumbling fortresses, to the ruins of Machu Picchu. We have designed the trip to spend more time on the route, arriving at Machu Picchu in the afternoon for classic photos before we stay overnight in nearby Aguas Calientes. We return the next morning, fresh and well rested, for our in-depth tour of this New Wonder of the World.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1 : Start Cuzco; Free Time To Explore The Inca Capital
Welcome to Cuzco, which was the geographic, cultural and political hub of a vast Inca empire, which stretched from present-day Quito, Ecuador, to Santiago, Chile, at its peak. After Spanish conquistadors invaded, they built on top of Inca structures, resulting in unique architecture, a fusion of Spanish and Inca styles. There is a noticeboard in the hotel reception with details of where and when the group welcome briefing will be held.
Remember to take it easy on arrival in Cuzco (and drink plenty of water) to help your body adjust to the altitude.
Superior accommodation: Costa del Sol Wyndham (or similar)
Day 2 : Cuzco Tour Including The Cathedral, Qorikancha And Sacsayhuaman
Meals Included: Breakfast
We embark on a tour of Cuzco this morning, a chance to see the city highlights and adjust to the altitude. Starting at 8am, we first visit the Qorikancha (Sun Temple), which was the most sacred temple in the Inca empire. We then tour Cuzco Cathedral, a gothic-baroque-renaissance masterpiece, before heading to the hills above the city to visit the imposing Inca fortress of Sacsayhuaman and then the Qenqo Archaeological Complex. Finally, we visit mysterious Tambomachay, whose exact purpose is unknown, though it may have functioned, at least in part, as an Inca spa.
Superior accommodation: Costa del Sol Wyndham (or similar)
Day 3 : Visit The Sacred Valley; Continue To Ollantaytambo
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today we visit the magnificent Sacred Valley of the Incas, which runs along the Urubamba River near Cuzco. It’s the true heartland of Inca culture and tradition, with the high Andean scenery dotted with old towns and pre-Columbian villages.
Here we visit the Pisac ruins, a former citadel that guarded a road from the lowlands and gives way to terraces carved into solid rock. We then visit the Inca ruins at Ollantaytambo, the one-time royal estate of Inca emperor Pachacuti.
Superior accommodation: Sonesta Posada (or similar)
Day 4 : Start Inca Trail Trek From Km82; Walk Along Urubamba River; Climb To Huayllabamba
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Early this morning, we transfer to the start of the Inca Trail at Piscacucho, known among adventurers as Km82, stopping in Ollantaytambo for a hearty breakfast and any last-minute shopping needs. From there, we proceed to the trailhead to gear up for the Inca Trail.
The trek kicks off with a hike to the checkpoint, where you must present your original passport. After, we have a captivating four-hour hike alongside the Urubamba River, exploring villages and fascinating archaeological sites, including Llactapata, an Inca marvel with administrative, political and economic significance at the base of a mountain.
Enjoy lunch in Tarayoc village, a buffet prepared by our skilled chef using fresh local produce.
The second leg is a two-hour trek along the left bank of the Cusichaca River, culminating at Wayllabamba, where tents are set up for your arrival. The camp team also provides warm water for washing, assists in bed preparation and hosts a delightful tea time and dinner.
Classic accommodation: Huayllabamba Camp (full-service glamping)
Day 5 : Cross Dead Woman's Pass, Then Descend To Pacaymayu
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
The morning begins, as all do on our Inca Trail trek, with a hot drink delivered to your tent. Today’s journey is both challenging and rewarding, marking the most demanding and best-known stretch of the trail. A slow and steady climb takes us through a cloud forest to the meadows of Llulluchapampa, then we summit Dead Woman’s (Warmihuañusca) Pass, the highest point on the trek at 13,829ft (4,215m).
After a well-deserved round of high fives and photos at the summit, we begin our steep descent on original Inca steps to reach our campsite in the scenic valley of the Pacaymayu River (11,811ft/3,600m). Warm up in the dining tent with a hot, fresh meal followed by a well-deserved sleep under the Andean night sky.
Classic accommodation: Pacaymayu Camp (full-service glamping)
Day 6 : Over Runquracay Pass To Ruins Of Sayacmarca And Phuyupatamarca
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After a hearty breakfast, we start the day with a climb, which takes us past the ruins of Runquracay and over the Runquracay Pass (12,894ft/3,930m), our second and final pass. From here, the Inca Trail becomes a clearly defined rolling path of flat boulders, providing access to sites only available to those on foot. One of the standout archaeological sites we visit is Sayacmarca (11,893/3,625m), perched high above the green cloud forest. From here, we enjoy views of Salkantay mountain as we hike to our spectacular campsite on the ridge above the Inca site of Phuyupatamarca (12,073ft/3,680m), where we can enjoy the sunset and sunrise.
Classic accommodation: Phuyupatamarca Camp (full-service glamping)
Day 7 : Walk Down Inca Steps To Wiñay Wayna And Machu Picchu Via The Sun Gate
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
From Phuyupatamarca, we take the famous Inca steps: a 1.2mi (2km) stone staircase that rapidly descends into an immense panorama, with the peaks of the Vilcabamba range above and the Urubamba River far below.
Reaching Wiñay Wayna, we have plenty of time to explore these beautiful ruins and eat lunch before continuing along a relatively flat section of the trail (by Inca standards), through cloud forest and wild orchids to reach Inti Punku (the Sun Gate).
From here, we get our first full sight of Machu Picchu, with the Huayna Picchu mountain rising behind… congratulations, you made it!
Inti Punku is traditionally busy with photo-taking trekkers in the morning, so our late afternoon arrival affords us unobstructed views of the magnificent ruins. We also get a chance to snap some classic photos of Machu Picchu before we take the 30-minute bus down to the town of Aguas Calientes for a shower and comfortable bed for the night.
Classic accommodation: Hatun Inti Boutique (or similar)
Day 8 : Guided Tour Of Machu Picchu; Return To Cuzco By Train And Road
Meals Included: Breakfast
Well-rested and refreshed, we return to Machu Picchu this morning for our guided tour. Machu Picchu is an architectural and engineering marvel, the staggering mountain backdrop making it even more dramatic. The Spaniards never found it, the Incas left no records of it, and so Machu Picchu remained an enigma, a city lost for centuries in the jungle until it was rediscovered in 1911 by the American historian Hiram Bingham. Your guided tour highlights the history, culture, architecture and mysteries that Machu Picchu still holds today.
This afternoon, we catch the train back to Ollantaytambo (1hr 30min) and continue by private bus to Cuzco (1hr 30min).
Accommodation: Costa del Sol Wyndham (or similar)
Day 9 : End Cuzco
Meals Included: Breakfast
We begin our return journeys home after breakfast. But if you’re not ready for the adventure to end, speak to your sales representative about extending your stay in Cuzco.
What's Included
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All breakfasts, four lunches and three dinners
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All transport and listed activities
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Full porterage throughout trek
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All accommodation
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High quality sleeping gear: mattresses, pillows and cots for trek duration
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Massages included and offered at the campsites
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Tour leader throughout
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Arrival and departure transfers
What's Not Included
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Travel insurance
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Single accommodation (available on request)
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Visas or vaccinations
Accommodation
The accommodation on this Peruvian adventure is likely to be a highlight. We spend five nights in hotels and three nights glamping on the Inca Trail.
Cuzco: Costa del Sol Wyndham (nights 1-2 and 8)
We begin and end the adventure at Costa del Sol, which occupies a 17th-century mansion that once belonged to the Marquis of Picoaga. The colonial-style property sits within the city’s historic centre, which means major landmarks, including the Plaza de Armas and traditional markets, are within walking distance. The hotel also has a lovely wine cellar and separate bar for cocktails.
Ollantaytambo: Sonesta Posada (night 3)
Taking over an 18th-century monastery, Sonesta Posada provides old world beauty in a mountain setting. There’s the Wayra Wasi Bar, which serves cocktails and craft beers, plus La Placita del Café, which serves coffees and desserts. For food, there’s an in-house trattoria for pizzas and pastas, plus Inkafé Restaurant Bar, which serves Peruvian cuisine.
Inca Trail: Full-service glamping (nights 4-6)
Our glamping nights will undoubtedly be a highlight of the adventure. We sleep in spacious tents with raised beds that have mattresses and pillows (bliss after a hiking day). There’s also a dining tent where we gather for exquisite chef-prepped meals. And if your muscles are feeling a little tired, there’s even a massage tent. Of course, the beauty of the mountain setting and millions of stars at night only adds to the magic.
Aguas Calientes: Hatun Inti Boutique (night 7)
In Aguas Calientes, this boutique hotel offers a comfortable spot to rest before our exploration of Machu Picchu the next day. The comfy beds and jacuzzi-style bath in each room will be particularly welcome after our trek and prepare us nicely for our discovery of the great Inca ruins.
Food
All breakfasts, four lunches and three dinners are included.
Peruvian cuisine is loved for its taste and originality; it’s well worth digging into the local delicacies. Among these are: ceviche, seafood or fish marinated in lime juice; lomo saltado, a Peruvian take on a beef stir-fry; and various hearty soups, including the delicious quinoa soup. Other dishes include roasted cuy (guinea pig) and alpaca steak. To drink, there’s pisco sour, the national beverage.
Drinking water is included throughout the trip as the tap water in Peru is not safe to drink; boiled and filtered drinking water is provided on the trek; elsewhere your leader buys large water containers from which you can refill your bottle.
Hotel breakfasts are normally simple buffets, usually including bread/toast, preserves, cereal, sometimes eggs or cooked dishes, sometimes fruit, tea/coffee and fruit juice. We cannot guarantee that wheat-free or gluten-free products are available for breakfast in all locations – if you have an intolerance you may wish to bring your own breakfast food.
Where lunch and dinner are not included in Cuzco, we visit a variety of cafes and restaurants.
During the Inca Trail, hearty breakfasts are served and good-quality cooked lunches and dinners are provided. They usually consist of soup to start, a main course with meat/fish and some carbohydrates, followed by a dessert. Between meals, snacks are also provided. Tea/coffee is brought to your tent each morning and juice or hot drinks are provided with all meals during the trek. The team can also accommodate for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, or any specific food restrictions you may have – please notify us at the time of booking.
Check out our Q&As
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What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?
If you wish to make any changes to your booking, particularly if you need to alter any flights booked through us, please let us know as soon as possible. There is a booking or flight amendment fee of £40 per change and flight amendments often incur extra airline costs depending on the changes to be made and if the ticket has been issued or not.
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Exodus has been trading since 1974
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What documents will I receive before I travel?
Your final joining instructions and flight details, if booked with us, will then be sent out 2 to 3 weeks before departure. If you would like a hard copy posted, or if you require these any earlier, please contact the customer operations team. We advise that if you are booking connecting travel before receiving these, please ensure you leave plenty of time.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Travellers are welcome to opt to share a room with a tour member of the same gender for no additional charge. If you'd like your own room, we can request a single supplement so that you will have your own room throughout.
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Can I join the tour once it has departed?
You are welcome to meet the group after the tour has departed however there is no reduction in rate for joining a tour after the departure date.
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Exodus Adventure Travels allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform exodus adventure travels, 43 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
Exodus Adventure Travels requires a minimum deposit of 25% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 90 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of exodus adventure travels charges.
Up to 70 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
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