4 Days Inca Jungle hike to Machu Picchu

• Type of trip: Adventure, Cultural
• Activity: Hiking, Trekking

Inca Jungle to Machu Picchu crosses the Malaga pass at 4350 masl that descends to the cloud forest, the trail starts in Santa Teresa early in the morning and ends in the town of Machu Picchu – Aguas Calientes.

This is one of the alternative trails beside the already famous Inca Trail, and many people consider it just as wonderful, this hike is ideal for those travelers who want to see the routes of the rural communities and the adventures of the jungle – Jungle.
Inca Jungle to Machu Picchu is perfect for those who love outdoor activities since activities such as biking, rafting, zip-lining, and trekking with your final destination in Machu Picchu and the sacred Huayna Picchu or Machupicchu.

With our extensive experience, we assure you that you will have a great time on this tour so do not hesitate to book with us.

Itinerary

DAY 1: Cusco – Abra
Malaga – Santa Maria

Cycling time: 3.5 hours
approximately.
Meals: Lunch and dinner.
Difficulty: Moderate

Very early at 5:30 a.m. we will
pick you up at your hotel and leave the city of Cusco towards the Sacred Valley
of the Incas. There we will have breakfast and head to Abra Malaga (4350
m.a.s.l.) starting point of our bike tour. Before starting the trip we will
give you a brief orientation to avoid any problems.

We will start our bike tour of
approximately 3 hours which is about 55km until we reach the town of
Huamanmarca. During the tour we will explore the beauty of the snow-capped
mountains of this tropical jungle. Once in the jungle is where our adventure
begins, we will cross streams and enjoy the change of climate from cold to
tropical.

Arriving at the village of Santa
Maria (1 200masl), this is where we will stay at the hotel. In the afternoon
there are several optional activities to do:

rafting on the Vilcanota river:
This activity is available between the months of April to December, and you
must know how to swim to participate according to Peruvian law.

DAY 2: Santa Maria –
Inca Trail – Cocalmayo

Hiking time: Approximately 9 hours
(including lunch).
Hike and Terrain: Hiking, mostly on steep trails, and some open slopes.
Distance: 12km.
Meals: Lunch, breakfast and dinner.
Difficulty: Difficult.

In the morning we will enjoy a
delicious breakfast and be ready and energized for the first day of trekking to
the village of Santa Teresa.
We will walk for two hours uphill observing the variety of flora and fauna of
the whole area explored.

We will stop at the home of a
local family where we will appreciate the culture, customs and traditions,
later we will cross a stretch of the Inca Trail that formerly connected the
citadel of Machu Picchu with the last Inca refuge, Vilcabamba. Our guide will
tell you incredible stories of the place and you will be able to imagine
everything being in that place.

Here in this terrain we will also
get impressive views of the canyon of Huancarccasa, the majestic Apu Salkantay,
then descend to the village of Quellomayo, where we will enjoy a delicious
lunch and then take a short break.

Then we will take a short walk of
2 hours to reach the thermal baths of Cocalmayo where we will spend a relaxing
time, after finishing the day our transport will take us to the village of
Santa Teresa, where we will spend our second night.

DAY 3: Lucmabamba –
Inca Trail – Llactapata – Aguas Calientes Trek

Trekking: 5-6 hours
Hiking level: Moderate to challenging.
Overnight in Aguas Calientes at 1,900m.

New day, we have a delicious
breakfast, today we will have the opportunity to do a very good activity
“We run in the air over the Andean mountains” about 2 hours, then we
head to Llaqtapata pass (2,736 masl) where we can get an incredible view of the
sanctuary of Machu Picchu from the southeast.

We arrive at the village of
Hidroelectrica, we continue our hike on the side of the railroad to Aguas
Calientes.

Finally a hotel! we check in to
rest and celebrate, after a last session to debrief your experience of the next
day.

DAY 4: Aguas Calientes
to Machu Picchu / Return to Cusco

Meals: Breakfast
Distance: 4kms/3.7mls
Difficulty: Easy

This day we will board a bus that
will take you to the archaeological complex of Machu Picchu at exactly 5:00 am.

Once inside the archaeological
site we will give you a 2 hour guided tour, you will see the most important
temples, such as the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the Three Windows, etc.
After the guided tour you will have free time to explore on your own and if you
have decided to hike to Huayna Picchu this is the right time to do it.

Remember that if you plan to hike
Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu you must make reservations in advance of your
trip as there is limited space per day and the fee is US $ 35.