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4 day Inca Trail Itinerary: Inca Trail Introductions / day 1 / day 2 / day 3 / day 4 / Weather & Trek Preparations / Services & Prices

The Inca Trail is Peru's best known hike. This 43km trek combines vistits to archaeological sites, amazing mountain scenery and lush cloud forest rich in native plants such as orchids with many diffeent species of hummingbird.

Inca Trail Day 1: Cusco to Wayllabamba 12km

Between 5:00-05:30 am we will pick you up from your hotel and travel by private bus bus to Piskacuchu (2700m) which is a small community located 82 along the railroad from Cusco to Machu Picchu (also known simply as km82). Buses normally stop at the town of Urubamba in the Sacred Valley for about an hour or so to give people the opportunity to have breakfast.

Hikers cross the Vilcanota River and follow the trail to the right as it climbs steeply up from the river. After passing through the small village of Miskay, the ruins of the Inca hillfort of Huillca Raccay come into view high above the mouth of the river Cusichaca ('happy bridge'). It is a simple descent down to the Cusichaca river. From parts of this trail there are great views of the Cordillera Urubamba and the snow capped peak of Veronica 5860m.

You'll also get a great view over the extensive Inca ruins of Llactapata (also known as Patallacta on some maps). Llactapata 2750m means 'upper town' in Quechua and was first discovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911 and was primarily an agricultural station used to supply Machu Picchu with maize, the staple crop of the Incas. The settlement comprised over one hundred buildings, houses for the workers and soldiers, including five baths.

For a further 7 km the path follows the left bank of the river up to the small village of Wayllabamba (3,000m). The name in Quechua means 'grassy plain'. This is the last place along the trek that you can buy snacks and drinks.

Continue to day 2 >>

KeyWord Reference:

Machu Picchu, Machupicchu, Machu-picchu, Inca Trail, Inka Trail, Inca trail to machu picchu.

Andean Life Tour Operator

Main Office N° 1 : Calle Santa Teresa 381, Plaza de Armas, Cusco, Peru
Office N° 2 : Calle Plateros 372, Plaza de Armas, Cusco, Peru
(Both ones located just half block from the main square of Cusco City)
Fax Telephone: 00-51-84-261269
Emergency Mobil Phone: 00-51-84-9673544

Licensed Inca Trail tour operator, specialists in trekking in the Andes (Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and other treks)
©Andean Life 1999 - 2005. All material within this web site is original work and subject to national and international copyright laws and cannot be reproduced without the written permission of the copyright holder. All rights reserved.

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