Let’s face it, nobody does the Iconic Inca Trail like us. We combine the cultural highlights of the Sacred Valley with the challenge of one of the world’s most famous treks. The four-day Inca Trail trek takes you through a stunning combination of the region’s ruins, mountains and cloud forests. As soon as you catch your first glimpse of Machu Picchu in the early morning light, you’ll know it’s all been worth it. Best of all, because we run our own treks, we can ensure fair treatment of our porters and quality food and equipment, so you can relax and enjoy the beauty of the region.
Let’s face it, nobody does the Inca Trail like us. We combine the cultural highlights of the Sacred Valley with the challenge of one of the world’s most famous treks. The four-day Inca Trail trek takes you through a stunning combination of the region’s ruins, mountains and cloud forests.
As soon as you catch your first glimpse of Machu Picchu in the early morning light, you’ll know it’s all been worth it. Best of all, because we run our own treks, we can ensure fair treatment of our porters and quality food and equipment, so you can relax and enjoy the beauty of the region.
Explore ruins in the Sacred Valley, learn about traditional ways of life and visit local markets, conquer the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.
Overview Itinerary
Day 2: Cusco – Sacred Valley – Community Poques – Ollantaytambo
Enjoy a full-day guided tour of the Sacred Valley. Stop at the G Adventures-supported women’s weaving co-op before visiting a local pottery making community. Break for lunch at the G Adventures-supported Parwa Community Restaurant in Huchuy Qosco. After lunch, opt to head out on a hike to the Ollantaytambo storehouses and look out over the ruins. Or, wander around the cobblestone streets and visit a local Chicheria (corn beer bar).
Day 2: Inca Trail
Depart Ollantaytambo by van to km 82 where the Inca Trail begins. Ease into the adventure with a straightforward day of hiking the meandering streams, stunning Andean scenery, and ancient Incan ruins.
Day 3: Inca Trail
Start early to climb the long steep path to Warmiwañusca, better known as Dead Woman’s Pass. This is the highest point of the trek at 4,198m (13,769 ft). Most hikers reach camp by early afternoon, with ample time to rest and relax.
Day 4: Inca Trail
Cross two more passes and ruins on today’s trek. The first pass is Runquraqay at 3,950m (13,113 ft) where, on a clear day, hikers can catch a glimpse of the snow-capped Cordillera Vilcabamba. Hike through the cloud forest on a gentle climb to the second pass of the day, walking through original Incan constructions. The highest point of the pass is 3,700m (12,136 ft). On a clear day, enjoy the spectacular views of the Urubamba Valley. At 3,650m (11,972 ft), reach the ruins of Phuyupatamarca, the “town above the clouds.” Camp here or go another 1.5 hrs to the Wiñay Wayna ruins (“forever young”) located at 2,650m (8,694 ft).
Day 5: Machu Picchu
The final day of the hike starts pre-dawn to reach the Sun Gate before sunrise. Catch the first views of the breathtaking ruins of Machu Picchu on a clear day. Hike down for a guided tour of the ruins, before your train back towards Cusco.
Enjoy a full-day guided tour of the Sacred Valley. Stop at the Tunqui Expeditions-supported women’s weaving co-op before visiting a local pottery making community. Break for lunch at the Tunqui Expeditions-supported Parwa Community Restaurant in Huchuy Qosco.
After lunch, opt to head out on a hike to the Ollantaytambo storehouses and look out over the ruins. Or, wander around the cobblestone streets and visit a local Chicheria (corn beer bar).
Poques Pottery Making Demonstration
In the rural village of Cuyo Chico in the Sacred Valley, a group of families joined together to create a small business based on their traditional adobe ceramic crafts. Using clay from their surroundings, they mold bowls, plates, and all manner of decorations. Learn about the ceramics process as well as the traditional adobe brick-making that forms the basis of houses throughout the valley, all while taking in a spectacular view of the Pisac Ruins. After the demonstration, peruse the items for sale directly from the artisans in their shop.
Depart Ollantaytambo by van to km 82 where the Inca Trail begins. Ease into the adventure with a straightforward day of hiking the meandering streams, stunning Andean scenery, and ancient Incan ruins.
Trek through beautiful scenery, with a variety of flora that changes with the seasons, passing several smaller ruin sites like Llactapata.
Inca Trail HikeInca Trail KM 82 – Wayllabamba Camp 5h-6h 11km
Get your blood pumping on this first day of hiking the Inca trail. The trekking is fairly easy and serves as good training for the next few days. Pass rambling rivers and a small village, and enjoy scenic mountain views; it’s just a taste of what’s to come.
Start early to climb the long steep path to Warmiwañusca, better known as Dead Woman’s Pass. This is the highest point of the trek at 4,198m (13,769 ft). Most hikers reach camp by early afternoon, with ample time to rest and relax.
Inca Trail Hike – Wayllabamba Camp – Paqaymayo Camp 6h-7h 12km
Trek over progressively spectacular and steeper terrain on your way to Warmiwañusca (aka Dead Woman’s Pass), the highest point of the trek at 4,198m (13,769ft). Be prepared to face strong Andean weather (blazing sun or cold winds) around the pass. Take the hike slow, and drink lots of water along the way – amazing views are waiting as a reward. Enjoy some ample time to rest and relax after reaching the camp; most campers arrive around early afternoon.
Cross two more passes and ruins on today’s trek. The first pass is Runquraqay at 3,950m (13,113 ft) where, on a clear day, hikers can catch a glimpse of the snow-capped Cordillera Vilcabamba. Hike through the cloud forest on a gentle climb to the second pass of the day, walking through original Incan constructions.
The highest point of the pass is 3,700m (12,136 ft). On a clear day, enjoy the spectacular views of the Urubamba Valley. At 3,650m (11,972 ft), reach the ruins of Phuyupatamarca, the “town above the clouds.” Camp here or go another 1.5 hrs to the Wiñay Wayna ruins (“forever young”) located at 2,650m (8,694 ft).
Inca Trail Hike – Paqaymayo Camp – Wiñaywayna 9h 16km
Cross two passes and more ruins along the Inca Trail on the last full day of hiking. Traverse Runquraway at 3,950m (13,113 ft), and then reach the second pass at 3,700m (12,136 ft). Spot the gorgeous Cordillera Vilcabamba and the Urubamba Valley in the distance on a clear day. Camp at either the Phuyupatamarca ruins or the Wiñay Wayna ruins.
The final day of the hike starts pre-dawn to reach the Sun Gate before sunrise. Catch the first views of the breathtaking ruins of Machu Picchu on a clear day. Hike down for a guided tour of the ruins, before your train back towards Cusco.
Inca Trail Hike – Wiñaywayna – Machu Picchu 2h-3h 6km
Wake around 03:30 to reach the Sun Gate as early as possible. Head to the checkpoint and join the lineup to wait for the gate to open. Catch the first views of the breathtaking ruins of Machu Picchu (fingers crossed for a clear day). Hike down to Machu Picchu (about 45 mins) for a 1.5 hr guided tour of the site, and free time to explore. Opt to visit the Inca Bridge (a 15-min walk one way) for no additional charge, if time allows.
Catch the bus outside the Machu Picchu gate after your visit for a 25-min downhill ride to Aguas Calientes. Eat and relax before the train ride back to Cusco this evening.
At Tunqui Expeditions we specify what is and what is not included in all the itineraries listed on our website. We take care of all the logistics, but please check the details to make sure you don’t miss anything.
Some elements may be different for certain programmes, so please read carefully before booking with us.
WHAT IS INCLUDED?
Permits and entrance tickets
Once we have received your full details and the deposit to secure your booking, we will purchase all the necessary permits (subject to availability). These permits will be issued for a specific date and will be in your name. They cannot be changed under any circumstances. A change of passport number is only allowed for renewal purposes. In this case you will need to bring both your old and new passports.
High quality service and safety
You will meet your guide and group at our office for an orientation before the walk. There you will be given a duffel bag to be carried by our porters. This bag should not exceed 7kg and should contain your sleeping bag and inflatable mattress if you have chosen to hire or bring one. The meeting is at 17:00 the night before the trip.
English and Spanish speaking official guides. All our guides are graduates of the Professional Course of Tourism of the National University San Antonio Abad del Cusco. We have chosen them for their professionalism, experience, responsibility, seriousness, unbridled passion for exploration and sincere desire to proudly share our culture and history. They all grew up in the region and have a real passion for teaching others about their heritage. They are fun and professional and will make sure you are safe and happy!
All Tunqui Expeditions guides have received specialised first aid training. We conduct mandatory training sessions with our guides every February. Your guide will always carry a first aid kit for basic emergencies (altitude sickness, traveller’s diarrhoea, cuts, abrasions, etc.) as well as oxygen. If necessary, we will evacuate you from the trail as quickly as possible and ensure that you get to a clinic for treatment.
All equipment is carried by our team of porters.
You are allowed to carry personal items up to a maximum weight of 7kg /15,4lb (this includes your sleeping bag).
Our camping mattresses will help you sleep comfortably when camping!
We believe that attention to detail is what sets us apart from other local companies. You will receive a cover to protect your rucksack on the trail and a rain poncho.
We have a telephone service available 24 hours a day to facilitate communication with Tunqui Expeditions prior to your trek.
Whilst our guides can deal with most first aid issues that arise during the trek, there are some that require a little more attention. All guides carry a fully charged satellite phone with them on the trek. Being just a phone call away from a doctor, hospital or friend gives everyone the peace of mind that they are safe. The radios that all of our guides carry have a limited range, so Tunqui Expeditions has included this feature to ensure that we can communicate no matter where we are on the mountain. Our clients can also use them for non-emergency situations. They are not cheap to use, but they are there in case you need to check on that puppy you left at grandma’s.
Accommodation
Tunqui Expeditions use the best tents to ensure your safety and comfort (e.g. Eureka Timberline or Mountain Hard Ware tents).
Meals
Our chef prepares the best food in the mountains – our passengers love our food! We cater for all dietary requirements: vegetarian, vegan or special menus are available at no extra cost, so please let us know on your booking form if you have any special requirements and remind your guide during the briefing. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are provided, as well as hot drinks and snacks.
From your first lunch to your last breakfast, Tunqui Expeditions will provide you with all the water you need. We provide boiled, filtered and chilled water. It is necessary to bring a camel bag or an empty bottle. We recommend a capacity of 2 litres. You will be able to refill your bottles at each meal.
Each morning at camp you will be woken with a cup of hot coca tea. Our staff will bring the tea to your tent to warm it from the inside out before you start your day.
Every afternoon, before dinner, the cooks will provide you with popcorn, biscuits, coffee, hot chocolate, tea, hot water, etc. After a long day of trekking, you don’t have to wait until dinner to relax and warm up – and enjoy a bite to eat!
Before you start your trek, your guide will provide you with a canvas bag filled with local fruit, biscuits, chocolates, sweets, etc. We will refill it every morning so that you can enjoy your snacks on the trail.
To avoid the use of plastic bags, which pollute our environment, we will provide you with a cloth bag for your snacks.
You will be given a small towel and soap to wash your hands before each meal.
Transportation
Porters (Tunquis)
During the Inca Trail, our porters (tunquis) will carry all our camping equipment, from personal tents, clothes and sleeping bags to extra tents for dining and cooking, food, water, tables, chairs and a gas cylinder stove. We will include the personal service of a porter who will be responsible for carrying your duffel bag and personal belongings.
They are responsible for carrying all camping equipment and food, setting up and taking down each camp and assisting the cook with all food preparation. By law they can only carry a maximum of 20kg, a rule we take very seriously. For example, in a group of 8 walkers there will be 15 porters.
Extras
We believe that it is the attention to detail that sets us apart from other tour operators. As we wrote above, each walker receives
Taxes and Fees
All taxes and permit fees associated with this trek are included in our price. There are no hidden charges.
The Tunqui Difference
The following list is less tangible, but equally important and part of everything we do and include at Tunqui Expeditions.
He started in the industry as a porter and understands your needs better than anyone. We are committed and promise a better life for every member of Team Tunqui.
This includes better wages that they can live on so they don’t have to beg for tips to make ends meet. This is our job. We provide them with all the equipment they need, including warm down jackets, proper walking boots, rucksacks, hats, headlamps, sleeping bags and mats, and tents for them to sleep in.
We also help their families by supporting their village schools, bringing doctors and dentists to the families and planting trees in their valleys. We are committed to our social projects and the more than 300 porters on our team appreciate this.
While our porters trek to Machu Picchu dozens of times a year, they never enter our famous citadel. We make four trips a year to take our team inside and spend two days touring the important ruins, allowing them to touch and see the history of their ancestors.
Although the numbers are not yet equal, we look forward to the day when we have 50/50 men and women working in the mountains as part of the Tunqui Expeditions team.
We use local products that are biodegradable and organic wherever possible.
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED?
Sleeping bag
You can hire one from us if you don’t have your own. Our sleeping bags are effective and durable, protecting you from temperatures as low as -18ºC (0ºF). They are mummy shaped and include a sleeping liner. They are cleaned after each use and are limited to 30 trips.
Trekking poles
Trekking poles (with rubber tips) can be very useful in rough terrain and for ascending and descending. You can hire a set from us if you wish.
Lunch in Aguas Calientes and dinner in Cusco (Day 4)
Travel insurance
Tips for our staff
It is customary to leave a tip on any trip to Machu Picchu. Although we pay all our staff well, a little extra is always appreciated, especially considering their hard work. Generally, group members pool their tips and distribute them among the porters and cooks.
Extra costs or delays beyond our control
Landslides, bad weather conditions, itinerary changes for security reasons, illness, pandemic, government policy changes, political instability, strikes, acts of God, etc.
Huayna Picchu (Young Mountain)
Huayna Picchu is the mountain on the north side of Machu Picchu. To get to the top you have to take a 45-minute walk, starting from a dense forest, followed by a climb up the stairs. These stairs are a challenge for those who like heights.
If you are not afraid of heights, you can do this hike after your Machu Picchu tour. The extra cost is $75. Reservations should be made at least a month in advance due to the popularity of this site. Finally, we must ask for your understanding about the weather, which is out of our control.
We want to make your trip to Peru as memorable and worry free as possible. In this section you’ll find the answers to all your questions about travelling with Tunqui Expeditions in one place. Please read the following information carefully – it will help you with any questions you may have about our services.
Plastic Free Inca Trail
Join us on this journey towards a plastic-free Inca Trail, where the beauty of the landscape is matched only by our commitment to environmental stewardship. Together we’ll pave the way for a more sustainable and responsible adventure through the heart of history.
How many days do I need to acclimatise in Cusco before the trek?
It’s very important to be well acclimatised to the altitude before embarking on a trek. We recommend that you arrive in Cusco at least 2 or 3 days before the start of the trek to help you acclimatise and avoid any problems with altitude sickness during the trek.
You may have been in another area of Peru at high altitude before arriving in Cusco. If this is the case, we still recommend that you spend a full day in Cusco to rest, recover from the journey and enjoy the sights and sounds of Cusco before starting the trek.
Here are some suggestions for activities to do around Cusco before starting your adventure trek:
Briefing or information meeting
All information meetings and briefings are held at our main office in Cusco (or your hotel) at 17:00 the night before the tour starts. These meetings last between 30 and 45 minutes. If you can’t make it, you will need to arrange another time by email, phone or in person at the Tunqui Expeditions office.
Trek balance payment (in Cusco)
If you have an outstanding balance, you must pay it 2 days before your trek. Otherwise your reservation will not be confirmed.
If possible, we would appreciate it if you could pay the balance for the trek/tour in cash, either in US dollars or local currency, at our office in Cusco. You can withdraw money from several ATM’s along the Avenida Sol, which offer both US Dollars and Peruvian Soles.
Alternatively, you can pay by credit/debit card or PAYPAL, either online or in person, but please note that a 5% service charge will be applied by our payment gateway (Niubiz) and PAYPAL. We regret to inform you that we are unable to accept bank drafts or traveller’s cheques as payment for the balance.
Duffle bag or canvas bag
You’ll be given a duffel bag or canvas bag during your briefing. Our team of porters will carry it with you throughout the trek and hand it to you at each camp. They measure 60 x 24 x 22 cm (23.6 x 9.45 x 8.66 in).
A maximum of 6 kg / 13.2 lb is allowed for each duffel, including the weight of your sleeping bag, sleeping mat, clothes and other personal items.
Can I store my luggage in your office?
Of course you can! During the trip your main luggage can be stored at our office (you can arrange this with us on the day of the briefing or by email) or at your hotel, both free of charge.
Any equipment you don’t need on the trek can be safely stored at your hotel. Almost all hotels offer this service. Don’t leave anything of value with your luggage; put it in the hotel safe and get a detailed receipt (in the unlikely event of theft, many insurance companies require a copy of the receipt detailing everything). It’s best to put items such as credit cards in a sealed, signed envelope for extra peace of mind.
Collecting guests
Please note:
Returning to Cusco from Machu Picchu
Returning from Machu Picchu requires some logistics, but don’t worry. It is all included in your tour!
Group Tours
Group tours are made up of different types of people, therefore physical conditions and ages may vary. By agreeing to join a group tour, you accept that some people may be faster or slower than you. Therefore, everyone will be able to move at their own pace.
There may be occasions when a group wishes to make changes to the tour, but it is up to the guide to decide, in consultation with all participants, whether such changes are possible.
Strikes and demonstrations
Strikes and demonstrations are common in Peru and may interrupt some of our tours. Roads may be blocked and railway lines may be occupied. However, we will try to keep your trip as originally planned, even if this means leaving the night before the scheduled date.
Tours may be cancelled in these circumstances. In the event of a change or cancellation, our Operations Department will liaise with you. Your safety is our number one priority and our decisions will be made to protect it.
Lost items
Please be careful where you leave your belongings and remember to take everything with you when you leave your transport, accommodation or restaurant. You are responsible for your belongings while you’re on the tour.
BASICS
CLOTHING
EQUIPMENT
The porters will carry up to 7kg of your personal belongings. This should include your sleeping bag and air mattress (if you are bring/renting one). In our case these two items weigh 3.5kg.
RECOMMENDED
The Inconic Inca Trail 5 Days, can leave any day of the week, March to January. We do NOT operate this itinerary during the rainy season in February.
Cost
Group Price: US$ 995.00 per person.
Required Pre-payment : US$ 300.00 per person.
Balance (Cusco): US$ 695.00 (Commonly paid in Cusco after briefing).
This small group tour is guaranteed to operate with just 2 people.
Please note that PayPal charges a 5% fee, which we ask the client to cover as it is due to the use of their service. This tax is only for online deposits so you will pay the rest in cash (on the day of the briefing in Cusco) without charge.
Extensions and Offers
There are several extensions that can be included in your Peru Adventure.
Additional Equipment
There are additional items that you can include in this trip. Below is a quick list of prices.
Add-ons and Upgrades
Complementary services and upgrades that you can include in this trip:
Price guarantee
Once your reservation is confirmed, we guarantee that the price will not increase, whatever the circumstances. So, before you book, please make sure you have read all our important information about the tour.
Student Discount
Student discounts apply to anyone 17 years of age or younger. To receive the discount, we require a copy or clear photo of your passport at the time of booking. It must be current and not expire within the dates of travel. Please send it to info@tunquiexpeditions.com.
