INCA JUNGLE TREK

SANTA MARIA TO SANTA THERESA (TREKKING)

After a delicious but early breakfast (6am), we will begin our first day of the trekking. The first 2 hours of our hike is an ascent, but there will be several stops to learn a bit more about the wide variety of flora and fauna that can be found in the region.

One of these stops will be a family house where we will rest for 20 minutes and supply ourselves with more water and some regional tropical fruit. After resting for a bit, we will cross a section of the Inca Trail that historically connected Machu Picchu with the city of Vilcabamba. Here, our guide will explain a bit more about the history of the Incas, as well as the system of communication that existed during that time. At this point, we will also see one of the most impressive views - the Huancarccasa Canyon. Afterward, we will descend to the small town of Quellomayo, where we will stop for lunch and rest in the nearby hammocks. We then continue two more hours on foot to the thermal baths of Cocalmayo, where you will have plenty of time to enjoy the naturally heated water of the bathrooms.

SANTA THERESA TO AGUAS CALIENTES (TREKKING AND ZIP-LINING)

After breakfast in Santa Teresa, we'll walk for 20 minutes to the zip-line facility. The zip-line in Santa Teresa consist of 12 platforms and 5 galvanised stainless steel cables suspended 250 meters above the valley floor. The length of the cables range from 500m to 1000m in length. We'll spend 1.5 hours having an amazing adrenaline-filled morning, before being transported to the Hydroelectric station. From here we will hike towards Aguas Calientes. Lunch will be included along the path and we will have the opportunity to see a series of waterfalls and admire the majesty of the surrounding mountains of Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu. You'll also have the chance to see an astronomical sundial used by the Incans, as well as other constructions such as the Incan citadel of Machu Picchu. After 3 hours of walking we will arrive in Aguas Calientes, where we'll overnight.

MACHU PICCHU TO CUSCO

This last day starts very early. We will wake around 5.00 am, have breakfast, and then take one of the first buses to Machu Picchu. There are two good reasons to be at the entrance of Machu Picchu very early:

1. It is well worth the effort to get up early, as the Inca city is quiet early morning. You will have plenty of time to take photos and enjoy the sunrise over Machu Picchu, before day visitors from Cusco arrive.

2. Our guide will give you a tour around Machu Picchu, telling you about the history of Machu Picchu and the most famous temples and altars. Of course, he will also take you to the classical viewpoint (the sacred Rock Hut), this vantage point offers a terrific view of the whole Inka city.

After the tour, if you still have plenty of energy, you can hike to the top of Huayna Picchu Mountain. Please note: This is the steep mountain dominating the background of Machu Picchu. From the top of Huayna Picchu, you have a stunning and breathtaking view of the complete Machu Picchu area. It takes about 1 hour to hike up Huayna Picchu and 1 to 1 ½ hour (depending on if you want to make a detour to the vast cavern) to return down. This hike needs to be booked in advance and has an extra cost of US$ 35.00 per person. It is a very popular add-on and frequently sell-out 3 or 4 months in advance (especially on dates in May and June). If you want to hike Huayna Picchu please let our local tour operator know after making your booking.

We'll hike back down to Aguas Calientes around 1:00 pm. If you go down earlier you can have lunch (not included), visit the hot springs in town, go to a museum, or shop at the artisan market. We'll catch a train to Ollantaytambo at 18:20 and then the group will be transferred by private bus back to Cusco, arriving around 22:00.