Cusco, Machu Picchu and Puno 6D / 5N 6 Days / 5 Nights

We will wait for you at the airport to welcome you and transfer you to the selected hotel in Cusco, where an aromatic coca tea will be served that is stimulating for the height of the city, and then you can rest and have lunch before the start of the city tour. .

1:30 Tour of the City Tour: Where you will visit the Temple of the Sun or Qoricancha, then you will go by bus to the 04 ruins surrounding the city, The Fortress of Sacsayhuamán, Qenqo, Puka Pukara and finally “Tambomachay. Finished approximately at 6:00 pm Then we will transfer you to your hotel where you will spend the night.

• Tour modality: Adventure, cultural and archaeological
• Degree of difficulty: None
• Tour Departure Times: 1:30pm,
• Period: All year round, recommended April – November
• Language: English, Spanish
• Group size: City Tour: 20 people
• City tour duration: 6 hours
• Average height (3,330 m.s.n.m)

We pick you up from your hotel. The tour will start at 8:30 a.m. about. The first stop will be at the Salineras de Maras, which are made up of more than 5,740 small wells which are filled with salt water that emanates from a natural spring. From there you can see the Urubamba mountain range and the snow-capped peaks of “Apu Verónica” (5,682 meters above sea level) and “Chikón” (5,530 meters above sea level). Its important occupation began when the nobles of the Inca Empire were stripped of their palaces in Qosqo and had to go out and settle in other small towns such as Maras. It has a church made of adobe, typical of small-town religious architecture, inside the church canvases from the Cusqueña School are kept.

Then you will visit the Archaeological Complex of Moray. Inca agricultural research center located at 3500 meters above sea level. After making these 2 visits we will return to Cusco, where you will have the afternoon to enjoy the city of Cusco. In the evening at 10:00 p.m. You will board the bus to the city of Puno from the terminal.

• Tour modality: Cultural and archaeological
• Degree of difficulty: None
• Departure times of the tour and end of the tour: 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• Language: English, Spanish
• Departure time to Puno: 10:00 p.m. at night

Arriving in Puno 5.30 a.m. We will pick you up from the Puno bus terminal upon arrival. The tour will start at approximately 7:00 a.m. From the city of Puno we will go to the port, where we will board a speedboat which will go to the floating island of Los Uros, after visiting the Island of Los Uros. You will visit Taquile Island where we will stop for approximately 4 hours. On this Island you can have lunch. Once both tours have been completed, you will be transferred to the port of the city of Puno. And finally, from the Puno terminal, you will board the bus at 10:00 p.m. back to the city of Cusco. Arriving approximately 5:30 to 6:00 a.m.

• Departure times of the tour and end of the tour: 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
• Language: English, Spanish
• Group size: Urus Island and Taquile Island: 16 to 30 people
• Average height: (3,800 m.s.n.m)
• Departure time from Puno to Cuso: 10:00 p.m. at night

We will pick you up at your hotel at 08:10 a.m. to start our trip to the impressive Sacred Valley of the Incas, on the way we will have views of beautiful landscapes and small towns, we will also make some stops at the Qorao and Taray viewpoints from where we will observe the peaks of the mountains and the Vilcanota River that passes through this valley, we will have time to visit the typical Pisaq market where we can observe and buy some handcrafted souvenirs made by the inhabitants with ancestral traditions, after the respective explanation we will go to the PISAQ Archaeological Complex, it is located at 30 minutes from the City of Cusco, where we will find Inca constructions and terraces of great importance since these served as an adaptation area for some products of the Inca region, in addition to serving as a surveillance point for entering the Sacred Valley. Here we will have a guided tour for approximately 2 hours where our guide will give us extensive information about the Archaeological Complex.
Then we will go to the town of Urubamba where we will have a delicious buffet lunch with typical food of the region in a tourist restaurant, then we will continue our journey until we reach the town of Ollantaytambo, the famous Living Inca Town, where we will have the guided visit to the Archaeological Complex , from where we will also see the impressive face that stands out on the hill, of the famous God Tunupa.

We will board the train at the Ollantaytambo station at approximately 4:30 p.m. or 7:00 p.m. towards the town of Aguas Calientes, where the hotel staff awaits us to take us to the hotel, where we will spend the night. (Optionally we can enjoy the hot springs of this place)

• Tour modality: Adventure, cultural and archaeological
• Places to visit on this tour: Pisaq, Urubamba and Ollantaytambo
• Tour departure times: 08:10 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
• Language: English, Spanish
• Group size: In the Sacred Valley 20 people on the bus
• Train schedule from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes: We will board the train at the Ollantaytambo station at approximately 4:30 p.m. or 7:00 p.m. towards the town of Aguas Calientes.
• Hotel in Aguas Calientes: Tambo Machu Picchu, or similar

Very early after our breakfast at the Hotel, we will board the bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu, we will make a 30-minute trip arriving at the citadel of Machu Picchu. Once inside Machu Picchu we will be able to appreciate the majestic sunrise then we will have a 2-hour guided tour (it is important that you understand that the entrance times depend on the time in advance that you make your reservation) approximately accompanied by a specialist guide who will give us a substantial and concise information about our historical and cultural legacy as well as a broad description about our imposing Machu Picchu, after the guided tour we will have free time to explore Machu Picchu on our own in addition to taking souvenir photographs, later We will descend to the town of Aguas Calientes to enjoy our lunch with the greatest tranquility, finally we will board the train to Ollantaytambo where our tourist bus will wait for us to return to the city of Cusco and transfer you to your hotel.

• Start of the Machu Picchu tour: It is important that you understand that the entry times depend on the time in advance that you make your reservation.
• Group size: 16 people
• Tour duration: 2:30 hours
• Average height (2,490 m.)

You will tell us the time your flight leaves and we will pick you up from your hotel and transfer to the airport and thus conclude our services.

At Inka Trail Backpacker, we offer you the basic and essential version of the popular treks in the region and because we are a 100% local company we know the real cost of operations and everything you will need. That is why our slogan is “Fun. Not Fancy Trip.”

Inka Trail Backpacker has been a Licensed Inca Trail Tour Operator since 2014. All companies managing the Inca Trail must be certified and have an Inca Trail operators license. This license is issued annually each December; Inka Trail Backpacker is licensed through the year of 2027.

Our license as an Official Travel Agency is under the name Inka Trail Backpacker E.I.R.L. Our license as an Inca Trail Operator is under the name of INKA TRAIL BACKPACKER E.I.R.L We also work with partner company licenses, such as QESWACHAKA PERU TOURS  E.I.R.L and GRUPO CAMINOS DEL PERU E.I.R.L. For tourists´protection, getting the permit for the Inca Trail from the government is a complicated and stringent process: in order to guarantee an Inca Trail Permit for all the tourists that have decided to book their adventure with us, we are registered to book using any of the above mentioned company licenses. We are all registered on the official Government web site: www.machupicchu.gob.pe.

Yes, we absolutely take care of our porters. We do not charge you less than other companies at the expense of our porters’ pay and wellbeing. Since the end of 2014, Inka Trail Backpacker has been paying our porters a wage of 400 soles for the 4 day trek, plus their transportation costs. That is nearly 20% above the legally required minimum wage agreed upon with the Porters Union. Following talks with our porters, they have told us that they know of only a few trekking companies that offer such competitive pay and benefits. Only two companies pay slightly more (and charge their clients almost US$100 more than us). Of the remaining 170 other licensed trekking operators, only about 60% pay the legal wage and 40% pay less than the legal wage. Some companies pay only 70% of the legal wage. Unfortunately, this is difficult to prove as their porters receive a low wage but are asked to sign receipts showing they received more!

However, improving porter welfare is not just about paying fair wages. It is important that the porters have adequate food, a warm and dry place to sleep, and access to medical attention, just the same as any other member of the group.

The wages that the porters get paid are by no means high by Western standards, but you have to look at wages relative to other professions in Peru. For example, a school teacher gets paid the equivalent of about US$400 per month and has trained for 5 years to become a professional. A porter, if he works 4 treks a month, receives about the same if you include his tips. Most porters are seasonal workers and have no formal qualifications. For just 16 days work per month, they receive wages similar to a teacher who works 22 days. Inka Trail Backpacker also tries to help the porters in additional ways, such as financial and educational support for their families.

As a traveler, you know that one of the most rewarding and memorable experiences of going to new places is the people you meet along the way. By booking a trek or tour with us, you can be sure that your group will have travelers looking for adventure similar to yours in the Peruvian Andes. Our groups offer a great opportunity to meet new people and network in a friendly environment. You never know who you’ll meet!

We are really proud of the work we do for our local communities. This is the main focus of our company. We have worked directly with the villages to help them meet their needs. All the products we buy for food on our walks come from local farmers and markets, so we guarantee that our food has fresh and organic ingredients.

At Inka Trail Backpacker, we like to think that we trek a little differently than our competitors. We stand by our clients and guarantee that we meet 100% of our departure dates on our trips, even if you are a solo traveler, you will always find a place within our groups that you can join.

In general, if you are Latin American, North American or European, you will not need it. If you are a citizen of Mercosur, all members can enter Peru just by carrying your DNI or with a valid passport. If you are from a non-Mercosur country then you will need a valid passport and in some exceptional cases depending on your country of origin, a visa. Here the complete relationship.

If you are a minor you will need to pass in the company of your parents. If you are a father and you are traveling with children, you will need a marriage certificate, birth certificate of the child.

No vaccine is mandatory, but the Peruvian Ministry of Health “recommends” getting vaccinated against Yellow Fever to go to certain regions of the jungle. Normally nobody does, so it’s up to you if it’s worth the risk or not. In several countries this vaccine is free and when it costs, it is not expensive.

If you are Argentine, Ecuadorian, Chilean, Colombian or you come from a place where it is hot in summer as much as possible, in Cusco it is the opposite. Do not think that your summer is replicated in this region. The periods of intense and cold rain are between December and April, while in the capital it is very hot. Be it summer or winter, in Cusco at some point of the day it is cold. Always wear a coat. It is typical that in sunny places you feel hot and in shady places cold. The sun is radiant, and with the climate of the place it can damage your skin. Bring sunscreen and/or buy cocoa paste pills at pharmacies, which are very cheap and useful.

Machu Picchu, unlike the city of Cusco, is located on the edge of the jungle, that is, at a hybrid point where the mountains meet the jungle and the vegetation changes, showing characteristics of both regions at times. The best season to visit is usually between July and October (high season) when there is not much rain and always blue skies, however this place is visited all year round and it never disappoints.

Perhaps you have never experienced a lack of oxygen. This is commonly felt in Cusco due to the height and makes everything cost triple the effort so you do not have your usual physical resistance which will be diminished. Your digestion will be a little slower and your sleep dense and deep. The ideal is to stay calm the first day to acclimatise. It is very normal that all pharmacies sell pills for altitude sickness. Coca tea also helps as well as candies.

The city of Cusco is safe in the places where you see yourself surrounded by tourists, the center, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu. Avoid walking alone in the night markets or too far from the center with things of value and tourist appearance. Be aware of your pockets at fairs or areas where you are very close to people. In one of the most touristic cities in the world, petty theft and scams are predictable. To avoid this, simply do not leave your valuables alone or trust free things. Do not trust the excesses of unjustified kindness of strangers who will usually always want something from you.

Hygiene is very important to maintain health. Try whenever possible to see how the food served to you is treated. It is common for tourists to get sick to their stomachs from trying everything. To avoid this, be careful, and avoid things that are sold on buses and street vendors, especially fried foods and artisanal cheeses that can be carriers of dangerous bacteria. Boiled, freshly cooked, or well-washed food will almost always be fine. Long walks on rocky terrain can make you easy prey to dislocations or similar injuries. Wear good shoes. Cusco has good health care places that cater specifically to tourists. To access them do not forget to have travel insurance. You can buy them here so you can choose the cheapest travel insurance.

Peru is one of the cheapest countries in South America so you can get rooms at ridiculously low prices. However, what you get is directly related to what you pay. You can review lodgings, see the photos and compare all the lodgings at http://hospedaje.mochileros.org so you will have a clearer idea.

Approximately 8 hours of travel.

For the first day of the tour we will reserve the hostel “Mamasimona” or and for the second day “Hatun Quilla” both hostels offer double rooms with private bathrooms, comfortable beds, hot water for the bathroom, Wi-Fi and breakfast and above all they are located in the historic center of the city.

Yes, each traveler has their own accommodation expectations, which is why we offer you the option of booking your own independent hotel.

If you wish to book your own hostel independently we will offer you a $10 per person discount on the tour price. You can use this money to pay for an alternative hostel.

NOTE: We guarantee the hostel reservation mentioned only if you make your reservation in advance. Otherwise we may have to offer alternative accommodation

The train return time: The type of train that we usually use for the end of your trek to Machu Picchu is the Expedition train that leaves Aguas Calientes for Ollantaytambo at 6:20pm. If you prefer another type of train and schedule, we can reserve the one that leaves earlier for an additional cost of 25 dollars per person, the schedules to choose are 2:55 or 4:35 p.m. depending on the availability of spaces. If you are interested we also offer the option to exchange your Expedition train return for the Vistadome for an additional cost of $65 per person. Please let us know your preference when making your reservation. It is important that you know that none of the trains mentioned above go directly to Cusco, the trains only arrive at the Ollantaytambo or Poroy stations. In any of the cases we always guarantee a return bus to Cusco.

All our participants must inform us if they have or have had any illness that may affect their personal or group progress during the walk. They will also need to bring their own medications. We recommend that you visit your doctor before making your reservation (if you have any health problems).

Where to store your things: You can leave or store the things that you will not take to the Inca Trail in the hotel or hostel where you are staying. Most of these establishments have warehouses where they will store your things. If you do not trust the place where you are staying, we will gladly store your belongings in our office.