THE ROAD TO THE SUN GATE
About this journey
The Incas built a network of roads stretching some 30,000 kilometres across the Andes. One short stretch of them still leads to Machu Picchu, and walking it remains the most meaningful way to arrive. Over four days, the Classic Inca Trail climbs through high mountain passes, descends into cloud forest and passes ruins that no road reaches, until the Sun Gate opens onto the citadel at first light. Time in the Sacred Valley prepares you before the trek, and slow days in Cusco follow it. On the trail, your own private team of guide, cook and porters looks after every detail, from a hot drink at your tent at dawn to dinner served beneath the mountains.
Itinerary
Arrival in Lima
Our team meets you at the airport in Lima and accompanies you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to rest after your flight, with the Pacific a short walk away should you wish to stretch your legs.
Up into the Sacred Valley
Fly to Cusco, where your guide meets you for the drive down into the Sacred Valley. At a lower altitude than Cusco, the valley is the gentlest place to begin adjusting to the Andes. Along the way, terraced slopes, maize fields and adobe villages set the pace for the days ahead. Arrive at your hotel with the afternoon free to rest.
Pisac, Ollantaytambo & the trail ahead
Begin among the terraces of Pisac, then browse its market, where weavers from the surrounding highlands sell textiles that change from village to village. Continue to Ollantaytambo, one of the finest surviving examples of Inca town planning, where families still live along streets lined with stone water channels. Short walks between visits help your body settle into the altitude. In the late afternoon, your trekking guide joins you for a personal briefing, checking your equipment and walking you through each stage of the trail.
The Inca road begins
A private transfer takes you to Kilometre 82, where your own guide, cook and porters are waiting for your private departure. After the permit check, cross the Urubamba and follow the valley through open countryside dotted with eucalyptus and small farms. Above the river, the terraces of Patallacta are the first of the Inca sites you will meet along the way. Your guide points out medicinal plants, birds and the families who still farm the trail's lower stretches. At camp, your tent is already pitched and dinner is prepared fresh by your cook.
Over Dead Woman's Pass
The longest and most demanding day of the trek begins early. The path climbs steadily from cloud forest into the open puna grassland, towards Warmiwañusca, Dead Woman's Pass, the highest point of the trail. Your guide sets an unhurried pace with regular pauses, and reaching the top brings a real sense of achievement, with ridges and peaks spread out around you. A steep descent on stone steps leads to the valley below, where a hot meal and an early night are waiting.
Ruins of the cloud forest
Many consider this the most beautiful day on the trail. Cross a second pass to the round ruins of Runkurakay, then follow original Inca stairways to Sayacmarca, perched on a rocky spur, and Phuyupatamarca, the 'town above the clouds'. As the path descends, the forest closes in: orchids, mosses and bromeliads line the stones, and the Urubamba appears far below. End the day near Wiñay Wayna, whose terraces fall steeply down the mountainside, for a final evening at camp before Machu Picchu.
Through the Sun Gate to Machu Picchu
Rise before dawn for the last stretch of the trail, a narrow path along the mountainside to Intipunku, the Sun Gate. From here, Machu Picchu appears below for the first time, often emerging from the morning mist: the moment the whole walk has been leading to. Descend into the citadel for your guided visit along the route authorised for Inca Trail arrivals, as your guide explains how it was built and what it meant to those who lived here. Afterwards, take the bus down to Machu Picchu Pueblo and board your afternoon train, where private transport meets you for the journey to Cusco.
A slow day in Cusco
After four days on the trail, the morning is yours to sleep late and enjoy the comfort of your hotel. Spend the rest of the day as you like: a long lunch, a short stroll through the plazas or simply time to rest. For tired legs, we can arrange a massage or another wellness experience in the afternoon.
Cusco, after the trail
Explore Cusco with your private guide, now able to read in its walls the same skill you saw along the trail. At Qorikancha, Inca masonry rises beneath a colonial convent; on Hatun Rumiyoc street, the twelve-angled stone shows how precisely each block was fitted. The afternoon is free for galleries, artisan workshops or a café above the Plaza de Armas.
Departure from Cusco
At the agreed time, a private transfer takes you to Cusco Airport for your flight to Lima or your next destination.
Included / not included
INCLUDED
- Handpicked stays in Lima, the Sacred Valley and Cusco, with daily breakfast.
- Private transport and transfers throughout, including airport and train station transfers.
- Private guided visits to Pisac, Ollantaytambo and Cusco.
NOT INCLUDED
HAND PICKED HOTELS
Choose a stop on the journey to see the accommodation available. Warm hospitality, elegance and an unbeatable location; if you have a place in mind that you don’t see here, we’ll book it for you anywhere in Peru.
