Begin your exciting adventure of 2-day Inca Trail with camping to Machu Picchu, in the imperial city of Cusco (4:00am) or in the living Inca city of Ollantaytambo (5:30am) or from any point in the Sacred Valley like Urubamba. The exact pick-up time will be confirmed at your briefing, as they might fluctuate based on where you are staying.

Once Peru Spirit Adventure’s team will pick you up from your hotel in Cusco, we’ll drive in private car to the train station located in Ollantaytambo for 2 hours to board the first train at 06:10am to the beginning of the Inca Trail, also called Km 104.

During this magnificent train journey, enjoy its phenomenal views of the Urubamba River, towering snow-capped peaks such as Veronica (5,893 m/19333 ft), cornfield farms and glimpse the starting point of the classic 4-day Inca Trail. As we descend, feel the change of microclimate from the highlands and corn fields to the green jungle valleys with ferns, bromeliads and orchids as the temperature starts to get warmer.

After an hour and 25 minutes train ride, the train stops at Km. 104 – Chachabamba, where we will get off the train and walked down to the shores of the Urubamba River where we are greeted with a wooden bridge leading into the thick jungle and a few clouds hanging in the morning air. Upon arrival to the beginning of the trail, you must show the original passport to enter the Short Inca Trail. Be sure to bring your original passport, copies are not accepted.

Once you and your tour guide pass the Short Inca Trail checkpoint, we start the Inca Trail trekking! After walking for a couple of minutes, we will reach the first Incan archaeological site called Chachabamba (2,100m / 6,900ft), which was one of the last shelters that the Incas used before they reached Machu Picchu.

This beautiful Inca site of Chachabamba also used as a religious and administrative center, and features several buildings. Your Peru Spirit Adventure’s tour guide will give you some background history on these amazing ruins. After learning the history of the archaeological site of Chachabamba from your guide. Then we will start hiking the Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu through a mixture of cacti vegetation and cloud forest.

On the way, we enjoy the fantastic views, waterfalls, the variety of flora and fauna, and different types of orchids in the semi-tropical forest towards another Incan significant site – Wiñay Wayna (2,650 m/8,700 ft), which means Forever Young in Quechua.

Once finish exploring the Inca site of Wiñay Wayna, enjoy your box lunch we’ve prepared for you and chill out. Following lunch, we will continue our hike in the afternoon into the cloud forest, filled with bromeliads, orchids and tree ferns for about 1 ½ hours along the most wonderful stretch of the Classic Inca Trail.

As we walk the last part of the trail relatively flat, with small ascents and descents we pass many impressive features such as the stone stairs and resting places to the Sun Gate (2,720 m/8,920 ft), which is called Inti Punku in Quechua.

From the Sun Gate, enjoy the first glimpse of this stunning archeological site of Machu Picchu surrounded by mountains and a dense forest. After getting some beautiful photos! Then we keep descending for another 45 minutes to arrive to a mirador near the -Guardian House, a breathtaking view of most of the citadel with temples and constructions built in white granite rock, plazas and terraces.

After arriving at Machu Picchu in the afternoon, you will have the chance to see this place with fewer people when everybody is leaving. After having enough time, we start descending to the entry of Machu Picchu. We board the bus to Puente Ruinas, where your chef and porters will be waiting for dinner and spend the night with our campsite.

When you arrive at the campsite, the tents will be ready; you can take a refreshing hot shower, enjoy tea time with your tour guide, have dinner, and sleep in comfortable tents.

• Meals: Box Lunch / Dinner
• Accommodations: Camping at Puente Ruinas
• Walking Distance: 12 km / 7.5 miles
• Starting Altitude: 2,100m / 6,900ft
• Maximum altitude: 2,720 m / 8,920 ft
• Campsite Elevation: 1,900 m / 6,233 ft
• Approximate Hiking Time: 7 hours
• Weather: Hot and humid