Day 1: CUSCO – KM104 – AGUAS CALIENTES

We will pick you up from your hotel and take you to the Ollantaytambo train station. There, we will board the Expedition train, we will travel for about 1 hour and 30 minutes until Km 104. After passing the control, we will begin our trek walking along the Vilcanota River. Along the way, we will see the archeological site of Chachabamba, a stone altar -site that was used to worship the sun and the mountains, still revered by local people. On the hike, we may also see some larger mammals such as Viscachas (rabbit-like Chinchillas) and Spectacled Bears (if we are very lucky). After walking 3 hours, the road descends through an amazing forest. Here you will find a beautiful waterfall en route to the ruins of Winaywayna, where we will spend some time to take in the beauty of this place.

After a full day of trekking, we’ll arrive to the Sun Gate (Inti Punku) in the late afternoon and get our first view of Machu Picchu on the mountain below. It’s a perfect place to take nice pictures of the ruins surrounded by impressive mountain peaks, deep valleys, and the Urubamba River. From Inti Punku we will descend 30 minutes to the citadel and we will rest and take pictures. Finally, we will take the bus to Aguas Calientes(2,030 meters), where we will spend the night and have the opportunity to visit the hot springs.