Cusco, Perú
2 days
16 people
18 yo
Hotel (Historic Center)
The inca Trail to Llactapata 3 Days begins at the Machu Picchu Expeditions office in Cusco at 6:30 AM, where you’ll meet your guide and group. From there, a transportation will take you on a scenic 5-hour drive to Santa Teresa, passing through a variety of stunning Andean ecosystems.
Upon arrival in Santa Teresa around 1:00 PM, your guide will take you to a local restaurant to enjoy lunch. Afterward, you’ll board a local transport for a short 15-minute ride to Lucmabamba, where you’ll experience an exhilarating zipline adventure. This activity features five cables spanning mountain to mountain, along with a thrilling 300-meter-long Tibetan bridge suspended nearly 500 meters above the ground. The zipline experience lasts approximately 1.5 to 2 hours and is an unforgettable highlight of the trek.
Following the zipline activity, you’ll take another 15-minute drive to the famous Cocalmayo Hot Springs in Santa Teresa. Here, you can relax in the soothing thermal pools for a couple of hours, surrounded by serene mountain views.
The day concludes with a 45-minute drive to the Panoramic Jungle Domes, where you’ll spend the night And where dinner is served.
After yesterday’s adventures and a relaxing evening in our Jungle DOMES, you’ll wake up refreshed and ready for your final full day of trekking.
After enjoying a hearty breakfast at camp, we’ll follow part of an original Inca trail to llactapata, climbing gradually through tropical vegetation and enjoying spectacular views over the Santa Teresa Valley. As we gain altitude, the landscape opens up behind us, offering an incredible contrast between the green cloud forest and the towering Andean mountains.
After approximately 2 hours of uphill hiking, we’ll reach Llactapata (2,700 m / 8,858 ft), an important Inca archaeological site strategically built on the mountainside.
And this is where the day becomes truly special.
From Llactapata, weather permitting, you’ll enjoy your first breathtaking view of Machu Picchu across the valley. After several days of hiking through the Andes, seeing the legendary Inca citadel appear in the distance is an unforgettable moment — and a reminder that our journey is finally approaching its ultimate destination.
Our guide will take time to explain the history and significance of Llactapata and its fascinating connection with Machu Picchu before we continue our descent toward the valley below.
Llactapata will be the first Inca archaeological site you'll encounter on the Inca Trail, making this one of the most memorable moments of the journey.
Here, your guide will introduce you to the history and mysteries of the Inca civilization while explaining the importance of this remarkable site and its connection to Machu Picchu.
Then comes one of the highlights of the entire trek: your first exciting glimpse of Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu across the valley. After several days of hiking through the Andes, seeing the legendary citadel appear in the distance is an unforgettable reward.
You'll have plenty of time to enjoy the views, take photos, and simply appreciate how close you are getting to the final destination of your adventure.
Afterward, we'll begin an approximately 2-hour downhill hike toward Hidroeléctrica, with a few more opportunities along the way to catch glimpses of Machu Picchu through the mountains and vegetation — building even more anticipation for tomorrow.
Once we reach Hidroeléctrica (1,800 m / 5,906 ft), we'll stop and enjoy a well-earned lunch before continuing the final stretch toward Aguas Calientes.
Then, we’ll follow the trail alongside the railway tracks toward Aguas Calientes, surrounded by lush vegetation and accompanied by the Urubamba River.
As we walk through this tropical landscape, we’ll pass avocado, banana, and coffee plantations while keeping an eye out for the many bird species that inhabit the area, including the colorful Andean cock-of-the-rock, Peru’s national bird.
After approximately 2 to 3 hours of mostly flat walking, we’ll arrive in Aguas Calientes, the town located at the foot of Machu Picchu.
Once there, we’ll head to our hotel, where your room includes a private bathroom, hot shower, Wi-Fi, breakfast the following morning, and luggage storage while you visit Machu Picchu.
You’ll have some free time to shower, relax, or explore the pedestrian streets of Aguas Calientes before dinner. With no regular road traffic and mountains rising dramatically around the town, it has a unique atmosphere unlike anywhere else in Peru.
At 7:00 pm, we’ll meet for dinner at Chef House Restaurant. During dinner, your guide will go over the final details for the following morning and help you prepare for the highlight of our adventure:
Machu Picchu!
MACHU PICCHU — THE GRAND FINALE
You’ll wake up early this morning to make the most of your visit to Machu Picchu, when the surrounding mountains and the soft morning light create an unforgettable atmosphere.
After making our way to the Inca citadel, you’ll begin a guided tour of approximately 1.5 hours, exploring some of the most fascinating areas of this extraordinary archaeological sanctuary.
Along the way, your guide will bring Machu Picchu to life as you discover its temples, agricultural terraces, ceremonial areas, residences, and remarkable stone structures while learning about the history, beliefs, and daily life of the Inca civilization.
What makes Machu Picchu even more impressive is its extraordinary engineering. Built high in the Andes without modern machinery, the Incas created an incredibly sophisticated city with precisely cut stonework, agricultural terraces, drainage systems, fountains, and water channels that have survived for centuries.
As you walk through the citadel, you’ll begin to understand why Machu Picchu remains one of the world’s greatest archaeological wonders — not only because of its history, but also because of the extraordinary harmony between its architecture and the surrounding mountains.
After completing your guided visit, you’ll have time to take in those final views and capture the photographs you’ve been dreaming about since the beginning of your Salkantay adventure.
For travelers who have booked an additional entrance in advance, there may also be the opportunity to hike Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain, offering spectacular panoramic views over the citadel and the surrounding Andes.
After days of trekking across mountains, valleys, cloud forests, and ancient Inca trails, this is the moment everything has been leading toward:
standing in front of Machu Picchu and realizing you made it.
After visiting Machu Picchu, your return to Cusco will depend on the option you choose. You can travel back with us by train, or arrange your own return (by train or bus) with our guidance..
🚆 Return by Train (Recommended)
The most comfortable and fastest way to return to Cusco.
Take the train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo (approx. 1 hour 40 minutes).
From Ollantaytambo, continue by bus to Cusco (approx. 2 hours).
🚌 Return by Bus (Budget Option)
Total travel time: 7 to 8 hours
Route details:
Walk from Aguas Calientes to Hidroeléctrica (approx. 2 hours).
From Hidroeléctrica, take a bus to Cusco.
Estimated arrival time in Cusco: around 10:00 PM.
IMPORTANT:
Your duffle bag will be provided during the pre-trek briefing and can be used to pack up to
7 kg of personal belongings. The duffle bag will be transport by car during the trek,
while you carry only a small daypack with the items you need during the day.
You will have access to your duffle bag at the campsite and the day 2 on the hotel.
Important information:
After visiting Machu Picchu, your return to Cusco will depend on the option you choose. You can travel back with us by train, or arrange your own return (by train or bus) with our guidance..
🚆Return by Train (Recommended)
Price: $100 The most comfortable and fastest way to return to Cusco.
Take the train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo (approx. 1 hour 40 minutes).
From Ollantaytambo, continue by bus to Cusco (approx. 2 hours).
Important information:
If you need to purchase your Machu Picchu entrance ticket in Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Town) on the penultimate day of the trek, your train ticket will be purchased only after securing your entrance ticket.
Train schedules depend on availability and pricing at the time of purchase, especially for last-minute bookings.
Another benefit of this is that the passenger will already have a guaranteed return train ticket after visiting Machu Picchu. If the passenger needs to stay an extra night in Aguas Calientes (MP town) to purchase the Machu Picchu ticket, only the return date will be changed at no additional charge.
🚌 Return by Bus (Budget Option)
This is the most economical way to return to Cusco.
Price: $20 USD
Total travel time: 7 to 8 hours
Route details:
Walk from Aguas Calientes to Hidroeléctrica (approx. 2 hours).
From Hidroeléctrica, take a bus to Cusco.
Estimated arrival time in Cusco: around 10:00 PM.
Important considerations:
You must arrive at Hidroeléctrica before 2:00 PM, as buses to Cusco depart only from this point.
Delays may occur due to late passengers, road maintenance, or landslides.
In case of roadblocks, you may need to wait until the road is cleared or transfer to another vehicle
