Programs in Cusco

THE SHORTER SACRED INKA TRAIL TO MACHUPICCHU
2 DAYS /1 NIGHT

The attraction of this trail is that it’s only a day’s walk up a grassy hillside. It takes 6 hours including the visits to the Inka sites of Chachabamba and Wiñaywayna.

We pick up you at your hotel at 5:45 a.m., then we go to the train station. Departure time is at 6:15. The train ride takes approximately 3 hours 45 minutes.

Chachabamba ( Km.104 ) is lower than Cusco, at 2.100 m.a.s.l..
The trail up to Wiñaywayna, “forever young”, leads across the exposed flank of a mountain with no shade and the sun is very strong there.
The weather is very changeable so bring raingear.

Wiñaywayna. The site is named after an orchid (Epidendrum crassilabium and E. secundum) with red, violet or yellow flowers which was once abundant in this area, and still can be seen. The plant blooms year-round, hence the Quechua name which means “forever young.“ It was rediscovered in 1941 by Paul Fejos, during the last days of the Viking Fund Expedition. There is a magnificent sequence of fifteen baths. All this suggests that the site was a religious centre, probably associated with the ritual worship of water. This is another factor among many that support the view that the Machupicchu / Inka Trail network held a special spiritual significance for the Incas.

The trail from this point is mostly flat. It goes up and down a little and passes a couple of apparently impassable sheer rock faces before climbing about 50 very steps to what you think is Intipunku. But in fact, it’s not. Intipunku is just around the corner, up the steps. This is an awe-inspiring approach, with the architecture reinforcing your sense of anticipation. When you finally reach Inti Punku, you can look down across the wide bend of the Urubamba and see, sheltering under the sugar loaf mountain Wayna Picchu, your journey’s end, Machupicchu.


Day 2 – Machupicchu

We will take the first bus at 6:00 am. We begin with our Archeological City Tour around 6:30; together with the sunrise it takes about two hours. Later you can enjoy the place on your own. At the midday we come back to the Hot Springs town for lunch and shopping. We return by the 4:00 p.m. train..

WHAT´S INCLUDED
Train ticket round trip.
Ticket to the inka trail.
Transport ticket (Aguas Calientes).
Guide: Spanish, English, Portuguess
Meals: two meals.