Inca Trail Private Journey

This Private Journey is one of the great hikes of the world! Join your private guide for an amazing trek on the world-renowned Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, lost city of the Incas. On the trail, you just carry a daypack as you experience this unforgettable journey with our famous Wilderness Travel full-service camping support. Many other treats are in store on the Inca Trail: absolutely spectacular campsites, haunting Inca fortresses tucked among the rugged crags of the Cordillera Vilcabamba, the beauty of walking in a cloud forest of bamboo and orchids, and the mysterious dancing clouds that shroud, then reveal, these steep green mountains. We designed the trek for maximum altitude acclimatization and to get the most out of each trekking day on your incredible five-day hike. Along the way, enjoy the rich experience of hiking to three of the most fantastic Inca ruins on the trail: Runkuracay, Sayacmarca, and Phuyupatamarca (“Town in the Clouds”), then make your much-anticipated hike to Intipunku, the Gate of the Sun, to enter the magical world of Machu Picchu.

Itinerary at a Glance

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Days 1-2
Cusco and the Sacred Valley

Enjoy a walking tour of Cusco, with its fine churches, museums, and archaeological sites, then head to the Urubamba Valley for a warm-up hike to the mighty Inca fortress of Pisac, a wondrous ruin that is still an enigma to archaeologists.

Days 3-6
Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

The famed Inca Trail to Machu Picchu threads its way across mountain passes and through fascinating Inca ruins accessible only on foot. Intricate stonework, orchid-draped cloud forests, and breathtaking vistas fill your hiking days, while each evening you are welcomed to a spectacular campsite by our experienced staff. Enjoy a private guide, cook, camp staff, and porters, with wonderful meals served to you in your own dining tent. Sharing this amazing adventure with your Peruvian crew is always a highlight of the journey.

Days 7-9
The Lost City

Hike in the footsteps of the Incas through Intipunku, the Gate of the Sun, and see the dramatic ruins of Machu Picchu before you—an unbelievable sight! The most spectacular of all Inca citadels, Machu Picchu is perched on a deeply terraced saddle between two sharp green peaks and set against a vast panorama of mist-shrouded mountains. Enjoy a comprehensive tour of the ruins with your private guide. Return to Cusco in the afternoon of Day 8 and depart on Day 9.

For a more complete description, Download Full Detailed Itinerary

What the Trip is Like

This trip is Level 5, Moderate to Strenuous, according to our trip grading system. Most hiking is between 8,000 and 12,000 feet, and the maximum elevation reached is 13,650 feet. You will cover about 6 to 8 miles per day (6-7 hours of hiking each day). Trail conditions can be primitive, and there is a good bit of up-and-down (often 2,000 to 3,000 feet of elevation gain and subsequent loss per day). Everyone should be prepared for five days of hardy outdoor living. We expect each participant be in excellent health and physical condition. We recommend that you make a special effort to get in top physical condition for the trip.

Explanation of Trip Levels