Challenge Inca jungle Trail to Machu Picchu 3 Days
Is an alternative trek and for those who have missed the inca trail to Machupicchu, this tour combines many sport activities like: Biking, Rafting, Hiking and Zip Lining. The Inca Jungle Trail offers a unique blend of adventure, outdoor activities, and cultural exploration, making it an excellent choice for those seeking an active and memorable journey to Machu Picchu.
This 3-day tour will take you through thrilling adventures and breathtaking landscapes. You’ll start with a challenging bike descent and rafting on the Vilcanota River, crossing diverse ecosystems from the Andes to the high jungle. On the second day, you’ll enjoy a zip-lining experience before starting a hike towards Aguas Calientes, visiting archaeological sites like Intihuatana and admiring the beauty of Machu Picchu from afar.
On the final day, you’ll explore the fascinating Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, with a guided tour that will immerse you in its history and mystery. Afterwards, you’ll have time to soak in its majesty before returning to Cusco with unforgettable memories. Below is the detailed itinerary.
DAY 1: Cusco | Malaga Pass – Huamanmarca – Santa Maria (Biking, Rafting) – La Playa
Begin your adventure as you head to the Malaga Pass to ride downhill on bikes for 3 hours. In the afternoon, you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy some river rafting before spending the night in a lodge in Santa Maria.
DAY 2: La Playa | Llactapata – Hidroelectrica – Aguas Calientes
Visit a local coffee farm before making your way up to Llactapata, from where you’ll catch your first glimpse of Machu Picchu. Afterward, you’ll make your way to Aguas Calientes from Hidroelectrica alongside the train tracks to spend the night in a hotel.
DAY 4: Aguas Calientes | Machu Picchu – Ollantaytambo – Cusco
Wake up early to explore Machu Picchu before the big crowds arrive and enjoy a 2-hour guided tour. Spend more time by yourself before heading back to Aguas Calientes to catch a train to Ollantaytambo and private transportation back to Cusco.
On the first day, our transfer will be waiting for you in the lobby of the hotel at around 06:00 -06:30 and then our transport will take you to Abra Malaga. In Ollantaytambo, you’ll stop at the first rest stop to do some needed shopping for the trail, and then continue the trail until you reach Abra Malaga, where at this point our professional tour guide will give you some advice and instructions about how to start the bike tour. You’ll start the downhill ride until you get to the archeological site of Wamanmarca. Here at this place, our tour guide will give you some information about the archeological site and then you’ll take photos. Also at this place, the tour guide will give you a box lunch. After lunch, you’ll will go to Playa Sahuayaco by Santa Teresa where you’ll have dinner in a traditional restaurant at the ecological lodge. You’ll also get to relax in one of their rooms.
Overnight in an ecological campsite in Santa Teresa.
Just like every morning, you’ll be woken up with a tasty hot cup of coca tea served to you in your Ecological Campsite. You’ll get ready for the day before enjoying your last delicious breakfast prepared by our excellent chef. We’ll begin our hike early today, and you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy a small section of the original Inca trail, a highly acclaimed trek across the globe.
You’ll be able to explore the tropical forest for some time before we take a walk through an organic farm. This is an excellent place for the coffee-lovers, as the delicious aromas fill the air and you get the chance to try some freshly made coffee prepared by the locals. Coffee is the main form of farming in the area, and many farmers are passionate about their produce and the process that goes into making it. You’ll be able to learn how it’s made from start to finish.
Later, we’ll climb for 3 hours, accompanied by amazing views of the gorgeous Santa Teresa valley below. You’ll soon reach the great Inca site of Llactapata, which sits right across from Machu Picchu. This will be the first time you get a glimpse of the Lost City of the Incas, Machu Picchu. It’s a wonderful place to enjoy and spend time to learn a bit more about the land’s roots and history. You’ll also be able to spot Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain.
You’ll enjoy this site with your guide who’ll tell you all about the history of the Incas who used and worshipped this wonderful ancient land. There’ll be plenty of time to capture some excellent photos to capture and share your memories with friends and family back home.
After Llactapata, we’ll continue our hike for 1.5 hours downhill where we’ll see Machu Picchu with us all the way until we get to our lunch spot, Aobamba. Once we’ve eaten, we’ll continue to Hidroelectrica. From there, you can catch a train to Aguas Calientes if you’re very tired (additional cost of US$ 55.00); otherwise, we’ll continue walking for 3 hours beside the train tracks.
Along this part of the trail, we’ll visit Intihuatana, a famous rock that was used for ceremonial purposes in Inca times and, according to experts, worked together with the larger Intihuatana at Machu Picchu. All the way, we’ll be accompanied by the Urubamba River, rich forest, and chirping of a large variety of birds. If you’ve got a good eye, you’ll likely spot parrots, toucans, and the national bird of Peru, the cock of the rocks.
Once we arrive in Aguas Calientes, you’ll head to your hotel for a shower and relax. You’ll have some time to explore the town if you wish before dinner at a local restaurant. We’ll talk about the big day that lies ahead before you go to bed early to be up before the crack of dawn.
Note: During the rainy season, the hike up the Llactapata Trail isn’t 100% guaranteed due to safety concerns. When there are a lot of heavy rains, this trail becomes very dangerous.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Acommodation: Hotel.
Difficulty: Challenging.
Walking Distance: 25km / 15.53mi.
Walking Time: 8-9 hours approx.
Min. Elevation: 1,800m / 5,906ft
Highest Elevation: 2,800m / 9,186ft
Acommodation Elevation: 2040m / 6,693ft
Today is the biggest day of all and the grand finale of our trek. You’re finally going to visit one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and UNESCO World Heritage Site, Machu Picchu. We’ll be up bright and early after a refreshing night at the hotel to beat the large crowds at Machu Picchu and enjoy the serenity of the soft morning light as the sun rises and shines on the huge rocks.
The Machu Picchu entrance is open from 6:00 am onwards, and we like to be one of the first groups inside. We’ll board the bus from Aguas Calientes and enter the Lost City of the Incas. Here, you’ll enjoy an informative 2-hour guided tour of all the important sites and see temples, terraces, palaces, priest’s houses, the Intihuatana, the industrial sector, and the farming fields.
You’ll have around 5 hours in total before you need to head back down to Aguas Calientes. You’ll have a little time to grab some lunch in a restaurant of your choice before catching a train between 1:37 pm and 6:20 pm, depending on availability. When you get to Ollantaytambo, our private transport will be waiting to take you back to your accommodation in Cusco.
It’s time to put your feet up and rest for now, but we can assure you that your heart will be flying high in the Andes for weeks, months, and even years to come!
At Pacha Peru Explorers, we specify the included and non-included services under all the tour itineraries listed on our website. We take care of all the logistics, but please pay attention to the details to avoid missing anything. Some items may be different for specific programs, so please read carefully before booking with us.
Lodge in Santa Maria: The first night of this trek is spent in a lodge in Santa Maria with a double or triple room.
Confortable Hotel in Aguas Calientes: The last night of this trek is spent in a hotel in Aguas Calientes with a double or triple room, private bathroom, hot shower, wifi, breakfast, and luggage storage while you visit Machu Picchu.
2 Breakfast, 2 Lunches and 2 Dinners: Our chef prepares the best dishes in the middle of the mountain. Our passengers love our food! We respect all diets (vegetarian, vegan, or special menus are available at no extra cost), so let us know if you have any particular allergies or restrictions on your reservation form and remind your guide during the briefing. You’ll enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner, in addition to hot drinks and snacks.
Zipline / Canopy Ticket in Santa Teresa (Day 2).
Walking Sticks: Walking Sticks (with rubber tips) can be very useful on rough terrain and for ascending and descending. You can rent a set from our company if you’d like (US$ 20.00 per person).
Huayna Picchu Mountain: You can climb the famous mountain you always see in the photos behind the archaeological site of Machu Picchu. It’s 45 minutes uphill, and coming back down can be scary if you fear heights. You can take this excursion once your guided tour to Machu Picchu ends. The permit must be issued at least two to three months in advance due to high demand. Consider that there could be changes to protect your integrity, mainly due to weather conditions (US$80.00 per person).
Machu Picchu Mountain: Machu Picchu Mountain is another of the mountains that surround the archaeological site of Machu Picchu. It offers less steep, wider, and visually less frightening trails than Huayna Picchu, and it takes 1.5 hours to reach the top. This walk requires an entrance ticket which we can secure for you if we have time in advance (US$80.00 per person).
Breakfast (Day 1), Lunch (Day 3) and Dinner (Day 3).
Train from Hidroelectrica to Aguas Calientes (Day 2): In case you feel exhausted or in bad condition after the trek from Chaullay to La Playa, you can take the train from Hidroelectrica to Aguas Calientes (US$55.00 per person).
Personal Hiking Clothes and Gear.
Travel Insurance.
Tips for our staff: Tipping is the norm on any excursion to Machu Picchu. Although we pay good salaries to our entire team, something extra is always welcome, especially considering the hard work they do.
Additional Cost or Delays beyong our Control: Landslides, bad weather conditions, itinerary modifications due to a safety concern, illness, pandemia, government policy changes, political instability, strikes, act of God, etc.
Most people automatically assume that the weather is hot in South America, but because of the higher altitude in the Andes, the temperature can feel quite cold, especially at night. We recommend the use of a duffel bag or backpack, whichever is easiest for you to carry. A good size daypack is also essential.
List of things you must bring:
“Challenge Inca jungle Trail to Machu Picchu” can leave any day of the week, from January through December.
2025 Land Cost
Group Price: US$ 490.00 per person
Required Pre-payment: US$ 300.00 per person
Balance (Cusco): US$ 190.00 (Commonly paid in Cusco after the briefing).
This small-group journey is guaranteed to operate with just two guests.
Notice that PayPal, credit cards charge a 6% fee for the use of their secure payment gateway. This tax is just for online and card payments. You can also pay the remaining balance in cash (the briefing day) without charges.
Extras & Upgrades
There are complementary services and upgrades you can include in this trip.
Price Guarantee
Once your booking has been confirmed, we guarantee the Price won’t increase, whatever the circunstances. So please, before booking, ensure you’ve read all our important tour information.
Student Discount
US$20.00
Student discounts apply to anyone 17 years old or younger. To receive the discount, we require a copy or clear photo of the passport at the time of booking. It must be valid and not expire within the travel dates. Please send it to [email protected]
We want to make your trip to Peru as memorable and as carefree as possible. In this section, you’ll find the answers to all the questions you have about traveling with Pacha Peru Explorers in one place. Please read the following information carefully – it will help you with any questions about our services.
How Many Days do I need to Acclimate in Cusco Before the Trek?
It’s very important to be well acclimated to the altitude before exerting yourself on a trek. We recommend that you arrive in Cusco at least 2 or 3 days before the trek starts to help you adjust and avoid possible problems with altitude sickness while on the trek.
You might have already been in another area of Peru at a high altitude before arriving in Cusco. In that case, we still recommend you have a whole day in Cusco to rest, recover from your travel, and enjoy the sights and sounds of Cusco before departing for the trek.
Briefing or Informative Meeting
All information meetings and briefings are held in your Hotel in Cusco at 5:00 pm, one night before the tour begins. These meetings last approximately 30 to 45 minutes. If you’re unable to attend, you must coordinate another time by email, by phone or at the Pacha Peru Explorers office.
Trek Balance Payment (in Cusco)
If you still have a pending balance, you must pay it 2 days before your hike/tour. Otherwise, your trip reservation will not be confirmed.
If possible, it would be greatly appreciated if you could settle the remaining balance for the trek/tour in cash, either in US dollars or the local currency, at our office in Cusco. You can withdraw funds from various ATMs located along Avenida Sol, offering both US dollars and Peruvian Soles. Alternatively, you have the option to pay using a credit/debit card or PAYPAL, either online or in person, but please note that a 6% service charge will be applied by our payment gateway (Niubiz) and PAYPAL. We regret to inform you that we are unable to accept bank checks or traveler’s checks as forms of payment for the balance.
Can I Store my Luggage at your Office?
Of course! During the trip, your main luggage can be stored at our office (you can organize it with us on the briefing day or by email) or at your hotel, both free of charge.
Any equipment that you won’t need on the trek can be stored safely in your hotel. Nearly every hotel will provide this service. Don’t leave items of value with your bags; put them in the hotel safe and obtain an itemized receipt (in the unlikely case of theft, many insurance companies require that you have a copy of the receipt itemizing everything). It’s best to put items such as credit cards inside a sealed, signed envelope for extra peace of mind.
Pick up of Guest
Please Note:
Return to Cusco
Returning from Machu Picchu requires quite a bit of logistics, but don’t worry. Everything is included in your tour!<
Note: Your tour includes a One-Way Consettur Bus Ticket Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu, so you can choose to use it from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu or from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes. If you want a round-trip bus ticket, you’ll need to pay an extra of US$ 15.00.
Group Tours
Group tours are made up of different types of people, then physical conditions and ages can vary. By agreeing to be part of a group tour, you also accept that some people may be faster or slower than you. Therefore, each person can go at their own pace on the route.
It may be the case that a group wishes to modify the tour; however, the guide will be the one who decides, after consulting with all the participants, if such modifications are possible.
Strikes and Demontrations
Strikes and demonstrations are common in Peru, and this may interrupt some of our tours. Roads can be blocked, and train tracks can be taken over. However, we will try to keep your trip as originally planned, even if it means leaving the night before the scheduled date.
Under these circumstances, tours may also be canceled. In case of changes or cancellations, everything will be coordinated with you by our operations department. Your safety is our highest priority, and our decisions will be made to protect it.
Thank you for your interest in having and adventure travel experience in Peru curated by Pacha Peru Explorers. Please take a moment to complete our short form, so one our friendly Adventure Consultants could provide you all the information for your trip of a lifetime in Peru.
Our Pledge | Your privacy is respected and protected. the Pacha Peru Explorers Company will never share, sell, or make public any of your personal contact information to third parties.
Remember | One of our Travel Experts will contact you soon to confirm the availability of the trip you chose, give you more information, and/or provide you alternative options. Once availlability is established, we will ask for a deposit and a completed online registration to confirm your spot on the trek. Please call us at (+51) 950 705034 with any questions or to confirm availability over the phone.
Price
USD
Per Person
We use SSL encryption to protect your personal and payment information.
Pay by card:
Contact us 24 Hrs
Inca Trail ( Classic ) 4D/3N Group tour
Experience the famous Inca Trail for 4 amazing days, and pass through the Sun Gate for that first magical sighting of Machu Picchu …
Price, From
$ 795.00
per person
Inca Trail ( Classic ) 4D/3N Group tour
Experience the famous Inca Trail for 4 amazing days, and pass through the Sun Gate for that first magical sighting of Machu Picchu …
Price, From
$ 795.00
per person
Inca Trail ( Classic ) 4D/3N Group tour
Experience the famous Inca Trail for 4 amazing days, and pass through the Sun Gate for that first magical sighting of Machu Picchu …
Price, From
$ 795.00
per person
Inca Trail ( Classic ) 4D/3N Group tour
Experience the famous Inca Trail for 4 amazing days, and pass through the Sun Gate for that first magical sighting of Machu Picchu …
Price, From
$ 795.00
per person
Inca Trail ( Classic ) 4D/3N Group tour
Experience the famous Inca Trail for 4 amazing days, and pass through the Sun Gate for that first magical sighting of Machu Picchu …
Price, From
$ 795.00
per person
Pacha Peru Explorers is a 100% peruvian, separates ourselves by our dedication to both our customer and our team. We work very hard to make sure that all our clients needs are taken care of throughout the tour with us. At the same time, we never forget about our brothers and sisters working tirelessly for us to make all of this possible. Responsible and sustainable tourism that gives as much to our community as to our clients.
Here at our company, we take pride in our reviews. We believe they are a true reflection of our business and help us improve our services. We encourage all customers to leave a review, whether it is positive or negative. We believe this feedback will help us grow and improve as a business. We would like to thank all of our customers who have taken the time to leave a review.
Let us arrange everything for you properly. Contact us, and one of our travel specialists will provide you with everything you need to make this an unforgettable experience.
