Overview
Inca Jungle Trek is a fantastic alternative route to Machu Picchu, combining mountain biking, white-water rafting, and hiking. This action-packed adventure takes you into the Peruvian jungle, along a beautiful section of original Inca trail, and finishes in Machu Picchu – one of the most incredible locations on the planet.
You will experience a variety of landscapes, including the Andean mountain range, cloud forest, the Urubamba River, and lush jungle. There is also time to explore local banana, coffee, and avocado plantations. With such a unique and varied itinerary, it’s easy to see why the Inca Jungle Tour is one of the most popular routes to Machu Picchu. If you’re searching for a multi-sport adventure and want to experience as much of Peru’s scenery as possible, this is the ideal tour for you.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Cusco – Salineras – Pispitayoc (Biking & Rafting)
Pick up from your hotel at 7:00 am and drive for about 1 hour to Cruzpata, where you start mountain biking across potato and wheat fields, enjoying breathtaking views of the Andes. Visit the village of Maras and explore the Salineras salt mines as you descend into the Sacred Valley. From there, our transportation takes you for about 2 hours to Santa María for lunch.
After lunch, you receive a safety briefing and begin 1.5 hours of rafting on the Urubamba River. The rapids are class III and IV, guided by specialized professional rafting guides. After rafting, hike for about 30 minutes to the lodge. Dinner and overnight in a rustic lodge.
- Biking time: 3.5–4 hours
- Rafting time: 1.5 hours
- Meals: Lunch and dinner
- Accommodation: Rustic lodge
Day 2: Pispitayoc – Hot Springs – Santa Teresa
Wake up in the middle of the Peruvian jungle to the sound of tropical birds. After breakfast and a cup of fresh homemade coffee, you spend some time exploring local coffee, coca leaf, banana, and pineapple plantations.
Then start hiking along a stunning and little-known original Inca trail (different from the Classic Inca Trail) that once connected Machu Picchu with Vilcabamba, the last Inca capital. Along the way you pass avocado, manioc, orange, mango, cacao, coffee, and coca crops. After about 4 hours you arrive at Quellomayu, where lunch is served in a local restaurant.
After lunch, continue hiking for about 4 hours upstream along the Urubamba River to the hot springs of Cocalmayo. These pools of natural volcanic water are believed to help relax muscles, bones, and relieve stress. After soaking in the hot pools, take a bus to Santa Teresa town. Overnight in a basic hotel with hot shower and Wi-Fi.
- Distance: 15 km / 9.3 mi
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Accommodation: Hotel in Santa Teresa
Day 3: Santa Teresa – Llaqtapata – Aguas Calientes
After breakfast in Santa Teresa, get ready for one of the most beautiful days of the trek. First, take a 1-hour drive to Lucmabamba (2,000 m / 6,600 ft), where you join an original Inca trail built in the 15th century and rediscovered only in recent years.
Hike for about 3 hours up to Llaqtapata, an impressive Inca site located directly in front of Machu Picchu, where you get your first distant views of the citadel. Explore the ruins and enjoy the landscape, then descend for about 2 hours to the hydroelectric station, where you have a well-earned lunch.
After lunch, start the final stretch along the train tracks to Aguas Calientes. This section is full of history as you pass Mandor farms, a place visited by Hiram Bingham III during his 1911 expedition. On arrival in Aguas Calientes around 5:00 pm, your guide will take you to your hotel for some rest and a shower. In the evening, enjoy a group dinner and a briefing for the next day, then spend the night in a 3-star hotel.
- Distance: 14 km / 8.6 mi
- Duration: ~9 hours
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Accommodation: Hotel in Aguas Calientes
- Difficulty: Moderate to challenging
Day 4: Machu Picchu (Lost City of the Incas)
On the most important day of the tour, wake up very early to prepare for your visit to Machu Picchu. After breakfast at the hotel, you take one of the first buses up to the citadel, arriving as the sky begins to brighten.
If time and regulations allow, you can take an extra short hike first to the Sun Gate or the Inca Bridge. Then you start the main guided tour of the citadel, visiting the most important temples, plazas, and terraces. Afterwards, you will have free time to explore on your own or climb
Huayna Picchu or
Machu Picchu Mountain (these extra hikes are different from the citadel ticket and are not included).
Once you finish at Machu Picchu, take the bus back down to Aguas Calientes, have lunch (not included), and board the Vistadome panoramic train to Ollantaytambo. From there, our private transportation brings you back to Cusco, with drop-off at your hotel around 7:30 pm.
- Tour duration in Machu Picchu: ~3 hours guided
- Meals: Breakfast (hotel)
- Difficulty: Easy
