Trek amid the Vilcabamba mountains of Peru, then join the classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
Trek amid the Vilcabamba mountains of Peru, then join the classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
This ultimate Inca Trail trek spends four days trekking deep in the majestic Vilcabamba mountain range before joining the classic Inca Trail for the approach to Machu Picchu. This high route skirts many of the great peaks and passes close to Mount Salkantay (20,574ft/6,271m) and its creaking glaciers. The trek continues through remote villages and crosses the spectacular Inca Chiriasqa Pass to finally join the classic Inca Trail before finishing at the famous Inti Punku (Sun Gate). This trek also allows plenty of time to explore the Inca temples and fortresses of Cuzco and the Sacred Valley. Our classic Inca Trail trip is designed to give you more time to enjoy the trail by arriving to Machu Picchu in the afternoon for iconic photos and overnight in Aguas Calientes. We return the next morning, fresh and well rested, for our in-depth tour of Machu Picchu and train back to Cuzco.
The diverse geography of Peru results in a very varied climate between different regions.
Cuzco and the Andes have a temperate climate. December to March is the rainy season in Cuzco/the Andes and April to November is the dry season, characterised by clear skies and strong sunshine in the mornings, sometimes clouding over as the day progresses. Daytime temperatures are usually pleasant (approximately 20C/68F on average) but night times only 5C-10C (41F-50F), except for May, June, July and August when days are cooler and nights on trek are often below freezing, particularly at the highest camps where it may be around -10C (14F). In the Andes, anything is possible at any time of year, including cloud, rain or even snow, and rapid and unexpected changes!
Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu are in the cloud forest and, as such, attract large amounts of precipitation all year as clouds move up from the Amazon Basin. Rain here can be heavy but is seldom prolonged. Cold fronts sometimes occur from July to August.
Peru is affected by El Niño, a weather phenomenon whereby warming of Pacific Ocean surface water off South America drives a shift in the atmospheric circulation resulting in abnormally high levels of rainfall over parts of South America. These events occur at irregular intervals of two to seven years, and last nine months to two years.
This trip is graded as Activity Level 5 (Challenging). For more information on our trip gradings please visit the Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip please do not hesitate to contact us.
There are seven days of point-to-point walking with full porterage, reaching a maximum altitude of approximately 16,275ft (4,960m), average 11,645ft (3,550m). More strenuous and at higher altitude than the classic Inca Trail, this trek has sections with difficult underfoot terrain, particularly on the descent from the high pass, which has a lot of loose gravel. The walking days are generally not long but there are some steep climbs and descents. The paths are well maintained on the main Inca Trail, but there are a lot of irregular stone steps, which can be tiring on the knees, so we recommend walking poles.
Please note, it is essential you read the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu regulations in the Important Information section of the Trip Notes before you book this trip.
Some nights can be very cold (below freezing) and over the last few years there have been a few occasions where heavy snowfall has closed the Inca Chiriasqa Pass (Day 7). If this happens, the leader takes an amended route to join the Inca Trail. If the snow is very heavy, the group may retreat to Mollepata and then join the Inca Trail at Km82, the start of the normal Inca Trail. This is not a common occurrence but you should be aware it does occasionally happen (most likely in July and August although it is very unpredictable).
As this trip spends considerable time at altitude, we ask you to refer to the altitude warning within the Trip Notes. We spend three days in Cuzco (11,155ft/3,400m) acclimatising before starting the trek.
Protest action/strikes are not uncommon in Peru and, while these are generally peaceful, they can involve roadblocks and cause disruption to travel. Occasionally, your leader may have to adapt your itinerary in response to this.
Walking hours stated within the itinerary are given as approximates only. Timings stated include lunch and photo stops and vary depending on the group’s pace.
Ved skriftlig aksept av vårt tilbud bekrefter du/dere at våre betingelser er både lest og forstått og at evt kansellerings gebyrer kan tilkomme ved en evt. avbestilling av reisen.
sdsd TILGJENGELIGE DATOER | PRIS (1 VOKSEN) | PRIS (1 BARN) | Enkeltromstillegg | STATUS REISE | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
søn, 26 apr 2026 / lør, 09 mai 2026 | NOK 36 535 | På forespørsel | NOK 5 515 | Tilgjengelige | |
søn, 24 mai 2026 / lør, 06 jun 2026 | NOK 37 225 | På forespørsel | NOK 5 515 | Tilgjengelige | |
søn, 19 jul 2026 / lør, 01 aug 2026 | NOK 37 915 | På forespørsel | NOK 5 515 | Tilgjengelige | |
søn, 16 aug 2026 / lør, 29 aug 2026 | NOK 37 915 | På forespørsel | NOK 5 515 | Tilgjengelige | |
søn, 06 sep 2026 / lør, 19 sep 2026 | NOK 37 915 | På forespørsel | NOK 5 515 | Tilgjengelige |
TILGJENGELIGE DATOER | PRIS (1 VOKSEN) | PRIS (1 BARN) | ENKELTROMSTILLEGG | STATUS REISE | |
søn, 26 apr 2026 / lør, 09 mai 2026 | NOK 36 535 | På forespørsel | NOK 5 515 | På forespørsel | |
søn, 24 mai 2026 / lør, 06 jun 2026 | NOK 37 225 | På forespørsel | NOK 5 515 | På forespørsel | |
søn, 19 jul 2026 / lør, 01 aug 2026 | NOK 37 915 | På forespørsel | NOK 5 515 | På forespørsel | |
søn, 16 aug 2026 / lør, 29 aug 2026 | NOK 37 915 | På forespørsel | NOK 5 515 | På forespørsel | |
søn, 06 sep 2026 / lør, 19 sep 2026 | NOK 37 915 | På forespørsel | NOK 5 515 | På forespørsel |
Vi vil komme tilbake til deg med et tilbud på den forespurte reisen/pakken I løpet av 48 timer. Alle tilbud er uforpliktende og er vanligvis gyldige i 7 dager. Vi gjør oppmerksom på at reserverte tjenester kan bli kansellert innenfor disse 7 dagene og at pris kan endres inntil en endelig bestilling er mottatt.
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