The best option for those who don’t have much time or are looking for a short trek where you can still walk into the Sun Gate of Machu Picchu! Before getting your famous photo overlooking the citadel, you will also get to visit some of the most important sites of the Inca Trail like Wiñay Wayna.
We will pick you up from your hotel at 3:40 AM (depending on the train schedule) and take you to the train station. We travel by train, on a very picturesque route for two and a half hours to the starting point of the trek (Kilometer 104). We then have a walk of approximately four hours up to the Inca site of Wiñay Wayna (Forever Young), (2,680 m/8,792 ft), the most impressive site on the Inca Trail.
After lunch, we will continue on to Inti Punku (Sun Gate), (2,730 m/8,792 ft) to have your first incredible, panoramic view of Machu Picchu (2,400 m/7,873 ft). We will finish the last part of the trail towards the ancient city and getting some great photo opportunities as we go. Before reaching Machu Picchu, we will take a side path off the trail and our descent to the town of Aguas Calientes where we will have dinner and the rest of the evening at your leisure. You can explore the town, soak in the local hotsprings or rest for our full day tour of Machu Picchu the following day.
The full day tour begins with a solid breakfast at the hotel before we take the first bus to the gates of Machu Picchu at 6:00 AM. Once you are inside the Citadel, you will have a 2 hour guided walking tour. Afterwards, you have the rest of the afternoon free to explore the amazing city by yourselves.
If you still have energy and have bought your entrance ticket, you can also climb Huayna Picchu (2,720 m/8,923 ft). It takes 45 minutes to reach the top of Huayna Picchu and you will have magnificent views of Machu Picchu and the surrounding landscape.
If desired, an extra night in Aguas Calientes can be arranged. This option is very popular as it allows more time to explore Machu Picchu. You can also go to the thermal springs in the town - a real treat after finishing the trail.
Note: It is no longer possible to spend a night camping on the actual Inca Trail for the 2 Day / 1 Night trek. All people on this tour spend the night in Aguas Calientes, the town nearest to Machu Picchu.