1. Introduction
Looking for an adventure tour to Machu Picchu? The 4-day Inca Jungle Trail to Machu Picchu is a great option for you. This tour combines sports activities while you are approaching the Inca site of Machu Picchu.
2. Exploring the Inca Trail
Four incredible days await you: mountain biking, water rafting, hiking, and ziplining in the high Peruvian jungle.Altitude of the Inca Jungle Trail Hiking on the Inca Trail means all the companies will provide you with all the necessary stuff, from tents, sleeping mats, food, and more logistical things. These will be carried by the incredible porters
The highest elevation that you are reaching during this Inca Jungle Trail is 4,316 meters (14,160 feet). At this elevation, you will only be there for a few minutes because this is the altitude where we will start the biking. Afterwards, the altitude will be varied from 1,200 meters (3,937 feet) to 2,400 meters (7,874 feet).Activities on the Inca Jungle Trail
3. Preparing for the 4-Day Trek
If you decide to do the Inca Jungle Trail to Machu Picchu, you will definitely enjoy every day of it doing the different sports activities. Mountain Biking
Once you reach the highest point, we will start with the mountain bike, which covers more than 40km descending from the high mountain Andes towards the tropical jungle for about 2 hours.
During the cycling, we will provide you with different biking equipment: a full-face helmet, waterproof jacket, gloves, body armor, and a need pad.
4.Conclusion: A Life-Changing Experience
The water rafting along the Inca Jungle is well recommended for everyone, including families with kids, people who don’t know swimming, and adults, due to the difficulty of the I, II, and III classes, with some rapids. It will take about 2 hours in total.
For this activity, the instructors will provide you with rafting equipment such as a splash jacket, helmet, life jacket, and paddle.
This is one of the most incredible hikes to Machu Picchu. The Inca Jungle Trail offers different experiences in Peru. It will transport you to explore the high Andes with a fun mountain bike trip that shows breathtaking vistas, from snow-capped mountains to lush green forests. Ride down, following the bus route, with several stops along the way, to see how the landscape turns with more vegetation.
Live the adrenaline rush by doing the whitewater rafting in the high tropical jungle with some rapids. Our instructors are professionals with large experience on this kind of river. If you don’t know swimming, no worries this river is deep enough.
Hike in the forest and explore the lush Peruvian jungle, visiting some farms where locals used to grow some fruits such as bananas, papayas, and avocados. You will also see coffee and coca plantations. Your guide will explain and show you all the processes by which locals produce organic coffee and chocolate.
You will also hike on a section of the Inca Trail that was connecting with Machu Picchu and the Jungle in ancient times.
In the afternoon, you will soak at the hot spring of Cocalmayo. You deserve to relax in those thermal baths with beautiful views around.
Spend incredible time on the zipline of Santa Teresa, which consists of flying through a pulley suspended by cables mounted on a slope or incline. Our instructor will provide all the safety gear for this activity, such as a helmet, gloves, harness, and more.
The adventure in the Andes will begin in Cusco with the pick-up from your hotel in our private van, then we will drive to Mollepata town for about 2:30 hours. Here we will have a short stop to purchase the last items that you could need in this trek, and you will also have the chance to take your breakfast at some restaurant.
We continue our drive to Challacancha, 3,800 meters (12,467 feet), where our hike starts. We will meet with our trekking team and pack all the items.
The hike starts ascending gradually to reach the Inca water channel, where we’ll hike quite flat following this channel until Soraypampa, 3,900 meters (12,795 feet). Here we have our lunch and the camp. You will have incredible views of Humantay Mountain and see how the clouds move as the snow peak appears.
After lunch, we’ll have the option to hike towards the Humantay Lake; it takes about 2–20 hours round trip. From Soraypampa, the path goes up with pretty views on the way. You can see how the green valley behind it was formed by glacier erosion. Once you reach the lake, you’ll be amazed by its turquoise color, which reflects the blue sky of the Andes. At the top is the Humantay mountain, which milts the glacier water to create one of the most incredible views in the Andes.
Then, you descend the same way back to the camp, where our team will be waiting with the hot tea, followed by the delicious dinner.
Day 2. Soraypampa – Salkantaypampa – Salkantay Pass – Wayracmachay – Chaullay
This is the most challenging day on the Salkantay Trek. Our team will wake you up with a hot Coca tea, and enjoy the incredible Andean breakfast prepared by our chef. The hike will start ascending gradually through the path that follows the valley; it will take around 3 hours to reach the pass.
You’ll see how the Salkantay mountain appears at the end of the valley. You’ll reach Salkantaypampa, where you can rest and enjoy the breathtaking views around.
The hike continues, going up a switchback trail until Soyrococha, which is the next resting point. Finally, the last section to reach the pass begins, with some of the most spectacular views of the Apu Salkantay that emerge between the clouds, and you’ll see how incredible this mountain is.
Once you reach the Salkantay Pass at 4,630 meters (15,190 feet), you’ll have a well-deserved rest while enjoying the views around you. Your guide will do some offering to the apus with some coca leaves; definitely you’ll participate in it.
Then, the path starts descending along the valley to reach Wayracmachay, where you will have lunch. In the afternoon, we continue descending towards the cloud forest. You’ll see how the landscape changes from the high, dry mountain to the lush green forest.
Finally, after hiking down for a couple hours, we will arrive at Chaullay Camp, 2,900 meters (9,514 feet).
The zipline is one way that you can enjoy the incredible views of the valley by flying through different cables; the longest one is almost a kilometer long, and the highest is about 30 meters.
It takes about two hours in total to do the activity, which includes four cables and a suspension bridge.
The instructor will provide you with different equipment for this activity: a full-body harness, a helmet, gloves, and carabines.
