Pick up from your hotel at 04:00 in the morning to transfer to the Ollantaytambo Train Station and then board the train for 1 hour and 30 minutes of travel until we reach Km. 104. Chachabamba. Then cross the bridge over the Urubamba or Vilcanota river. After a visit in Chachabamba, we started to climb the mountain in the direction of the Wiñaywayna archaeological center before. The trail then exits the forest and heads west as you continue your hike uphill through open grasslands. After walking in the sun, depending on the time of year, for about three hours, the path descends into a shady forest. This is where hikers can enjoy a beautiful waterfall.
After exiting the waterfall and the forest, you will reach the bottom of the incredible Wiñaywayna ruins. It is recommended that you start the walk with at least 2 liters of water. After lunch in Wiñaywayna we continue towards Machupicchu through a cloud forest full of bromeliads, orchids and ferns. You will have to walk the last stretch of the original route with surprising characteristics of stone stairs and tambos “resting places” and climb the 60 steps before reaching the Inti Punku or “Sun gate”. From this point you can contemplate and observe this wonderful place, last 45 minutes of being in front of this wonder, where you can feel an inner peace. Little time passes for the photos and the views and then we prepare our minds for the next dawn, the time to take a bus for 30 minutes to the town of Aguas Calientes. Hot spring pools are optional or simply free time to relax in this small town.
It’s an early start to Machu Picchu to see the sunrise over this magnificent ancient city. We take the first bus to the Machu Picchu ruins and have a guided tour of approximately 2 and a half hours. After the tour with the guide you. You have free time to explore the citadel on your own, and maybe even climb Waynapicchu or Puente del Inca (additional payment 10. $). Afterwards, it is optional that you can return walking or board the bus to the town of Aguas Calientes (this downhill bus route is not included in the tour if you wish to ask us). In the afternoon we take the train from the town of Aguas Calientes to the Ollantaytambo station. Then our transfer and bus awaits us here to then return by bus to Cusco.
After the tour, you can take a stroll around the Plaza de Armas and its surroundings, where you can appreciate the work of Cusco artisans in the craft shops. You can also savor the famous and unique Peruvian cuisine in nearby restaurants or simply take a break on one of the benches in the Plaza de Armas, enjoying the scenery and taking the classic photo for a warm memory despite the cold Cusco nights. And if you enjoy the nightlife, around the square, you’ll find many discos and bars filled with tourists and locals looking to have fun.
