Great Inca Trail
Great Inca Trail
Indulge in the adventure of a lifetime when you hike a pristine section of the Great Inca Trail, a 25,000-mile road network widely regarded as one of the world’s greatest engineering marvels. For five days you’ll traverse a remote, rugged and spectacular swath of Peru’s Northern Andes that very few tourists have ever visited. You will follow in the footsteps of the Incas – treading their great road, camping at ancient refuges and relying on llamas to carry your luggage – under the watchful guidance of an experienced local guide, chef and porters.
8 DAYS
Starting from $3,490 per person
Pricing includes everything from your international arrival to your departure, with the exception of flights and a few lunches and dinners.
HOW IT WORKS
HIGHLIGHTS
- A day in Huaraz to acclimatize to the altitude and explore this fascinating town before the start of your adventure.
- Hike on a masterfully constructed ancient highway through some of the world’s most rugged and pristine landscapes.
- Visit magnificent Inca sites and Andean landscapes that only a handful of Westerners have had the privilege to witness.
- Spend time with the Araujo family of master weavers and witness their centuries-old skills in action.
- Carry only a daypack while a traditional llama caravan does the rest. Witness first-hand a method of transport that has been all but lost to humanity.
- A private tour of Huanuco Pampa, an extremely important Inca administrative center located hundreds of miles from the beaten path.
- Camp in ultimate comfort and warmth, with quality sleeping bags and Therm-a-Rest sleeping mats in your spacious two-man tent.
- Enjoy four wholesome meals every day and make use of a private tented bathroom.
- If time allows, take a tour of Lima’s key sites – the San Francisco Monastery, the city’s historical colonial squares and the picturesque waterfront district of Miraflores.
TALK WITH A DESTINATION EXPERT
We tailor itineraries to your dates and interests, adjusting hotels, excursions and length as desired.
We consistently receive 5 star reviews from our discerning clients.
Sample Itinerary
Welcome to Peru! Upon arrival at the Lima airport you will be greeted by a SA representative before walking across the street to your Lima hotel, the Costa del Sol Wyndham.
Recommended Hotel Accommodations
In the morning, you will just need to walk back across the street to check in for your flight to Huaraz, the gateway to the Qhapaq Ñan aka the Great Inca Trail. Upon arrival in Huaraz, you’ll be met at the airport by your guide and driver and escorted to your Huaraz hotel. After settling in, enjoy an afternoon tour of the city.
Heading out early from your Huaraz hotel, you will be driven to the small town of Castillo, where you will begin the trek. You will climb three hours along the Inca Trail towards Soledad de Tambo, where you will arrive in time for lunch. This Inca “tambo” will also be your camp for the evening, allowing you to explore the Inca ruins and speak with the archeologists on site about their exciting new discoveries.
After leaving the Inca tambo, you will follow a section of the Qhapaq Ñan that reaches fifty feet in width, with stunning views of high Andean peaks. After climbing to the 15,000-foot pass at Wagapunta for most of the morning, you will arrive to camp at Quenuajirca by the afternoon. There you will visit the master weaver, Juan Araujo to learn about his work and life on The Great Inca Trail, home of his ancestors.
After descending to the small town of Ayash, you will start your climb to the high Andean puna at Huamanin. The Great Inca Trail then goes along the Taparaco river basin to Tambo Grande. You will camp under immense Southern skies that illuminate the Milky Way and surrounding stars, allowing you to understand how the Incas’ Cosmic vision defined their society and religion.
Continuing down the Great Inca Trail that runs along the Taparaco river, you will experience one of the most impressive sections of Inca road anywhere in the Empire. It’s a day where nature and Inca engineering turn your walk into a mystical experience that immerses you in an Andean world that very few people ever experience. You will arrive to San Lorenzo de Isco by early afternoon, in time for lunch and afternoon tea.
After arriving at Colpa, where the Taparaco and Vizcarra rivers collide, in the late morning you will climb to Huánuco Pampa. This important Inca administrative center boasts thousands of constructions built around an impressive Ushnu and is an excellent example of imperial Inca architecture. After a two-hour tour of the site, you will go by private vehicle back to Huaraz to relax before your departure the following day.
You will be picked up from your hotel and driven to the Huaraz airport for your flight to Lima. Depending on the time of your international flight out, you can opt to take a private tour of Lima's key sites. You will visit the Larco Archaeological Museum, the San Francisco Monastery and its catacombs, Lima's historic colonial squares, and the picturesque waterfront district of Miraflores.
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