Cusco, Sacred Valley & Inca Trail, 7 Days
Two days acclimatising, four on the trail, and the airport at both ends
- 7 days
- 4,215 m max
- Challenging
- Cusco airport to Cusco airport
The whole Cusco region in one booking. A city tour on arrival day, the full Sacred Valley circuit on day two, then the four-day Classic Inca Trail from Km 82 to the Sun Gate, with hotels, airport transfers and the Vistadome train all arranged.
Most people book the Inca Trail and then assemble the rest of the week around it — a hotel here, a Sacred Valley day there, a taxi from the airport. This itinerary does the assembling.
Day one you are met at Cusco airport and shown the city. Day two is the full Sacred Valley circuit, ending in Ollantaytambo, a few minutes from the trailhead. Days three to six are the Classic Inca Trail, from Km 82 over Dead Woman’s Pass to the Sun Gate. Day seven you are driven back to the airport.
The two days at the start are the part worth paying for. They are not there to fill the brochure — they are how you arrive at 4,215 m on day four with lungs that have had four nights to adjust. It is the single most common thing British walkers get wrong about this trek, and here it is simply built in.
What you'll see
The acclimatisation is built in
Two days at moderate altitude around Cusco and the valley before you set foot on the trail. This is the single most common mistake British travellers make on the Inca Trail, and this itinerary fixes it by design.
Cusco properly seen
Qoricancha, the twelve-angled stone, Loreto street, Sacsayhuamán, Q'enqo, Puka Pukara, Tambomachay and the Cristo Blanco viewpoint, with a guide, on your first afternoon.
The full Sacred Valley
An alpaca farm, the Taray viewpoint, Pisac and its market, the Moray terraces, the Maras salt pans and Ollantaytambo, ending the night near the trailhead.
The Classic Inca Trail
Four days and forty-two kilometres from Km 82 — Patallacta, Dead Woman's Pass at 4,215 m, Runkurakay, Phuyupatamarca, Intipata, Wiñay Wayna and the Sun Gate.
Met at the airport, returned to it
The trip begins when you land at Cusco and ends when you are dropped back for your flight. Nothing in between needs booking separately.
The Vistadome train home
The panoramic train from Aguas Calientes on the last trail day, then a private transfer to your hotel in Cusco.
Cusco, Sacred Valley & Inca Trail, 7 Days: day by day
Times are what we actually aim for, not a best case. Traffic into Cusco and the train timetable move them by a little.
Day 1
Arrive in Cusco, and the city tour
Collected at the airport and taken to your hotel with time to rest. At 13:00 the city tour — the Plaza de Armas, Qoricancha, the twelve-angled stone, Sacsayhuamán, Q'enqo, Puka Pukara, Tambomachay and Cristo Blanco.
- Meals
- None included
- Night
- Hotel in central Cusco
Day 2
The Sacred Valley, ending in Ollantaytambo
A full day down the valley — an alpaca farm, the Taray viewpoint, the Pisac ruins and market, the Moray terraces, the Maras salt pans and Ollantaytambo — sleeping near the start of the trail.
- Meals
- Breakfast and lunch
- Night
- Hotel near Ollantaytambo
Day 3
Km 82 to Ayapata, past Willkaraqay and Patallacta
Six to seven hours and a gentle first day on the trail, through Andean landscapes and small villages, past Willkaraqay and Patallacta, to the first camp at Ayapata.
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner
- Night
- Camping at Ayapata
Day 4
Dead Woman's Pass and Runkurakay Pass
Eight to nine hours and the hardest day of the trek. Coffee at the tent door, then Warmiwañusca at 4,215 m, a second pass at Runkurakay, and the Inca sites along the way before camp at Chaquicocha.
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner
- Night
- Camping at Chaquicocha
Day 5
Phuyupatamarca, Intipata and Wiñay Wayna
About five hours and the most beautiful day on the trail — cloud forest, mountain views and three of its finest archaeological sites, with the last camp a few hours from the citadel.
- Meals
- Breakfast, snacks, lunch, tea and dinner
- Night
- Camping near Wiñay Wayna
Day 6
The Sun Gate, the citadel, and back to Cusco
Two to three hours before dawn to reach Inti Punku for the first view of Machu Picchu, then the guided tour of the citadel, the bus down, the Vistadome train and a private transfer to your hotel in Cusco.
- Meals
- Breakfast and snacks
- Night
- Hotel in Cusco
Day 7
Home
Breakfast at the hotel, then a transfer to Cusco airport timed against your flight.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Night
- Not included — you fly out
What the price covers
Arrivals and transfers
- Collection at Cusco airport on arrival and a transfer back for your departure
- All transport across the seven days
- Hotels in Cusco and Ollantaytambo before and after the trek
The sightseeing days
- Cusco city tour with a guide
- Full Sacred Valley tour with Moray and the Maras salt pans
- Every entrance fee for the Cusco and Sacred Valley sites
The trek
- Your Classic Inca Trail permit, issued in your name
- Machu Picchu entrance, with the circuit assigned on your travel date
- Professional English-speaking guide
- Quality camping equipment and private portable loos
- A personal porter carrying up to 7 kg, and a duffel bag for it
- Fresh meals on the trail cooked by trekking chefs
- First-aid kit, oxygen and satellite phone support on the trail
Getting home
- Bus down from the citadel to Aguas Calientes
- Return on the panoramic Vistadome train
Not included
- Flights to and from Cusco
- Any meal not named in the itinerary
- A sleeping bag, an inflatable mat and trekking poles, all available to hire
- Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain
- Travel insurance, which for this trek you really should have
- Tips, which are genuinely optional
Cusco, Sacred Valley & Inca Trail, 7 Days: prices and options
Add-ons
- +£15
Sleeping bag hire
Rated to -10 °C, for the four trail days.
- +£15
Trekking poles
A pair for the trek, with the rubber tips the rules require.
- +£60
Huayna Picchu
About two hours there and back on day six, after the guided tour.
- +£60
Machu Picchu Mountain
About three hours there and back, on a broader path.
What to bring
Papers and money
- The original passport your Inca Trail permit was issued against
- Cash in soles for the markets, tips and meals not included
- Your medication and any personal first aid
- A head torch for the final morning
On your back
- A daypack of 20 to 30 litres for the trail
- A refillable water bottle
- A camera and a power bank
- A quick-dry towel
Clothes
- Walking boots, broken in well before you fly
- Thermal base layers, trekking trousers and hiking socks
- A fleece and an insulated jacket for the camps
- A waterproof jacket, a warm hat and gloves
- Ordinary clothes for the two city and valley days
Sun and cold
- High-factor sun cream
- Sunglasses with UV protection and a sun hat
- Lip balm
- Insect repellent for the cloud forest
Questions we get asked
Why does this cost more than the trek on its own?
Because it is not only the trek. You are paying for two extra nights of hotels, two guided days around Cusco and the Sacred Valley with all their entrance fees, and both airport transfers. Booked separately those come to more than the difference, and the acclimatisation days are the ones people otherwise skip and regret.
Are the first two days really necessary?
They are the most useful part of the itinerary and the least glamorous. Cusco sits at about 3,400 m, and flying in from Lima and starting a trek within a day or two is how people end up struggling on Dead Woman's Pass. Two days of gentle sightseeing at altitude, finishing lower down in the valley, is the accepted way to prepare, and here it is built in rather than optional.
How fit do I need to be?
Fit enough for the Classic Inca Trail, which is four days, forty-two kilometres and a pass at 4,215 m with an eight to nine hour day to reach it. The sightseeing days ask nothing beyond walking around sites. Prepare for the trek, not for the week.
Do I need to book flights separately?
Yes. This is a land-only package that starts and ends at Cusco airport, so your flights from the UK, and the Lima to Cusco connection, are yours to arrange. We are happy to advise on timings — arriving in Cusco in the morning rather than the evening makes day one work much better.
When do I have to book?
Four to six months ahead for the May to September window, because of the Inca Trail permit. It is named, non-transferable and tied to a single date the Ministry of Culture will not change. Everything else in the itinerary can be arranged much later.
Is the trail ever closed?
Every February, for maintenance across the whole Inca Trail network. Machu Picchu itself stays open, so a February version of this trip would reach the citadel by train instead.
What happens if my flight to Cusco is delayed?
Tell us at once. The hotel and the tours can be moved; the Inca Trail permit cannot, because it is fixed to a date. The two days at the front of this itinerary are also your buffer, which is another argument for them.
Which circuit do I get at Machu Picchu?
Inca Trail walkers arrive through the Sun Gate and then follow the route assigned for your date by the Ministry of Culture. We confirm the exact circuit in writing once your permit and ticket are issued.
Ask us about Cusco, Sacred Valley & Inca Trail, 7 Days
Tell us your dates and we'll come back with availability, the circuit we'd recommend, and a firm price. No deposit to ask, and we answer within one working day.