The Inca Jungle Tour is an unmissable three-day experience and a popular alternative to the four-day Inca Jungle Trek to Machu Picchu. Inca Jungle Trail to Machu Picchu is one of our signature treks.
Often last-minute travelers, who intend to hike the emblematic Classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu are let down because of the permits which are sold out six months in advance. The Inca Jungle Tour, however, does not need permits and can be booked just days if not weeks in advance.
Inca Jungle Trail to Machu Picchu includes various adrenaline activities, from downhill mountain biking and white water rafting to zip-lining and hikes in the cloud forests. As the name suggests, towards the end of the experience, you will be hiking on the renowned Inca path.
Along the way, you will be witnessing different flora and fauna. You will also be stopping by different tropical fruit plantations and renowned Peruvian coffee farms.
As a local tour operator, we take pride in working with locals. We have an excellent safety record and all our state-of-the-art travel equipment is serviced after each experience.
Do spare a moment to check our reviews on Tripadvisor.
The Inca Jungle Tour to Machu Picchu is a high-altitude experience. The starting point of the trek, Abra Malaga Pass is at 4350m/14160ft above sea level. It is highly recommended that you spend a few days in Cusco before the experience to acclimatize.
Optionally, if you intend to hike to Machu Picchu or Huayna Picchu mountain, please let us know in advance. To protect the authenticity of the trail, access is restricted to 200 people a day. Often permits are sold 5-6 months in advance.
It is highly recommended that you hike the Inca Jungle Trek during the dry season, between March and November. During then, the weather is often clear and you will be getting clear views all the way through.
Cusco Hotel Transfer
0500 AM
Explore Peru Treks is a fully locally owned tour operator in Cusco. We are certified local guides with an excellent knowledge of Incas history and culture. As natives, our guides will be sharing some of the astonishing facts on this Inca Jungle Trek.
Just as any tours operated by Explore Peru Treks, you have the option to choose to do Inka Jungle Trek 3 Day in small groups or as a private tour.
Your epic Inca Jungle Trail Machu Picchu begins early in the morning. At 0500 AM, we will be picking you up from your hotel in Cusco and embark on an hour and a half drive through the Sacred Valley of the Incas to Ollantaytambo, the former administrative capital of the Incas.
At Ollantaytambo, we will be having a brief stop. You can buy some last-minute supplies for your Inca Jungle Trail to Machu Picchu or relish a breakfast.
All set, we will be driving further for another hour and a half to the highest point of the Inca Jungle Tour, Abra Malaga pass at 4,350 meters/14271ft. The tour guide will be handing you over the gears and your sturdy mountain bikes.
After a short safety briefing and practice on your bike, we will begin with downhill mountain biking for five hours to the town of Santa Maria. Along the way, we will be having plenty of stops. One of the main stops will be the archaeological site of Huamanmarca.
In Quechua, Huamanmarca means “home of the Hawk”.The place was discovered in 1961 by a Peruvian historian, Maria Rostworowski. The place was home to the Inca Palace of Tupac Yupanqui.
After dwelling on the history and witnessing the remains of the Incan architecture, we will continue biking to Santa Maria. We will be serving a traditional lunch in Santa Maria.
After lunch, you will have the option of experiencing white water rafting in the Vilcanota River with III and III+ rapids. It costs an additional 40 USD per person.
The activity is available only from April to December. As per the mandate of local authorities, you must know swimming to be able to participate in the activity.
For the night, we will be accommodating you in a local family home after dinner. Through this small initiative, we aim to support them to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
After breakfast, we will be driving you to Santa Teresa town. You will have an option of doing zip line here. We work with the most trusted operator in the region so you will be in safe hands.
It costs an additional 40 USD. It normally takes about two hours to experience zip lining here.
There are over five cables connected from a large suspension bridge. This is undeniably one of the unmissable activities on the Inca Jungle Trail to Machu Picchu. You will be witnessing stunning landscapes during the activity. You will feel like a bird flying high above soaking in the views of Andean landscapes.
We will then drive you to the small town of Hidroelectrica. Here we will be serving you lunch at a local family restaurant.
We will then begin hiking for three hours through the railway tracks to Aguas Calientes. This is the route that Hiram Bingham III took when he rediscovered Machu Picchu. The trail is dotted with plenty of stunning views.
In Aguas Calientes, you will spend the night in an ensuite hotel room. We will be meeting later that evening for dinner. Aguas Calientes gets its name after the hot springs here. You can take a rejuvenating dip in the pools with a stunning view of the rainforest.
The last day of the Inka Jungle Tour begins early in the morning. We will be taking the 25 minutes bus up the hill to reach Machu Picchu citadel.
As the trouncing sun would clear the blanket of clouds and unveil the citadel, we will begin the guided tour of the complex. On this two hours tour, we will be visiting the prime sites in the complex.
We will give you a tour of the remains of the royal quarters, Inca temples, ceremonial sites, and more.
After the tour, you will have plenty of time to contemplate the astounding views. If you have booked to climb Huayna Picchu mountain or Machu Picchu mountain, our tour guide will direct you to the respective trail head.
Alternatively, you can hike to Sungate. This is the point of entry for those hiking the esteemed Inca trail to Machu Picchu. Sungate offers a panoramic view of Machu Picchu citadel. You won’t need any permit to hike to Sungate and it’s free
After soaking in the awe-inspiring views, we will take the bus back to Aguas Calientes town. You will have some free time here to explore the town. If desired, you can stop for lunch at one of the local restaurants (not included in the price).
Later in the evening, we will be taking the tourist train back to Ollantaytambo. Our representative will be meeting you here on arrival and will be driving you back to Cusco. We will be reaching Cusco by 09:00 PM.
It was an unforgettable experience.
