Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu & Rainbow Mountain ATV – 7 Days

Welcome to Peru! We know how exhausting international flights can be, so upon your arrival in the Peruvian capital, we will make your arrival as smooth and stress-free as possible.

Your Inti Sun Trek representative will be waiting for you at Lima Airport, holding a sign with your name, to welcome you and transfer you comfortably to your selected hotel.

After checking in, you can take time to relax, enjoy a refreshing shower, and recover from your journey. If you prefer, you may also explore nearby areas or enjoy Peru’s world-famous gastronomy with lunch at your hotel or at one of the many excellent local restaurants. Meals are not included on this day.

Depending on your arrival time, you also have the option to join the Lima City Tour, available daily at 8:30 a.m. or 2:00 p.m.

During the tour, you will explore three stages of Lima’s history: Ancestral, Colonial, and Modern Lima. Highlights include a panoramic view of Huaca Pucllana, the Historic Center of Lima with its impressive colonial architecture, the San Francisco Convent and Catacombs, and the modern districts of San Isidro and Miraflores.

The tour also includes a visit to the Central Reserve Bank Museum, where you can admire a collection of pre-Columbian gold, ceramics, and textiles.

Note: The Central Reserve Bank Museum is closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays.

If you prefer not to join the City Tour, you can explore Lima at your own pace by visiting Miraflores, one of the city’s most popular tourist districts. You may enjoy a walk through Kennedy Park or visit Larcomar, located along the Pacific coast.

In the evening, we recommend enjoying dinner at Central or Maido. Due to high demand, advance reservations are highly recommended.

Overnight: Lima.

Meals included: None.

Today, your adventure in the Andean highlands begins.

After breakfast at your hotel in Lima, our representative will assist you with your transfer to Lima Airport for your flight to Cusco.

Please note: The Lima – Cusco domestic flight is not included unless otherwise specified in your confirmed reservation.

During the flight, you may admire the dramatic change in scenery as Peru’s Pacific coastline gradually gives way to the majestic Andes Mountains.

Upon your arrival at Cusco Airport, your Inti Sun Trek representative will be waiting for you in the arrivals area, holding a sign with your name, to welcome you and transfer you comfortably to your selected hotel.

You will have time to settle in and begin acclimatizing to Cusco’s altitude.

At approximately 1:00 p.m., your guide will meet you at Cusco’s Plaza de Armas to begin your City Tour.

The tour begins in Cusco’s Historic Center, where you will appreciate the Plaza de Armas and its impressive colonial architecture built over Inca foundations.

You will also visit Qorikancha – the Temple of the Sun, one of the most important religious centers of the Inca civilization.

Afterward, we will continue toward the archaeological sites located above the city.

Your first stop will be Sacsayhuamán, an impressive Inca complex famous for its enormous stone walls and panoramic views of Cusco.

The tour continues with visits to:

• Qenqo – an archaeological site associated with ceremonial spaces and carved stone structures
• Puka Pukara – an Inca archaeological complex located above Cusco
• Tambomachay – a site associated with water channels and ceremonial fountains

At the end of the tour, we will return to Cusco’s Plaza de Armas. You can then enjoy a relaxing evening and have dinner at one of Cusco’s local restaurants.

Overnight: Cusco.

Meals included: Breakfast.

We will pick you up from your hotel in Cusco at approximately 6:30 a.m. and travel for about one hour by tourist transportation to Chinchero, a traditional Andean village with beautiful views of the Sacred Valley. In this charming village, you will see adobe homes, narrow cobbled streets, and local residents wearing traditional Peruvian clothing. Here, many Inca traditions and crafts are still practiced. You will have the opportunity to observe a demonstration of how wool is washed and dyed using native plants and minerals. You will also visit the Inca Archaeological Site and Colonial Temple of Chinchero. We will then continue to Moray, a fascinating archaeological site associated with Inca agricultural experimentation and crop cultivation. Here, your guide will explain the design of the circular terraces and the drainage system used to manage rainwater.After visiting Moray, we will travel approximately 20 minutes to the Maras Salt Mines. At this impressive site, you will see hundreds of salt pans built along the side of a narrow valley and supplied by natural saline spring water. Salt has been collected in Maras since pre-Inca times, and local families have maintained the terraces and channels for generations. We will then continue through the beautiful Sacred Valley toward Urubamba, where we will stop for a buffet lunch.After lunch, we will continue our scenic journey toward Ollantaytambo. Ollantaytambo is a remarkable Inca town that preserves its traditional urban layout, narrow stone streets, and flowing water channels. You will have time to appreciate its archaeological remains, traditional architecture, and impressive Inca stonework. At the end of the tour, you will stay overnight in Ollantaytambo in preparation for the Short Inca Trail the following morning.

Overnight: Ollantaytambo.

Meals included: Breakfast and buffet lunch.

The Short Inca Trail adventure begins with an early pick-up from your hotel in Ollantaytambo, approximately between 5:40 and 6:00 a.m., depending on the train schedule. You will be transferred to the train station and travel along a scenic route toward Km 104, the starting point of the Short Inca Trail. After completing the entrance procedures, we will begin the hike.

The route first passes through the archaeological site of Chachabamba before continuing uphill through beautiful cloud forest scenery. After approximately four hours of hiking, we will reach Wiñay Wayna, which means “Forever Young” and is located at approximately 2,680 meters / 8,792 feet above sea level. Wiñay Wayna is one of the most impressive archaeological sites along the Inca Trail, with agricultural terraces and stone structures built into the mountainside. During the trek, you will enjoy a boxed lunch. We will then continue hiking toward Intipunku – the Sun Gate, located at approximately 2,730 meters / 8,956 feet. From the Sun Gate, you will enjoy your first dramatic panoramic view of Machu Picchu below. We will continue down the final section of the trail toward Machu Picchu, where you will have time to celebrate your accomplishment and take photographs from the permitted panoramic areas.  The detailed guided archaeological visit of Machu Picchu will take place the following morning. We will then descend to the main entrance and take the bus to Aguas Calientes, where you will spend the night.

• Total walking distance: Approximately 13 km / 8 miles
• Walking time: Approximately 6–7 hours
• Maximum altitude: Approximately 2,730 m / 8,956 ft at Intipunku
• Difficulty: Moderate to challenging
• Weather: Generally warm and windy, with conditions subject to change
• Overnight: Aguas Calientes.
• Meals included: Breakfast and boxed lunch.

After breakfast at your hotel, your guide will meet you and accompany you to the bus station.

You will board the bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu for your detailed guided visit of the Inca citadel.

Machu Picchu Entrance & Circuit

According to the itinerary for the Short Inca Trail program, you will re-enter Machu Picchu through Circuit 3.

Your exact entrance time must be confirmed according to ticket availability and your final reservation.

Guided Tour of Machu Picchu

Once inside the Inca citadel, you will enjoy a guided tour lasting approximately 2 hours.

During the visit, you will explore the areas permitted by Circuit 3 and learn about Machu Picchu’s history, architecture, religious significance, agricultural terraces, and remarkable Inca engineering.

Optional Mountains

After your guided visit, you may add an entrance to Huayna Picchu Mountain or Machu Picchu Mountain, provided tickets are available and purchased in advance.

Huayna Picchu: Approximately 2,720 m / 8,924 ft
Machu Picchu Mountain: Approximately 3,000 m / 9,843 ft

These optional hikes require separate entrance tickets and are not included unless specifically confirmed in your reservation.

After completing your visit, you will return by bus to Aguas Calientes.

You will have time for lunch before heading to the train station. Lunch is not included.

Your return train to Ollantaytambo may depart at approximately 6:20 p.m., subject to availability and your confirmed train schedule.

Upon arrival in Ollantaytambo, private transportation will be waiting to take you back to your hotel in Cusco.

Arrival in Cusco may be around 10:00 p.m., depending on your confirmed train schedule.

Overnight: Cusco.

Meals included: Breakfast.

We will begin the day at approximately 3:30 a.m. with pick-up from your hotel in Cusco in our tourist transportation.

We will travel south of Cusco for approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes to the restaurant, where you will enjoy a buffet breakfast.

After breakfast, we will continue traveling for a little over an hour toward the ATV starting area.

Upon arrival, your guide will provide a safety briefing and instructions on how to operate the ATV before beginning the adventure.

We will then begin the ATV journey toward Rainbow Mountain.

The ATV section lasts approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes until reaching the final parking area.

From there, we will begin an approximately 40-minute walk to reach the Rainbow Mountain viewpoint.

Upon reaching the viewpoint, you will have time to admire the colorful landscape, take photographs and videos, and enjoy the spectacular high-Andean scenery.

After the visit, we will walk back along the same route to the parking area and return by ATV.

We will then board our tourist transportation and travel to the restaurant, where you will enjoy a buffet lunch.

After lunch, we will begin our return journey to Cusco.

Arrival is estimated between approximately 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Overnight: Cusco.

Meals included: Breakfast and lunch.

After breakfast at your hotel, you will have free time according to your flight schedule.

You may relax at your hotel, explore nearby streets and cafés, or shop for local handicrafts before departure.

At the previously coordinated time, our representative will pick you up from your hotel and transfer you to Cusco Airport for your onward or return journey.

If your itinerary includes a flight from Cusco to Lima before your international departure, this flight must be arranged separately unless specifically confirmed as part of your package.

Accommodation: None.

Meals included: Breakfast.

End of our services.