Your Travel Experience with ARRIVAL
Day 1
ARRIVAL
Before sunrise, leave Cusco and roll toward KM82 – the sacred threshold of the trail. Meet the porters who carry both loads and legends, then set off past the terraced ruins of Llactapata. The trek eases you in, winding upward until Ayapata, your first camp beneath a sky scattered with stars.
Day 1 - 4
Trek the Classic Inca Trail
Cover 43km in four days: misty forests, lost ruins, high passes and the grand finale – Machu Picchu revealed at sunrise.
Day 1 - 2
Ayapata Campsite
Your first night is spent at Ayapata, a quiet mountain campsite tucked between forested slopes and high peaks. Remote and rugged, it’s the perfect place to acclimatise to the altitude and gather strength for tomorrow’s trek. As night falls, crisp mountain air and a blanket of stars set the tone for the adventure ahead.
Day 2
Climb Dead Woman’s Pass
A two-hour climb into thin air, up to 4,215m. It’s brutal on the lungs, glorious on the soul – the summit delivers a view you’ll never forget.
Day 2 - 3
Chaquicocha Campsite
At 3,600m, your second night is spent at Chaquicocha – ‘the dry lake.’ Surrounded by rugged ridgelines and sweeping valleys, this campsite feels otherworldly. After the challenge of Dead Woman’s Pass, the hard work is behind you. Here, crisp mountain air and vast horizons set the scene for a night of well-earned rest under a canopy of stars.
Day 3
Explore Wiñay Wayna Ruins
Terraces and stone dwellings carved into the mountainside. Perfectly preserved, impossibly dramatic – a place where the Inca still feel close.
Day 3 - 4
Wiñay Wayna Campsite
Your third night is spent at Wiñay Wayna, the final campsite before Machu Picchu. Nestled in cloud forest and named after the “Forever Young” orchids that bloom here, it’s a lush and atmospheric spot. With the hardest climbs behind you, anticipation builds – you’re just hours from the Sun Gate and that first glimpse of the Lost City.
Day 4
Hike to Sun Gate
Before dawn, hike the last stretch to Inti Punku. Watch the citadel ignite in golden light as Machu Picchu awakens.
Guided Tour of Machu Picchu
Two hours inside the citadel with local guides – stories, secrets and legends woven into every stone.
Optional Hike to Huayna Picchu
For the fearless: scale Huayna Picchu, the peak above the ruins. Narrow stone steps, dizzying drops and a bird’s-eye view of Machu Picchu. Extra costs apply.
Departure
Rise in darkness, step into dawn. The final stretch delivers you to Inti Punku, the Sun Gate, just as light spills over Machu Picchu. The city awakens in gold – ancient, alive, unforgettable. Two hours inside the citadel, then back down: bus, train, road. Return to Cusco spent, wide-eyed, carrying a story etched forever.