Inca Jungle Trail to Machu Picchu 4 Days/ 3 Nights
Duration
From
Overview
As we operate the Inca Jungle Trail to Machu Picchu ourselves, we have available departure dates for the whole year. Indeed, if you prefer to join a group, here are confirmed reservations for departure dates in 2025:
This is not only an alternative to the Inca Trail, but it is also the most original and extensively travelled of all the existing paths. The Inca Jungle trail is the most recently discovered, which leads through the Jungle to the Inca Trail and finally to the sanctuary of Machu Picchu. This trek can be completed in 3 or 4 days, combining biking and hiking with breathtaking scenery – perfect for anyone with a sense of adventure and curiosity!
Full Itinerary
Your adventure begins with the pick-up at around 7:00 am. The bus takes the road through the stunning Sacred Valley of the Incas and drops you off at 4316 m (14,160 ft) altitude — the highest point of the trail, called Abra Malaga. Here, you will be transferred to your mountain bikes (we provide you with a helmet, gloves, and protective pads). Your guide will give you an overview of what’s to follow… and your adventure begins! As you freewheel down the smooth but challenging roads and through different landscapes, you won’t be able to catch your breath until you reach the first stop in Alfamayo-San Luis, a three-hour ride from the starting point. There, you will enjoy your lunch with a panoramic view. Before you head off again, you’ll have time to freshen up and apply a dab of insect repellent. Then you will ride along a hilly path to the recently discovered archaeological site of Huamanmarca. Your tour guide will provide you with the historical background of the site before you carry on with your descent to 1,500 m (4,921 ft), where the edge of the jungle meets the small but charming town of Santa Maria. Here, you can purchase a snack or a nice, cold beer to enjoy while you rest your legs before being served a traditional Peruvian dinner. You will spend the night in a family-run hostel.
Optional activity: Rafting after arriving at Santa Maria:
RAFTING. Duration: approx. 2 hours. Price: US$40 per person.
You will wake up around 6:30 am to the aroma of the finest indigenous coffee. After breakfast, we begin our trek. The path will progressively steepen until you arrive at a family restaurant in Santa Rosa, where you’ll stop for refreshments. You will move on to a rest stop where you can lie in hammocks as you admire the surrounding coca plantations. Afterwards, you’ll continue on a short path to the original Inca Trail. As the Incas did centuries before, you’ll trek along a path for just over two hours to the small town of Quellomayo. Here, you’ll stop for a well-deserved lunch. From Quellomayo, it’s just a short trek to Rio Vilcanota, which will lead you to the famous hot springs of Colcamayo. Your body will thank you as you soak in the relaxing, therapeutic properties of the medicinal waters, which are nestled between the mountains. Here, you can enjoy the hot springs and relax your muscles in these natural settings. Then we carry on our hike to the town of Santa Teresa for dinner, and then to your hostel, where you’re sure to get a good night’s rest after wading in the thermal baths.
After being served breakfast around 7:00 am, you will trek to Collpani, a small valley with a river of the same name. This river is one of the sources of freshwater in Santa Teresa. Continuing from here, we will be hiking by the banks of the Urubamba River, observing a few agricultural fields with corn and other tropical fruits. In some seasons of the year, it is possible to see locals farming the fields, collecting fruits, and joining them. After all this adventure, we will stop at a restaurant in Hidroelectrica to have lunch. After a delicious meal, we had some time to rest before continuing our hike among the train lines for two and a half hours in the middle of the jungle. We will enjoy the sound of the birds and observe the different flora. We arrive at the base of Machu Picchu, Aguas Calientes, in the afternoon.
We will bring you to your hostel, which includes hot water and private bathrooms, and then meet you to enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.
Optional activity operated by Cola de Mono:
ZIPLINING/CANOPY – If you want to, you can take this optional activity of ziplining. For that, you will be transported by car to the zip line zone, and after the activity, you will also be transferred to Hidroelectrica, then continue the hike to Aguas Calientes.
Cola de Mono – South America’s highest zip lines!
Located: about 15 minutes from Santa Teresa by car
Duration: approx. 2 hours
Price: US$50 per person
You will have your breakfast early in the morning. Then we start our last day, climbing up the hill to the famous Inca citadel Machu Picchu, the lost city of the Incas. Avoiding the crowds, you will be the first visitor of the day. Your tour guide will take you around the vast ruins for about 3 hours, comprehensively explaining their historical significance and place in the Inca Empire. After this, you have some free time to wander around.
Machu Picchu is the best-known of all the archaeological Inca sites, as it is recognised worldwide! Experts believe that the citadel was constructed around the mid-15th century by the Inca Pachacuteq and was rediscovered by American historian Hiram Bingham in 1911.
The guided tour of this fascinating place will be an unforgettable experience! You will visit the Main Square, the Royal Quarters, the Temple of the Three Windows, the Circular Towers, the Sacred Sun Dial and the Burial Grounds. (according to the time of your entrance fee)
We offer optional hikes in Machu Picchu with an additional ticket.
You can hike up Huayna Picchu (the mountain behind Machu Picchu), from where you will enjoy stunning views over the whole complex! However, there are only 400 entrance tickets available per day; therefore, you must let us know in advance if you want to do the hike so we can reserve your ticket at an extra cost of US$60.00.
Due to Huayna Picchu being very fast oversold, we offer Machu Picchu Mountain as a second optional climb. The advantage of this hike is that it will be less crowded, but not less beautiful! The cost for this hike is also US$60.00 per person.
La Gran Caverna is a ceremonial place in Machu Picchu, US$60.00 per person.
Also, there is another road to Inti Punku, the SUN GATE, which is the traditional end of the Inca Trail (a hike of 3 hours), US$35.00 per person.
You can visit the beautiful Inca Bridge (a hike of 1 hour). This road will allow you to enjoy other views of Machu Picchu and take many breathtaking pictures. US$35.00 per person.
After time in the sanctuary, we take one of the frequent buses back down to Aguas Calientes for a late lunch. If you prefer not to take the bus, you can walk through the beautiful jungle, which will take you 45 minutes.
In the late afternoon at 7:00 pm, you take the train back to Ollantaytambo and tourist transport to Cusco. If you want to return to Cusco in the early afternoon, please let us know so we can book an early train at 2:30 pm.
Meals: Breakfast
Included/Exclude
- Transport from Cusco to Abra Malaga and San Luis to Santa Maria
- 24-hour support from the company owner
- Professional bilingual guide
- Bike with front suspension, gloves, and a helmet
- Meals (from lunch on the first day to breakfast on the last day)
- Accommodation for 3 nights
- First-Aid-Kit
- Entrance ticket to Machu Picchu
- Bus down from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes
- Train back to Ollantaytambo, then bus from Ollantaytambo to Cusco
- Entrance ticket to the hot springs in Santa Teresa
- Breakfast on the first day
- Final lunch in Aguas Calientes on day 4
- Bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu US$ 12.00
- Entrance ticket to the hot springs in Aguas Calientes
- Insurance of any kind
Recommendations, what to bring
- Original Passport
- Student Card if you book your tour as a student
- Wind jacket/ rain jacket
- Solar protection
- Mosquito repellent
- Swimming suit and towel
- Sandals/flip-flops
- Change of clothing
- Flashlight
- Small backpack
- 150 Soles in extra cash
What we need when you make a reservation
- Full name as it is written on your passport (please include a scanned copy of your passport)
- Passport number
- Nationality
- Date of birth
- Tour departure date
- Send a deposit of 60% of the total price of your tour. (The remainder of your balance is due upon your arrival in Cusco.) You can pay via Western Union, PayPal, or ABN AMRO Bank in Holland, or securely and directly through our website by selecting your desired tour and clicking the BOOK NOW button.
Prices
- Price US$460 based on four people.
- Price for two people, US$560 per person
- Price for three people, US$510 per person
“With every tour you book with Green Peru Adventures, you can request a free walking tour of Cusco’s mysterious and historical city, accompanied by one of our professional guides, who speaks several languages.”
We are looking forward to creating an unforgettable experience for you.