“The Origin of the Incas” – Hike to Pumamarca and Machu Picchu 2 Days/ 1 Night
Duration
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Overview
There are many legends about the Origin of the Incas. One of them, the most well-known, is about the three Ayar Brothers who were born in the Tamputoco Mountain with their wives. One of these brothers, Ayar Maco, is the supposed legendary founder of the Inca Empire.
Pumamarca is considered one of the first settlements of the Incas, before they spread out through the whole Sacred Valley and Cusco. An original Inca Trail connects this archaeological site to the living Inca town of Ollantaytambo, a 2.5-hour walk through the Pata Cancha Valley with its river of the same name. In addition, you will discover the enigma of Ollantaytambo as part of the Inca legends.
Please note that we are only able to reserve tickets for Machu Picchu with one month’s notice, if you are booking your trip to Machu Picchu within one month of your visit you will need to buy your ticket when you arrive in Aguas Calientes, the nearest town to Machu Picchu. In this case, your trip has to include an extra day in Aguas Calientes while you get your entrance ticket.
Guidance on buying Machu Picchu entrance tickets in Aguas Calientes
1000 tickets a day are put on sale in Aguas Calientes for entrance to Machu Picchu the following day. To buy a ticket, you must go to the Ministerio de Cultura office twice, the day before you visit Machu Picchu. The Ministerio de Cultura office is located just half a block from the main square in Aguas Calientes.
First, you must go to the office the day before your visit to Machu Picchu with your original passport to collect a queue number. These are released at 6 am, and we recommend arriving at the office by 4 am to ensure you receive your ticket. If you go to the office after 8 am, no more queue numbers will be available. You will have time to return to the office that afternoon to buy your entrance ticket to Machu Picchu.
Secondly, you must return to the office with your original passport at the time shown on your queue number, and make sure you are not late, as you will lose your ticket. The entrance ticket costs S152 and must be paid for in cash.
You can spend the rest of your day in Aguas Calientes enjoying the town’s many shops and restaurants, and visiting the nearby waterfalls and thermal baths. The following day, you will be able to enjoy an unforgettable trip to Machu Picchu.
Full Itinerary
You will start this exciting day with an early pick-up (06:00 am) from your hotel. In our private transport, we will take you to the Sacred Valley of the Incas, passing by the small towns of Chinchero and Urubamba and finally reaching Ollantaytambo at 08:00 am.
We will get ready for the hike, and some snacks will be provided. We then began trekking on a small street all the way out of town while following the river of Patacancha. After ascending for a few minutes, we will go to the right to meet the original Inca Trail. From this point of the hike, you will be able to spot the first terraces that are part of the archaeological complex of Ollantaytambo. Slowly, we will continue to walk uphill, observing modern farmers and reaching out for the clear water of the river that reflects the bright sunlight.
Following this part of the original Inca Trail, we will walk amongst the refreshing eucalyptus trees. On our way, we will see beautiful, coloured fields with corn and other local harvests, and many small farmers’ houses as well, with plenty of their domestic animals living in freedom in their backyard, like chickens and pigs.
At one point of the hike, you will be able to observe a significant quantity of Inca terraces that surround a massive line of stairs in the middle. We will stop at this point to enjoy the view of the Patamarca Valley, and a few minutes of hiking later, we will have another break to enjoy the fantastic view of Huancaure Mountain.
We will keep on walking and enjoy our first glance at the Pumamarca fortress after a short while. Reaching the campsite, our staff will be waiting for us with some refreshing drinks. After a short time, your guide will take you on an extended visit to explore the archaeological site while giving you all the facts you need to know. Completing the legend of the Ayar brothers, you will then understand the meaning of the valley and the archaeological site.
Further on, around noon, you will descend to take a delicious Peruvian lunch prepared with local ingredients of the valley. At 1:30 pm, we arrived at the top of the terraces we had passed by in the morning. We descend the stairs, which will take us around one hour, and then encounter the road where our private transport will be waiting for us and bring us back to Ollantaytambo.
Reaching the archaeological complex in Ollantaytambo, your tour guide will take you to see the terraces, the condor temple, and the main sun temple, explaining to you the meaning of each construction and the importance of the place during the Incas’ time, as well as parts of the local legends.
After our visit, our tour guide will bring you to the train station in Ollantaytambo from where you will take the train at 04:36 pm in the direction of Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Town). Enjoy the incredible journey of 2 hours on the train with its panoramic windows where you can observe the Urubamba River descending from the high valley down to the cloud forest at 2000 meters. The landscape changes drastically in front of your eyes! You will be amazed to see the tropical mountain ending in a snow carpet and the small waterfalls shimmering on the hills, forming small rivers that flow down to converge at the Sacred River. After these spectacular natural views, you arrive at Aguas Calientes, where the warm atmosphere welcomes you with typical jungle sounds.
Our staff will be waiting for you at the gate of the train station in Aguas Calientes and will bring you to your hostel.
At 07:00 pm, you will receive a short briefing from your tour guide for the next day’s excursion, so please make sure you are in the hotel on time.
Accommodation: Hotel Hatun Inti Classic
The day you were waiting for!
Wake up early for breakfast and take the bus uphill to the famous Inca Citadel of Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas. The first bus leaves at 05:30 am and takes a 25-minute ride. (This timing can be changed according to the entrance fee to Machu Picchu)
Optional: Take the path which winds up the mountain to reach Machu Picchu.
The Machu Picchu gate opens at 06:00, so arriving early will allow you to be among the first visitors of the day and avoid the crowds. However, we may modify the timing when you make your booking.
Upon paying your entrance fee, a private bilingual tour guide will escort you through the vast ruins for approximately 2.5 hours, providing a comprehensive explanation of Machu Picchu's historical significance and its importance within the Inca Empire.
Machu Picchu is the best known of all the Inca Archaeological sites, as it is recognised worldwide as one of the New Seven Wonders, even though it’s not mentioned in any handwritten Chronicle of the Spanish Conquerors. Experts believe that Machu Picchu was constructed around the mid-15th century by Inca Pachacuteq and was rediscovered in 1911 by American historian Hiram Bingham.
The guided tour of this fascinating site will be an unforgettable experience, visiting the Main Square, the Royal Quarters, the Temple of the Three Windows, the Circular Sun Tower, the Sacred Sun Dial (Intihuatana), and the Burial Grounds.
We offer optional hikes in Machu Picchu with an additional ticket. (has to be reserved together with your booking)
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$60.00 per person.
La Gran Caverna a ceremonial place in Machu Picchu US$ 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.
You will arrive at Aguas Calientes for a late lunch.
At 14:30, you take the train back to Ollantaytambo and then a tourist bus to Cusco.
Please let us know if you want to spend more time in Aguas Calientes, so we can book a late train at 04:12 pm or 19:00 (according to the train service, it may have an extra cost).
Meals: Breakfast
Included/Exclude
- Pick-up from your hotel
- 24-hour support from the company owner
- Entrance ticket for Machu Picchu
- Transport to Ollantaytambo
- 1-day hike from Ollantaytambo to Pumamarca with a private tour guide
- Tourist train tickets both ways with reserved seats
- Bus Machu Picchu – Aguas Calientes
- Private tour guide, 2.5 hours in Machu Picchu
- Accommodation in a 3-star hostel (single person pays USD$60 for accommodation)
- 1 breakfast on the second day
- Box lunch on the hike
- Tourist transfer Ollantaytambo – Cusco
- Entrance ticket to Huayna Picchu US$60.00 (book it in advance!)
- Entrance ticket for the Sacred Valley Tour (Tourist Ticket for 1 day costs 70 Soles)
- Meals on the second day (except breakfast)
- Entrance ticket to hot springs (S/. 10 Soles)
- Insurance of any kind
Optional
- Extra night in Aguas Calientes US$60.00 per person (on double occupancy, you have to book it in advance to organise your train ticket for the following day).
- We recommend purchasing the General Tourist Ticket for the Sacred Valley Tour, which grants access to 16 sites, including the ruins of Cusco and its museums. Otherwise, you can purchase a one-day partial ticket, which allows a one-day visit to just the Sacred Valley sites, including Pisaq, Ollantaytambo, and Chinchero, in case you are not planning to visit any of the Cusco sites.
Recommendations, what to bring
- Your original passport (for your train ticket and entrance ticket to Machu Picchu)
- Original student card if you book your tour as a student
- Backpack
- Warm clothing for the early morning and evening
- Water
- Camera and extra batteries
- Rain jacket or poncho (being close to the jungle, the weather is unpredictable)
- Change of clothes
- Basic toiletries
- Sun protection (sun cream, hat)
- Insect repellent (must be number one on your list!)
- Torch or headlight (if you decide to walk in the morning to Machu Picchu)
- Comfortable shoes
- Extra money (prices in Aguas Calientes can be higher than anywhere else in Peru.
Note: While leaving Machu Picchu, you can stamp your passport with an elegant Machu Picchu logo at the entrance gate (this is totally legal!).
Bring money in case you want to use the toilet.
What we need when you make a reservation
- Full name as it is written in 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 will be due upon your arrival in Cusco.) Payment can be made 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
- The price per person is US$490.00. / Price is based on two people.
- Children under 11 years get a discount of US$50 on the Tour.
Upgrade your Hotel: (double room, the addition of price is based on two persons)
Hotel La Cabaña: + US$20 per person.
Hotel Hatun Inti Boutique: + US$40 per person.
Hotel Sumaq: + US$85 per person.
Hotel Casa del Sol: + US$135 per person.
Please send us an email with the official request for the Hotel Upgrade or private Tour guide, and we will organise it for you. The upgraded hotel or private tour guide is reserved at the basic price, with the price difference added to your remaining balance.
“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.
