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“The Origin of the Incas” – Hike to Pumamarca and Machu Picchu 2 Days/ 1 Night
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 as one of the first settlements of the Incas, before they spread out through the whole Sacred Valley and Cusco. This archaeological site is connected by an original Inca Trail to the living Inca town 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 your visit to 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 that you go to the office at 4 am in order to fully guarantee your ticket. If you go to the office after 8 am, no more queue numbers will be available. Your number 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, 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.
Itinerary
Day 1 | Cusco – Ollantaytambo – Pumamarca – Aguas CalientesYou 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 Chinchero and Urubamba and finally reaching Ollantaytambo at 08:00 am. We will get ready for the hike while some snacks will be provided. We then start to trek 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 while observing some 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 colored fields with corn and other local harvest, and many small farmer’s houses as well, with plenty of their domestic animals living in freedom in their backyard like chicken and pork. At one point of the hike, you will be able to observe a great quantity of Inca terraces which do 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 hike later we will have another break to enjoy the amazing 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 while, your guide will take you for 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 01:30 pm, we arrive at the top of the terraces that we 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 Inca’s 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 to 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 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 will be in the hotel on time. Accommodation: Hotel Hatun Inti Classic |
Day 2 | Machu Picchu – Ollantaytambo – CuscoThe day you were waiting for! Wake up very early in the morning to have your breakfast (at 04:00 am) and then take the path which is winding up the mountain to reach Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas. Machu Picchu gate opens at 06:00, so arriving early you will be one of the first visitors of the day, avoiding the crowds. In case you don’t want to wake up early, please take the bus at 7 am (not included). At 07:45 am your bilingual tour guide will take you around the vast ruins for about 2.5 hours, comprehensively explaining the historical significance of Machu Picchu and its importance in the Inca Empire. Machu Picchu is the best known of all the Inca Archaeological sites, as it is recognized 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. After the excursion, you can climb up the mountain Huayna Picchu from which you will have stunning views over the whole complex! However, there are only 400 entrance tickets per day. Therefore, please let us know in advance if you would like to do the hike when you do your tour reservation (extra cost of US$ 20.00). Due to Huayna Picchu being very fast oversold, we are offering Machu Picchu Mountain as a second climbing option. The advantage of this hike is that it is less crowded, but not less beautiful. The cost of this climb is also US$ 20.00 per entrance. A frequent bus service takes visitors back to Aguas Calientes (included) at any time. If you prefer, take a walk down through the jungle – it will take you roughly 45 minutes. You will arrive at Aguas Calientes for a late lunch or to enjoy a dip in the hot springs (not included). In the afternoon late afternoon at 2:30 pm, you take the train back to Ollantaytambo and then a tourist transport to Cusco. please let us know so we can book a late train at 04:12 pm (according to the service, it may have an extra cost of ). Meals: Breakfast |
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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.
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Price per person US$ 460
Price is based on two people.
Children under 12 years get a discount of 100 US$ on the Tour.
Upgrade your Hotel:
(double room, the addition of price is based on 2 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.
Private Tour Guide in Machu Picchu:
1 person US$ 80
2 persons US$ 40 pp
3 persons US$ 27 pp
4 persons US$ 20 pp
over 4 persons US$ 18 pp
Please send us a mail with the official request for the Hotel Upgrade or private Tour guide, and we will organize it for you. The upgraded hotel or private tour guide is reserved with the basic price, and then the price difference is added to your remaining balance.
Exclusive international transaction fees: The extra transaction fees depend on how the payment is made and on your bank. For further information please don’t hesitate to ask.
Upon request, with each booked tour with Green Peru Adventures, you will receive a free walking tour of the mysterious and historic city of Cusco. You will be guided by one of our multilingual, professional guides.
We are looking forward to creating an unforgettable experience for you.
