We’re going to pick you up at your hotel at 5 a.m. to start this amazing trek. The plan is to take a private van for about an hour to the town of Patabamba, which is located at an altitude of 3,800 m (12,467 ft), so not too far from Cusco. That’s where the real adventure begins.

Once we get there, we’ll get our backpacks ready and start a gentle three-hour hike uphill. We’re headed for the highest point of our trek, at 4,200 m (13,779 ft). From there, the views are going to be absolutely impressive, with snowy mountains and a great look at the Sacred Valley.

Next, we’ll walk down to the town of Pucamarca and stop to take some photos at the Inca ruins of Patabamba. From there, we’ll get to walk on a part of the original Inca Trail, or qhapaq ñan, which is the vast network of roads the Incas built all across South America. This path will take us to the incredible archaeological center of Huchuy Qosqo.

At the site, the guide will give us a tour and explain the history of the place. After that, you’ll have some time to explore on your own and take a bunch of photos. Then it’s off to our campsite, where we’ll have tea and dinner, and if the night is clear, we’ll get to see the amazing Milky Way.

Today, the second day of the trek, starts with an early wake-up call and a delicious breakfast at a local house. We’ll get to visit the incredible Inca city of Huchuy Qosqo again, and you’ll have more time to explore. There are so many things to see there, from Inca temples and sacred places to agricultural terraces and water channels, and even an original Inca reservoir.

After we finish exploring, we’ll start our two-hour descent to the town of Lamay. From there, we’ll head towards Urubamba, which is a part of the beautiful Sacred Valley. That’s where we’ll stop for lunch and take a little break before the afternoon adventures.

The next stop is the archaeological site of Moray, which is known as the “Inca greenhouses.” It’s a really interesting pre-Inca site that the Incas used for agricultural experiments. You can see all the different levels of terraces built into this huge basin. Then, after that, we’ll visit the colonial town of Maras and see the famous salt mines that were used by the pre-Incas and the Incas.

Finally, we’ll go to Ollantaytambo, which is like the main entrance to Machu Picchu. It’s a great Inca citadel with temples, quarries, and a water temple. We’ll get to explore it and then, in the evening, take the train to Machu Picchu town to rest in a hotel before the big day.

Today is a day you really won’t ever forget. After breakfast at our hotel, we’ll head to the bus station and take a 30-minute ride up to the incredible Inca citadel of Machu Picchu. It’s one of the most important places in the world, and it’s so exciting to finally be here!

We’re going to have a two-hour guided tour that will help us understand the real Inca essence of this place. The guide will lead us through the mystical ruins and show us all the most important spots, like the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the Condor, the Temple of the Three Windows, and the Solar Clock. We’ll also see the Quarry, the House of the Inka, and a bunch of different types of architecture, urban areas, and agricultural terraces.

After the tour, we’ll head back to Aguas Calientes to catch our train. The Expedition train leaves at 2:55 p.m. and will take us back to Ollantaytambo in about an hour and a half. Our driver will be waiting for us there to take us back to Cusco. We should get to Cusco around 7 p.m., ending an amazing journey.