2 Day - Short Inca trail to Machu Picchu - Private Service
Description
You have heard about the Inca Trail, which is one the most famous routes to get to royal grounds of Machu Picchu. The Inca Trail crosses selected points of the beautiful Inca sacred valley that is unique for its amazing landscapes. The 2 day trek, does not contemplate camping or hiking, instead you will travel by a Expedition train and enjoy the superb scenario of the Inca Valleys until you get to a point to disembark and from a designated location you will walk the trail and get to the 'Sun gate'. The views from this panoramic landscape will encourage you to finish, one in a lifetime experience, the Machu Picchu trek.
Tour Options
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We pick up from any hotel located in Cusco Downtown
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Important: If you wish to climb Huayna Picchu, tickets need to be booked well in advance. There are two time sessions: 7am - 8am or 10am -11am. If you get the permits for the 7am start, you may probably have to miss the Machu Picchu guided tour
Reviews(73)
Our family of 5 (2 adults and 3 kids) did the short Inka trail to Machu Picchu and our guide Carlos Caceres was the best! He made our trip to Machu Picchu very special and memorable. He was very experienced, kind, patient and always made sure we were taken care of. The trip went so smoothly because of Carlos. From making sure we got on trains to buses to trail crossings to restaurants in town, he was always on top of it. Highly recommend Valencia Travel Cusco and Carlos as your guide. We were grateful for everything.
It is wonderful to hear that Carlos Caceres guided your family with patience, kindness, experience, and great care throughout the journey. Thank you for highlighting his support with every detail, from trains and buses to the trail and restaurants. We truly appreciate your recommendation of Valencia Travel Cusco and Carlos.
I am writing this review just so that others can avoid certain mistakes I made. This is just my experience. I was so looking forward to this trek. Some things we were not aware of & I certainly failed to do my due diligence. The hike started late, like 9:45 am and it was super hot. We were never given the earlier option of 8 am hike. Looks like most people complete this hike within 8 hours. We were not aware of the 2:30 closure time at the check post. We were not aware of the last bus timing as well. Three hours into the hike, I was asked to turn back, as my pace was slow & I would miss the bus! So, 3 of us turned back. The rest of the group, went ahead & they arrived late at the check post and had to plead with the security to let them through. They almost missed the bus, arriving just 2 mins before the departure time (to Aguas Calientes). All this could have been avoided with an earlier start time. I asked Valencia Travels for explanation & they sent a standard ridiculous response! Turning back from the hike, was not safe either! We had to walk alongside the railroad track, where there is no path, towards Aguas Calientes! We are glad we are safe. We had excellent guides. However, Valencia travels clearly dropped the ball on proper advice and guidance. I will never ever use this travels again. I will of course, complete the hike & will get a more experienced tour company. This is just my experience and not anybody else's.
Dear 5laksh, Thank you very much for sharing the feedback and for providing us with the details regarding the Short Inca Trail experience. We have taken the comments seriously and reviewed the operation internally with the relevant teams. We certainly appreciate receiving this type of feedback, as it allows us not only to verify what occurred in each individual case, but also to identify any opportunity to further strengthen the experience we provide to our passengers. Regarding the suggestion that the Short Inca Trail should have commenced earlier, I would like to provide some important operational context. The departure schedule for this service is carefully planned based on the nature of the trek, train schedules, passenger profiles and the overall customer experience. Our Short Inca Trail groups generally include travelers across a broad age range, and based on our operational experience, the current approximately 6:30 a.m. pickup provides an appropriate balance between starting sufficiently early and avoiding an unnecessarily demanding pre-dawn departure. Using an earlier train would normally require passengers to leave their hotel at approximately 5:00 a.m. or even earlier. While this may occasionally be appropriate depending on a particular passenger profile or operational circumstance, it is not necessarily the most suitable standard arrangement for all travelers. The Short Inca Trail itself is a demanding full-day experience, involving approximately eight hours of trekking and requiring a moderate level of physical fitness. Under normal conditions and at a reasonable walking pace, the current schedule provides sufficient time for passengers to complete the trek and reach Machu Picchu within the permitted visiting period. We also specifically reviewed the reference to a 2:30 p.m. closing time. Our investigation confirmed that this was related to temporary railway operating restrictions associated with fire and landslide risks along the railway corridor. This restriction concerned railway operations and was not the closing time of the Machu Picchu archaeological site. It is important to distinguish between these two separate operational circumstances. In this particular case, the passengers successfully completed the Short Inca Trail and reached Machu Picchu within the available visiting hours. Nevertheless, we are not disregarding the feedback simply because the operation was completed successfully. We will take these comments into consideration as part of our ongoing operational review, particularly when assessing departure times against passenger profiles, seasonal conditions and any temporary restrictions that may affect the destination. Our objective is always to find the right balance between operational feasibility, safety and, most importantly, the quality of the passenger experience. Thank you again for bringing this to our attention and for giving us the opportunity to review the circumstances carefully. Kind regards, Rene,
We went on a short Inka Trail hike with Valencia Travel Cusco for 2 days. Private tour - just my husband and me and our fantastic guide Nicholson. It was an amazing experience- from the first meet up to talk about the details until our trip back to Cusco. Perfectly organized. We had a wonderful time. Nicholson made sure that we enjoy every minute of this trip. He provided support , motivation and encouragement. He made sure we always felt comfortable and could enjoy the trail in our pace. We learned a lot and made great memories. Those days were the highlight of our time in Peru and Nicholson made it very special.
We are delighted to know that your private 2-day Inca Trail experience with Valencia Travel Cusco was so well organized and memorable. It is wonderful to hear that Nichelson supported, motivated, and encouraged you throughout the trail, making sure you felt comfortable and could enjoy every moment at your own pace. Thank you for sharing your kind words with us.
I booked the Salkantay Trail at the last minute and unfortunately didn’t have a ticket for Machu Picchu. This meant I had to split from my group and travel separately to get a ticket from the official ticket office. For those two days, Nicolson was my private guide, and I couldn’t have asked for a better person to help me through the process. He hiked with me along the railway tracks, made sure I reached Machu Picchu Pueblo on time, and helped ensure I was able to get a ticket and rejoin my group for the Machu Picchu visit. The following day, we also did a waterfall hike together. Nicolson was incredibly knowledgeable and shared so much about the local culture, traditions, food, history, and way of life. He explained everything in detail and was always happy to answer my questions. What impressed me most was how attentive he was throughout the trip. He took care of all my requests and made sure hotel arrangements and transfers were handled smoothly. Everything was very well organized, and I felt supported every step of the way. A big thank you to Nicolson and the team for making what could have been a stressful situation into a smooth and memorable experience. A professional company, excellent planning, and an outstanding guide. Highly recommended!
Thank you very much for sharing your experience with us. We are very glad to know that Nicolson was able to support you during those important days and help make the process of reaching Machu Picchu much smoother. It is wonderful to hear that he guided you with care, shared his knowledge of the local culture and traditions, and made sure your arrangements were well handled along the way. We truly appreciate your recognition of Nicolson and the team, and we will be pleased to share your kind words with him.
Nicholson met us at the hotel and the rest was a memorable (yet demanding, as we have 125 years between my brother and myself) rail trip to km 106 and the 800m altitude gain over 6km to Winaywayna and then on to the false sun gate for a perfect view of Machu Picchu. Down to the bus and back to town and a great dinner with our new friend Nicholson.
Thank you very much for sharing your experience with us. We are delighted to know that your journey to Machu Picchu was memorable and that Nichelson accompanied you throughout this demanding but rewarding experience. It is wonderful to hear that the trail, the views, and the time shared with Nicholson made the day so special. We truly appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you again in Peru soon.
We had the most amazing day with our your guide Miguel who took us on the one day Inca trail trek to Machu Picchu. It was spectacular. Miguel was incredibly supportive throughout the trail and took us to some great spots including a fabulous lunch spot high up in the mountains looking down to Machu Picchu. What a view. I would highly recommend this trek and our guide Miguel.
Thank you very much for sharing your wonderful experience with us. We are delighted to know that you had an amazing day on the One Day Inca Trail Trek to Machu Picchu and that Miguel made the experience even more special with his support, knowledge, and care throughout the trail. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you again in Peru soon.
Our experience with Valencia Travel for the 2-day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu was overall excellent, and truly unforgettable. The booking process was smooth and easy. The team stayed attentive and responsive throughout, although we had a small hiccup with communication when we arrived in Cusco, since we needed to coordinate on a Sunday and their office was closed. It caused a minor delay, but nothing major. The highlight of our entire trip was our guide, Luis. He was absolutely outstanding, knowledgeable, kind, patient, and genuinely passionate about sharing his culture. He kept a positive attitude throughout, took time to explain everything in detail, and made sure we were comfortable with breaks along the way. He also turned out to be an amazing photographer, capturing incredible photos and videos that we’ll treasure. The hike itself was beautiful and very manageable if you have a moderate level of fitness. Entering through Inti Punku, the Sun Gate, and seeing Machu Picchu for the first time was simply breathtaking, a truly majestic experience. Everything else was very well organized. The meals were delicious, the restaurants selected were great, and the hotel was simple but clean and comfortable. Even on the return journey, everything was seamless, Luis gave us clear instructions, and there was always someone waiting for us at each point. Overall, Valencia Travel delivered a very well-organized trip, but what truly made it exceptional was Luis. I would 100% recommend requesting him as your guide for this experience.
Thank you very much for taking the time to share your detailed feedback with us. We are delighted to hear that your 2-day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu was such a memorable experience and that you enjoyed the organization, meals, accommodations, and overall service throughout your journey. We also appreciate your comments regarding the communication delay upon your arrival, as this helps us continue improving our service. Most importantly, we are thrilled to know that Luis made such a positive impact on your adventure with his knowledge, kindness, passion, and dedication to ensuring you had an exceptional experience. Thank you for your recommendation, and we hope to welcome you back to Peru for another unforgettable journey in the future.
Fantastic experience and well worth the hike to see Machu Picchu from above at the Sun gate. Ronaldo was an excelent guide who shared his knowledge and patiently answered all our questions about life in Peru and the Inkas.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear that you had such a fantastic experience hiking to Machu Picchu and enjoying the incredible views from the Sun Gate. We’re especially happy to know that Ronaldo made your journey even more memorable by sharing his knowledge and answering all your questions with patience and care. We will be sure to pass along your kind words to him. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you again on another adventure in Peru!
We had a great experience with guide Henry. Besides all the wonderful details he shared with us about where we walked lance he was also a real motivator during the hike (up was very spicy!) During the hike to Machu Picchu but also the day after, he was able to take us great into the history of the Incas, no question from us was too much. After the hike Henry took us to a delicious local restaurant, nice to end the day together. In short, an experience not to be forgotten!
Thank you so much for your kind words and for sharing your experience with us! We are truly delighted to hear that you had such a fantastic private Inca Trail hike to Machu Picchu, and especially that Henry made such a positive impact on your journey. His passion, knowledge, and motivating spirit truly make a difference, especially during the more challenging parts of the hike. It’s wonderful to know that you enjoyed not only the trek itself, but also the historical insights and the visit to a local restaurant these special moments are what make each experience truly unforgettable. Thank you once again for trusting us with your trip. We hope to welcome you back in the future for another memorable adventure in Peru!
Excellent experience and wonderful service
Muchas gracias por compartir su comentario. Nos alegra enormemente saber que tuvo una excelente experiencia y que nuestro servicio cumplió con sus expectativas. Esperamos tener el placer de atenderle nuevamente en una próxima oportunidad.
