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When 4-Day Inca Trail permits are sold out, the Cachiccata hike can be combined with 2-day Inca Trail hike for hikers who want to enter Machu Picchu through the Sungate. The total trip is 5 days. Ask about the "Cachiccata / Inca Trail Combo Hike" This is the secret to hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu when permits are sold out.
Cachiccata Hike is also known as the Quarry Hike
Day 1: Cusco-Socma-Perolniyoc
After breakfast in the hotel, the guide and vehicle arrives to transfer you about two hours through the Sacred Valley to the village of Socma. From here we'll hike uphill for about two hours, until we reach the school of Socma, passing through mountain meadows and by local families. The stop at the school will last approximately two hours, then we continue hiking to Naupa Temple. After we visit the Temple, we continue hiking to our campsite, with a stop for lunch en route. We arrive at a small, secluded waterfall and the archaeological ruins of Perolniyoc where we camp for the night. (approximately 8 hours total)
Hiking distance 9 km / Camp 10,000 feet
Day 2: Perolniyoc-Choqetacapu
An early start takes us up hill and through some small farms. We reach the highest pass from which we savor the view of several snow-capped mountains. After lunch in Mamacocha, we head to Choqetacarpu (a small Inca site) where we will camp.
Hiking distance 13 km / Camp 11,000 feet
Day 3: Choquetacarpu-Aguas Calientes
We prepare for a spectacular sunrise. The first sunbeams hit the mountain, called Waccay Willca (Veronica). We take time to explore the area including the Inti Punku (Sungate), an Incan structure that frames the Waccay Willca mountain. After our breakfast we hike to the quarry of Ollantaytambo to search for lintels (big pieces of pink granite) that were carved by the Incas. Along the way, we will see Chullpas (Inca burial places) tucked into the sides of the mountains and finally we end our hike in the town of Ollantaytambo where we grab dinner then board the evening train to Aguas Calientes. Walk to hotel for overnight.
Hiking distance 7 km. / ON hotel Ollantaytambo or Aguas Calientes
Day 4: Aguas Calientes-Machu Picchu-Cusco
After an early breakfast, we take the shuttle bus for 30 minutes to the Inca site of Machupicchu, where we enjoy a private, guided tour. Then return by bus to Aguas Calientes and board our train back to Cusco.
Tour Options
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I get altitude sickness? It's common for most people coming from sea level to experience at least mild symptoms of altitude sickness when they arrive in Cusco, which is 11,000 ft/3430 m above sea level. Age is not a factor for the severity of symptoms one can experience. But fitness can be. Symptoms vary from person to person, but can include:
- -headache
- -nausea
- -insomnia
- -lethargy
- -loss of appetite
Treatments may include:
- -OTC pain reliever - bring your own favorite remedy for pain relief
- -Oxygen. Most hotels have oxygen tanks in their lobbies and guides will carry small tanks of oxygen on hikes. Some local pharmacies sell an individual size O2 tank for personal use.
- -Coca Leaf. Locals believe that drinking coca leaf tea will help and you will find the tea leaves readily available in hotel tea bars as well as restaurants.
- -Water. Drink extra to keep your blood flowing freely. Dehydration leads to sludgy blood and may contribute to your discomfort.
- -Diamox. (AKA "Acetazolamide" is a diuretic or "water pill") can be purchased by prescription in some western countries or over the counter in Peruvian pharmacies.
- -Treatments may alleviate the symptoms as you adjust in the first 24-48 hours. But you cannot expect the sense of breathlessness to completely disappear, no matter how you treat it. If symtoms do not show signs of improvement within 24 hours of your arrival, please notify your travel companions or guide so s/he can monitor your progress. In rare occasions, individuals may need to seek medical attention.
Is it safe to drink the water?
Tap water in Lima, Cusco and other larger cities is consumed by local people every day. But is it safe for you? There's only one way to find out and we suggest that you not drink the tap water or use it to brush your teeth. Bottled water is cheap and available everywhere including small towns and villages. We support Travelers Against Plastic to reduce the use of disposable water bottles and encourage you to bring a purification device to make your own safe drinking water. The device should be rated to purify water from microbes and viruses, not just for taste. Purified drinking water is provided on all the multi-day hikes and during your stay in the Amazon jungle lodges. Please bring your own water to begin the activity.
What equipment do you provide for hikes?
Porters will carry tents for sleeping, cooking, dining & urinating (we provide a special tent for "pee pee" which has biodegradable toilet for #1. We could call it the "girls'" tent, but we won't). And we provide all kitchen and cooking supplies including the food that is served. We do not provide sleeping bags, trekking poles or big, fluffy pillows. With advance notice, sleeping bags can be rented for $20 pp. Trekking poles are available to rent for $20 pp for multi-day hikes and $8 pp for 1 day hikes. Our sleeping bags are Sierra Designs/North Face/Mountain Hardwear brand mummy bags rated to 20 degrees or 30 degrees F. If you choose to rent a sleeping bag, we ask you to provide your own bag liner. We also provide Therma-rest Basecamp regular-size mattresses. If you are over 6' 4/190 cm, please bring your own mattress or let us know & we'll tape 2 mattresses end to end (just kidding - like the big, fluffy pillows). We provide duffle bags for multi-day hikes.
How do I know if I'll need an extra porter for my hike?
All multi-day hikes with Adios Adventure Travel include 2 porters per hiker. This is our standard. We do this as much for the porters as for the hikers. One way to protect porters from abuse is to ensure that there are enough porters to distribute the load. And another way to show appreciation for porters is to pay them living wages. Which we do. It's at your discretion to tip porters. Customary amount is $25-$35 each after the hike. You are free to tip any amount you can afford.
Should I travel to South America if I have a life-threatening allergy?
We've learned that there are different kinds of allergies; from hayfever to insect stings. IF YOU HAVE A LIFE-THREATENING ALLERGY TO ANY FOOD, INSECT, MEDICATION OR NATURAL ELEMENT, WE REQUIRE WRITTEN, ADVANCE NOTICE WITH FULL DESCRIPTION OF THE ALLERGEN AND THE TREATMENT. We reserve the right to require a doctors written approval for you to travel or ask you to provide your own treatment remedy and plan. And we ask you to notify your guide during your first meeting. In rare circumstances we may choose to reject your reservation if we feel that your condition is beyond the scope of the training of our guides or may negatively impact other travelers. Epi-pens are only useful in areas where you are close to medical services like Lima or Cusco.
What is the best way to travel between Lima and Cusco?
We recommmend flying between the cities because other means requires more time or is not practical for short vacations. There is no train service between Lima and Cusco. And while there is bus service, the drive is almost 24 hours long over paved, but winding mountain roads. There is no speedy highway. The cost of round-trip air tickets varies from around $250 pp on the domestic carriers, including STAR PERU AIRLINES and PERUVIAN AIRLINES, to $450 pp on LAN AIRLINES and somewhere in-between on TACA (recently merged with AVIANCA) AIRLINES. The majority of the flights between the cities occurs in the morning to mid-day hours. Afternoon flights taper off by 5 pm and there are no evening flights in either direction due to mountain weather conditions.
Where should I stay if my international flight arrives in Lima in the evening?
There is only one hotel at the Lima airport. The Wyndham Hotel is connected to the arrivals terminal by a skybridge on the 2nd floor. It takes literally 2 minutes to walk from the terminal to the lobby of the hotel. The hotel is expensive by Peruvian standards (in excess of $250 per double room per night). We've seen good rates on booking.com and hotels.com The hotel will accommodate as many as 3 to a room, but not 4.
This hotel is best for groups who arrive in Lima late evening and plan to depart again by air the next day. For groups planning to stay in Lima, it's best to pre-arrange a transfer to a hotel outside the airport, unless you don't mind paying the "gringo rate" when you negotiate on your own. The travel time is about 45 minutes each way when the traffic is moderate. And the cost ranges from $35 each way and up. If your group is larger than 3 persons, you may need a transfer in a mini-van or two taxis.
Do I need vaccinations to visit Machu Picchu?
The altitude of Machu Picchu is 8000 ft/2440 m and higher. Disease-carrying vectors do not thrive at higher elevations. US passport holders are not required to get Yellow Fever vaccinations or prophylactic Malaria treatments. Although there have been no recent cases of Yellow Fever in Peru, some countries, including the US, recommend that visitors get Yellow Fever vaccinations prior to visiting the Amazon Rainforest including Tambopata Reserve or Manu National Reserve. We recommend that travelers check the regulations for re-entry for any countries they will pass through after leaving Peru, Bolivia or Ecuador. Bolivia requires all foreigners to have proof of yellow fever vaccination upon entry if you plan to travel to the Bolivian Amazon jungle. (Some countries including Australia, require their citizens to get yellow fever vaccination if they enter Peru, even if they are only visiting the higher elevations)
This Adventure Includes
- All land transportation - starts/ends in Cusco (or Sacred Valley or Ollantaytambo)
- RT Train ticket between Ollantaytambo and Aguas Calientes
- Shuttle bus from Aguas Calientes-Machu Picchu, and Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu
- Transfers from train station to your hotel
- Full-time Professional English-speaking guide; (2 guides for groups over 9 people)
- Cook: meal preparation. 2 Porters per hiker: Carry tents and group equipment. Personal Porter: Carry duffel bags, sleeping bags and mattresses (Max. 8 kilos/ 17.4 lbs per person)
- Meals: 3 Breakfasts/3 Lunches/3 Dinners/3 Snacks and afternoon tea
- Equipment: tents (2 people in each, 3-person-capacity), mattress, dinner tent, special biodegradable bathroom tent, kitchen tent, tables and chairs, table settings, first aid kit
- 3* Hotel accommodation including breakfast buffet in Ollantaytambo or Aguas Calientes
- Entry to Machu Picchu National Park and private, guided tour
Not Included
- International airfare to and from Lima
- Domestic airfare from Lima to Cusco and Cusco to Lima
- Cusco hotel (we offer our groups a rate of $85 per dbl at Encantada Casa)
- Tips at your discretion
- Travel Insurance
- Bring your own sleeping bag or rent ours for $20 (please bring a liner if you intend to use ours)
- Trekking poles - can be rented for $20 pp
Notes
- All our hikes include superior comfort upgrades: mattresses, 2 porters per hiker, well-trained trail cook, decent meals, licensed English-speaking guides
- When permits are sold out for 4 Day Inca Trail, this hike can be combined with 2 Day Inca Trail to become 5 day trip with 1 day hike on the Inca Trail
- Luggage will be stored in your hotel in Cusco until you return