Inca Jungle Trail

The Inca Jungle tour is the best adventure tour in Cusco. It is as excursion that lasts 4 days and combines adventure sports such as hiking (trekking), mountain biking (biking), boating (rafting) and sliding rope (zip line) until you reach the archaeological site of Machu Picchu. The Inca Jungle Trail is the most popular tour among young travelers in search of adrenaline. It is an alternative trek to the Inca Trail Peru but with the same final destination: Machu Picchu. The tour allows you to enjoy a variety of fauna, colorful fauna, and a variety of landscapes and climates like crops of coffee, coca leafs, corn, fruits, among others. In this tour camps, are not made since the accommodation and food is made in lodging houses. This tour also allows you to support the economy of the towns that you cross during the tour.

The full package tour for the Inca Jungle trail including the Huaynapicchu Mountain must be booked with 1 to 2 months in advance as opposed to the other adventure tours like the Inca Trail (6 months) or the Salkantay Trek (2 months).

Here is a short overview of the tour:

• Bus to the Abra Malaga: You travel 4 hours from Cusco passing through Urubamba and Ollantaytambo until arriving to the Abra Malaga (4,350 MAMSL).
• Descent in bicycle: From the Abra Malaga or a lower point you descent in bicycle (downhill) until the Santa Maria Town (1,130 MAMSL). It takes 3 to 4 hours approximately in a landscape of Mountain range to jungle. You visit the archaeological place of Wamanmarka. 
• Trekking from Santa Maria to Santa Teresa: It is a walk through the high jungle, surrounded by vegetation, crops of coffee and coca leaf. You cross through a section of the Classic Inca Trail. It is a 6 hours of walk approximately.
• Trekking from Santa Teresa to Aguas Calientes: The way is flat, you do not have to climb slopes and the landscape is beautiful. There is abundant vegetation and the Vilcanota River. You trek about 4 to 5 hours depending on the rhythm and the stops.
• Visit to Machu Picchu. 

Before heading to your trip you need to know about the climate in the jungle of Cusco. The jungle of Cusco has a tropical climate with high temperatures and a lot of humidity, rains are common especially on the summer season. We recommend traveling between the months of May and September.

• Pick comfortable clothes

When preparing your luggage you must bear the intense heat of the jungle, it is important to choose light clothes, preferably cotton and light-colored clothing. Dark tones catch the insect’s attention.

• Vaccines

As a preventive measure is recommended to be vaccinated against the yellow fever if you travel to jungle areas with a lower altitude at 2,300 MAMSL. We recommend to get vaccinated 10 days before the trip. You can do it in the International Vaccination Centre in Lima on the Av. Del Ejército, block 17 in San Isidro.

• Against moisture excess

Moisture can seriously affect your electronic equipment which is why we recommend to store them in plastic bags that are sealed hermetically to prevent damage. It is also very common that the camera’s objective fogs from on the inside, and there is nothing to do, just be patience.

•  In the canteen

During the trips to the jungle the frequently consumption of liquids is important. The tropical heat makes us dehydrate quickly and we cannot stop sweating. It is fundamental to make sure that the liquids that we drink are prepared from drinking water. A good option is to take some purifying pills with you on the trip. Prevention is better than cure.
According to the season in which you visit Peru you must bring clothing and items that make your visit pleasant. We suggest that you consider the following items in your list:

• A pair of pants.
• Hiking boots, sneakers and shoes.
• T-shirts.
• Long-sleeve shirts.
• Sweaters and a jacket.
• Hat or cap.
• Raincoat and/or umbrella.
• Camera.
• Insect repellent.
• Medical or personal items.
• Sunscreen.
• Sunglasses.
• Flashlight.
• Personal first aid kit.
• Original passport.
• ISIC card for students (if you have one).
• Knife.
• Swimsuit.
• Snacks.
• Towel.

You can also find them in stores in Peru when you arrive in Lima or major cities. If you want clothes especially for your taste or your measurements, it is much more advisable that you bring them with you.
The best time for any tourist activity in Cusco is from late March until the end of November. This is the high season of tourism (absence of rains) and therefore it is recommended to book on average three (3) months in advance.

• Can I reserve without having a passport?

South American travelers can book with and ID and must present it at the time of entering to Mahcu Picchu. Tourist from other countries will need to book and present their passport to access to tourist attractions. It is important to mention that they must submit the same document that they made their reservation.