We offer this unique one day Inca Trail trek & Machu Picchu combined in a group or private service. You’ll visit Inca Archeological sites and villages along the way. The grand final is arriving at the Sungate just as the Incas did where you will enjoy your first view of Machu Picchu’s Citadel. Once arriving there you will get a private guided tour, visiting the whole Inca monument.
The appeal of this particular Inca Trail & Machu Picchu 1 day is the stunning combination of Inca ruins, magnificent mountains, exotic vegetation, and extraordinary ecological variety. The trail goes through the National Park up to the Sun Gate with unforgettable views of Machu Picchu; it passes by the cloud forest and finally into subtropical vegetation, ending at the magnificent wonder of the world: Machu Picchu.
Places to visit: Inca Trail, Wiñaywayna, Sungate, Machu Picchu and train ride!
***It is very important for potential trekkers for the 1 Day Inca Trail to understand that you are doing the same trail as the 2 Day Inca Trail, just quicker. Trekkers need to be in moderate to excellent physical condition to be able to do this trek and arrive in Machu Picchu in time. If you think the trek may be too much, you may book the 2 day Inca Trail which arrives at Machu Picchu in one day but at a slower pace and later in the day and all of the trekkers stay a night in Aguas Calientes and visit Machu Picchu the next day for their tour and there is time to be able to climb Huaynapicchu Mountain or Machu Picchu Mountain.
SAM Travel Peru is a specialist in the Inca Trail & Machu Picchu Tour; we never pass you onto another company, we are a Direct Local Tour Operator based in Cusco.!
We pick you up at your hotel at 4 am in Cusco or 5:30 am in Ollantaytambo with our private van to take you to the train station at Ollantaytambo for the 6:10 am train. After a 1.5 hour trip on the train, we arrive at the 104 kilometers (2,100m/6,927ft) of the Cusco – Machu Picchu trail where begins our trek. We pass by the first checkpoint and begin a moderate climb for the next three hours to the magnificent archaeological site of Wiñayhuana (2,650m/8747ft). Once there we enjoy the spectacular views of the Urubamba canyon, extraordinary Inca sites and the connection of the traditional four days Inca Trail. After time to enjoy this beautiful sight, we continue our hike towards the Sun Gate (2,730mts/9,007ft). From there we will have the first incredible view of Machu Picchu in all its brilliance and majestic splendor. Afterward, we walk downhill for one hour to the citadel of Machu Picchu. Once there we will visit one of the most important mystic centers of the world: Machu Picchu Citadel. A 2.5 hour guided tour will take us into the fascinating history of these mysterious ruins. After that, we will have plenty of time for further exploring, and taking photos before we head down to Aguas Calientes for dinner. In the evening (6:20 pm) you’ll take the return train to Ollantaytambo with private bus connection to Cusco. If you choose you can stay the night in Aguas Calientes and we will book your train for the next day.
***Please note: It is not possible to climb Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain due to time restraints.
***It is possible to start the 1 day Inca Trail in Ollantaytambo or Cusco.
***If you choose you can stay the night in Aguas Calientes and we will book your return train for the next day.
This trek its available on any date! the one that suits you best! as long as we have a minimum of 2 people (except in February the Inca Trail is closed for maintenance)
SAM (initials of Saul Alvarez Montalvo) Travel Peru is a family owned travel agency and direct local tour operator based in Cusco with personal experience over many years of trekking. SAM Travel Peru is a 1oo% Cusquenian Company without any shareholders.
My dream as the owner was to create small personalized tours & treks strictly and only operated by local professional staff catering in PERSONALIZED and HIGH-QUALITY SERVICE.
We take pride in having a reputation as being a RESPONSIBLE & SUSTAINABLE tour operator. My staff is my extended family. I ensure they are supported financially by paying them a good wage. I am proud of my team without them I couldn’t give the best service and lifetime experience to our clients.
In an effort to provide a more personalised service to our passengers, we in SAM Travel Peru have a policy that our groups will not exceed 8 people. This fact alone sets us apart from other companies that operate departures with bigger groups.
I am very proud of my guides! Highly professional, speaking in fluent English and very knowledgeable. Passionate for the Inca heritage/ history, dedicated to a steady personal development and learning to ensure that you receive accurate and recognised theories about the Inca Andean culture. Fun loving, great sportsmen and well educated some having a degree in Archaeology, Botany, History or Anthropology. Others are great entertainers and the best “Salsa Dancers” on this side of Machu Picchu.
SAM Travel Peru has always believed that we should “give back” to the communities we pass through on our treks. Therefore, as part of our commitment in responsible tourism, we socially support and employee from these communities.
SAM Travel Peru is proud to be able to support these beautiful people, not only in hiring them for work but to bring things back to grassroots, to share in their home and families. This makes us happy to have a holistic approach with our highland employees and their families!
A beautiful reflection of our attitude in everything we do, is that we wish to make life richer and more meaningful for all involved.
“Please read carefully the following information; it will help you answer all of your questions about our services and the trek to Machu Picchu”
You will be welcomed at Cusco airport and taken to your hotel, please ensure that you inform us of your full flight details at least 14 days prior to your trek. Look out for our representative holding an orange board SAM Travel Peru at the arrival terminal. It can be done on any date that is best suited to you!
It will take place the night before the trekking departure at 6pm or as arranged in our office which is located at Calle Santa Teresa Nº383 ; 303 (second floor), we are next to SUBWAY restaurant.
Of course! During the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu your main luggage can be store at our office or at your hotel, both are for free. Please don´t pack anything you will need for your hike.
FIRST, to book your 1 day Inca Trail Machu Picchu trek, we need you to fill out our booking form by clicking on BOOK NOW on our homepage or click here the link BOOK NOW.
Please be ready with the following information (FROM EACH PARTICIPANT in your group). We cannot purchase an Inca Trail permit without the following information:
SECOND, we require a deposit of US$200.00 per person in order to purchase a permit for the 1 day Inca Trail Machu Picchu. You can make you deposit by clicking on the VISA or PAYPAL symbols on the top of our home page, or you can click on the VISA or PAYPAL symbols on our booking page or click here on the payment method of your choice, either VISA or PAYPAL.
It would be greatly appreciated if you pay in cash at our office (US dollars or Peruvian soles) here in Cusco. We have many cash machines in the historical center to withdraw money. You can also pay by VISA or PAYPAL online but you will have to pay a 5.5% service charge, charged by VISA and PAYPAL. To pay your balance through PAYPAL, you need to log into your PAYPAL account using our email address of samtravelperu@gmail.com.
Unfortunately, the answer is “No”. Once the tickets have been bought the government does not allow any changes, so we can’t change any departure date after the ticket has been bought. Tickets are also not transferable nor refundable.
*** If you cancel your Inca Trail Trek, the deposit is not refundable at all!
OF COURSE! You have to bring your original passport and it is very important that it is the same passport number you sent to us to book your 1 day Inca Trail Machu Picchu permit. The Rangers will check every day and when you enter Machu Picchu. The train company will also check your passport before allowing you to board the train. In case you are renewing your passport, go ahead and send us your old number to secure your permit, and we can change it when you get your new passport number…if so, please send the new passport number as soon as possible.
First I would say that the weather is very unpredictable and it’s difficult to foresee. BUT you will have many different varieties of weather as you pass through the numerous microclimates and will depend on the location. We highly recommend you to bring some warm clothes and good rain gear in your day backpack. Thick dressing in layers.
The 1 day Inca Trail Machu Picchu is a 12km (7.5 miles) hike through the Andes in the Cusco region. The maximum altitude reached is 2700mt.
In preparation: try walking 15kms in a day or go to the fitness club in the months leading up to the trek. It is also important to be well acclimatized to the altitude. Try to spend at least 2 or 3 days in Cusco (3350m/11,047ft) prior to starting the trek.
Absolutely! Included in our packages is dropping you off at your hotel on the return from your trek or tour. If you have booked your hotel in the Sacred Valley like Ollantaytambo or Urubamba, we will drop you there too!
If you spend the night at Ollantaytambo before the trek, we wil pick you up there.
In general, if you have regular exercise and spend a couple of days in Cusco, or in the Sacred Valley for acclimatization to the altitude, you may be fine.
The recommended medicine for altitude sickness is WATER, COCA TEA and OXYGEN IF NEEDED; our guides are trained to treat you for Altitude Sickness. See our detailed information about Altitude Sickness under FAQS.
We offer the Cusco City Tour or Sacred Valley Tour that you can book while you are acclimatizing. Check out our Day Tours on our Home Page.
If you’re happy with the services provided, a tip – though not compulsory – is appropriate. While it may not be customary to you, it’s of great significance for the people who will take care of you during the trek. It inspires excellent service and is an entrenched feature of the tourism industry across many SAM Travel Peru destinations. Of course, you are free to tip more or less as you feel, depending on your perception of the quality and the length of your trip. Remember, a tip is not compulsory and should only be given when you receive excellent service.
Yes, we are a local sustainable & responsible tourism operator for that we incorporate the universal principles of tourism: protect the environment and benefit the local communities respecting their culture and religion. With this in mind, we have trained all our staff to know, understand and respect the local places and it´s people.
What you should bring for the Inca Trail & Machu Picchu tour?