Llactapata Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is the best alternative to the two days short Inca trail to Machu Picchu. In Quechua, the native language, Llactapata means “High City”. This archeological complex is located at 2840 metres above sea level. It is a prominent attraction on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.
Although this trek takes you to the major part of the Inca Trail, it won’t need any permit like Inca Trail.
Llactapata was built with a prominence to spirituality and farming. The archaeological complex is home to a sun temple and remains of ancient houses. It aligns with the June solstice sunrise as Machu Picchu. Llactapata played an important astronomical function during the solstices and equinoxes.
Llactapata have been a member of the network of interrelated administrative sites. It supported the centre of Machu Picchu.
It is closer to Machu Picchu, infact it offers an enchanting view of the lost city of Incas. Due to its close proximity to Machu Picchu, in addition to the farming terraces, the Incas also used the ones in Llactapata.
This site yet to be discovered completely. This is because of its inaccessibility. It is exclusive for those on Inca Trail.
The three days Llactapata Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is one of our newest treks from Cusco. We have designed this trek in a way that you could get the most of the trail without a need for hiking long distances. You will get a pristine view of both Machu Picchu mountain and Huayna Picchu from Llactapata.
This is one of our signature treks to Machu Picchu. To offer you the most of it, we have dedicated local English speaking guide. They have an abundant knowledge on history. We have daily departure to Machu Picchu through Llactapata trek.
Check out our detailed post on Inca Trail Packing List.
Do take a moment to check out reviews on Trip Advisor.
Cusco Hotel Transfer
0600 AM
We will be picking you up from your hotel in Cusco. Then in our private transport, we will transfer you to the trail head in Km. 82. It is named Km.82 for its distance from Cusco en-route to Machu Picchu.
Here you will have to go through a control point, where your passport will be verified against your permit. We will then begin a gradual climb.
This will be along the bank of Urubamba river to our campsite in Llulluchapampa. Along the way, we will be stopping for lunch in Huayllabamba.
This will be both a challenging and an interesting day of Llactapata Inca Trail to Machu Picchu or the three days Inca Trail. After relishing on a freshly prepared breakfast, we will start with a gradual climb to the highest point of the Inca Trail, Warmi Wañusca or Dead Woman’s Pass. It nestles at 4,200 metres above sea level. You will have a magnificent view of the valley below.
From here, we will continue to a lesser known Inca ruins, Runkuraqay. We will give you a tour of this site. After the tour, we will hike up to the second pass of the three days Inca trail, Abra Runkuraqay. It is at 3970 metres above sea level.
From here we will start our two hours (five kilometres) descend to Sayaqmarka archeological complex. Here our local guide will give you a tour and will explain its significance to Incas.
After the our, we will continue descending to the next archeological site on the route, Phuyupatamarca. We will stop for lunch here. After lunch, our guide will walk you through the prominent parts of the complex.
Once you have had your fill of the site, we will continue to Wiñay Wayna. Wiñay Wayna in Quechua means Forever Young. We will be camping in the vicinity of the archaeological complex for the night.
Estimated trekking time: 9 hours
Trekking distance: 16 Kilometres
Maximum elevation: 3,600 metres
Minimum elevation: 2,700 metres
Difficulty: Moderate
At day break, after breakfast, we will hike to Intipunku (Sungate). It is to the west of Machu Picchu. You will get a spectacular view of the citadel from here. This is a true reward of the 3 days Inca Trail to Machu Picchu as you will be seeing the sunrise from here. This is an exclusive view for those in Inca trail.
Then we will descend to the citadel of Machu Picchu. Here, you will have a two hours guided tour with our local expert. On this tour you will be visiting some of the prominent areas of Machu Picchu. After the tour, you will have some free time to walk around and immerse in the lost city of Incas.
After your visit Machu Picchu, we will take a bus down to Aguas Calientes town. Here you may stop at a local restaurant for lunch, if desired. You can also visit the hot springs in Aguas Calientes.
Later in the evening, we will take the train to Ollantaytambo. Our representative will meet you here and will transfer you back to Cusco.
Alternatively you can hike to Hydroelectric plant retracing the footsteps of Hiram Bingham who rediscovered Machu Picchu. From here, we will be driving you back to Cusco through Santa Teresa and stunning valleys of Aobamba.
This was a fantastic experience. With Carlos as our guide we learnt a lot about the sites we visited. He has an in depth knowledge. I totally recommend Treks In Cusco.
