Most trekkers do the 4-day, 3-night program, although it is possible to finish the trek using a 3-day, 2-night itinerary—more about this below. Comfort on the trek is in a hostel or home stays, with a night in a hotel in Aguas Calientes. The trek usually appears to interest people who like adrenaline-filled experiences. If you are looking for an original Andean trekking experience but hate mountain biking yet enjoy camping, this trek may not be for you. Here are some activities you will carry out while on the the Inca jungle trek:
Biking on the Inca Jungle Trek
Make sure your tour company provides high visibility vests, reliable mountain bikes and guarding gear such as a full cover helmet and body gear— body gear may be overkill for some people. A backup vehicle usually drives beside you; if you get tired or just want to stop, you can get into the car; this offer is not available with all tour corporations. You will stop to have lunch end route and will be dropped off at Santa Maria, about 1,196 meters in the middle of that day. If there is time and the season is right, typically October-April, you can go river rafting. This is an optional addition, offered by some tour owners; they do charged separately, with the cost being around $50 (USD) per person.
Rafting
On the first day, once lunch is over, individuals who have reserved their names for rafting can move forward to do it. If any person is interested in rafting that day, there may be an increased cost. The rafting camp is situated near the Urubamba River. Here is the safety equipment you will need: life jackets and helmets. The company will provide them for you. A guide will escort you at all times in a rescue boat following the raft (there most likely will be a guide with you in the raft). The river is usually between the III and III+ class; this is good speed. Know that the guides will help you and your raft crew at all times. If the rapid are at a greater level that day, the tour may be cancelled (with your money refunded).
Zip Lining
The zip lining option is sometimes an added bonus on adventure packages—make sure you examine if zip lining is added to your tour rate when you book it. If it is an unrestricted extra, the price usually is about $40; this also includes transport to the zip lines and 3-5 zips, the longest of which is 150 meters above the ground. After completing zip lining, you still need to continue trekking for about 2-3 hours to the hydroelectric station, before either advancing along the railway treks for another 2 hours to the town of Aguas Clients or, if you are tired, to get a train to Aguas Calientes from the hydroelectric station; the estimated time is 45 minutes and costs around $30 (USD). Trekkers not interested in zip lining will start the trek first thing in the morning or wait in Santa Theresa until zip liners have finished their airborne excursion.
Hiking
The main hike happens on the last day of the tour where the people walk into the high forests in Machu Picchu. Here, they will have to climb around 1,500 stairs. Once they reach the entrance early in the morning, they will be additionally guided by tour guides about the area; this goes on for around 1.5 hours. They even explain about the spectacular Inca city. After this, the trekkers have additional time on their hands to explore Machu Picchu to its fullest, all by themselves. Featured photo credit: mountain/http://www.freeimages.com/photo/babia-mountain-1407375 via freeimages.com
