Cusco: 4-Day Jungle Inca Trail to Machu Picchu with Biking

Mountain Bike Down 55 km, Then Hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Four Days

You bike downhill for three hours, then hike the Inca Trail over two days through cloud forest and thermal springs, arriving at Machu Picchu on day four. The tour includes all transport from Cusco, three nights' accommodation, meals, a professional guide in English or Spanish, and entry to the ruins. Rafting and zipline are optional add-ons. You need moderate fitness and should bring sturdy boots and layers.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Cusco to Santa Maria via bike

• Pick up at 6am in Cusco
• Travel to Ollantaytambo
• Short break in Ollantaytambo
• Drive to Abra Malaga (4,316m)
• Receive protective equipment and bike
• Security explanation by guide
• Downhill bike 3 hours (55 km)
• Arrive at Huaman Marka
• Van to Santa Maria
• Walk to Pispitayoc Eco-house

Day 2: Hike Inca Trail to Santa Teresa

• Breakfast at Santa Maria
• Walk Inca Trail through fruit vegetation
• Reach Huacarcasa viewpoint
• Break and view valley
• Walk to Quellomayo for lunch
• Walk to Cocalmayo thermal baths
• Relax in thermal pools
• Walk to Santa Teresa
• Dinner in Santa Teresa

Day 3: Hike to Machu Picchu town

• Breakfast in Santa Teresa
• Walk 3 hours to Hydroelectrica
• Lunch at Hydroelectrica
• Walk 3 hours to Aguas Calientes
• See Machu Picchu mountain
• Dinner in Aguas Calientes

Day 4: Visit Machu Picchu and return

• Breakfast in Aguas Calientes
• Visit Machu Picchu
• Travel to Ollantaytambo
• Return to Cusco

The experience

The van leaves Cusco at 6am, climbing toward Abra Malaga at 4,316 meters. Your lungs feel the altitude before your mind catches up. At the pass, the guide hands you a full-suspension bike, helmet, pads, gloves, the whole armor, and points downhill. For the next three hours you're dropping 55 kilometers through a temperature shift so sharp you'll peel off layers as the forest thickens around you. The Inca Jungle Trail to Machu Picchu starts here, not with a hike, but with gravity and your own brakes.

By afternoon you're in Santa Maria, then walking to the eco-house in Pispitayoc where you sleep. Day two wakes you early. The Inca Trail proper begins after breakfast: a real trail now, not a road, winding through orange and coffee plantations, coca plants, pineapples. Forty minutes in, the viewpoint at Huacarcasa opens the valley below. You stop at Quellomayo for lunch, then walk down to the thermal pools at Cocalmayo, where water of different temperatures lets you soak the day into your bones before walking into Santa Teresa for the night.

Day three is the long push. Three hours from Santa Teresa to Hidroelectrica following the river, lunch there, then another three hours on foot to Aguas Calientes: the town at the base of Machu Picchu. The vegetation gets thicker, the mountain itself starts appearing through the trees. You rest that night knowing tomorrow you walk into the ruins. Day four, you enter Machu Picchu with your guide, then train back down to Ollantaytambo and drive to Cusco. The whole thing (biking, hiking, sleeping in hostels and an eco-house, three meals a day, the mountain itself) is included. You bring walking boots, a rain jacket, cash in soles, and the fitness to move for four days straight.

What’s included

Your four days include hotel pickup and drop-off in Cusco, transport to Abra Malaga and from Ollantaytambo back to Cusco, a full-suspension mountain bike with helmet, elbow and knee pads, gloves, goggles, and reflective jacket, three nights' accommodation (eco-house in Pispitayoc, hostel in Santa Teresa, hostel in Aguas Calientes), all meals, a professional guide speaking English and Spanish, a first aid kit, train tickets from Machu Picchu to Ollantaytambo, and entrance to Machu Picchu itself. Rafting on day one and zipline on day three are optional extras.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 06:00

AgesAdult (18 to 65 years) · Child (8 to 17 years) · Under 8: can't be included in the booking

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsNo refund if you cancel.

Prices and times updated 12 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical levelNot for pregnant travelers

Operated by Inkas Destination Tour Operator

Is this one for you?Right for travelers who want to reach Machu Picchu without repeating the classic Inca Trail, and who have four days and moderate fitness to combine biking, hiking, and hot springs. The fixed itinerary and included transport, guide, and lodging mean you don't arrange logistics yourself. You just show up at 6am in Cusco.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (8 to 17 years). Under 8: they can't be included in the booking.

How fit do I need to be for the Jungle Inca Trail?

Moderate fitness is required. You'll bike downhill for three hours, then hike for several hours each of days two and three. The altitude starts at 4,316 meters, so acclimatization helps.

What's included in the price?

Hotel pickup and drop-off in Cusco, three nights' accommodation (eco-house in Santa Maria, hostel in Santa Teresa, hostel in Aguas Calientes), all transport, mountain bike with full protective gear, professional guide, meals, train ticket to Ollantaytambo, and Machu Picchu entry.

Is there a minimum age?

Yes, minimum age is 8 years old. The tour is not recommended for pregnant travelers.

Can I do rafting or zipline?

Both are optional activities. Rafting is available on day one, and zipline on day three. Ask about them when you book.

What should I bring?

Walking boots or sturdy shoes, light clothes and a rain jacket, hat, sunblock, sunglasses, a water bottle, snacks, a camera, and extra cash in Peruvian soles. The tour provides the bike helmet, pads, gloves, and goggles.

How long is the downhill bike ride?

About three hours, covering 55 kilometers from Abra Malaga down to Huaman Marka.

Do I need to book the train ticket separately?

No, the train from Machu Picchu to Ollantaytambo is included in the tour price.

Is vegetarian food available?

Yes, vegetarian options are available. Let the operator know at the time of booking.