Machupicchu from Km104 is a 15.3 kilometer moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Machu Picchu, Cusco, Peru that features a waterfall and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking, nature trips, and birding and is best used from March until December.
birding
hiking
nature trips
forest
river
views
waterfall
wild flowers
wildlife
historic site
no dogs
It is optional to contact a tour agency in Peru months in advance if you visit this place, they will obtain the permits, tickets and everything you need for the journey, but it is also possible to do this trek without an agency. You will go from Cusco to Ollantaytambo by bus or van; there you will take the train headed to Aguas Calientes. The train will stop at the km 104 where the trailhead is located, they name this point Chachabamba, you cross the Urubamba River by a bridge, pass an inspection point and then you start walking up. The trail follows the direction of the river and the train tracks by almost half of the journey; you can see them from the mountains. At about 3 miles and a half, you arrive to Wiñaywayna, an old Inca site which is at about 8700 ft. above the sea level. After this site you will arrive to a rest area and the second inspection point. You continue walking up for about 2 and a half miles and you arrive to Inti Punku - the Sun Gate, this old Inca site is about 8850 ft. above the sea level and it is the highest point of the trail, from here you can see Machupicchu and the mountains around this Inca city. Then you start walking down for about a mile and a half until you arrive just near the entrance to Machupicchu. At this point you decide if you take the bus to Aguas Calientes or walk down by the pedestrian path, which is mostly made of stone stairs, this is the steepest part of the trail. Once you get to the bottom of the mountain, you cross again the Urubamba River and in about a mile you will arrive to Aguas Calientes.
This is the "right" way of doing Macchu Picchu - is that pretentions? Was a little unsure of exactly how to get there, since the vast majority seem to take the bus. Just hike right on down the road the buses go down and try to not get hit. After crossing the bridge, the trail is off to the right up a road. Then the stairs begin...enjoy!
I contacted a tour agency in Peru 3 months in advance and they obtained everything I needed to do this beautiful trail, mainly permits and tickets. They took me to Ollantaytambo to take the train headed to Aguas Calientes, I was in a group with 2 people and the guide. The train stopped at the Km104, then we started our journey first crossing the Urubamba River. The trail is in excellent conditions, the views of the mountains, the plants, the flowers, the river, were amazing! Although it was still a rainy season, the day was beautiful, just very light rain and just for a few minutes. The highest point on the trail is at Puerta del Sol, an Inca site from were we first enjoyed the beauty of Machupicchu and the mountains, something i'll never forget. Once we arrived near the entrance to Machupicchu, I decided to walked down by the pedestrian trail, too steep and not easy to walk, but I arrived to Aguas Calientes on time for a delicious Peruvian dinner. This was an unforgettable experience!