Inca Jungle Trek 3 Days to Machu Picchu
Inca Jungle’s jungle trail plus Llactapata, a hidden first glimpse of Machu Picchu from across the valley.
The Inca Jungle Trek 3 Days to Machu Picchu extends the popular 2-day route with one extra, unmissable day: the Lucmabamba Inca Trail, leading to the Llactapata ruins — one of the best panoramic viewpoints of Machu Picchu anywhere on the trail network, seen from across the Aobamba Valley long before you reach the citadel itself.
Day 1 follows the Amazon Inca Trail through coffee, coca, and citrus plantations to the Cocalmayo hot springs. Day 2 is the highlight: a demanding but rewarding hike through cloud forest and coffee plantations to Llactapata, then down to Hidroeléctrica and on to Aguas Calientes. Day 3 is a guided tour of Machu Picchu.
Unlike the Inca Jungle Trek 4 Days, this itinerary is 100% on foot — no cycling.
| 🥾 Duration | 3 days / 2 nights |
| 📏 Distance | 5.5 km (Day 1) + 22 km (Day 2) |
| ⛰️ Highest point on foot | 2,814 m / 9,232 ft — Lucmabamba Pass |
| 🚐 Abra Málaga | Crossed by vehicle only, not on foot |
| 🏛️ Signature highlight | First view of Machu Picchu from Llactapata ruins |
| 💪 Difficulty | Moderate (Day 1), Challenging (Day 2), Easy (Day 3) |
| 📅 Season | May to December |
| 👥 Group size | 1–10 hikers |
| 🔞 Minimum age | 14+ years |
| 💲 Price | Scalable from $526 USD per person (groups of 1–10) |
The Inca Jungle Trek 3 Days to Machu Picchu begins with a promise: 3 days of genuine discovery. – Hike the Amazon Inca Trail, Day 1, through coffee, banana, citrus, and coca plantations. – Soak in the Cocalmayo natural hot springs, one of the region’s most popular thermal baths. – Hike the Lucmabamba Inca Trail, Day 2, through cloud forest and coffee plantations. – See Machu Picchu for the first time from the Llactapata ruins — a panoramic viewpoint across the valley. This is what the Inca Jungle Trek 3 Days to Machu Picchu is really about.
The Inca Jungle Trek 3 Days takes the same Day 1 as the shorter Inca Jungle Trek 2 Days — the Amazon Inca Trail and Cocalmayo hot springs — and adds a genuinely special Day 2: the Lucmabamba Inca Trail, climbing through coffee plantations and cloud forest to the Llactapata ruins, where Machu Picchu comes into view across the valley long before you arrive there in person. Prefer the version with mountain biking? See our Inca Jungle Trek 4 Days.
| Feature | Inca Jungle 2 Days | Inca Jungle 3 Days | Inca Jungle + Short IT 4 Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cycling | ❌ None | ❌ None | ✅ Abra Málaga descent |
| Llactapata / Machu Picchu viewpoint | ❌ No | ✅ Yes, Day 2 | Varies |
| Toughest day | Day 1 (moderate) | Day 2 (22 km, challenging) | Day 1 (cycling) |
| Best for | Shortest possible itinerary | Travelers wanting the Llactapata highlight without cycling | Full adventure combo with official Inca Trail permit |
The Lucmabamba Inca Trail and the Llactapata viewpoint are what set this 3-day version apart from the standard Inca Jungle route — meaning trekkers still walk the Amazon Inca Trail and soak in the Cocalmayo hot springs, but also earn a genuine, lesser-known first sighting of Machu Picchu from across the valley at Llactapata, a day before setting foot in the citadel itself.
Like the shorter version, this trek is entirely on foot with no significant altitude to manage — Lucmabamba Pass, the trek’s highest point, tops out at 2,814 m on Day 2, considerably lower than the high-altitude treks in this region. The route’s main physical challenge is distance rather than elevation, with Day 2 covering roughly 22 km through cloud forest and coffee plantations, so the acclimatization that matters most here is simply arriving from Cusco with reasonable fitness rather than altitude adjustment.
Your guide picks you up from your hotel in Cusco at 04:30 AM. The drive climbs to Abra Málaga — crossed entirely by vehicle, not on foot — before descending through cloud forest to Santa María, where the climate turns noticeably warmer.
The hike begins around 09:30 AM along a section of the Amazon Inca Trail, an original path through plantations of coffee, coca leaf, cocoa, tangerines, and oranges. The trail crosses two minor passes — Huaca Yupana (1,640 m) and Trono del Inca (1,625 m) — before the day ends with a well-deserved two-hour soak at the Cocalmayo hot springs (1,433 m). Overnight in Santa Teresa.
Day 1 stats
Box Lunch & Dinner
Moderate
5.5km (3.4 miles)
3-4 Hrs.
Santa Rosa: 1,203m (3,946 ft)
Road: 1,436m (4,411 ft)
Huaca Yupana Pass: 1,640m (5,380 ft)
The signature day of this trek. A short drive from Santa Teresa (45 minutes) brings you to Lucmabamba, the trailhead. The hike climbs through coffee plantations into the upper cloud forest, with views over the Colcapampa Valley and Santa Teresa in the distance, before crossing into the Aobamba Valley.
From the ruins of Llactapata, the trail delivers one of the best-kept secrets of the entire Inca Jungle route: your first panoramic view of Machu Picchu, seen across the valley, long before you set foot in the citadel itself — a moment worth lingering over with your camera. From Llactapata, the trail descends alongside the Aobamba stream to Hidroeléctrica, then continues roughly 2 hours 40 minutes further to Machu Picchu Pueblo (Aguas Calientes).
Day 2 stats
1B, 1L, 1D.
Challenging
22km/13.6 miles
7.5 Hrs.
Lucmabamba Town: 2,017m (6,617 ft)
Hidroelectrica 1,811m (5,941 ft)
Lucmabamba Pass: 2,814m (9,232 ft)
Machu Picchu entry is scheduled around 08:00 AM, with the bus from Aguas Calientes departing at 07:00. The 2-hour guided tour begins at the Guardian’s House viewpoint, exploring the citadel’s most significant sectors. In the afternoon, board the train and bus service (via Ollantaytambo) back to Cusco.
Day 3 stats
1B.
Easy
A light walk
2-hour guided tour
Machu Picchu Pueblo: 2,065m (6,774 ft)
Machu Picchu Ruins: 2,400m (7,874 ft)
Cusco: 3,350m (10,990 ft)
Looking for something different in duration or pace? Compare it with our Inca Jungle Trek 2 Days.
Student discount: college students receive $20 off the Machu Picchu entrance fee (unified with the rest of the catalog) — valid ID required.
A 3-day, fully on-foot version of the Inca Jungle route: the Amazon Inca Trail and Cocalmayo hot springs on Day 1, the Lucmabamba Inca Trail to the Llactapata viewpoint on Day 2, and a guided Machu Picchu tour on Day 3.
No. This 3-day version is 100% hiking — no cycling. The mountain bike descent from Abra Málaga is part of the separate 4-day Inca Jungle combo.
An Inca archaeological site across the Aobamba Valley from Machu Picchu, offering one of the best panoramic views of the citadel from a distance — visited on Day 2, before you arrive at Machu Picchu itself the next day.
Both share the same Day 1 (Amazon Inca Trail and Cocalmayo hot springs). This 3-day version adds the Lucmabamba Inca Trail and Llactapata viewpoint on Day 2 — the toughest and most rewarding day of the trek.
Day 1 is rated Moderate; Day 2, at 22 km and roughly 7.5 hours, is rated Challenging — the toughest day of the trek; Day 3 is an Easy guided walk at Machu Picchu.
On foot, the highest point is Lucmabamba Pass, at 2,814 m (9,232 ft), on Day 2. Abra Málaga (~4,316 m) is crossed by vehicle on Day 1, not on foot.
The recommended minimum age is 14 years old, given the demanding distance and duration of Day 2.
Yes — one night in a basic 2-star hotel in Santa Teresa (shared room) on Day 1. Hotels in Cusco and Aguas Calientes are not included.
May through December.
Yes — an optional hydroelectric train from Hidroeléctrica to Aguas Calientes is available for $51 per person if you prefer not to walk the final stretch.
No government permit is required for the Inca Jungle route itself. Day 3 requires the standard Machu Picchu entrance ticket, which your booking already covers.
Yes — it’s a $75 per person add-on. Book in advance, as permits are limited daily.
| Persons | Price (p/p) | |
| 2 | $ 667.00 USD |
If you’re seeking an adventure of a lifetime, pack your bags and set out on the Inca Jungle Hike for 3 days. It’s not just a trek; it’s an exploration of the soul and a celebration of the human spirit.
