Inca Jungle Coffee Trail towards Machu Picchu 2D

If you enjoy hiking, don’t have vertigo, and are interested in getting to know a local rural family on your way to Machu Picchu, then this Coffee Trail to Machu Picchu is the tour for you! It will help you learn more about coffee and enjoy a cup of coffee prepared using traditional methods. On the Coffee Trail, you will navigate the breathtaking scenery of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, while also visiting Chinchero and Ollantaytambo. We can also combine this coffee hike tour with a visit to Machu Picchu!

The families that we will visit own about 3 hectares of land on their farm. They also have organic certification and adhere to fair trade practices within their local co-op in the COCLA group.

To ensure a pleasant experience, they have created comfortable rooms with hot water for showering. As an organization, we have provided them with technical assistance, loans, and tour training to make this Coffee Trail towards Machu Picchu tour an absolute success.

If you would like to learn even more about the history of coffee, to see the processing facilities where the organization processes its coffee for international distribution, and to participate in an official tasting for quality control before exportation, then write us! You can also check out our assortment of coffee and cocoa tours here.

Highlights:

• Hike on an ancient Inca trail
• Enjoy breathtaking Andean landscapes and the high jungle
• Try local food on a family farm
• Visit with a rural family and share in daily activities
• Visit a coffee plantation and learn about the processes of organic coffee production
• Prepare your cup of coffee using traditional methods

Inca Jungle Coffee Trail towards Machu Picchu Itinerary

Day 01: Cusco – Santa Maria – Huacayupana

• 7:00 am: At this time, we will stop by your hotel to pick you up in our private vehicle and head to the town of Santa Maria (about 4 hours). (Group/shared service is also available upon request — ask us for details.) We will pass through the Sacred Valley of the Incas, where you will be able to stop and take in the stellar scenery. The highest point will be Abra Malaga, at an altitude of 4,316 meters — since this is a private service, we can take our time here: take photos of the snow-capped Andes, look out for llamas and alpacas grazing freely, and stop for a coffee at “ELABRA” Specialty Coffee & Cacao, run by a young local named Rosmel. He was the first to dare to open a specialty coffee shop at nearly 4,300 meters above sea level, in the middle of nowhere — and it worked so well that two more coffee shops have since opened nearby. We will also pass through the interesting landscape of the cloud forest.
• 12:00 pm At approximately this time, we will arrive at the town of Santa Maria, where you will have time to eat lunch (not included). Optional: instead of lunch in Santa Maria, you can choose to have lunch at Julia’s organic farm along the way — meet the family, taste seasonal fruits, and enjoy a home-cooked meal before continuing on. Ask us about this option when booking. After this break, we will continue on our journey in a taxi to the trailhead of the Coffee Trail, located about 25 minutes from the town. From there, we begin our hike into the Huacayupana sector, home to a handful of family farms scattered across the hillside, some closer together and others more spread out. Climbing to the farm where we’ll spend the night takes about one to three hours, depending on its location, and along the way we’ll pass agricultural terraces and the homes of local families. During this trek, we will hike part of an ancient Inca Trail (for those with vertigo, this is not advised).
• 4:00 – 5pm pm: Once we arrive at the farm, members of the family will welcome us, and we will take a well-deserved rest.
• 6:30 pm: You will have dinner with the family, share stories, and get to know them a bit.

Day 02: Huacayupana – Cusco OR Hydroelectric plant (Train Station)

• 7:30 am Breakfast with the family.
• 8:30 am After a traditional breakfast, we will head to the farm to start our tour, guided by a member of the family. They will show us different products on their farm, focusing, of course, on coffee! We will participate in the picking, all the while the farmer will explain each process in production, from planting to roasting to tasting.  At the end of the tour, you will have the opportunity to enjoy a cup of fresh coffee, prepared using traditional methods. Be careful not to burn it!
• 12:00 pm Lunchtime! (included)
• 1:00 pm At approximately this time, we will bid farewell to our homestay and start our descent down to the road, where we will take a car back to Cusco OR continue the Coffee Trail on to visit Machu Picchu. (see Add-ons)
• If you return to Cusco at this point, we will take a car to the town of Santa Maria and later to Ollantaytambo or Cusco
• If your group has an extension to Machu Picchu, then you will continue to Santa Teresa and then to the train station at the Hydroelectric plant to take a train to Aguas Calientes.

Prices are per person, in US Dollars (USD)

WITH RURAL SUV
(Reference: Mitsubishi Xpander or similar)

• 1 participant: USD 693.00
• 2 participants: USD 400.00
• 3 participants: USD 294.00

WITH MINI VAN
(Reference: Hyundai H1 or Staria)

• 1 participant: USD 797.00
• 2 participants: USD 452.00
• 3 participants: USD 336.00
• 4 participants: USD 279.00

Note:

• All transportation is provided in authorized tourism vehicles when possible.
• Pay in cash and get 5% off
• Price includes pickup from hotels in Cusco and Ollantaytambo; for other locations like Pisac, Calca, Urubamba, please consider an additional payment per group: $15 for car services, and $ 20 for a van
• If you are a low-budget traveler and are interested in doing this tour, please feel free to contact us to give you some options

Includes

• Transportation Cusco or Ollantaytambo – Homestay – Cusco/Hidroeléctrica train station
• Bilingual guide (Spanish – English)
• Double occupancy on the farm + 3 meals (private room with hot water)
• Time with the family
• Coffee tour
• The assistance of the family
• Money transfer fee

Does not include

• Personal expenses
• Snack or drinks
• Other services not mentioned above

Machu Picchu +1D

We can arrange to extend the Coffee Trail for one more day to include a trip to Machu Picchu. The extended itinerary will follow this schedule:

After lunch on day 2, we will bid farewell to the family and continue on our way to the train station, where we will travel to the town of Aguas Calientes and arrive at approximately 6 pm. You will have the night to spend at your leisure in your hostel (basic accommodation with hot water – can be upgraded if requested). In your hostel, your guide will explain what the tour for the next day entails, and afterward, you can relax in the hot springs of Aguas Calientes!

Machu Picchu

The next morning, we will take about a 30-minute bus ride to Machu Picchu. We will visit the citadel of Machu Picchu for a few hours with your guide, and then you will have some time to explore the magical complex on your own and take photos. You will also have time to climb Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain at an additional cost. Either the Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain entrance ticket is purchased at the same time as the Machu Picchu entrance, and we recommend purchasing these tickets in advance because there are limited spaces.

After lunch outside of Machu Picchu (food is not allowed in the citadel), you will take the bus back down to Aguas Calientes for your return trip to Cusco. You will know your exact train schedule as soon as we buy your train ticket. You will arrive in Cusco by bus at approximately 10:00 pm.

Machu Picchu Add-On Includes:

• Train ticket from Hidroelectrica train station to Aguas Calientes Town (optional*)
• 1 night in a hostel with private bathroom and hot water + breakfast (SWB or DWB). The one we include is Terrazas del Inca Hostel or similar
• Bus ticket to Machu Picchu (round trip) from Aguas Calientes
• 1 Entrance ticket to Machu Picchu
• Tour guide at Machu Picchu (could be shared or private, depending on your request)
• 1 train ticket from Aguas Calientes town to Ollantaytambo
• Transfer from Ollantaytambo to Cusco by bus service

*Train ticket from Hidroeléctrica to Aguas Calientes Town: if you would prefer to hike this part of the route, let us know at the time you book. This hike takes about 3 hours, 10 km of distance, and goes along the railway

Not Included:

• Snacks, water, or personal expenses
• Entrance ticket to Wayna Picchu or Machu Picchu mountain ($20.00 per person), upon request
• Services not mentioned
• Money transfer fee