A spectacular drive through the Sacred Valley of the Incas takes us to Chillca, our trailhead. Crossing a footbridge, we take an undulating trek through a dry cactus zone beneath soaring views to the snows of Mt. Verónica, with the turbulent Urubamba river on our right. We reach our campsite at the imposing sculpted terraces of Inca Llaqtapata, and explore further downstream to the outlying areas of this massive ancient farming complex.

The trail climbs gently into the mountains through the last inhabited village of Huayllabamba, and then more steeply past a rushing stream through enchanted native polylepis woodland. Crossing the rim of a small plateau, we abruptly find ourselves in the puna, the treeless grasslands of the high Andes. We camp below mighty crags, looking eastward to the snowpeaks and valleys of the Huayanay massif.

We climb to the first and highest pass, Warmiwañusca (4,200m/13,776ft), with spectacular views of the trail ahead to the second pass. Descending to the forested Pacamayo valley we pick up an Inca stairway and ascend again past the small Inca site of Runkuracay. We reach the second pass, where the landscape opens onto spectacular new views to the snowpeaks of the Pumasillo range, then descend to the ruins of Sayacmarca (Inaccessible Town), an intricate labyrinth of houses, plazas and water channels, perched precariously on a rocky spur overlooking the Aobamba valley. The Inca trail, now a massive buttressed structure of granite paving stones, continues along the steep upper fringes of the cloud forest through a colorful riot of orchids, bromeliads, mosses and ferns. At the third pass we camp by pinnacles topped with Inca viewing platforms, overlooking the archaeological complex of Phuyupatamarca (Cloud-level Town).

We explore the wondrous maze of Inca stone towers, fountains and stairways spilling down the mountainside at Phuyupatamarca then begin a long descent through ever-changing layers of cloud forest. An Inca stairway partly cut from living granite leads us finally to the site of Wiñay Wayna (Forever Young), the largest and most exquisite of the Inca Trail sites. In the afternoon we follow the last stretch of trail across a steep mountainside through a lush, humid cloud-forest of giant ferns and broad-leaf vegetation. Suddenly we cross the stone threshold of Intipunku (Sun Gate) and encounter an unforgettable sweep of natural beauty and human artistry -a backdrop of twisting gorge and forested peaks framing the magical city of Machu Picchu..

We return to Machu Picchu by bus and spend the day in both guided and individual exploration, visiting the best-known features of this astounding and mysterious Inca settlement. Some will want to take the optional hike to the summit of Wayna Picchu for an amazing overview of the site, while others may want to investigate Machu Picchu's multitude of hidden nooks and corners. After a full-on experience of this glorious monument to the Inca achievement.