A lady looks at a wall of colourful moss along the Inca Trail.

What to Expect on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu Trek – Day 3

In a series, I did a day-to-day account of my experience hiking the classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. If you missed it, here are the links to Day 1 and Day 2. This post covers Inca Trail – Day 3 – my absolute favourite day on the Trail.

This stretch of the Trail goes through a cloud forest to an Andean grassland to a heavily wooded area straight out of a fairytale and up to a rainforest. I encountered some impressive Inca ruins along the way. These ruins are accessible only via the classic Inca Trail (Day 3) and therefore didn’t have the big crowds expected at Machu Picchu.

A hiker with long, purple hair looks out the windows of Inca ruins to a mountain backdrop.

Inca Trail Day 3: Runkuraqay, Sayacmarca, Phuyupatamarca and Wiñay Wayna

Cloud Forest to Runkuraqay

Our group started our Inca Trail – Day 3 hike a little later in comparison to the previous days. This was to allow other groups to go ahead so that we were all not leaving Pacaymayo all at once.

Leaving Pacaymayo camp on the Inca Trail. Cascading waterfalls can be seen flowing in the mountains over the camp. — Looking back at the Pacaymayo camp at the start of Inca Trail – Day 3. Note the waterfalls cascading towards camp and Dead Woman’s Pass on the top left.

The night before, I had asked our Guide how Dead Woman’s Pass got its name. He said it would be easier to explain during our hike in the morning. I got my answer when we arrived at the first archaeological site.

A hiker smiles on the Icna Trail with Pacaymayo camp visible in the distance and Dead Woman's Pass visible on the tope left.

A view of the mountain where Pacaymayo camp is located with Dead Woman's Pass visible on the topleft.

Dead Woman’s Pass got its name because from the vantage point of the Runkuraqay ruins, the Pass apparently looks like a woman lying down. I don’t really see it but the name probably stuck for a reason…

A woman looks out from an Incan half wall up towards Dead Woman’s Pass on the Inca Trail in Peru. — View of Dead Woman’s Pass from the Runkuraqay ruins.

Dead Woman’s Pass is outlined to show how it got its name. — Closer view of Dead Woman’s Pass – so named because the Pass looks like the outline of a woman lying down.

My group ascended to Runkuraqay (which means “abandoned house”/”collapsed house” in Quechua). It is believed to be a tambo (a resting house) for Inca messengers. Chasquis – as these messengers were called in Quechua made up the most efficient postal service of their time. They used the royal Inca highway to keep the vast Empire connected.

Fog covered mountains with Inca ruins on the foreground. — Runkuraqay engulfed in clouds.

Runkuraqay Ruins taken on the Inca Trail Day 3 — The Inca ruins at Runkuraqay. If you squint through the fog, you can see the circular structures special to this site.

The Runkuraqay ruins are special because unlike other Inca structures, it has circular buildings. This archaeological site is only accessible on Inca Trail – Day 3. From the Runkuraqay tambo, we started a steep ascent to the Runkuraqay Pass and ended up in grasslands near Cochapata lake.

Runkuraqay Pass on the Inca Trail in Peru.

Andean grasslands near Cochapata on the Inca Trail Day 3.

Runkuraqay Pass to Sayacmarca

Runkuraqay Pass area is a deer habitat. Cochapata was previously used as a campsite but due to overuse, camping here is no longer allowed. Runkuraqay Pass has an elevation of 3,950 m/12,959 ft above sea level. The views from here rival those from Dead Woman’s pass.

View of Andean valley from Runkuraqay Pass.

A hikers climbs up the Runkuraqay Pass along the Inca Trail.

A hiker sits overlooking an Andean valley on the Inca Trail Day 3.

From Cochapata, we started an even steeper ascent towards the Sayacmarca – literally means “inaccessible town” in Quechua.

A trekker hikes towards cloud covered mountains.

A hiker ascending up to Sayacmarca ruins on the Inca Trail Day 3. — The ascent to Sayacmarca. You can see the “inaccessible town” in the distance.

It is believed that one of the buildings in this complex served as an observatory and the rest are residences for celestial scholars.

A hiker climbs up steep stone stairs on the Inca Trail.

A hiker on Sayacmarca ruins on the Inca Trail.

Hiker smiles at Sayacmarca ruins as clouds are rolling in.

A hiker looking out from Sayacmarca ruins on the Inca Trail Day 3 - surrounded by clouds.

A hiker going up some steps on the Sayacmarca ruins on the Inca Trail Day 3.

Sayacmarca to the first Inca tunnel

From Sayacmarca, we hiked through Andean jungle which over the course of an hour (maybe) transitioned into the dreamiest rainforest I’ve ever seen.

Inca ruins surrounded by Andean jungle. — Qunchamarca – a *tambo* encountered just outside of Sayacmarca.

Hikers trekking through an Andean jungle on the Inca Trail Day 3.

A hiker walking on ancient Inca stone road on the Inca Trail Day 3.

A hiker walking up on old Inca stone road on the ancient Inca Trail Day 3 deep in the Andean jungle.

A hiker trekking through an Andean rainforest on the Inca Trail Day 3.

On this same stretch, we came across the first (of two) Inca tunnels. The Incas had hollowed out a granite cave as part of the classic Inca Trail. The entrance to the first Inca tunnel is shaped like elongated triangle. The tunnel is about 16 metres long.

Two hikers in front of the Inca Tunnel on the Inca Trail Day 3.

Hikers going down the first Inca tunnel on the Inca Trail.

A hiker in the Inca Tunnel on the Inca Trail Day 3.

A hiker walking through the Inca Tunnel on the Inca Trail Day 3.

The first Inca tunnel to Phuyupatamarca

After passing through the Inca tunnel, we arrived at the campsite where our porters had lunch set up.

As we weren’t expected to do any more intense climbs, the Chef prepared a carb heavy lunch buffet. We were also served a generous amount of the stew the porters were having for lunch that day. Someone from my group had asked what the porters ate on the Trail, so the Chef made extra for the trekkers to try. The Chef topped off our meal with a full-sized cake. That cake was so fresh that we marvelled at how he was able to procure it in the middle of the Andes.

A porter serving a full-sized cake to trekkers on the Inca Trail Day 3.

After lunch, we hiked through a beautiful, vibrant rainforest. Our Guide demonstrated how humid this area is by squeezing water out of moss he picked off a cliff wall.

A hiker on the Inca Trail looking down at the ancient Inca stone pathway.

Close up of the ancient, uneven Inca stone road on the classic Inca Trail with a hiker. — Close up of the Inca stones on the Inca Trail.

A hiker facing a vibrant wall of moss on the Inca Trail Day 3. — A cliff wall covered in colourful moss on the Inca Trail.

Phuyupatamarca

Our next stop were the Phuyupatamarca ruins – “The City Above the Clouds” in Quechua. They aptly named this place! Some key features of these ruins are the ritual baths and fountains which still function during the wet season.

Hikers going up steep steps on the Phuyupatamarca ruins on the Inca Trail Day 3.

A hiker looking down on a terrace on the Phuyupatamarca ruins.

When I got home, I did some reading on the Inca Trail. Rumour is that many porters sleep with a mirror under their pillow while on the Trail. They believe this protects them from spirits that may come up through the earth to whisk them away. While I felt completely at ease while there, reviewing my pictures taken at Phuyupatamarca after reading this gave me the chills… and I wish I had asked the porters about this!

Observatory in the Phuyupatamarca ruins.

Phuyupatamarca to Wiñay Wayna Camp

After leaving the Phuyupatamarca ruins, we descended down many flights of Inca stone stairs. One of the guys commented that maybe it was a blessing that we were surrounded by clouds so that couldn’t see how far the drop is off the edge of the Trail. But of course, with clouds come – you guessed it: slippery conditions.

A trekker walks down an Inca spiral set of stairs on the Inca Trail.

A hiker descend through a tunnel on the Inca Trail. — There is a second Inca tunnel in this portion of the Trail.

We all wiped out on our backs at some point during this portion. This stretch alone is why I recommend hiking boots with ankle support. I have tiny feet and they would slip between the cracks of the ORIGINAL Inca stone work. I would have rolled my ankles in several occasions were it not for my trekking poles and the fact that I was going very slowly.

A hiker walking on original inca stone work on the Inca Trail Day 3.

Nevertheless, I thought this leg of the trek was the most beautiful. This area is actually bordering the Peruvian Amazon. The history nerd in me was blown away that this portion of the Trail is made up of completely original stones laid down by the Incas.

A hiker on a trail surrounded by a forest.

To get to our camp, we left the royal highway and turned onto a dirt trail. The trail seemed to go on in an endless zigzag pattern. Not going to lie, this was the part of trek where I almost cracked and had a meltdown. This was our longest day after all and I haven’t seen anyone from my group (with the exception of our Guide) in what seemed like hours. The gentlemen were all ahead of me.

A hiker on the Inca Trail Day 3 close to Aguas Calientes.

I eventually reached camp and had enough energy left to go see the Wiñay Wayna ruins (which was a little less than a kilometre away from camp). I went to Wiñay Wayna with the guys and our Guide.

Wiñay Wayna

Wiñay Wayna – “forever young” in Quechua is built into a steep hillside overlooking the Urubamba River. The ruins have upper and lower residential sections separated by fountains and ritual baths. There are also terraces which were once used for agricultural purposes.

A close up shot of the Wiñay Wayna ruins off the Inca Trail.

Wiñay Wayna ruins above the Urubamba River on the Inca Trail Day 3.

The Urumbamba River flowing through a mountain. — The view of the Urubamba River from above at Wiñay Wayna.

We were getting closer to civilization and I felt it. From here I heard the train going through Aguas Calientes. I also remember seeing a dominant cellphone tower close by, though my phone couldn’t pick up that signal (I had a SIM card from Claro).

Hikers sitting on a semi-circle ruin on the Inca Trail

The back of a hiker's head looking down at ruins on the Inca Trail.

A hiker walking along the terraces of the Wiñay Wayna ruins on the Inca Trail Day 3.

A hiker looking out towards a waterfall on the Wiñay Wayna ruins on the Inca Trail Day 3.

We walked slightly further to a waterfall where some of the guys decided to take a dip. Afterwards, we returned to camp to freshen up for dinner.

A hiker laughs in front of a cascading waterfall close to Wiñay Wayna site.

During this time, my fellow trekkers and I put together a tip kitty for the Chef and the porters. The porters would need to clean up camp and leave by 4 am the following day. This is so that they can drop our duffel bags off at a restaurant in Aguas Calientes (where we will pick them up after our tour of Machu Picchu) and catch a free train ride home. The porters were expected to have a busy morning, so my group planned to thank them properly after dinner.

After dinner, we said our goodbyes to the Chef and porters. We went round circle and each trekker offered words of gratitude for the support crew. They truly were amazing and I couldn’t imagine doing the trek without them! Everyone shook hands before we each headed off to bed.