Cusco, Perú
4 days
16 people
18 yo
Hotel (Historic Center)
You'll be up nice and early today to be ready for us to pick you up around 4 am. You'll travel in our comfy transportation to enjoy a bit more sleep on the drive.
After 2 hours, we'll enjoy a brief stop in Mollepata for an optional breakfast. We'll then continue on to Challacancha, where we'll start our hike.
First, you'll meet the cooks and horsemen, as well as do a last equipment check. Then, we'll be on our way. You'll start with a 3-hour moderate walk to Soraypampa (3900 masl), where we'll be spending our first night.
The first section is relatively flat with a slight bit of uphill through a deep valley of glaciers. You'll notice that a lot of the trail follows a restored Inca water channel, which local farmers still make use of today. This section is 7 km overall.
Once you arrive in Soraypampa, you will settle in the Cabin with Glass Roof where you'll sleep this evening. You’ll have a bit of time to rest after enjoying your first lunch in the mountains. Feeling refreshed, it'll be time to start the hike up to the incredibly beautiful Humantay Lake (4200 masl).
This round trip takes about 3 hours and covers 3 km. It's not far but you need to take things slowly at this altitude. You'll have some time once you get to the lake to enjoy the fantastic scenery. There aren’t many places in the Andes quite as stunning as the turquoise waters glistening against the Humantay glacier. You’ll feel like you’re in a fairytale.
Back at camp, you'll enjoy a delicious and well-deserved dinner with a beautiful sunset as your company. You can't describe the energy here, but you'll feel its peacefulness for yourself once here.
Then it'll be time to turn in to your Camp. From the glass roof, you'll be able to enjoy a night under the stars, constellations, and comets, and wake up to see the Apu Salkantay watching over you.
Meals: Lunch, Tea Time, Dinner
Accommodation: Cabin with Glass Roof
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Hiking distance: 10 km (6.21 miles)
Trekking Time: 5 to 6 hours
Campsite Elevation: 4,000 m (1,323 ft)
Starting Elevation: 3,800 m (12,467 ft)
Highest Elevation: 4,200 m (13,780 ft)
Weather Forecast: Expect cold and windy nights
You'll be woken up today at the first signs of daylight with an energizing cup of coca tea to get you going. Enjoy a nourishing breakfast before we set off on our trek to the route’s highest point, the Salkantay Pass at 4630 masl.
You'll be walking 7 km over 3 hours. It's a difficult ascent up the "Trail of the 7 Snakes" rightly named due to its winding path. Once you reach the top, you'll appreciate the most magnificent view over the surrounding valleys as well as Salkantay Mountain sitting right next to you (6271 masl), which is the second-highest in the Cusco region and one of the Apus (Inca Gods).
You can also observe Humantay, Tucarhuay, and Pumasillo mountains. After you've taken in the views and enjoyed a rest, you'll start the 2 hours walk downhill to the lunch spot in Huayracmachay (3850 masl), from where you can enjoy fantastic views.
This section of the trail is rocky and gravely, and you get some wonderful views down into the valley below. After a reenergizing lunch, you'll be entering the edge of the Amazon jungle, also known as the "Cloud Forest". This part is 8 km and takes around 3 hours.
Along the way, you get to enjoy a magical tropical forest and witness how quickly and dramatically the landscape changes from the Andes to the Amazon. You'll spot colorful scenery, unique wildlife, and native plants. You'll find the climate becomes much warmer here.
After your longest day of hiking, you'll be pleased to reach campsite at Collpapampa (2950 masl). You'll be served a hearty meal before hitting the hay in the Jungle Domes Camp for a peaceful night's sleep in the small village.
You’re sure to sleep well tonight!
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Tea Time, Dinner
Accommodation: Sky Huts
Difficulty Level: Challenging
Hiking distance: 22 km (14 miles)
Trekking Time: 9 to 10 hours
Campsite Elevation: 2,800 m (9,186 ft)
Starting Elevation: 4,000 m (13,123 ft)
Highest Elevation: 4,630 m (15,191 ft)
Weather Forecast: Expect a bit cold
At 06:00 am, we'll start our trek to the small town of La Playa through the Santa Teresa valley. You will be able to soak up this new, lush landscape during our first 5 hours of hiking today.
We will see rivers, wild orchids, and coffee, banana, and avocado plantations during the hike. You'Il also be able to taste the famous passion fruit and granadilla fruit along the way!
Once in La Playa, we'll have a good time enjoying our last lunch with our mountain staff and starting with the coffee show. After relaxing and resting a bit more, our transport will take us to Hidroelectrica train station.
Then, we'll follow the train rails surrounded by the great vegetation of the place, in the Urubamba river company. If you feel exhausted, you have the option (not included) to take a train to Aguas Calientes (US$ 34.00).
In this tropical paradise, we'll see avocado plantations, banana and coffee plants, and various types of birds, especially the cock of the rocks, the national bird of Peru.
After 2 hours of walking, we'll arrive at Aguas Calientes town. Here, we'll head first to our hostel. In your room, you Will have a private bathroom, hot shower, wifi, breakfast in the morning, and luggage storage while you visit Machu Picchu.
You can rest a bit before dinner or walk around this enchanting place that has the feel of a California Gold Rush town. There are no cars in Aguas Calientes, so it is an especially peaceful place to be.
At 7:00 pm, we'll have dinner at a local restaurant and organize to be ready for the icing on our last adventure day: MACCHU PICCHU!
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Tea Time, Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel Stay in Aguas Calientes
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Hiking distance: 25 km (15 miles)
Trekking Time: 8 hours
Campsite Elevation: 2,040 m (6,693 ft)
Starting Elevation: 2,800 m (9,186 ft)
Highest Elevation: 2,800 m (9,186 ft)
Weather Forecast: Hot and humid during the day, fresh at night
Today's the day you've been waiting for since you first set foot on the trail. You're finally going to visit one of the New 7 Wonders of the World and UNESCO World Heritage Site – Machu Picchu!
You'll need to be up early today to make sure you beat the crowds and enjoy the serenity of the site in the early morning light.
After making our way up to the Inca citadel, you'll enjoy a 1.5 hour guided tour of this incredible ancient site to see temples, terraces, palaces, priest’s houses, the sundial, the industrial sector, and the farming fields.
You'll be blown away by the Inca's engineering ingenuity, which was way ahead of its time and still a mystery in many ways today.
They didn't have the tools we use today, but yet they were still able to construct and organize their community on the side of a mountain and even create a water system with aqueducts and canals.
Bonus fact: When a Peruvian guide showed this site to Hiram Bingham, it was almost unrecognizable, covered in thick vegetation, and in a state of disrepair. It's since been cleaned and restored and is now protected and treasured by people from every corner of the globe.
After your tour, you have plenty more time to enjoy the site as you please. You can opt to climb Huayna Picchu (2720 masl) or Machu Picchu Mountain (3000 masl) (tickets must be booked in advance), which takes around 3 hours, up and down. There's also the option of the Sun Gate (2729 masl) or Inca Bridge.
Alternatively, you can explore other areas further or enjoy a very well-deserved rest looking out over one of the best views in the world.
After visiting Machu Picchu, you have 2 options to return to Cusco
Bus return option:
The bus option is the cheapest, but after Machu Picchu you have to return walking 3 hours to the hydroelectric bus station and then go up to the bus and in total it is a trip of 8 hours to Cusco and you arrive in Cusco at approximately 10 pm. with the final stop at Plaza Regocijo in the center of Cusco city.
This return option does not provide enough time for additional hikes to Waynapicchu or Machu Picchu Mountain, as they require about 3 extra hours. To catch the BUS at 2:00 pm at Hydroelectric, it’s recommended to leave Machu Picchu no later than 11:30 am.
Train return option:
The option to return by train is more comfortable, after visiting Machu Picchu you have time to rest, have lunch and wait for your train.
The return train option is more convenient. After visiting Machu Picchu, you have time to rest, have lunch, and wait for your train.
But remember that there are two options for this return trip: one when your reservation includes a ticket to Machu Picchu, and the other when a ticket to Machu Picchu is not included.
Option 1:
Train schedule if your reservation includes a ticket to Machu Picchu (See the tour description above for details on Machu Picchu ticket availability).
Train 14:30 or 15:20 $85:
Return at the Machu Picchu train station (the train ride from Machu Picchu town to the Ollantaytambo train station is 1 hour and 50 minutes).
Then, at the Ollantaytambo train station, we continue on the bus from the same train company that will take you to Cusco for approximately 2 hours, finally arriving in the city of Cusco before 7:45 pm.
Train 18:20 or 19:00 $70:
Return at the Machu Picchu train station (the train ride from Machu Picchu town to the Ollantaytambo train station is 1 hour and 50 minutes).
Then, at the Ollantaytambo train station, we continue on the bus from the same train company that will take you to Cusco for approximately 2 hours, finally arriving in the city of Cusco before 10:30 pm.
Option 2:
Train schedule if your reservation does not include a ticket to Machu Picchu (See the tour description above for details on ticket availability to Machu Picchu).
Train for passengers without Machu Picchu ticket $80:
Return at the Machu Picchu train station (the train ride from Machu Picchu town to the Ollantaytambo train station is 1 hour and 50 minutes).
Then, at the Ollantaytambo train station, we continue on the bus from the same train company that will take you to Cusco for approximately 2 hours (The arrival time in Cusco will depend on the departure time of the train.)
The schedule for this train will depend on availability and price (if there is an earlier but more expensive ticket, the passenger would have to pay the difference) once the passenger has purchased the ticket to Machu Picchu.
This ticket does not have a fixed schedule, as last-minute train ticket prices always increase due to demand.
Another benefit of this is that the passenger will already have a guaranteed return train ticket after visiting Machu Picchu. If the passenger needs to stay an extra night in Aguas Calientes (MP town) to purchase the Machu Picchu ticket, only the return time will be changed at no additional charge.
IMPORTANT: Remember that we will provide you with a duffle bag on the briefing day which you can use to pack 6 kilos of your personal belongings that you will take to the trek which are going be carried by horse during the entire trek. It means that you will do the trek carrying your small backpack with things you need for the day hike and you will have access to the duffle bag at each camping place.
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