The ancient City of the Incas, Cusco, awaits you on this classic tour package. This UNESCO city has kept its mysterious feel, with a unique blend of Incan and Spanish architecture and cultures. Then, exploring the Sacred Valley, you will visit ancient ruins and learn about modern Quechua culture. These fascinating days exploring the key sites in and around Cusco will give you a chance to adjust to the high altitudes before beginning your Salkantay trek. On the trek you will be embraced by the spectacular Andes mountains as you followed old paths and Inca trails to reach the famous archeological site of Machu Picchu.
Note: this package assumes the 5-Day Salkantay Tour and a 7-Day Package, but, if your time is limited, we can easily modify the package to reflect the 4-Day Salkantay Tour, which omits a trek to the beautiful Humantay Lake, for a 6-Day Package.
DAY 1. Cusco City Tour
DAY 2: Sacred Valley: Chichero, Moray, Salt Mines, Pisac
DAY 3: Cusco – Soraypampa – Humantay Lake – Salkantaypampa
DAY 4: Salkantaypampa – Soyroccocha – Salkantay Pass – Andenes
DAY 5: Andenes – Lluskamayu – La Playa – Lucmabamba
DAY 6: Lucmabamba – Llaqtapata – Hydroelectric – Aguas Calientes
DAY 7: Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – Cusco
Highest Point: 4638m/15217ft
Distance: 52km / 32mi
Overall Difficulty: 1 2 3 4 5
DAY 1. Cusco City Tour
We will meet you at the airport and transport you to your local hotel. After you have a chance to settle in and get some rest, we will pick you up with our private transport for our half day Cusco tour. We will wander the streets in the city center and share stories about the Incan and colonial past, visit the Inca Sun Temple (Qoricancha), and wander through a market, if you wish. We will also visit archeological sites on the outskirts of the city, such as Saksayhuaman and Qenqo. When you have had your fill, we will return you to your hotel in Cusco.
DAY 2: Sacred Valley: Chichero, Moray, Salt Mines, Pisac
This will be a long, but fascinating day as we loop through the most popular sites in the Sacred Valley. We will pick you up from your hotel and head first to the village of Chinchero, an interesting and colorful colonial town which still retains Incan farming terraces and temples. Chinchero is frequently visited because local weaving cooperatives welcome you in to learn how they prepare wool, use natural dyes, and weave beautiful textiles.
Next, we will visit Moray – circular terraces that were used by the Incas as an agricultural laboratory. They were carefully built by master engineers of Inca society to create many different micro-climates for agricultural experimentation. Nearby is the town of Maras, with its beautiful colonial church of St. Francis, and the Maras Salt Mines, still owned and managed by local community members. Since pre-Incan times, these evaporation pools, fed by a salty subterranean stream, have been farmed by local families.
After a delicious lunch in Urubamba, we will head to Pisac. The archeological site in Pisac has stunning views of the Andes, extensive agricultural terraces, temples, living quarters, and the largest Inca cemetery in Peru. If we have time, you might even be able to pick up a souvenir or two in the colorful Pisac market. At the end of the day, we will take you back to your hotel in Cusco.
Meals: B
DAY 3: Cusco – Soraypampa – Humantay Lake – Salkantaypampa
We pick you up early at your hotel in Cusco and drive 3 hours in our private transport to the trail head in Soraypampa. There we will have our breakfast while enjoying the amazing views of the snowy peaks of the Humantay (5900m) and Salkantay (6217m) mountains. Before we start our trek, a short hike will take us to the beautiful Humantay Lake. After enjoying the lake, we will return to Soraypampa where a delicious lunch awaits us. Then we will begin the actual trek with a one-hour climb to our first campsite at Salkantaypampa.
Meals: B, L, D
Maximum Altitude: 4,250m / 13,944ft
Minimum altitude: 2,980m / 9,777ft
Distance Travelled: 9km / 5.6mi
Walking Time: 6 hrs
DAY 4: Salkantaypampa – Soyroccocha – Salkantay Pass – Andenes
After a delicious, hardy breakfast, we start our trekking with beautiful views of Apu Salkantay. We hike 2 or 3 hours to reach Apacheta Pass, the highest point of the trek. From there, we can enjoy the spectacular views of snow-capped mountains before hiking down to Salkantay Lake. After a rest at the lake, we walk down to Wayracpampa where our cook has prepared us a delicious lunch. After lunch, we have a 2-hour trek to Andenes campsite where we spend the night in a very peaceful area.
Meals: B, L, D
Maximum Altitude: 4,638m / 15,217ft
Minimum altitude: 3,100m / 10,171ft
Distance Travelled: 17km / 10.6mi
Walking time: 8 hours
DAY 5: Andenes – Lluskamayu – La Playa – Lucmabamba
Today we walk for 6 hours through the beginning of the rainforest, enjoying a variety of flora and fauna including orchids, birds, coffee trees, banana trees, waterfalls and fruit plantations. We arrive at La Playa lunch with free time to rest before we head to Lucmabamba, our next campsite. Once here, we will enjoy a wonderful coffee tour with a local family. The tour will take us throughout the coffee plantations and end with a chance to taste the best organic coffee of the Cusco Region.
Meals: B, L, D
Maximum altitude: 3,100m / 10,171ft
Minimum altitude: 2,135m / 7,005ft
Distance travelled: 14km / 8.7mi
Walking time: 7 hours
DAY 6: Lucmabamba – Llaqtapata – Hydroelectric – Aguas Calientes
Our day starts with a 3-hour climb on an original Inca Trail up through the Andean cloud forest to Puncuyoc Pass. From here a short hike takes us to the Inca city of Llactapaca (2,700m/8,906ft). From here we are rewarded with a beautiful view of Machu Picchu, and your guide will share with you the ancient stories of this sacred city. After another 2-hour hike downhill we will reach the hydroelectric plant and our lunch. A train will take us the remaining distance to Aguas Calientes, where we will spend the night in a hotel.
Meals: B, L, D
Maximum altitude: 2,954m / 9,688ft
Minimum altitude: 2,135m / 7,005ft
Distance travelled: 12km / 7.5mi
Walking Time: 5 hours
DAY 7: Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – Cusco
Rising early, we will take the first bus up to Machu Picchu. Sunrise is the most spectacular time to experience Machu Picchu without the crowds that arrive from the Inca Trail and the subsequent buses. This is the best time to admire the ‘Lost City of the Incas’. Your guide will explain this sacred city and its history. Then you will have time for exploring on your own, taking photos and climbing to the Sun Gate or Inca Bridge. If you still have energy you can also climb Huayna Picchu (2720m/8890ft)! This has an extra cost of 40 USD and must be booked several months in advance to get a coveted permit. After experiencing this Seventh Wonder of the World, we will head back to Aguas Calientes to catch a train to Ollantaytambo and then a private transport to Cuzco where you will be returned to your hotel. In the morning we can drive you to the airport if you wish.
Meal: B
SERVICES INCLUDED:
SERVICES NOT INCLUDED:
NOTE: If you need to rent any equipment such as a sleeping bag, water-proof poncho, hiking poles, etc. please let us know in advance. We will secure them for you – no deposit required.
WE RECOMMEND YOU BRING:
PRICE: 1180 USD$ per person when booking 2 people
PRICE: 1110 USD$ per person when booking 3 people
PRICE: 1060 USD$ per person when booking 4- 6 people
PRICE: 1000 USD$ per person when booking 7- 10 people