Salkantay Trekking Tour Regular

Upon arrival you will be met at the airport and privately escorted to your hotel.

At proper time go by yourself to the airport (walking distance) to take your flight with destination Cusco. An early morning flight brings you to the Inca capital of Cusco. Upon arrival, proceed to the hotel to have a welcome coca tea. This should help you to relieve altitude sickness. The remaining of the morning is free to relax, and slowly acclimatize. In the afternoon, your comprehensive city tour includes the beautiful Koricancha or Sun Temple, the Cathedral as well as the Fortress of Sacsayhuaman, a most remarkable Inca building, the amphitheater of Kenko. This is followed by a visit to Puca Pucara, a strategically located 'red fortress' that dominates the entire area before visiting Tambomachay, with its two distinctive aqueducts that to this day continue to provide clean water to the area.

The day begins with a trip to Pisaq market in the Sacred Valley, one of South America's most famous souvenir markets. Afternoon visit to the fortress of Ollantaytambo where the Temple of the Sun (formed of six gigantic monoliths, whose total weight exceeds 50 tons) and the Terrace of the Ten Niches stand out. You make a stop in Awana Kancha, a breeding center of South American camels. Lunch with a local family in Urubamba. For the most adventurous of the group there is a chance to taste crispy guinea pig. This experience offers a great opportunity to interact with locals in a not-touristy environment as to directly contribute to the community.

The adventure begins from colonial Cusco, setting off on a meandering four-hour drive toward the quaint, typically Peruvian village of Mollepata, situated high above the Rio Blanco Valley. Along the way, you will pass through Yawar Anta Pampa, the site of a famous battle staged between the ancient Inca and Chancas people, fought for the ultimate prize of controlling nearby Cusco. Climbing in altitude as you drive, the road trip will come to an end in Soraypampa, where open pathways on the outskirts of town take you away from civilisation, into the rugged wilderness ahead. The trailhead leads deep into the valley for a long day of scenic, strenuous trekking towards the oncoming Salkantay (the Savage) and Vilcabamba Mountain Ranges, where verdant plains make way for unforgiving rocky cliffs and the imposing snow-capped peaks which fill the horizon. An occasionally challenging ascent takes you to the high mountain passes of Soyroccocha and Abra Huayracmachay, where effort is rewarded by continually stunning views of the Salkantay Glacier, sweeping canyon panoramas and the lofty summits of the Vilcabamba Range, making for a perfect opportunity to digests the magnitude and immensity of this unforgiving landscape. As condors saw majestically overhead, the pathway turns into a downhill hike and the first night’s camp at the clearing of Andenes.

After a good night’s rest and a hearty breakfast, get ready for a day of real variety. This is the longest and most challenging, though also the most impressive day of the trek with 20 endlessly scenic kilometres to get through, ever-changing scenery, temperature fluctuations and more. The early-morning will see you crossing grass-covered High Andean plains, Passion Fruit plantations and streams, before making the rocky ascent up to the Salkantay pass. Here, the ‘fields of green’ are replaced by ice pools, biting cold winds, and rocky terrain. Once through the pass, a welcome descent leads back down into lush cloud forest and the Santa Teresa River, before reaching the small community of Collpapampa, where the shores of the Toyota River lead you past waterfalls and the settlements of Wiñaypoko, La Playa and Lucmabamba, the last of which will be home for the night. Today’s hiking will include a real mixture of terrain, loose pathways, steep hills, and forest trails. The scenery is sublime throughout, passing Avocado, Banana and Coffee plantations while sharing the route with the abundance of wildlife which is prevalent in the area, making it a real day to remember.

The third and final day of trekking will be far gentler than yesterday, though no less spectacular, beginning with the fantastically well-preserved Inca ruins of Llactapata; one of the best-known and most iconic ancient sites anywhere in Peru, before setting sights on Machu Picchu Mountain itself. Having made a gradual ascent over 3 to 4 hours of hiking, passing plantations and stunning views of the Santa Teresa Valley, you will arrive at Llactapata. Known as much for its enormous size as it is for the level of complexity and preservation; the site is a superb example of ingenious Inca construction techniques and agricultural methodology. A guided tour of the complex serves as the perfect beginning to the next highlight of the day; your first glimpse of the Machu Picchu Mountainside. Having made the most of this privileged viewpoint and fully reflected on the journey taken so far, you will be taken down a mountain trail to the nearby hydroelectric station for lunch, before boarding a train to Aguas Calientes and on to your hotel for the evening.

The time to visit the one and only Machu Picchu has arrived, taking one of the first buses this morning ready for your private, personal two-hour walking tour of the stronghold. You will visit some of the residential areas, ritual sites, the Itihuatana stone at the Temple of The Sun and so on, all the while learning the rituals practiced by its inhabitants and the significance Machu Picchu holds in Peruvian history more widely. Once the formal part of the tour is complete, there will be plenty of free time to discover every pantry and passageway on your own or take the precarious climb to the summit of Wayna Picchu, the sister site to the main complex. Finally, having fully explored and finally understood this iconic, legendary site, the bus will depart back down to Aguas Calientes, before you take the train to Ollantaytambo where you’ll board your onward bus to Cusco.

The stunning and colorful Vinicunca also known as ‘Rainbow Mountain’ can be seen on the spectacular Ausangate trek, which requires at least a 4-day trek. This day trip including been designed for those lacking enough time for a trek to this hidden gem in Peru. It will take you through amazing landscapes, remote Quechua villages, snow-capped mountains and crystal-clear rivers and lakes. Your day starts very early in the morning (pick up around 5 am). After a 2.5- hours’ drive you arrive in Chillihuani (4,350 m/14,272 ft). As you slowly climb through the valley you will see traditional shepherd’s houses, grazing alpacas, lamas and even the rare vicuna. While hike you observe how the color of the landscape changes from green to red. After a hike of approx. 2 hours the sandy terrain gives way to mountain peaks and all your efforts will be rewarded by the magnificent views on the Ausangate snowcapped peak on clear days (Cusco’s highest mountain with 6,385 m/20,945 ft) and the Rainbow Mountain (5,020 m/16,466 ft) with its colorful sediments in turquoise, orange, brown and red. At the top of the world you have time to take in the colors and the scenery before starting the descend the same path downhill (1.5 hours). Your driver will be waiting to bring you back to your hotel in Cusco (approx. arrival time is at 17:00 hrs.).

In the morning transfer to the airport in Cusco.