The itinerary below is a sample itinerary. Depending on the group and travel times, the actual itinerary may vary in day-by-day content and total number of days. Call us (1-877-627-1425) for specific details.
Day 1. Depart for Peru & Arrive in Lima.
After departing the U.S., we arrive in Lima. Depending on your flight schedule, you may spend the night at a hotel in Miraflores, an upscale neighborhood in the capitol city, or you may head directly onto Cusco.
Day 2. Cusco
This morning we travel to Cusco and get settled in to our hotel located downtown near the main plaza. A warm Coca tea will ease our adaptation to the high altitude (Cusco is at 11,200 feet above sea level). After a light lunch (we recommend a light meal) we meet for a guided tour of the city and the nearby ruins of Cusco. In the evening we enjoy a welcome dinner with a cultural show at local restaurant.
Day 3. Sacred Valley of the Incas
After breakfast we leave Cusco by road for a full day guided visit to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. We will visit the colonial town and Inca City of Pisac, with a chance to shop at the local market. Later we’ll travel by road following the sacred Urubamba or Vilcanota River. We drive past the town of Urubamba then continue on to Ollantaytambo. We enjoy lunch and take time to visit the impressive Inca remains there. Later we proceed down the Sacred Valley to our private campsite at Km. 82 where we enjoy a Pachamanca dinner (cooked in the ground) and camp for the night.
Day 4: Inca Trail, KM.82 TO PAUCARCANCHA
This morning we enjoy a plentiful buffet breakfast which will give us great energy for the start of our hike. We meet our porters, distribute the loads, register with authorities at the entrance to the trail and begin our trek following the left bank of the Urubamba River. After a couple of hours of gentle hiking we reach and visit the Inca ruins of Llactapata. We continue hiking, this time away from the Urubamba river ascending and following a stream towards the village of Huayllabamba. We have a picnic lunch nearby and continue ascending on a 40 minute detour from the main trail that will take us to Paucarcancha a magnificent archaeological site and right next to it a locally owned private campsite where we set up camp for the evening.
Day 5: Inca Trail, PAUCARCANCHA TO PACAYMAYU
After enjoying the beauty of our campsite and a nutritious breakfast we begin hiking on a shortcut trail past Huayllabamba, register at the Park’s control station to continue on an ascending trail that takes us to our lunch spot with fantastic views. Later we pass through an interesting protected cloud forest of native trees before reaching our lunch site at Llullucchapampa right before the high pass known as Dead Woman’s Pass or “Warmiwañusta”. Spectacular views lead our way in the afternoon as we reach the Pass at 4,200 meters to later descend to our campsite at Pacaymayu.
Day 6: Inca Trail, PACAYMAYU TO PHUYUPATAMARCA
An early nourishing breakfast bolsters our energy for day’s hike in the original cobblestone paved trail left by the Incas. We can appreciate the lovely changes in vegetation and geology as we pass through different ecological zones. We climb up and over the second high pass at 3,950 Mts. On a clear day, our efforts are rewarded with unparalleled views of the snow covered peaks of the Cordillera Vilcabamba and the lush valley vegetation. Masterful Inca engineering is today’s highlight along the trail as we discover the Inca remains of Sayajmarca at 3,640 meters, explore them and continue to the incomparable site of Phuyupatamarca, THE PLACE ABOVE THE CLOUDS at 3,680 meters. We camp here and have enough time to soak up some of the magical charm of this marvellous campsite.
Day 7: Inca Trail, PHUYUPATAMARCA TO MACHU PICCHU
Today we reach Machu Picchu, the lost City of the Incas. After taking a short time to say good by to our camp crew and fortified with breakfast, we hike an easier trail for several hours down a clear stone paved road with several incredible stairways, some with many steps carved into a single stone, a small tunnel and several viewing terraces, then we come to the ruins of “Wiñay Wayna” or “Forever Young”, we have a picnic lunch. We continue on to “Inti Punku” that translates into “The Gate Of The Sun”. From here we first see the spectacular city of Machu Picchu below us. After taking time to take pictures and soak in the spectacular view, a quick descent along the wide royal Inca road and we enter the mysterious citadel to spend some time wandering and wondering in the midst of its eternal beauty. In the evening we stay at a small hotel in the town of Aguas Calientes nearby.
Day 8: Machu Picchu
We have a full day to explore Macchu Picchu. We will have a guided tour of the ruins followed by some time to explore the ruins on our own. In the afternoon we board the train to return to Ollantaytambo and transfer to our hotel in Cusco.
Day 9: Service Project; Return to Lima
We spend the morning engaged in a short service project with a partner organization in Cusco. We return to Lima this afternoon and begin the journey back home late this evening.