Luxury Glamping Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

ITINERARY

DAY 1: CUSCO CITY TOUR

Upon your arrival to Cusco, you will be welcomed by our representative and transferred to your hotel. There, you will receive a short briefing and the rest of the morning enjoying some leisure time to rest and acclimatize to the altitude.

In the afternoon at 1pm, we will pick you up at your hotel and we will begin your tour of the Imperial Cusco City, a living example of the mix of Andean and Spanish cultures.  Then,we continue our journey visiting the Santo Domingo Convent built over the Temple of the Sun (Koricancha), as well as the Ancient Inca Palace and the main worship center of the Sun God.  We proceed to visit the archaeological site of Sacsayhuaman, which dominates the city. Finally, we go to the fascinating ruins of Qenqo, Puca Pucará and Tambomachay, located in the north east of the city. Afterwards we take you back to your hotel in early evening.

• 5* Accommodation: Aranwa Hotel

Day 2: Sacred Valley tour – Pisac – Moray – Maras Salineras 

We start this beautiful day at 7:30am, when your guide picks you up at your Cusco hotel in our private van. Our route to the Sacred Valley of the Incas leads us towards Pisac. We stop first at the Mirador of Taray to enjoy an expansive view of the Urubamba valley and its traditional farming villages. You will see how the agriculture in the Sacred Valley has changed little in the past five hundred years. Onward, we drive to the archeological site of Pisac, where you can see an impressive Inca cemetery with more than 2,000 tombs. There, we can admire the carefully engineered farming terraces carved into the mountain, explore the Inca tunnel and the religious area of this important citadel. Here, we will spend about 2 hours, exploring the Inca city. Then, we head down to the colorful market of Pisac, spend about 20 minutes visiting it and then drive to Urubamba for lunch.

Our next stop is the archeological site of Moray also known as “The Greenhouse of the Incas” a deep basin of architectural wonder. Levels of terraces are carved into a huge bowl, which was carefully engineered by the Incas. The terraces have varied microclimates depending on how deep into the bowl they are placed.  Archeologists believe that they were used by the Incas to discover the optimal growing conditions for their crops and experiment in hybridization.

Continuing on our journey to the colonial town of Maras, we look down onto the pre-Inca salt “mines,” called salineras in Spanish. Thousands of salt pans have been passed down through countless generations and used for salt extraction since before Inca times. A hot spring at the top of the valley discharges a small stream of heavily salt laden water, which is diverted into salt pans and evaporated to produce salt. This is one of the few places in the world where you can find naturally pink salt!

Finally, we drive to our hotel in the Sacred Valley; Aranwa Hotel

• 5* Accommodations: ARANWA HOTEL.

Day 3: CUSCO – KM 82 – HATUNCHACA – WAYLLABAMBA – AYAPATA

Today begins your adventure of a lifetime with the Classic Inca Trail!  Your guide will pick you up from your Cusco hotel in our private van at 4:30am.  From there, we travel to Piskacucho, which is known as Kilometer 82, where the Classic Inca Trail begins.  Along the way, we stop for breakfast in Ollantaytambo at about 6:30-7:00 to load up on energy for our first big day.  (Breakfast is not included)

Arriving at KM82 (8:30am), we will have some time to organize ourselves, use the restrooms, apply sunscreen, insect repellent, etc. Here you will give your duffel bag to the porters, keeping only a small daypack with the essentials you need during the hike. Check our packing list for more information. Once at the Inca Trail checkpoint, be ready to show your passports and your student ID card, if you booked as a student. Your guide will have all of your permits and tickets.

At the start of the trail (2,720m/8,923ft) you will cross the Vilcanota River and follow its scenic route. The first day is relatively easy, a warm-up along the rolling ‘Inca flat’ terrain.  There are great views of the Inca Fortress of Huillca Raccay, the vast and incredible Inca site of Llactapata, (also called Patallacta), the Urubamba mountain range that divides the jungle, the Andes Mountains, and the beautiful snow-capped peak of Veronica (5,860m/19,225ft), also known as W’akay Willca. You stop for your first gourmet lunch at Hatunchaca, after which you only have about three hours of walking to camp.

Our first campsite is about 2 hours past the small village of Wayllabamba (3,000m/9,842ft) located in the temperate green valley of the same name. Temperatures at night can be as low as 5ºC, depending on the season. It is generally colder in the dry season from May to September.

When you arrive at camp, your afternoon tea and appetizers will be ready for you. Enjoy a hot drink and settle into your tents, which will already be set up for you.

• Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, snacks, afternoon tea and dinner
• Accommodation: Camping facilities
• Distance: 12kms/7.5mls (about 6 hours hiking)
• Difficulty: Easy/Moderate

Day 4: AYAPATA– DEAD WOMAN’S PASS – PACAYMAYU – CH’AQUI QQOCHA

Your guide will wake you up with a hot mug of tea or coffee at 5:30am. Enjoy your hot drink in your sleeping bag before getting up for a delicious and hearty breakfast. With your daypacks as light as possible, you start a steep ascent towards the highest pass, Abra de Warmihuañusca, also known as Dead Woman’s Pass at (4,200m/13,779ft).  On this day, you will feel a real sense of achievement upon reaching the top! After a well-deserved break for photos, you begin the descent towards your lunch spot, which is located at Pacaymayu (3,550m/11,646ft).

On your way up towards the pass, you will see an array of hummingbirds and a variety of other species of birds. There will be plenty of time to appreciate the incredible variety of native plants and the Polylepis, or Q’ueuña trees, which grow in the astonishing cloud forest located at (3,650m/11,972ft)!

After a gourmet lunch, you begin the second two-hour steep climb towards Runkuraqay pass (4,000m/13,123ft). You arrive at your campsite by 5 pm, where your afternoon tea and appetizers are waiting for you. Temperatures at this campsite are around 4ºC during the night.

• Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, snacks, afternoon tea and dinner
• Accommodation: Glamping facilities
• Distance: 16kms/10mls (about 9 hours hiking)
• Difficulty: Moderate/challenging

Day 5: CH’AQUI QQOCHA – PHUYUPATAMARCA  – WIÑAY WAYNA

This is the most impressive day so far, so keep this in mind as you ascend on day three! Your guide will wake you up at 6am with another hot mug of tea or coffee in your tent before you get up for breakfast. You start the day with a gentle climb towards the archaeological site of Phuyupatamarca, which means ‘Village in the Clouds’.  Here, we reach the third highest point along the Inca trail (3,680m/12,073ft). The views of the mountains, canyons and surrounding areas are spectacular!

The extensive Inca site of Phuyupatamarca, is located a few minutes’ walk from the third pass.  After visiting this site, you continue walking down 3,000 stairs through the cloud forest to the impressive Inca site of Intipata. As you descend from the mountains, you will feel the temperature rise. You are approaching not only Machu Picchu, but also the beginning of the Amazon jungle! After taking some time to visit Intipata, you continue to your third campsite Wiñay Wayna (2,680m/8,792ft). Today, you will only walk about 4 to 5 hours.  You will arrive at camp by lunchtime!  Temperatures during the night are about 12º C.

A short walk from your campsite is the famous Inca site of Wiñay Wayna which means “Forever Young” in Quechua. It is named after a special orchid which grows abundantly in the area.

• Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, snacks, afternoon tea and dinner
• Accommodation: Glamping facilities
• Distance: 10kms/6.2mls (about 5 hours hiking)
• Difficulty: Moderate

Day 6: WIÑAY WAYNA – MACHU PICCHU – CUSCO

At around 4:00am, it is time to wake up with another hot drink and start day 4 on the Inca Trail. This is the final part of your journey, and you arrive by 6:00am at the Sun Gate, also known as Inti Punku. At that point, the majestic Machu Picchu Citadel will be in front of you with its mystic beauty – an incredible sight for all to see. At the Sun Gate, you will watch sunlight spreading down over the citadel like melting goal, as the sun rises behind you. Finally, we walk downhill towards Machu Picchu Citadel (2,400m/7,872 ft.). After walking about 40 minutes, we enter the citadel from the top through the “House of the Guardians”. From there, we proceed towards the control point, where we register and leave any large backpacks or walking poles. You are only allowed to take small bags into the citadel, such as camera bags. Walking poles are not allowed because they can damage the stones.

Your guide will give you the full tour, which takes about two hours. You will see all of the most important parts of Machu Picchu, including the Temple of the Sun, Temple of the Condor, Temple of Three Windows, Sun Dial, Quarry, and the House of the Inca. You will also learn about how Machu Picchu is divided into three sectors: agricultural, residential, and religious.

After your tour, those who have booked in advance for the extra hikes up Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain will have time to enjoy those views on their own. When you have had your fill of the exceptional views of Machu Picchu, you will take the bus back down to Aguas Calientes for lunch (not included). Depending on your train departure time, you may also have time for some shopping, sightseeing or a visit to the museum or hot springs.

The train will take you back to Ollantaytambo, following the spectacular Urubamba River. Close to Aguas Calientes, the canyon is narrow and the river has many beautiful sections of whitewater. You can also see Wiñay Wayna from the train if you look up high on the steep canyon wall! Back at Ollantaytambo, your driver will meet you at the exit from the train station to take you back to your hotel in Cusco in our private vehicle. You can expect to arrive at your hotel by 19:00.

• Meals included: Breakfast
• Distance: 6kms/3.7mls
• Difficulty: Easy
• Accomadation: Aranwa Hotel

*** The Huayna Picchu Hike the Machu Picchu Mountain Hike depends on availability, please let us know if you want to add one of these extra hikes at the time of your booking.

Day 7: Cusco  – Day off. 

Day off to rest and enjoy Cusco.

• Accomadation: Aranwa Hotel

DAY 8: CUSCO – RAINBOW MOUNTAIN – CUSCO

We will pick you up from your hotel at 4am, and begin with our amazing Rainbow Mountain Trek Adventure.  We set out on our drive for 3 hours through the South Valley, ending up at the trailhead at Llacto (4,638m / 15,216 ft).  Along the way, there are amazing views of farming Inca terraces, traditional villages, valleys and high Andean peaks.

The herds of alpacas and llamas near your breakfast place will entertain you in the early morning. Once we reach the trailhead, we start on our hike following a lovely stream. As you start your hike, you will have views of the Ausangate Mountain and glaciers. You can interact with the local people, who are still keeping traditional Quechua culture alive.Learn about their traditional clothes and the significance of the different hats worn by the men. Ask your guide to teach you a few words of Quechua!

After a total hike of 1.5 hours, we finally reach our destination the Rainbow Mountain. After admiring the unique beauty, you will have time to explore the area. You can take pictures or just soak up the view. We will spend approximately 30 minutes at the top. Afterwards, there is an optional hike across to the top of the Red Valley.  This walk takes about 45 minutes longer to get back to the trailhead.

At this point, we hike back down the way we came. The hike takes 1 hour, then we enjoy our lunch which will prepare by our cook.

We will embark on the 3-hour drive back to Cusco and drop you off at your Cusco hotel, arriving around 6:30pm.

• Meals included: hot breakfast & lunch
• Accomadation: Aranwa Hotel in Cusco

Day 9: TRANSFER BACK TO AIRPORT. 

At any time, we will take you back to airport.