Your trip to Peru has commenced! A representative will pick you up from the airport at the scheduled time to transfer you to your hotel in Cusco.
After breakfast at the hotel, you will have the day to acclimatize at your leisure about Cusco city. We will provide optional activities for those who feel up to the challenge.
Eat a hearty breakfast as your expedition to Salkantay begins today! You will be picked up from your Cusco city hotel in the morning to head to Soraypampa (12,690 ft), where we begin the trek towards Salkantay Pass (15,213 ft). Soak in the views of the snow-capped peaks of the Vilcabamba Mountain Range in every direction, with the glaciated south face of Salkantay and Andean condors towering above us. We will descend towards Wayracmachay to enjoy lunch and then continue descending. Take note of how the landscape changes, becoming increasingly green through the various microclimates, from highland to jungle or cloud forest. We will arrive at the second camp of Andenes (9,481 ft.) to set up camp for the night.
After breakfast, we hike along the Santa Teresa River Valley and through more populated rural areas, passing banana, granadilla, avocado and coffee plantations. A hot picnic lunch is served along the way. Afterwards, we hike for about two hours before a private vehicle meets us for a short drive to the beginning of the Llactapata Inca Trail (30 minutes). From there, we easily make our way to the last campsite at Lucmabamba. In the evening, we will learn about the coffee process and participate in a tasting with our host, a local family.
Fuel up before heading uphill for two to three hours towards Llactapata Pass (8,974 ft), from which we descend to the Llactapata archaeological complex. We will be able to indulge in a distant, but spectacular, view of the Machu Picchu ruins from the southeast, a view few travelers get the chance to admire. Lunch is served at a scenic viewpoint, looking out to Machu Picchu. After that, the final descent begins to the Aobamba River through lush bamboo forests, orchards and coffee plantations. Finally, we get to the Hydroelectric Power Station to board the train to Aguas Calientes. Once reaching the small mountain town, you will be transferred to your hotel.
After breakfast at the hotel, we make our way to the bus station for the ride up to Machu Picchu. After a short bus transfer, we’ll reach the Machu Picchu ruins, considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. After a two-hour guided tour, you have free time to explore the timeless architectural masterpiece at your leisure, or simply relax and meditate. Later on, we’ll return by bus to Aguas Calientes and have lunch at local restaurant before catching a train back to Ollantaytambo. From this point, you will be transferred to your hotel in Cusco city and have the evening off to enjoy.
Enjoy your last full day within the ancient Inca capital after a filling breakfast. You may go off on your own or choose our optional activities.
Enjoy your final breakfast at your hotel in Cusco before a transportation service takes you to the airport for your return flight to Lima.
Cusco: Once the capital of the Inca Empire, Cusco city is rich in pre-Columbian ruins and Spanish colonial architecture.
Soraypampa: This campsite is a starting point of the trek to the snowy mountains of Salkantay.
Salkantay: The second-highest mountain in Cusco at 6,271 m.a.s.l. remains as beautiful and as challenging to tame as it was in ancient Inca times.
Lucmabamba: This high-altitude coffee plantation area in Santa Teresa is renowned for producing some of the best organic coffees in the world.
Machu Picchu: Set high in the Andes, the Inca citadel offers a glance into Peru’s past and an unforgettable view of the area today.
Book a trip on this eight-day expedition to Salkantay to go deep into the history of the Land of the Incas. Upon arriving in Cusco city, be prepared to hike several days through rolling Andean forests, discovering ancient archeological sites and enjoying impressionable views along the way to the majestic Salkantay mountain. After seeing these Peru highlights, you will be rewarded with a chance to visit the historic sanctuary of Machu Picchu. This Peru tour is for those willing to step off the beaten track and into the living past of the ancient Incas.
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