Very early, as the sun begins to shine on the roofs of Cusco, our guide will pick us up from the hotel and we will head in the direction of the Sacred Valley. The Calca market will be our last stop before losing contact with big cities. This is our final chance to buy any last minute things we may need for the trip. The road that leads to Lares and crosses the Amparaes pass at 4470m is a phenomenal drive which winds through arid landscapes, occasional rivers run across the road and the mountain views are breathtaking.

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Our final destination is the hot baths of Lares. Here, naturally occurring, relaxing thermal waters await us before our trek. From the thermal baths unfolds a small track, used by local children and community members. We pass through hand tilled fields and crops of quinoa and potato, amongst quaint stone houses. After a gradual climb of a few hours we will stop for a delicious lunch, before continuing on to the community of Cuncani, our camp for the evening. The night will be cold but charming.

Start Height: 3230 masl / 10600 ft.

Max Height: 3840 masl / 12600ft.

Approximate Walking time: 6 hrs

Day Distance: 10,88 Km / 6,8 Ml

Meals: L, D. Snacks

If the day is clear, we will wake up to the imposing view of Colque Cruz, a majestic mountain capped by a glacier, which provides water to the community. We follow the path next to an icy stream that will take us towards the pass. The ascent is challenging. We will have some hours of demanding but rewarding uphill, on rocky trails passing through incredible landscapes punctuated by high altitude lagoons. As we get closer to the pass, the trail becomes steeper and rockier.

On reaching the summit a stunning view of the Pampas of Anta awaits us, followed by a descent that will be most agreeable after such a long climb. The descent is steep but beautiful, crossing a small forest of ‘Polylepis’, the endemic and endangered trees of the high Andes. Just after the forest and with an incredible view of the valley below we will stop for lunch. After which the drop continues until we reach our camp, a tranquil paradise, surrounded by trees and crossed by a small river.

Start Height: 3840 masl / 12600ft.

Max Height: 4730 masl / 15700 ft.

Approximate Walking time: 10 hrs

Day Distance: 14,4 Km / 9 Ml

Meals: B, L, D. Snacks

This morning will be our last on the trail and after breakfast there will be a chance to take photos with our porters, cooks and field staff. All those who made this trip possible. From here the walk becomes easier down to the piscigranja (fish farm). We will feel the climate changing, becoming warmer and more alive, with more variety in vegetation as hummingbirds accompany us on our journey. After a few short hours we will meet our private transportation that will take us to Ollantaytambo station to board the train to Aguas Calientes.

As the train travels along, the valley turns into a canyon and the scenery alters, as the cloud forests begin to appear, on our approach to the Machu Picchu Sanctuary. We will disembark the train at Aguas Calientes. Hotel staff will be waiting to help us with our luggage and escort us to the hotel. After a well-deserved shower we will enjoy a delicious dinner at one of the best restaurants in town.

Start Height: 4040 masl / 13400 ft.

Max Height: 4040 masl / 13400 ft.

Approximate Walking time: 4 hrs

Day Distance: 5 Km / 3,1 Ml

Meals: B, L, Snacks

Accommodation:Hatun Inti or Similar

Good Morning! Rested and enthusiastic for our ultimate day we have the option to relax this the morning or have a wander round the town.

Today we will lunch early in one of Aguas Calientes’ excellent restaurants in order to arrive to the Citadel in good time for our full afternoon tour. Accompanied by our guide, we take a 25 minute bus ride to the sanctuary of Machupicchu (2400m / 7874ft). Our guide will lead us in a tour of exploration and discovery of the many curious corners within this enigmatic Citadel. Our guided tour will have an average duration of 2 hours.

Machu Picchu with Huayna Picchu

If you feel like you could take on another uphill challenge, you have the option to climb the famous mountain of Huayna Picchu this morning, pre afternoon tour. It is important to mention that to climb this mountain, you need to buy a separate ticket in advance. Please confirm that you want to make this climb at the time of making your booking with us. The trail consists of many steep narrow steps (not recommended for people who suffer vertigo), the height of the mountain is 2700m / 8858ft (the climb is 300 m.) We will climb Huayna Picchu at 10am. The route is around 3 hours round trip. We will then exit Machu Picchu citadel and have our lunch at Sanctuary Lodge just outside the entrance to the Citadel. After lunch we re-enter the citadel at 2pm for our guided tour of the citadel itself.

As the site closes for the day at 5:30pm we bus back down to Aguas Calientes. We then have a charming train journey back to Ollantaytambo and time to reflect on, quite possibly, one of the most amazing experiences of your life. Our private transport will be waiting to take us back to your hotel.

Meals: B, Lunch.