DAY 1: Cusco – Mollepata – Soraypampa (Humantay Lake)
Our expert guide and transport from the hotel will pick you up at 3.00am to start the 2.5 hour trip to the Northern Zone of Cusco, arriving at the town of Mollepata. Here, we´ll have a short rest before returning to the road for one more hour before reaching the beginning of the excursion at Challacancha. Once there, our team of chefs will make an inviting open-air breakfast. Plus, you can meet and talk to the muleteers who will accompany us on our journey.
After the delicious breakfast, we start our adventure with a four-hour walk, passing by the remarkable Inca Canal, where one can appreciate the local flora as well as the famous wayside cairns and incredible views of the Andes Cordillera Blanca. Upon reaching the campsite, our support staff will prepare everything as we rest and wait for an appetizing lunch.
After the short repast, we will begin our two-hour ascent to the Turquoise Lagoon known as Huamantay, or God´s Head (4200m/13780ft). Here, we will enjoy an hour taking photos and hear a brief description of the locale, then return to the campground where our team will receive us with hot towels and a snack to recuperate our energy as we wait for a delicious dinner. The rest of the day will be spent camping out until the next day.
DAY 2: Soraypampa – Seven Serpents – Salkantay Pass (Japanese Beach) – Huayramachay – Chaullay
Today, our staff will wake you at 3.00am to offer a cup of hot chocolate. This will serve to shake off the cold at around -15°c/5°f. We will then continue resting until 6.00am, when our team will greet you with hot water so you can get cleaned up, then have breakfast until 7.00am. After this, we´ll get everything ready for our ascent to the Trial of the Seven Serpents.
From here, we´ll move on to the famous Japanese Beach (Salkantay Pass) at 4600m/15092ft, where one can take in the powerful Salkantay Mountain and its incredible snow-covered peaks. We´ll make our descent after a break in this magnificent locale and continue on to Huayramachay, where we´ll be greeted by our staff with an inviting lunch buffet and hot towels so we can relax before traversing part of the cloud forest. We´ll continue our trek to our campsite at Chaullay where we´ll rest, have a hot shower and enjoy the last dinner of this amazing expedition.
DAY 3: Chaullay – Playa Sayahuaco – Lucmabamba
After a delicious breakfast, we’ll begin the descent through part of the cloud forest. On the journey, you can appreciate the beautiful flora this place has to offer, from orchids to lovely wild flowers, as well as coffee and fruit plantations. At Playa Sayahuaco, our staff will greet you with food to enjoy in this hot climate. Afterwards, we´ll continue walking in these incredible surroundings to the campsite at Lucmabamba where we can relax and enjoy an inviting dinner.
DAY 4: Lucma bamba – Llacta pata – Hydroelectric Plant – Aguas Calientes (Hot Springs)
After a delectable breakfast, you´ll start the walk until reaching Hiram Bingham´s first discovery – the famous Llacta pata historic centre, where you can enjoy the rear face of the Machu Picchu citadel and Huaynapicchu mountain. We´ll continue our descent to the Hydroelectric Plant where we´ll bid goodbye to our team that accompanied us on the trek for four days.
Following an appetising lunch, we´ll walk about two hours along the railway to Aguascalientes village (also known as Machu Picchu village). We´ll spend the night here in a hotel selected previously by the travel agency.
DAY 5: Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – Ollantaytambo – Cusco
Our professional tour guide will pick you up very early and take you to the Aguas Calientes train station for the 30 minute trip to the Machu Picchu Control Station.
Don´t forget to have your Passport ready!
Once inside, you´ll be treated to one of the Wonders of the New World on a 3 hour guided tour. On your itinerary you can visit the famous Guardian House to take the classic Machu Picchu photo, see the Sun Temple, the Main Plaza, the Solar Clock, the Inca Landing, the Mirror Pools, the Mortars and the Temple of the Condor. At the end of this tour, you can buy souvenirs from this breathtaking locale and stamp your passport with a Machu Picchu seal.
A different bus will return you to Machu Picchu village, where you´ll enjoy a restaurant specially selected by the agency.
You´ll have free time to enjoy the town and buy any souvenirs you need, then reunite at the Aguas Calientes train station. Here, we´ll board the train to Ollantaytambo.
At Ollantaytambo our transport will be waiting to take you back to your hotel in Cusco.
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