ITINERARY
Day 1: Lima
Arrival in Lima, reception and transportation to the hotel.
Day 2:
Lima - Huaraz
After breakfast, you will be transported to the bus station for
the spectacular trip to Huaraz. Heading first along the Pan-American
Highway, you will eventually turn east and start gaining altitude
as you head towards the Andes. Upon arrival in Huaraz, you will
be brought to the hotel.
Day 3:
Huaraz
Free day for resting and acclimatizing to the altitude (3100 meters)
Day 4:The
drive from Huaraz to the village of Cashapampa (2900m) will take
about 3 hours. Approaching Cashapampa we have our first view of
Santa Cruz, the huge pyramid shaped mountain that gives the trekking
circuit its name. We will walk up the Santa Cruz Valley, following
the river. For the first 2 hours we are in a steep sided river gorge,
and then the valley opens up to grassland. We will camp near the
river at Llamacorral (3750m) after 4 - 5 hours.
Day 5:
An easy walk up the open valley to our camp at Taullipampa (4250m).
4 hours. During the walk up the valley, the twin peaks Quitaraju
and the famous Alpamayo come into view. We will walk past two lakes,
first the small Ichiccocha and then the larger Jatuncocha. Our camp
is situated near the base of the beautiful mountain Taulliraju and
surrounded by the peaks of Paria, Artseonraju, Rinrijirca, Quitaraju
and Alpamayo.
There is time on today’s walk to take a diversion and climb
for 40 minutes on a zigzag track to visit Alpamayo Base Camp, making
the day around 5½ hours. (We can also add an extra day here
and stay at beautiful Taullipampa Camp. We could either hike up
Centillo Peak (5000m, 4 hours), hike up to a high glacial lake at
the base of Artesonraju (4 hours), or have a rest day)
Day 6:
We will climb for about 2½ hours on a good path to the pass
of Punta Union
(4750m), where there are very close views of the surrounding mountains.
We can also look back down the Santa Cruz Valley where we have walked
and see Lake Jutuncocha in the distance. From the pass, we will
descend past two small lakes to camp on a flat plateau away from
the main trail in the Valley Paria (3900m). 7 hours
Day 7:
Today, we will walk down the valley Quebrada Huaripampa and climb
up to the settlement of Vaqueria (a 4 - 5 hours walk). We will then
take a car over a high pass at Portachuelo and down a steep zigzag
road to the beautiful lake Llanganuco, where we can stop for photos.
We will then return to Huaraz in the afternoon and take a luxury
night bus back to Lima. Upon arrival in Lima, we will transport
you to the hotel.
Included:
- Private trek transport
- Entrance fees
- Tents, personal tents, cook tent, dining tent, toilet tent
- All meals and snacks on trek
- Qualified trekking and climbing guides
- Cook, assistants, donkey drivers and donkeys, rescue horse
Doesn't Include:
Sleeping bags and mattresses (available for hire in Huaraz)
Day 8:
- Lima - Cusco
After breakfast, you will be transported from the hotel to the Lima
airport for a flight to Cusco, the ancient Inca capital. After the
one-hour flight, you will be greeted and transported to your hotel.
You will have the rest of the day free.
- Breakfast
- Hotel accommodation
Day 9:
Cusco City Tour
1:30 pm: We will embark on a guided tour of the city, including
the cathedral, Qoricancha temple, the Inca fortress of Sacsayhuaman
overlooking Cusco, Qenko and Puka Pukara. We will return to the
hotel after the tour and enjoy dinner in the evening followed by
a folkloric show.
Day 10:
Sacred Valley Shared Service
8:30 am: We will make a full-day excursion to Urubamba, the sacred
valley of the Incas and to the ancient Inca market town of Pisac.
After lunch in Urubamba, we will visit Ollantaytambo, the only Inca
town that was not defeated by the Spanish. You will have a chance
to explore the ruins before returning to Cusco and the traditional
market town of Chinchero. Afterwards, we will take you to your hotel.
Day 11:
Inca Trail 4D/3N : CUSCO - PISKACUCHU - WAYLLABAMBA
We will depart from Cusco and travel to Urubamba. We will stop briefly
at Ollaytaytambo where you can buy last minute gear and personal
needs. Then, we move on to Piskacuchu (Km 82) and the start of the
Inca Trail. We will have lunch in Miskay and relax a bit before
hiking to our first campsite. Along the way we will visit the Llactapata
archeological site. Lunch and dinner are included.
DAY 12:
WAYLLABAMBA - WARMIWAÑUSCA - PACAYMAYO
We'll start the day, early in the morning, with a hearty breakfast,
and then hike up to the highest point of the Inca Trail. Here, we
can literally see the various ecological zones and microclimates
that make up the area mapped out in front of us. We will cross the
Warmiwañusca pass at 4,200 meters/13,780 feet above sea level.
After lunch we will continue on to the Pacaymayo campsite, where
we will enjoy dinner and a well-deserved rest.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.
Day 13:
PACAYMAYO - CHAQ'ICOCHA - WIÑAYWAYNA
Our day begins with a nutritious breakfast and then a 45-minute
hike up to the second highest pass on the Trail (3,850 meters/12,631
feet above sea level). Along the way we will visit the Runcuracay
archeological site. During the day's hike, we will also visit the
Sayacmarca and Phuyupatamarca archeological complexes. After lunch
we will head to the Wiñaywayna ruins, where we will spend
our last night on the Trail.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.
Day 14:
WIÑAYWAYNA - MACHU PICCHU - CUSCO
After an early breakfast, we begin the final leg of the trek to
the lost city of Machu Picchu. First, we will hike to Inti Punku
("Sun Gate"), where we will take in an awe inspiring and
panoramic view of the Machu Picchu citadel. After a short hike down
to Machu Picchu, we will register and then enjoy a 3-hour guided
tour of the sanctuary-city. After the tour of Machu Picchu, we will
take the bus down to Aguas Calientes where we will eat lunch and
have free time to enjoy the town before returning to Cusco by train.
Breakfast and lunch included.
Day 15:
Cusco
River Rafting Tour
At 9:00 AM we leave for the Urubamba River in the Sacred Valley
of the Incas (north of Cusco), where our guide will give us an introductory
chat on safety and equipment for our trip running the Urubamba.
We will raft for around 2 ½ hours and return to Cusco around
5:00 pm.
Included :
- Professional English speaking guides, paramedics qualified for
Class V rafting
- Full Rafting equipment (helmet, life jacket, raincoat, paddle,
wetsuit, Hyside Self Bailer Boats)
- Private Round Trip Transportation.
- Lunch (Meat, salad, sodas, tea, coffee, dessert, fruits)
Day 16:
Cusco -Lima
You will be transported to the airport for your flight to Lima
Breakfast included.
DOESN’T INCLUDE:
- International flights, departure tax (US$25), local flights tax
(US$10), funds to cover tips on included excursions, border &
flight taxes, visas, travel insurance, personal items, sleeping
bag for Inca Trail.
- Extra money, US$25 approx. per day to cover meals in cities, snacks,
drinks, tips, souvenirs, laundry and any extras..
