The Andean Explorer

Welcome to the imperial, Andean Inca city of Cusco, the cultural capital of Peru! Upon arrival, we will take you to your hotel to drop off your luggage and freshen up. After lunch and when you are ready, we will take a leisurely half-day tour of this amazing place as you acclimatize to the high altitude (3,400 m / 11,155 ft).

Cusco has a long history and is the oldest continuously inhabited city in all the Americas! Since about 1,000 B.C., people have lived in Cusco and regarded it as a center of the surrounding culture (then called Qosqo). It has been an important part of every civilization that has lived in the area throughout history, starting with the native people of Peru long before the famous Inca people.

On the arrival of the Inca Empire to Peru and beyond, Cusco became the navel of their far-reaching and powerful empire. Of course, the Incas were then conquered by Spaniards who also used Cusco as a colonial, regal capital for the area.

The attractions visited on this tour include:

Cathedral of Cusco
Located in Cusco’s Main Square, the cathedral is a colonial monument of great artistic value. It was built on top of the Wiracocha Inca Palace and houses works of carved wood such as the choir, pulpit, and altars, beautiful paintings from the Cusquenian School of Art (including a Last Supper painting in which Christ and His disciples eat cuy – guinea pig!) and works of embossed silver. This cathedral flanks the grandiose Plaza de Armas – the historical and cultural heart of Cusco.

Qoricancha Temple and Santo Domingo Convent
This religious center was built to worship the Sun, the most revered deity during the Inca Empire. Inside the temple, you will find smaller temples dedicated to the sun, moon, stars, etc. Outside are beautiful, regal gardens and fountains on the grounds of the monumental temple. Here, the combination of the extraordinary Inca architecture and the Spanish colonial architecture is what stands out the most. Besides, the Cusquenian School of Art’s gallery offers you the opportunity to appreciate some of their colonial art pieces.

Sacsayhuaman
Located 2 km from Cusco City, this fortress was built using enormous carved rocks joined with compelling precision. It is composed of three overlapping platforms with an average length of 360 meters. In its construction, you can see stones as big as 9 meters in height! From here, you can enjoy a spectacular view of Cusco city along with the beautiful landscape formed by the surrounding mountains.

Q’enqo
Located 1.4 km from Sacsayhuaman, this complex was an Inca ceremonial cult center. The most prominent feature of this complex is an open space called the amphitheater. Back in its day, you would have found Inca mummies in the 19 trapezoidal niches found here. Today, the amphitheater is half of its original height.

Puka Pukara
This complex is known as the “red fortress” due to its reddish tints resulting from the vast amounts of iron in its rocks. It is thought that this fortress was perhaps an old Tambo (storage area) that served both as a resting and guarding spot to protect Tambomachay. Here you can see attractive architecture, fountains, aqueducts, and several Incan enclosures.

Tambomachay
This complex is made up of a combination of finely carved stones, waterfalls, and aqueducts to carry water coming from nearby springs and hot springs. For this reason, Tambomachay is associated with the water cult. In front of this construction is a tower that is said to have served as a guarding post and communication tower.

Today, you will have the opportunity to visit some of the most beautiful and historically rich towns of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. We begin the day by picking you up from your hotel in Cusco at 8:30 a.m. and heading toward the town of Pisac. Before reaching Pisac, we will stop at both the Qorao and Taray lookouts, so you can admire the Sacred Valley’s beauty from afar and take pictures.

Once in Pisac, we will visit both the Pisac archaeological site and its famous traditional market. Then, we will drive to the town of Urubamba for lunch, where you will enjoy a delicious buffet lunch of traditional Peruvian dishes.

Continuing, we will drive to the classic Inca town of Ollantaytambo and visit its unique archaeological site with its royal water sources, high terraces, temples, etc., surrounded by towering mountain peaks and colorful valleys, plus the view of the faraway Veronica glacier.

Ollantaytambo is the most well-preserved layout of a typical, Inca-built city with its narrow, cobbled streets and stone walls. Its conservation allows for the enduring legacy of the Incan people to live on for us today.

To finish our day, we will visit Chinchero and meet some of the town’s talented women in a textile-making presentation. The Cusco region is known for its superb, colorful textiles, and here you will learn how each color of wool is naturally dyed, how the intricate cloths are woven, and the symbolism held by the traditional designs you find in their beautiful creations. Here, you will also visit an archeological site and a colonial church.

After your tour, you will be brought back to Cusco and dropped off at your hotel at 6:45 pm to rest up for tomorrow’s exciting activities!

Get ready for an early start today, as we'll be picking you up around 4:00 a.m. to begin your adventure. Don't worry though, our comfortable transportation comes with blankets so you can catch a bit more sleep during the 2-hour drive. We'll make a quick stop in Mollepata for breakfast before continuing on to Challacancha, where we'll begin our hike.

Before hitting the trail, you'll have a chance to meet the cooks and horsemen and do a final equipment check. Then, we'll start the 3-hour moderate hike to Soraypampa (3,900 m / 12,795 ft), where we'll spend our first night. The trail starts relatively flat, passing through a deep valley of glaciers and following a restored Inca water channel still used by local farmers. The section is 7 km / 4.35 mi overall.

Upon arriving at Soraypampa, you'll get settled in at our exclusive Sky Camp and enjoy your first lunch in the mountains. After some rest, we'll hike up to the stunning Humantay Lake (4,200 m / 13,780 ft), which takes about 3 hours round trip and covers 3 km / 1.86 mi. Although not far, taking things slowly at this altitude is important. At the lake, you'll be mesmerized by the turquoise waters reflecting the Humantay glacier - a view straight out of a fairy tale!

After returning to camp, you'll have a delicious dinner while watching the sunset. You'll feel the peaceful energy of the surroundings as you settle into your Sky Camp igloo. The glass roof provides a perfect view of the stars, constellations, and comets. And when you wake up, you'll see the majestic Apu Salkantay watching over you.

Waking up with the first rays of the sun, we await you with a hot cup of coca tea. Then, we will enjoy one of our nutritious and delicious breakfasts before starting the hike to the highest point of the entire route, the Salkantay Pass (4,630 m / 15,190 ft). This part of the hike is a difficult ascent on a winding trail, takes approximately three hours, and has a distance of 7 km / 4.34 miles.

Once you reach the top, you will be able to appreciate the most spectacular view of the valleys surrounding the Salkantay mountain located in front of you (6,271 m / 20,574 ft); it is considered the second highest peak in all of Cusco and is known as one of the Inca gods called Apus. You will also enjoy incredible panoramas of the mountains: Humantay, Tucarhuay, and Pumasillo. After taking in the views and recovering your energy, we will descend on a 6 km / 3.72-mile hike along a rocky trail to our lunch spot at Wayracmachay (3,850 m / 12,631 ft). While enjoying a delicious lunch prepared by our chef, you will appreciate the beautiful scenery of the area.

Afterward, we will resume our hike to descend into the valley. This section is 9.5 km / 5.9 miles and will take us about three and a half hours to complete. As we go on, you will notice that the climate changes drastically because of the "cloud forest"; from this point, we will say goodbye to the snowy peaks of the mountains, and we will head to the Peruvian Amazon jungle. In this place, you can observe impressive wildlife unique to the area and many colorful landscapes. You will find it amazing that a few hours earlier you were in the middle of snow-capped glaciers, as the weather will also become much warmer here.

Your longest day of hiking ends when you arrive at our exclusive Mountain Sky View campsites at Collpapampa (2,950 m / 9,678 ft). You will enjoy a hearty and well-deserved dinner before going to rest.

Today you’ll be woken at 6:00 a.m. for your tea and then breakfast before setting off from the campsite. Our first destination will be La Playa, and we’ll be walking through the Santa Teresa Valley. You’ll enjoy a more leisurely walk today with more downs than ups as you soak in the lush landscape of rivers, waterfalls, orchids, and many plantations, including banana, coffee, and avocado.

We’ll pass through a small village called Collpapampa, and after, descend through a valley where you’ll observe waterfalls, birds, hot springs, fruit trees, and plenty of flora and fauna. You might be lucky enough to see the national bird of Peru, the ‘Cock of the Rock.’

In La Playa, we’ll devour a tasty lunch before we head to Lucmabamba (2,000 m / 6,562 ft), just another hour away. In the afternoon, you will have free time to explore the tropical surroundings and visit an organic coffee farm, especially perfect for those who are coffee lovers. Even if you are not a fan of a cup of coffee, the smell in the air is delicious. This is the main agricultural industry in the jungle that exports products to the United States, Asia, and all of Europe. You will also visit avocado and orange plantations.

After dinner, of course, you will go to bed for the night in one of our exclusive camps, Jungle Domes. While resting, you can listen to the different sounds of nature and feel in harmony with mother earth.

Like previous mornings, the trek guide will wake you up early with a hot cup of coca tea served in your dome. After enjoying your last breakfast prepared by the talented trek chef, you will get ready for the day's activities. We will start the hike early, allowing you to experience a small part of the famous Inca trail.

After a climb of 3 hours with amazing views of the Santa Teresa valley, we will arrive at the Llactapata Inca site (2,700 m / 8,858 ft) right in front of Machu Picchu. This exceptional location is the perfect place to learn about the land's roots and history. Our guide will take you on a tour of the site, providing insight into how the Incas used and worshipped the land. From this spot, you can see the Inca City of Machu Picchu, as well as Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain. You will have plenty of time to take photos and capture memories to share with your loved ones back home.

After exploring Llactapata, we will continue our trek for 1.5 hours downhill to Aobamba for lunch. Then, we will continue our way to our next featured spot in the hike, the Hidroelectrica train station (1,800 m / 5,906 ft). One of the most impressive sites in this area is the 250-meter-tall artificial waterfall, which generates electricity for the entire city of Cusco.

If you feel exhausted, you can take a train from Hidroelectrica to Aguas Calientes (not included, US$ 37.00). Otherwise, we will continue our walk from Hidroelectrica to Aguas Calientes for about three hours along the train track. A few minutes ahead of Hidroelectrica, we will arrive at Intihuatana, a famous ancient rock used as a ceremonial table in the Inca era. The people used this stone, together with the famous Intihuatana in Machu Picchu, to measure and read the winter solstice, which marked the beginning of the new farming season for the Incas.

Next to the railroad, there is a beautiful path through the warm paradise of the cloud forest, the same trail used by American professor Hiram Bingham who rediscovered Machu Picchu after centuries of it being lost to the outside world. After three hours of walking, we will arrive at Aguas Calientes town, where we will head first to our hotel. Your room will have a private bathroom, hot shower, Wi-Fi, breakfast in the morning, and luggage storage while you visit Machu Picchu. You can rest before dinner or explore this peaceful town. There are no cars in Aguas Calientes, giving it a calm and serene atmosphere.

At 7:00 p.m., we will have dinner at a local restaurant and organize everything for the highlight of our adventure: Machu Picchu!

Note: During the rainy season, the hike up the Llactapata Trail is not 100% guaranteed due to safety concerns. When heavy rains are frequent, this trail becomes very dangerous.

Today we will finally visit Machu Picchu - one of the 7 Wonders of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage Site! Rise early after a refreshing night at our hostel to enjoy the serenity of Machu Picchu in the soft morning light before the crowds arrive. The Machu Picchu entrance checkpoint opens from 6:00 a.m.

In the morning, we'll board the bus to Machu Picchu and be among the first to enter the royal city of the Incas. Our expert guide will lead us on a fascinating 2-hour tour through this wonderful ancient site, where we'll see temples, terraces, palaces, priests' houses, cultivated fields, and much more. Marvel at the remarkable engineering talent of the Incas, who were so advanced for their time, and whose techniques still leave us in awe today.

Despite lacking modern tools, steel, and iron, the Incas were geniuses in organizing this community sustainably and beautifully on the side of a mountain. They even brought water in canals and aqueducts through its streets for the people to use. When a Peruvian guide showed this site to Hiram Bingham, it was almost unrecognizable, covered in thick vegetation and a state of disrepair. Today, it has been cleaned and restored and is now protected and treasured by the world.

After the guided tour, you can climb Huayna Picchu Mountain (2,720 m / 8,924 ft) or Machu Picchu Mountain (3,000 m / 9,843 ft); these tours will take you an hour and a half and three hours between ascent and descent, respectively. Make sure you reserve your tickets in advance.

After basking in the magic of this citadel, we'll return to the town of Aguas Calientes to take the train to Ollantaytambo. Our private transportation will then take you back to your hotel in Cusco, where you can rest your feet and body.

Our final day of adventure begins at 4:00 am. We'll pick you up from your hotel and head towards the Southern Valley for a three-hour journey in our private transport. Remember, our walk starts at 4,630m / 15,190 ft, but you should now be accustomed to the altitude. Along the way, we will observe picturesque Andean towns, agricultural platforms from the Inca period, fertile valleys, and beautiful rolling mountains. Even at this early hour, herds of llamas and alpacas will entertain you while you enjoy a delicious continental breakfast to give you the energy you need to get started.

We will continue our journey until we reach the hike's starting point. From there, we will head down a meandering path in the Andean mountains, following a pretty stream. As you ascend, you will be rewarded with an impressive view of the Ausangate glacier (6,372m / 20,905 ft), the tallest in the Cusco region. Take a few minutes to understand why this mountain is so important to the Andean people. This whole region is home to many people and small communities, and you will have the opportunity to see them working the land. You will be amazed to see the traditional clothing they use that they make themselves, thanks to the practice of textile art that they have inherited from their ancestors. The colorful patterns on their garments are similar to those of Vinicunca mountain.

By keeping these traditions alive, ancient culture is preserved. Your guide will teach you about the meaning of some clothes and, if you want, you can ask him to teach you some words in Quechua—the language of the Incas and local communities to this day. After walking an hour and a half, we will reach the amazing Rainbow Mountain of Cusco (5,100m / 16,732 ft).

While at the top, take some time to admire the unique beauty of this impressive natural formation and feel the thrill of witnessing a unique natural spectacle that can only be seen in Peru and China. You will explore the surroundings for a while, and your knowledgeable guide will explain the theories regarding the origin of this mountain that appears as though it's been taken from a colorful dream. Take memorable photographs or simply immerse yourself in the landscape that also boasts the splendor of the great mountain Ausangate in the distance. There, we will take a break between 30 minutes and 1 hour, depending on the speed of your steps and the weather condition. If you want to stay longer, inform your guide. You will have time to enjoy the surroundings and recuperate your energy for the hike back down.

Returning to where we started will take 45 minutes and an hour. Then, we will go to Cusipata by car to enjoy our well-deserved lunch. We will then board our private transport back to the city of Cusco. At approximately 5:00 pm, we will drop you off at the door of your hotel, and you can enjoy a relaxing evening as you please.

Today, you'll get up, eat breakfast, and pack your belongings, as it's time to bid farewell to the imperial city of Cusco for the time being. We'll arrange a time to pick you up and transport you to the airport or bus station so you can continue your holiday or return home.

This isn't a permanent goodbye, and we're sure you'll want to return to relive all of the great experiences, learn more about the ancient city and cultures, and sample more of the excellent restaurants and their delectable cuisine. So it's not farewell, but rather see you soon!