This 3-day tour will allow you to enjoy the beautiful geological formations where we will pass through lagoons, mountains, landscapes with an impressive panoramic view, and with any luck we will also be able to see the flight of the condors over the mountains and we will have a guided tour of the archaeological site of Huchuy Qosqo and we will also have the opportunity to set up a camp under the stars and enjoy the night peace of the Andes within the Archaeological complex of Huchuy Qosqo, visit the sacred valley and finally the Inca city of Machu Picchu.
This tour starts with the pick-up from your hotel at 7:00 am to go in our transport to Tambomachay, wich is outside of Cusco. Our path leads us over high passes, through valleys and small communities. With large swathes of grassland and small lakes (dried out in some seasons) the area is home to a wide variety of birds including Andean Geese, Partridges and Lapwings as well as a variety of birds or prey, all of which are regularly spotted throughout the day.
Our goal for today are the andean and poor villages of Patabamba and Siwas located close to a small lake (dries out in dry season). Patabamba is a traditional Andean community with a small school and a tiny Plaza; located high above the Sacred Valley the people here still maintain the customs and traditions of ages past and the majority of villagers gain their income from agriculture (potatoes) and herding llamas and alpacas. As only a few tourists come this way the people are always intrigued to see who has come to visit their village and to welcome them with open arms.
Here we will prepare the camp to spend the night under the stars of the southern Andean hemisphere and at the same time we will also enjoy our dinner.
Difficulty: Difficult
• Distance: 12 km
• Walking time: 6 h to 7 h
• Maximum height: 4150 m / 13615 ft
We will have our nutritious breakfast early in our camp. Today has two main focuses, learning about the customs and culture of the Andean people and a visit to the Inca site of Huchuy Qosco (for a secon time!). Waking up early we'll be taken by our guide to one of the houses (can be visited on day 1) where we'll get to meet a local family. The people are incredibly welcoming and are just as eager to learn about you as you are of them; they don't get many visitors in this area and are always interested to find out about you. After the visit you'll have the opportunity to give any gifts you've brought for the local people and also to buy some of the locally made.
Following the visit we'll make our way to Huchuy Qosco. The route follows an original Inca Trail that leads us down a beautiful, secluded valley that is filled with native plants, flowers and birds. It really feels like another world compared to the high grasslands we've left behind. In total it takes about two and a half hours to reach Huchuy Qosco and after a break to rest and take in the views of the Sacred Valley you'll have a guided tour of the site to learn about the Inca people and their culture. In the afternoon we head down in to the Sacred Valley to the village of Lamay where we take a bus to Ollantaytambo and then a train to Aguas Calientes.
• Difficulty: moderate
• Distance: 8 km
• Walking time: 5 h to 6 h.
• Maximum height: 4000 m/13123 ft
After breakfast at the Hotel, we'll take the first bus back up to Machu Picchu to enter the site as it opens. We'll have a 2 hour guided tour of the site during which you'll learn about the Incas and visit all the most important areas of the citadel. After your tour you'll have free time to explore the site by yourself and if you have permits to climb either Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu mountain. In the afternoon you will take the train back to Ollantaytambo from where you will carry on by bus back to Cusco.
This walk has no age restriction; however, it is recommended for parents to consider the travel with children under 8 years of age and also for older people.
Yes, you must be moderately fit and exercise regularly to do this hike! In preparation, try to walk three miles a day or you can go tyo the gym in the months before the walk. It is also important to be well acclimatized to the altitude.
The dry season between April and October, with sunny days, cold nights with frost and an average temperature of 13 ° C. The rainy season, between the months of November to March, the average temperature in this season is 12 ° C. On sunny days the temperature reaches 20 ° C, although the light mountain wind is usually cold.
It is very important to be well acclimatized before exerting yourself on a hike. That is why we require everyone to be in Cusco for a minimum of 1 day before regular treks such as the Inca Trail and the Inca Jungle, Huchuy Qosqo. You can use this time spent acclimatizing to visit the city of Cusco, the nearby Inca ruins, and the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
Day 1: 15 km -6 h - 4150 m/13615 ft
Day 2: 8 km -5h- 4000 m/13123 ft
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