Your guide will pick you up from your hotel from5:00 to 5:30 a.m. in a private vehicle, which will take you to the community of Mollepata, this is a journey of approximately 2 and a half hours. In Mollepata, you have an optional breakfast at our home, and pick up some water and snacks for the day. We also have a store to buy any last minute items that you may need for the trek.
After breakfast, we go in our private vehicle to Challacancha, which is approximately a 1 hour journey. From here, we will start to hike to our first lodge in Soraypampa, which is approximately a 2 hour walk. Here, you will be greeted with a coca tea and you will be shown to your rooms, when you will have time to get settled into the first night's accommodation. Our lodges are fully equipped with private bathrooms, a hot shower, and we have a choice of rooms with double beds, twin rooms or rooms with 3 beds for bigger groups.
+ DAY 2: SORAYPAMPA - SALKANTAY PASS - HUAYRACMACHAY – CHALWAY.
Today is the big day! We will wake up and have a coca tea at 5am. At 5:30am our host Marino, will serve a delicious breakfast. The ascent to the Salkantay pass at (4,660 metres - 1,5288,71 feet), is 7km (4.34 miles) in approximately 3 hours. When we reach the pass we will have a coca tea and take some time to appreciate the spectacular views of the mountains and glaciers of Salkantay, Humantay, Tucarhuay and Pumasillo. The Salkantay peak is the second highest mountain in the Cusco region and revered as an important God of the Incas, these are called "Apus" or Sacred mountains. After you arrive at the highest pass, you will then descend for approximately 2 hours until you arrive at Huayracmachay, where we will have lunch.
In the afternoon, you will enter the high part of the Amazon jungle, which is also known as a cloud forest. It is approximately a 10 km (6.2 miles) downhill walk, taking approximately 3 hours. The path is a wide track through thick woodland areas. This part of the trek is really beautiful and has stunningly decorated hillsides, with natural scenic views and a great amount of wildlife, native plants and flowers. The woodlands throughout most of the year are relatively warm, sometimes with quite hot temperatures. After finishing this stage of the hike, we will arrive at our lodge in CHALWAY (2,900 metres - 9,514 feet).
+ DAY 3: Chalway – Playa Sahuayaco – Lucmabamba.
The local family will awaken you with a hot beverage early in the morning, which will be served in your room, to help start the day. We will also get a healthy breakfast to prepare you for the days hike. You will leave your personal belongings in the lodge and we will transfer them to the next lodge for you. At around 7am you will start to hike and will walk for around 4 to 5 hours along a gradual descent. If you are a fan of orchids and flowers, there are many different species along the route, including different species of begonias and a surprising array of ferns. There are also some amazing hummingbird species native to the area and other different bird species. During this part of the hike, we can appreciate beautiful waterfalls, rivers and a highly impressive flora y fauna.
You will then arrive at the small community of "La Playa", where a local family will be waiting for you with a delicious lunch. After your lunch, you will walk approximately 1 hour through tropical jungle. In the afternoon, you will arrive at the Lucmabamba lodge where the local family will welcome you and allow you to settle in to your rooms for the night. They have private bathrooms and hot or cold showers. Afterwards you will enjoy a delicious, hearty lunch.
After lunch, you have the option to participate in a cultural experience with people who are native to the area including farmers who organically cultivate their coffee plantations. Thiers is considered one of the best organic coffees in the world. The people here still use artsesanal, small-batch traditional methods to toast and grind the coffee beans. We will then continue through banana plantations where they also cultivate "granadilla" a member of the passion fruit family, yucca and avocados. We will finish the day with a delicious dinner after the day's activities.
Distance walked: 16km /9.94 miles. Starting elevation: 2,870 metres / 9,416.01 feet. Altitude of the Lucmabamba lodge: 2,100 metres /6,889 feet.
+ Day 4 Lucmabamba – Llactapata – Hydroelectric Plant – Aguas Calientes.
We will wake you early in the morning with a hot cup of coffee, served in bed. You will have time to prepare yourself for the day's activities and enjoy a hearty breakfast. You will start today's hike quite early in the day and have the opportunity to enjoy hiking on part of an original Inca trail. After a 3 hour ascent with incredible views of the Santa Teresa valley, you will arrive at the Inca site of LLACTAPATA, situated just in front of Machu Picchu. This will be the first archaeological site that you will see on the trek, and from here you catch your first glimpse of the Machu Picchu archaeological site, but also the amazing view of Huayna Picchu and the Machu Picchu Mountain. You will explore this amazing site and a local family will bring you a refreshing drink of bottled water, before you continue on the hike.
The final stretch of trekking is an enjoyable walk under the canopy of trees, along railroad tracks for 2 and a half hours until you reach the town of Aguas Calientes. Here we will check in to our hostal and you have the evening relax a bit and go to a restaurant.
Elevation in Aguas Calientes: 2,000 metres.
+ DAY 5: Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu - Cusco.
The day we have all been waiting for! The entrance to Machu Picchu is open from 6am until 5pm. Visiting for Machu Picchu is split into 2 groups, you have to choose either the morning group or the afternoon group. The first shuttle busses go to the ruins at 5:20am. We include the bus ticket going up, but if you want a bus back down to Aguas calientes, you have to buy it yourself. You may also walk up to the archaeological site of Machu Picchu in about 1.5 hours. The guided tour usually lasts 2 hours for this mystical site. There is also the option to climb the Huayna Picchu mountain or the Machu Picchu mountain (be aware that you need to reserve permits with anticipation to climb these mountains, and it costs $10usd more). Both mountains take around 3 hours to climb up and down. You can also hike to the "Inti Punco" or Sungate which is where the Inca trail trekkers see their first view of Machu Picchu.
After visiting Machu Picchu we go down to Aguas Calientes and catch our train to Ollantaytambo. From there a shuttle will take us to Cusco, the entire trip is about 4 hours.
Transport from your hotel in Cusco to challacancha on day 1 and from Ollantaytambo to your hotel in Cusco at the end of the trek on day 5.
A bi lingual guide (Spanish and English), From day 1 to day 5.
The last night of this trek is spent in a hotel in Aguas Calientes with a double or triple room, private bathroom, hot shower, wifi, breakfast, and luggage storage while you visit Machu Picchu.
All meals except breakfast on day 1 and dinner on day 4.
Last Day: Dinner in Aguas Calientes.