Active Peru: The Ausangate Trek
Ausangate is the highest snow-draped mountain in the region. The trek which visits it is close to Cusco, but little trodden and the Martian landscapes will enhance the feeling of remoteness.
Our five-day trek below its northern face (you don't climb to the peak) is one of our favourites. You'll explore part of the Vilcanota range which divides the highland empire of the Incas from the steamy jungles of the Amazon. En route you'll cross three high-altitude passes, with views of gigantic glaciers, icy lakes and jagged peaks. The area is full of wildlife, isolated farmsteads and traditional indigenous villages.
Yes it's challenging, but there is a big bonus: you aren't camping! You'll be staying in remote, basic but comfortable lodges run by the local communities, members of which you get to meet along the way. There are proper beds, bathrooms and hot food to set you up for the next day's hike.
Arrive Lima, transfer to hotel close to the Pacific coast.
Fly to Cusco.
Walking tour of the city and surrounding Inca ruins.
Walking tour of highland Chinchero and Maras villages and Moray Inca site.
Begin the Ausangate Trek, overnight basic lodge.
Hiking the Ausangate Trek, overnight basic lodge.
Return to Cusco.
Day at leisure, optional excursion to Machu Picchu.
Fly to Lima to connect with international flight home.
Ausangate
A city as huge and dynamic as Lima, City of Kings, is bound to offer something of interest to all visitors. Lovers of architecture and history will thrill to the monumental cathedral and Presidential Palace in the Plaza de Armas, and colonial wooden balconies overhanging atmospheric lanes in the spruced-up centre. But out on the Pacific coast are the smart, modern middle-class suburbs of Miraflores and Barranco, brimming with sophisticated restaurants, boutiques and live music. The traffic is horrendous, but the city has some of the Spanish Empire's best museums; it's well worth crossing town to find them.
A cold Pacific current puts the kibosh on the tropical climate you might expect and a chilly mist hovers over the city May-Nov. But as this is the best time to visit the Andes, you may have to visit Lima at this time. In the southern summer the sun breaks through, happy limeños spill out onto the pavement bars, ice cream parlours and beaches.
Spanish.
Peruvian Nuevo Sol. Notes in local currency or US dollars can be withdrawn from the many ATMs using a UK credit or debit card. Numerous money exchange offices exchange US dollars cash (few accept euros or sterling and the rate may be poor).
The pre-Columbian adobe ruins of a ceremonial centre at Pachacamac in the desert just 31 km south of Lima; Paracas National Park, 214 km (3-4 hours' drive) down the coast, for the Ballestas Islands "mini-Galápagos" Nature Reserve; the Moche pyramids at Chan Chan, near Trujillo, 561 km (8 hours on the Pan American Highway or 1 hour by air); Cajamarca, charming Andean colonial town, 856km, (12 hours by scenic road or 90 mins by air).
Flight time from UK
Average flight time to Lima is 12.5 hours. There is a direct flight from London Gatwick to Lima. Popular non-direct routes to Lima involve a change of plane in Amsterdam, Paris or Madrid.
Gran Serenata: Live music in the Plaza de Armas on 17 Jan to celebrate the city's foundation.
Semana Santa, Easter. Many religious processions.
Peru Art Week: Annually in May. Museums, art galleries and open air exhibitions in Barranco, Miraflores and San Isidro welcome visitors. Independence Day (Fiestas Patrias): 28 Jul annually: celebrated in plazas and parks throughout the city centre, with music and fireworks in the main plaza the evening before. On the final day a Great Military Parade takes place on either Avenida Brasil or Avenida De La Peruanidad.
Corpus Christi: Jun. Statues of the Virgin Mary and saints have a day out from their churches and are paraded to the Cathedral.
High in a fertile mountain valley at 3,399m and surrounded by the lofty ice peaks of the Andes, the former capital of the Inca Empire and Spanish colonial masterpiece, Cusco, was cut off from the rest of the world until about 100 years ago. Now it is recognised as one of the most enticing, unspoilt cities on the continent. The history running through its veins is exposed in the meticulous masonry of the Inca temples, the baroque intricacy of its golden churches and palaces and the lively markets, fiestas, art galleries, boutique hotels and gourmet restaurants of the present day city. Here you can immerse yourself totally in Peru's rich cultural mix.
Cusco can be visited throughout the year. Most visitors will use climate as a criterion but others may be attracted by any one of numerous fiestas: Inti Raymi, Easter, Corpus Christi, Christmas. The dry season when sunny days can be expected runs May-Oct but in Jun-Jul it can be below freezing at night. Rain falls Jan-Mar.
Peruvian Nuevo Sol. Notes in local currency or US dollars can be withdrawn from the many ATMs using a UK credit or debit card. Numerous money exchanges (casas de cambio) change US dollars cash (few accept euros or sterling and the rate may be poor).
The Sacred Valley of the Incas, 53 km by road; Machu Picchu, 75km by road and rail; Tambopata and the lodges of the southern Amazon, 1 hour by air; Lake Titicaca, 6-9 hours by road or 10 hours by train; Colca Canyon, 236km by road.
Flights to Cusco from Lima take 1 hour.
Inti Raymi: 24 Jun. Inca festival of the winter solstice celebrated at the temple of Sacsayhuamán.
El Señor de los Temblores: Variable. Vast Easter Monday religious procession.
Walking tour of Cusco
Ausangate lodge to lodge trek
Walking the ruins around Cusco
Explore Sacred Valley of the Incas
Hike the Sacred Valley of the Incas
Guided tour of Machu Picchu
Once the capital of the ancient Inca Empire and still its tangible heart, Cusco is stuffed with the riches of many different eras. Spanish churches jostle for position with solid Inca walls that seem barely in need of preservation – such was the skill of their makers that they look certain to withstand many centuries more.
Our guided tour leads you through the city's cobbled streets and into its most impressive colonial buildings, displaying the wealth and zealotry of the Spanish conquistadors.
This Andean trek takes its name from imposing Mount Ausangate, the tallest peak in the region. This is a truly extraordinary landscape for walkers – worth being lured away from the Inca Trail for – and views of enormous glaciers, turquoise lakes and monumental snow-capped mountains await those willing to take on the challenge. It's high altitude (up to 5,150m) and cold, but you won't be camping - you'll be staying in cosy mountain lodges run by local communities – the perfect way to unwind after a hard day's trekking.
Along the way you'll meet indigenous communities and forge cultural connections in local villages dwarfed by mighty mountain ranges. Such is the scale and beauty of the scenery that it invites comparison with the Himalaya, but there are relatively few tourists to spoil the views in this high-altitude wilderness.
There are a variety of different routes to follow, making this a flexible trek that can be completed in anywhere between 4 to 7 days.
This guided walk explores the historical and architectural legacy of the immediate region around the imperial capital of the Incas. On foot you can better appreciate the context of the ruins around Cusco and how they connect to one another, and it's also a great way to acclimatise in preparation for longer treks.
You'll visit key ancient sites including the imposing fort of Sacsayhuamán, the Temple of the Moon and the sanctuary of Q'enqo, resembling an amphitheatre of solid stone.
The Sacred valley of the Incas, just an hour's drive out of Cusco following the river Urubamba towards the Amazon, is a fertile plain once known as the breadbasket of the Incas. Highly populated at the apogée of the Inca Empire, it is now a bucolic paradise of fields bulging with cereals and vegetables, dotted with colonial towns and villages, as well as the ruins of imposing Inca temples and fortresses
The pretty village of Pisaq in the heart of the Sacred Valley of the Incas hosts a colourful market 3 times a week, where you can haggle for handcrafted souvenirs and textiles alongside locals bartering for fresh produce. It's also home to an impressive Inca site set high on a hillside spur overlooking the town. Jutting out between two gorges, the large complex consists of temples, observatories and grain stores. Ollantaytambo sits at a strategic point where the river begins its descent to the Amazon jungle. The village has squat colonial houses with Inca foundations and quaint lanes and squares. Most tours visit both.
Exploring the Sacred Valley on foot, with ample opportunity to stop and breathe in the glorious scenery or meet local people, is an idyllic way to slow the pace and get a deeper insight into a rich and rewarding area.
In this fertile Inca heartland, the drama of the Andean backdrop is softened by a warm palette of yellow, green and ochre amongst a patchwork quilt of fields and grasslands.
You'll begin by gaining an insight into life in a traditional weaving community at Huilloc, 3,400m, where you will be welcomed into small local homes to see weaving techniques and designs passed down for countless generations. In fact, the culture and way of life here would probably not seem all that alien to the ancient Incas who once inhabited the valley.
Afterwards, hike along the Patacancha river and on towards Pumamarca, a well-preserved Inca ruin at 3,963m. From here, you can hike back to Ollantaytambo along the terraced hillside.
This is the moment almost all visitors to Peru have come for: the chance to finally see the legendary Lost City of the Incas for yourself.
Perched on a remote mountain pedestal and shrouded by neighbouring Andean peaks, the secluded citadel of Machu Picchu was never found by the Spanish invaders and escaped plundering, making it the most complete and intact Inca site in existence.
To do Machu Picchu justice we think it is well worth exploring with a guide who can put the ruins into their historical context and explain the many different theories which surround them. This is a sprawling ancient site with much to see and discover, from rock-hewn temples and the famous sun dial to distinctive Inca terraces and dwellings. Wandering through well-preserved streets, it's easy to imagine the ancient day-to-day life your guide will vividly describe.
Hotel Ruinas
El Tambo Hotel
The mid-range, independently run Hotel Ruinas is situated just three blocks from Cusco's central Plaza de Armas. You can easily walk to the main attractions and to and from the city's bars and restaurants, making it a very convenient base.
The hotel's wooden balconies, interior courtyard and cool marble flooring create a colonial effect belying its 20-odd years. Contemporary touches are also thrown into the mix, resulting in an attractive blend.
Rooms are simply decorated; some have small balconies and fireplace. We recommend the rooms with a window facing the street, as there are some great views. The hotel also has its own bar and restaurant, and you'll get a warm welcome from the enthusiastic staff.
The modern and welcoming small El Tambo Hotel is in the attractive district of Miraflores; the oceanfront residential and commercial centre of Lima. It has the advantage of being in a quiet central location yet close to the city's seaside promenade, the Malecón, and within easy walking distance of many of the city's best restaurants and bars.
There is nothing especially Peruvian about the contemporary décor but the guestrooms are spacious, bright and decorated with local handicrafts and pictures. The hotel has some pleasant outdoor areas including an attractive front garden with a lawn. There's a restaurant and bar, and a good range of services and facilities.
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Hannah Donaldson, Travel Consultants
Having spent part of her childhood in Colombia and worked in Brazil and Costa Rica, Hannah's ties to Latin America run deep. Hannah is an invaluable part of our Group Tours team.
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