Highlight of the day: The glorious and absolutely stunning Humantay Lake - be prepared for one of the most amazing views you’ve ever seen.

Hike to the Jewel in the Mountains

We start the day by picking you up from your hotel at approx 04:00 AM. We will drive for around 3:15 hours, crossing Anta and Mollepata and ending up at Challancha. You will see the white, snow-capped mountains of Salkantay and Humantay: two colossal gods of the Incas (Apus), through the bus windows. You will also see the spectacular scenery of high peaks and low valleys in a colorful and contrasting panorama filling every direction you turn your eyes on!

After the first 2:15 hours of driving from Cusco, we will stop in Mollepata to take advantage of the toilet facilities, souvenir shops, and optional, short breakfast. We will then continue to Challacancha, the starting point for our trek. There, we will meet our support staff, and they will organize all of the equipment and cargo mules.

At around 09:30 am, we will begin trekking to Soraypampa (3,900 m / 12,795 ft), the first campsite on our journey. This section of the path takes us over a few deep valleys along the side of a mountain. Along the trail, we’ll follow an ancient Inca canal that still supplies water to farmers in the following valleys. We will travel 7 km (4.35 mi) for 3 hours to Soraypampa, where we will have our lunch at the base camp of Salkantay.

After lunch and a short rest, we’ll hike up to the unforgettable Humantay Lake (4,200 m / 13,780 ft). This is a 3 km (1.86 mi) round-trip which we will walk in a total of 2:30 hours. Humantay lake is one of the most beautiful sights in all the Andes, with unbelievable turquoise water reflecting the mountain glaciers of Humantay, like something out of a dream or fairy tale. Back at our camp, the valley’s background at sunset creates the most peaceful scene with an energy that can only be felt and not described.

Because Soraypampa (our camp) is located in the middle of the glacier valleys, the sky is so immensely clear at night that you can genuinely appreciate the stars, constellations, and even comets shooting across the pitch blackness, uninterrupted by the hustle, bustle, or lights of the city. Take a moment this night to recenter your spirit and consider all the deep things of life in the profound silence and tranquility of Soraypampa.

Highlight of the day: Witnessing the energy and hugely powerful gigantic Salkantay Mountain - the walk up is really worth it.

The Stunning Salkantay Pass and Descent to the Amazonia

After an early wake-up with the first daylight at 5:30 am and a quick but energizing breakfast, we will start trekking up to the highest point of the trail, the Salkantay Pass (4,630 m / 15,190 ft). A 7 km (4.34 miles) difficult ascent awaits us for 3 hours between the rocky valley base and the magnificent Salkantay Mountain (6,271 m / 20,574 ft).

When we reach the top of the pass, we will appreciate the spectacular views of the surrounding valleys and the imposing mountains of Salkantay, Humantay, Tucarhuay, and Pumasillo. Salkantay is the second-highest mountain in the Cusco region and one of the Inca gods called “Apu.”

After the climax of today’s trek, there is a 7 km (4.35 mi) downhill walk on a serpent-shaped, rocky, gravel path that leads to the Wayracmachay lunch place (3,850 m / 12,631 mi). There is a perfect valley outlook to rest on the way down that is stunning!

In the afternoon, after our meal, we will enter the upper part of the Amazonia, which is also called “the cloud forest.” This is an 8 km / 4.97 mi hike completed in 3 hours on a wide trail in the thick and magical tropical jungle. During this part of the trek, you will notice a dramatic change in landscape and the earth’s energy as we move from the Andes to Amazon!

This hike is truly beautiful; the hills are decorated with colorful scenery, unique wildlife, and native plants. The forests are warm and tropical most of the year, with temperate climates. At the end of this outstanding hike, we arrive at a small village called Chaullay (2,900 m / 9,514 ft) for a well-deserved rest from our long day of trekking. This is our camp for the night, surrounded by valleys, rushing rivers, and lots of vegetation.

Highlight of the Day: Exploring the luscious jungle and learning all about coffee and the process at the plantations - the aroma in the air is heavenly.

The Adventure Continues to Aguas Calientes

At 06:00 am, we will start our trek to the small town of La Playa through the Santa Teresa valley. You will be able to soak up this new, lush landscape during our first 5 hours of hiking today. We will see rivers, wild orchids, and coffee, banana, and avocado plantations during the hike. You’ll also be able to taste the famous passion fruit and granadilla fruit along the way!

We will walk through a village called Colpapampa, and then we’ll head to the bottom of the mountains to cross to the left side of the valley. Waterfalls, birds, fruit-bearing trees, flora, and fauna will be our mates in this tropical land.

Once in La Playa, we will have a good time enjoying our last lunch with our mountain staff and starting with the coffee show. After relaxing and resting a bit more, our transport will take us to Hidroelectrica train station. Then, we’ll follow the train rails surrounded by the great vegetation of the place, in the Urubamba river company. If you feel exhausted, you have the option (not included) to take a train to Aguas Calientes (US$ 34.00).

In this tropical paradise, we’ll see avocado plantations, banana and coffee plants, and various types of birds, especially the cock of the rocks, the national bird of Peru.

After 3 hours of walking, we’ll arrive at Aguas Calientes town. Here, we’ll head first to our hostel. In your room, you will have a private bathroom, hot shower, wifi, breakfast in the morning, and luggage storage while you visit Machu Picchu. You can rest a bit before dinner or walk around this enchanting place that has the feel of a California Gold Rush town. There are no cars in Aguas Calientes, so it is an especially peaceful place to be.

At 7:00 pm, we´ll have dinner at a local restaurant and organize to be ready for the icing on our last adventure day: MACCHU PICCHU!

Highlight of the Day: One of the New Seven Wonders of the World: The majestic and magnificent Machu Picchu - get ready for the experience of a lifetime and to be transported back in time.

Tour of the Incredible Incan Fortress: Machu Picchu

Today we arrive at our trek’s long-awaited finale, one of the New 7 Wonders of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage Site - Machu Picchu! We will wake up early after a refreshing night at our hostel to beat the crowds to the top of Machu Picchu and enjoy its serenity in the soft morning light. The Machu Picchu entrance checkpoint is open from 6:00 am until 5:00 pm.

We'll board the bus to Machupicchu and enter the Royal city of the Incas as one of the first people in the morning. We will have a 2-hour guided tour through this incredible ancient city, visiting temples, terraces, palaces, priests’ houses, the Intihuatana, the industrial sector, and the farming fields. Be amazed at the Incas’ engineering ingenuity, which was so far ahead of their time and still partially a mystery today.

Without having modern tools or even steel and iron to work with, the people who built this city were genius in organizing this community sustainably and beautifully on the side of a mountain, even bringing 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. It has since been cleaned and restored and is now protected and treasured by the world at large.

After this tour, you are free to climb up to Huayna Picchu (2,720 m / 8,924 ft) or Machu Picchu Mountain (3,000 m / 9,843 ft), each of which takes 1.5 and 3 hours to hike up and down, respectively. Be sure to book in advance to get tickets for these attractions. You can also opt to hike up to the Sun Gate (2,720 m / 8,924 ft), the main entrance to the Inca Trail or the Inca bridge (no tickets required).

We will be able to stay and enjoy this magical city for more than 7 hours before hiking back down to Aguas Calientes for the train ride between 1:37 pm and 6:20 pm to Ollantaytambo (subject to availability). A private bus will pick up our group and drop you off at your hotel in Cusco at about 20:00 hrs.

Rest your feet and your body now; we can assure you your heart will still be soaring for weeks and years to come!