Ausangate Trek and Machu Picchu

Welcome to Peru! Arrive Lima and transfer to the Wyndham Airport Hotel located adjacent to the terminal.

After a quick morning flight to Cusco, you will be greeted at the airport by your guide and head off for the day’s adventure. As you head out of Cusco, the high mountain peaks of the Andes begin to appear as you enter the Sacred Urubamba Valley of the Incas. Your first stop is the village of Pisac, known for its Inca temple complex, one of the best-preserved and most impressive ruins in the area. Pisac is a picturesque and welcoming Andean community with a vibrant market selling traditional crafts, local produce, handmade garments, and gifts.

Today you’ll wind your way up above the town of Lamay to a remote Andean village in the clouds. The villagers of this small community still keep to their traditional way of life by supporting their families through agriculture. You’ll have an opportunity to talk with the women and men of this village and even try your hand at some of the fieldwork that they do year-round. Visit with local weavers and learn what it takes to create the amazing and intricate textiles this region is known for. You’ll be served a traditionally prepared lunch with organic produce grown on site. Return this afternoon down to the Sacred Valley.
Note: Ask us about an option to visit the Maras salt works and Moray ruins on foot or mountain bike.

Head out this morning to Ollantaytambo for the morning train to Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu. Hikers disembark at km 104, where you begin your one-day hike (six miles, five to six hours) along the final stage of the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Cross the hanging bridge over the Urubamba River, pass the Chachabamba ruins, and then begin your ascent to the spectacular ruins of Winay Wayna (“Forever Young”), an important spiritual site. Surrounded by steep terraces for the cultivation of sacred crops such as the coca leaf, it is believed that Winay Wayna was a site for cleansing rituals used by travelers before entering Machu Picchu. Walking in the Inca’s footsteps, along the very same trail they once used, you’ll continue through the cloud forest until Intipunku (the Gate of the Sun) and the entrance to the Machu Picchu complex. From the gate, the great city in the sky will spread out below you in a surreal panorama. After some time soaking up the glorious view, you’ll take a bus to the village of Aguas Calientes.

A quick, half-hour bus ride brings you up the road to the gates of Machu Picchu, where you’ll enjoy a half-day tour led by your expert guide. Exploring the different pathways and entering some of the houses and temples brings these iconic ruins to life. As you immerse yourself in this mystical place, the mind cannot help but wonder what life was like here. The fit and bold may be so inclined to scale up Huayna Picchu for a bird’s eye view over this mountain settlement – be sure to inquire ahead about this. In the afternoon, return to Aguas Calientes, where a train will take you to the Sacred Valley where you’ll meet your driver for the return journey to Cusco.

Enjoy a city tour with your guide, including visits to the Qoricancha Temple dedicated to the worship of the Sun, the cathedral on the Main Square, and finally, the Fortress of Sacsayhuaman, a colossal stone structure, carved and fitted together with incredible precision. There’s so much to see in this charming and historic city.

Meet your guide at your hotel for a morning drive (four hours) south out of Cusco to the start of the Ausangate trek. The drive takes you along the fertile Vilcanota Valley along the Andean altiplano, to the Aymara town of Checacupe. The road ascends the Pitumarca Valley along the Japura Gorge to the village of Chillca, where you will be greeted by the community. Today’s trek is short, which allows you time at the lodge to relax and enjoy the traditional Andean music provided by the locals of Chillca while you sip coca tea. The lodge harkens back to a bygone era with only a woodstove, candlelight, and solar lanterns creating a warm ambiance. Hearty dinners are prepared by trained chefs from the local village. Retire to your room, with linens and comforters provided and a private bath and hot water.

Today’s trek takes you through the beautiful glacially carved Phinaya valley. The immense ice-covered mountains tower above as you walk along the grassy plains below. The glaciers of Santa Catalina come into view as the trail narrows and becomes more dramatic, with waterfalls rushing down from the glaciers above, the landscape dotted with alpacas, llamas, and their shepherds. The people here are proud of their elaborate handmade textile traditions, created from the fine alpaca wool fiber, and colored with natural dyes. On arrival at Machuracay Lodge, among the highest in the world, at 15,797 ft, you’ll be warmly greeted by the caretaker family. Enjoy spectacular views of Mount Ausangate, one of the sacred mountains of the Incas.  

5.5 miles; 5 hours.

Start your day with a robust breakfast and hot coca tea in preparation for today’s challenging ascent over the high Palomani Pass at 17,000 ft. The panoramic views of the valleys that surround Mount Ausangate reward your effort and the peaks of Mariposa and Caracol can be seen in the distance. Descend to Ausangatecocha, where a picnic lunch at the lake is waiting for you. As you continue, you’ll pass stunning glacial lakes, lush green pampas, and follow the river to Anantapata Lodge overlooking the Alcatauri Gorge. All of the lodges on this trek were developed as community-based tourism projects to improve the lives of locals who could then share their indigenous culture, rituals and customs with guests. 7.5 miles; 8 hours

Today is all about jaw-dropping landscapes. Vinicunca (Rainbow Mountain) is a stunning geological wonder featuring colorful bands of sediment. On a clear day, the colors contrast with the snowy flanks of Ausangate under a deep-blue sky, creating a surreal kaleidoscope of colors. As you head out along the flanks of the mountain, you’ll cross the Red Valley with the Quebrada Laya River flowing far below. The Huampococha Lodge is in a spectacular setting, at an altitude of 15,748 ft, with views across a mountain lake to the snow-capped high Andes beyond. It’s easy to understand the sanctity and reverence that the Incas showed to these places as you are immersed in the natural beauty of these lands. 8.5 miles; 7 hours

You’ll greet the day to the crackle and warmth of the lodge’s woodstove. Sip a cup of hot coca tea as you take in the mountains, the crisp air, and gaze out at the wandering llamas in front of the lodge. After a nourishing breakfast, head up for final ascent over Anta Pass at 16,273 feet and descend into agricultural communities of the Pachachani valley. As you descend from the alpine, the vegetation becomes more prevalent and creates the perfect habitat for cute and fuzzy vizcacha, a relative of the chinchilla. At the bottom of the valley, you’ll meet the vehicle for the drive back to Cusco. 7 miles; 6 hours

The morning is yours to relax at the hotel or head out in Cusco for some last-minute souvenir shopping before heading to the airport to catch your departing international flight.