Classic Cusco & Salkantay -7 Days
from/per person:
$1,190.00
Classic Cusco & Salkantay -7 Days
Description:
The ancient City of the Incas, Cusco, awaits you on this classic tour package. This UNESCO city has kept its mysterious feel, with a unique blend of Incan and Spanish architecture and cultures. Then, exploring the Sacred Valley, you will visit ancient ruins and learn about modern Quechua culture. These fascinating days exploring the key sites in and around Cusco will give you a chance to adjust to the high altitudes before beginning your Salkantay trek. On the trek you will be embraced by the spectacular Andes mountains as you followed old paths and Inca trails to reach the famous archeological site of Machu Picchu.
Note: this package assumes the 5-Day Salkantay Tour and a 7-Day Package, but, if your time is limited, we can easily modify the package to reflect the 4-Day Salkantay Tour, which omits a trek to the beautiful Humantay Lake, for a 6-Day Package.
Overview
Itinerary
Included
Prices
- DAY 1: Cusco City Tour
- DAY 2: Sacred Valley: Chichero, Moray, Salt Mines, Pisac
- DAY 3: Cusco – Soraypampa – Humantay Lake – Salkantaypampa
- DAY 4: Salkantaypampa – Soyroccocha – Salkantay Pass – Andenes
- DAY 5: Andenes – Lluskamayu – La Playa – Lucmabamba
- DAY 6: Lucmabamba – Llaqtapata – Hydroelectric – Aguas Calientes
- DAY 7: Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – Cusco
Highest Point: 4638m/15217ft
Distance: 52km / 32mi
Overall Difficulty: 1 2 3 4 5
Itinerary – Classic Cusco & Salkantay -7 Days
DAY 1. Cusco City Tour
We will meet you at the airport and transport you to your local hotel. After you have a chance to settle in and get some rest, we will pick you up with our private transport for our half day Cusco tour. We will wander the streets in the city center and share stories about the Incan and colonial past, visit the Inca Sun Temple (Qoricancha), and wander through a market, if you wish. We will also visit archeological sites on the outskirts of the city, such as Saksayhuaman and Qenqo. When you have had your fill, we will return you to your hotel in Cusco.
DAY 2: Sacred Valley: Chichero, Moray, Salt Mines, Pisac
This will be a long, but fascinating day as we loop through the most popular sites in the Sacred Valley. We will pick you up from your hotel and head first to the village of Chinchero, an interesting and colorful colonial town which still retains Incan farming terraces and temples. Chinchero is frequently visited because local weaving cooperatives welcome you in to learn how they prepare wool, use natural dyes, and weave beautiful textiles.
Next, we will visit Moray – circular terraces that were used by the Incas as an agricultural laboratory. They were carefully built by master engineers of Inca society to create many different micro-climates for agricultural experimentation. Nearby is the town of Maras, with its beautiful colonial church of St. Francis, and the Maras Salt Mines, still owned and managed by local community members. Since pre-Incan times, these evaporation pools, fed by a salty subterranean stream, have been farmed by local families.
After a delicious lunch in Urubamba, we will head to Pisac. The archeological site in Pisac has stunning views of the Andes, extensive agricultural terraces, temples, living quarters, and the largest Inca cemetery in Peru. If we have time, you might even be able to pick up a souvenir or two in the colorful Pisac market. At the end of the day, we will take you back to your hotel in Cusco.
- Meals: B
DAY 3: Cusco – Soraypampa – Humantay Lake – Salkantaypampa
We pick you up early at your hotel in Cusco and drive 3 hours in our private transport to the trail head in Soraypampa. There we will have our breakfast while enjoying the amazing views of the snowy peaks of the Humantay (5900m) and Salkantay (6217m) mountains. Before we start our trek, a short hike will take us to the beautiful Humantay Lake. After enjoying the lake, we will return to Soraypampa where a delicious lunch awaits us. Then we will begin the actual trek with a one-hour climb to our first campsite at Salkantaypampa.
- Meals: B, L, D
- Maximum Altitude: 4,250m / 13,944ft
- Minimum altitude: 2,980m / 9,777ft
- Distance Travelled: 9km / 5.6mi
- Walking Time: 6 hrs
DAY 4: Salkantaypampa – Soyroccocha – Salkantay Pass – Andenes
After a delicious, hardy breakfast, we start our trekking with beautiful views of Apu Salkantay. We hike 2 or 3 hours to reach Apacheta Pass, the highest point of the trek. From there, we can enjoy the spectacular views of snow-capped mountains before hiking down to Salkantay Lake. After a rest at the lake, we walk down to Wayracpampa where our cook has prepared us a delicious lunch. After lunch, we have a 2-hour trek to Andenes campsite where we spend the night in a very peaceful area.
- Meals: B, L, D
- Maximum Altitude: 4,638m / 15,217ft
- Minimum altitude: 3,100m / 10,171ft
- Distance Travelled: 17km / 10.6mi
- Walking time: 8 hours
DAY 5: Andenes – Lluskamayu – La Playa – Lucmabamba
Today we walk for 6 hours through the beginning of the rainforest, enjoying a variety of flora and fauna including orchids, birds, coffee trees, banana trees, waterfalls and fruit plantations. We arrive at La Playa lunch with free time to rest before we head to Lucmabamba, our next campsite. Once here, we will enjoy a wonderful coffee tour with a local family. The tour will take us throughout the coffee plantations and end with a chance to taste the best organic coffee of the Cusco Region.
- Meals: B, L, D
- Maximum altitude: 3,100m / 10,171ft
- Minimum altitude: 2,135m / 7,005ft
- Distance travelled: 14km / 8.7mi
- Walking time: 7 hours
DAY 6: Lucmabamba – Llaqtapata – Hydroelectric – Aguas Calientes
Our day starts with a 3-hour climb on an original Inca Trail up through the Andean cloud forest to Puncuyoc Pass. From here a short hike takes us to the Inca city of Llactapaca (2,700m/8,906ft). From here we are rewarded with a beautiful view of Machu Picchu, and your guide will share with you the ancient stories of this sacred city. After another 2-hour hike downhill we will reach the hydroelectric plant and our lunch. A train will take us the remaining distance to Aguas Calientes, where we will spend the night in a hotel.
- Meals: B, L, D
- Maximum altitude: 2,954m / 9,688ft
- Minimum altitude: 2,135m / 7,005ft
- Distance travelled: 12km / 7.5mi
- Walking Time: 5 hours
DAY 7: Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – Cusco
Rising early, we will take the first bus up to Machu Picchu. Sunrise is the most spectacular time to experience Machu Picchu without the crowds that arrive from the Inca Trail and the subsequent buses. This is the best time to admire the ‘Lost City of the Incas’. Your guide will explain this sacred city and its history. Then you will have time for exploring on your own, taking photos and climbing to the Sun Gate or Inca Bridge. If you still have energy you can also climb Huayna Picchu (2720m/8890ft)! This has an extra cost of 40 USD and must be booked several months in advance to get a coveted permit. After experiencing this Seventh Wonder of the World, we will head back to Aguas Calientes to catch a train to Ollantaytambo and then a private transport to Cuzco where you will be returned to your hotel. In the morning we can drive you to the airport if you wish.
- Meal: B
Included – Classic Cusco & Salkantay -7 Days
SERVICES INCLUDED:
- Guide service in English/Spanish
- 3 nights of hotels in Cusco and 1 night in Aguas Calientes – breakfast included
- Private transportation for day tours, to Soraypampa, and from Ollantaytambo
- Expedition train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo
- Round trip bus between Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu
- Entrance tickets to all archeological sites, including Machu Picchu
- Master cook on the trek
- Food (6 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 4 dinners, snacks)
- Vegetarian/special diet options available at no extra cost
- Cooking and dining equipment, including tents, chairs and tables
- 4-season tents (3-person capacity but used for 2 people)
- Thermarest (sleeping mattress)
- Mules and horsemen to carry our camping equipment & food
- 10 kilos of your personal gear will be carried on the mule (we provide you a duffle)
- First-aid kit
- Emergency oxygen bottle
- Pre-departure briefing
SERVICES NOT INCLUDED:
- Tips for field staff and guide
- Meals on day tours except for breakfasts
- Entrance to Wayna Picchu – can be arranged for an additional US$40, but must be arranged well in advance
- Entrance to Machu Picchu Mountain – would be an additional US$40
- Upgrades to train/hotel – for Vistadome add US$80 per person
- Sleeping bag
- Extra money for souvenirs or to buy Gatorade or beer along the trail
- Emergency horse for the group (in case of injury or the need to rest), but this can be arranged for an additional fee
- NOTE: If you need to rent any equipment such as a sleeping bag, water-proof poncho, hiking poles, etc. please let us know in advance. We will secure them for you – no deposit required.
WE RECOMMEND YOU BRING:
- Sleeping bag (-10 Cº)
- Water-resistant trekking shoes and sandals
- Warm clothing (thermal underwear, fleece, hat, gloves, socks)
- Waterproof jacket & pants or rain poncho
- Synthetic or cotton clothing (socks, trousers, shorts, t-shirts)
- Sunhat & sunglasses
- Sun block
- Insect repellent
- Water bottles
- Water filter (optional – boiled water will be available at all meals)
- Personal medications
- Walking poles
- Bathing suit & towel (for hot springs)
- Personal items
- Personal snacks
- Headlamp or flashlight with spare batteries
- Camera
- Toilet paper
- DNI/Original Passport
- Insurance card
Prices – Classic Cusco & Salkantay -7 Days
- PRICE: 1180 USD$ per person when booking 2 people
- PRICE: 1110 USD$ per person when booking 3 people
- PRICE: 1060 USD$ per person when booking 4- 6 people
- PRICE: 1000 USD$ per person when booking 7- 10 people