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Offered languages
- English
- Spanish
A five-day trek through the remote Cordillera Vilcanota, The Trail of the Apu follows the sacred Camino del Apu around Ausangate, one of the most revered mountains in the Andes.
This experience combines guided high-altitude trekking with the comfort of exclusive Andean lodges, allowing travelers to explore dramatic glacier valleys, colorful alpine lakes, and vast open landscapes at a thoughtful pace.
Along the way, travelers are supported by local communities and traditional llama caravans, creating a strong connection to the land and its people. Evenings are spent at remote lodges, enjoying warm hospitality, regional cuisine, and moments of rest beneath the Andean sky.
More than a trek, this journey offers a meaningful way to experience the natural beauty and living traditions of the Peruvian Andes.
What's Included
Lunch
Dinner
Breakfast
Meeting and pickup
First, we contact the client to confirm the details of the hotel where they will be staying.
Then, we schedule a pre-departure meeting called a briefing, which takes place the day before the trek. During this meeting, we confirm the exact pickup time and location for the following day.
On the day the trek begins, the guide and driver will be waiting for you at your hotel, at the agreed pickup time.
At the end of the trek, we also provide transportation back to the client’s hotel.
Itinerary
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1Cusco
An early departure to travel in our comfortable coach bus along the Vilcanota River to visit the temple of Checacupe, then through the upper valley of Pitumarca. At Japura, we’ll trek a short distance to Chillca. Community members and local musicians greet us at our first Andean Lodge, sharing their native Andean music as we sip coca tea. Our 8 double rooms have hot showers and full bathrooms. The lodge features tasty, healthy Andean cuisine, such as Alpaca steak, with vegetarian dishes and other dining options available.
1 day • Admission ticket free -
2Nevado Auzangate
After breakfast, we trek along the glacier valley of Phinaya, seeing hundreds of alpacas and llamas. On the way to the glaciers at Mt. Santa Catalina, the trail climbs past the breathtaking Pjachaj waterfall. Our picnic lunch awaits us above. Then, surrounded by moraine walls, glaciers and lakes, we walk about 5 hours to Machuracay Lodge. Your bags are carried by llama caravan. At the lodge, we’re met by the native family that manages it.
1 day • Admission ticket free -
3Nevado Auzangate
Today we take on our first mountain pass (16,587 ft./ 5,100 m.) enjoying spectacular panoramic views. Descending alongside the glaciers, we hike to Ausangate Cocha Lake where we’ll have lunch. Here, the landscape shifts dramatically, with red sandstone formations where we’ll see vicuñas and occasional condors. After a great day of hiking we arrive at the third Andean Lodge to relax, take in the splendid views and enjoy a restful night.
1 day • Admission ticket free -
4Vinicunca
After breakfast, we hike the trail up to the next mountain pass. Dropping down, we hike past Lake Kayrawiri, surrounded by rugged mountain peaks and the great valley below. Colorful bands of soil adorn the hillsides. Then, we continue on to Laya Grande Hill via massive Glacier del Inca, to encounter the amazing colors of soil strata at Mt. Vinicunca (the world-renowned “Rainbow Mountain”). We have lunch there, with time for photos and a rest stop in this spectacular landscape. On our way to our fourth Andean Lodge we might see hundreds of Andean geese nesting in the cliffs of Anta. Hiking past the flatiron formations of Mt. Apu Labrayani, we arrive at Huampococha Lodge, where we’ll spend the night in comfort.
1 day • Admission ticket free -
5Cusco
We hike up enjoying an outstanding view of the mountains to reach the top of the last pass. It’s an easy downhill from here. We hike past the strange shapes of a Karst limestone rock forest and continue to the end of the trail at Trapiche. There, we have lunch and return by bus to Cusco, reminiscing about the unforgettable experiences we’ve shared in the Andes.
12 hours • Admission ticket free
Cusco - Chillca
Chillca – Machuracay
Machuracay - Anantapata
Anantapata - Huampococha
Huampococha - Cusco
Additional info
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Not recommended for travellers without a minimum of 2 to 3 days of acclimatisation in high-altitude locations such as Cusco or similar areas, including light physical activity.
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Cancellation Policy
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
Cancellation Policy
This experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If you cancel or ask for an amendment, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
You will not receive a refund if you cancel.
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