The Hidden Routes of the Incas

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

Day 1
Day 01 Cusco – Lares
1 stop
1
Departure from Cusco for the Lares Valley, passing through the town of Calca, where we can visit the colorful local market. Then on to Lares, where we'll enjoy the region's thermo-medicinal baths.
8 hours • Admission ticket included
Day 2
Day 02 Lares (3500m) - Rosas Pata (3305m) - Cochayoc (3745m)
1 stop
2
After a hearty breakfast, we load up our llamas and horses to begin this new stage. We descend along the Lares valley, which leads into the Amazon rainforest. The balcony trail offers a superb view of the river below. Our day continues with a climb to Rosas Pata, a small village overlooking the rio Lares valley. Following a superb balcony trail, we gradually make our way into the Cochayoc valley, home to the village of the same name, which means “the village with the lake” in Quechua. Most of its inhabitants are shepherds. This is an opportunity for us to get close to herds of llamas, alpacas and sheep.
8 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 3
Day 03 Cochayoc – Pampa Wasi (4200m) - col Pisaq (4550m) - Challwacocha (4280m)
1 stop
3
In the morning, weather permitting, we'll enjoy a beautiful view of the Terijuay range. We walk through the Cochayoc mountain pastures to the Cuypan pass (4550m). We continue to Pisaq before climbing to the pass of the same name. The climb is somewhat difficult, but the view is well worth it. We stop near a lagoon where our hosts are staying for the night. From here, we can see several snow-capped peaks. For a long time, the community of Challhuachoca was difficult to reach, and even today the inhabitants communicate with the valley by radio!
8 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 4
Day 04 Challwacocha (4280m) – Patacancha (3350 m)
1 stop
4
After breakfast, we continue along the valley floor and pass through another shepherds' village. This one is a little larger than the others, and the children wave as they pass. We then head for the Yauricunca pass (4152 m) before descending to Patacancha. The climb up to the pass is gradual, as we pass through a steppe landscape dotted with herds of alpacas. Once we reach Patacancha, we meet up with the community, with whom we spend the evening. Night with the locals.
8 hours • Admission ticket included
Day 5
Day 05 Patacancha (3350 m) - Pumamarca - Ollantaytambo (2750 m) - Aguas Calientes (2040 m)
1 stop
5
Ollantaytambo
After breakfast, you bid farewell to the inhabitants of Patacancha. You drive to the site of Pumamarca, which you visit. From there, it's back down to Ollantaytambo, from where you take the train to Aguas Calientes.
8 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 6
Day 06 Machu Picchu – Cusco
1 stop
6
Machu Picchu
At first light, to enjoy Machu Picchu away from the crowds, you take the shuttle or collective bus to the entrance of the site for a complete tour of the lost city of the Incas, with its agricultural and urban sectors and its incredible buildings on the mountainside. Afternoon descent to Aguas Calientes to catch the train to Ollantaytambo, then transfer to Cusco. * Additional activities on site: (not included in the package and booked in advance) Possibility of adding an ascent of Huaynapicchu or Machupicchu, subject to availability. (These mountains are part of the Machupicchu citadel landscape and have different schedules and entrances, as they take longer to climb and visit).
3 hours • Admission ticket included

Additional info

• Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Not recommended for pregnant travelers
• Travelers should have a high level of physical fitness

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