Machu Picchu - Lake
Titicaca
(11
days/10 nights)
Machu Picchu - Lake
Titicaca
(12 days/11 nights)
Machu Picchu - Lake
Titicaca
(14 days/13 nights)
Colca Canyon - Machu
Picchu
Lake Titicaca
(16 days/15 nights)
Archaeological & Ecological
Treasures
Galapagos - Machu Picchu
Lake Titicaca (or Amazon)
(18 days/17
nights)
Colca Canyon - Amazon
Machu Picchu - Lake Titicaca
(22 days/21 nights)
Machu Picchu
(10
days/9 nights)
Machu Picchu
(13 days/12 nights)
Machu Picchu - Galapagos
(15 days/14 nights)
Galapagos - Machu Picchu
(18 days/17 nights)
Enchanted Isles of the Galapagos
Galapagos
(11
days/10 nights)
Galapagos & the Kingdom of Quito
Galapagos - Andes
(16 days/15 nights)
Galapagos - Amazon
(16 days/15 nights)
Historic Haciendas of the Andes
Cotopaxi - Antisana
- Otavalo
(7 days/6 nights)
© 2011 Inka's Empire Corporation.
All rights reserved.
Ollantaytambo - Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu as seen
from Putucusi, Peru.
Photo: Beto Santillán.
Land Price (6 days/5 nights)
Frugal Luxury US$ 2,715 De Luxe US$ 3,240 Imperial US$ 3,595 per person
The land price includes escorted transfers, private trek (with professional guide, porters and equipment), entrance fees, selected category of accommodations, gourmet cuisine (see details) wth full board while on the trek, all transportation, and travel insurance for guests through the age of 59 years (over that age, there is a supplementary fee). All prices are per person based on two people sharing a guest room. For a detailed description of our services, see Opulent Itineraries.
Other Treks
Royal Inca Trail
Inca Trail Classic
Inca Quarry Trail
This short route across the mountains south of Ollantaytambo, in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, takes us through an astonishing variety of scenery and ecological zones, over a high pass with views of all the major snow-capped peaks of the Cusco region. We visit Inca ruins on our way to Abra de Chancachucu. The final day, we descend via stunning panoramas of the Camicancha and Urubamba valleys to the Inca mountain-worship site of Intipunku, the well-preserved élite residential site of Choquetacarpo, and the impressive ramps and abandoned stone blocks of the Inca quarries at Cachicata. Then, transfer to Ollantaytambo, where we take the Orient-Express Vistadome train to the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu.
Agricultural terraces, Fortress of Ollantaytambo, Sacred Valley.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Luxury Cuzco Tours & Travel.
Inca Quarry Trail
Day 1: Cuzco - Sacred Valley (Raphcca - Corimarca). We drive to Pachar in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, and follow the Huarocondo gorge a short way upstream to our trailhead at the village of Raphcca, 2900m/9510ft. From here we hike up a lush side valley of scattered farmhouses and crop terraces, where Andean bird species such as the giant hummingbird and golden-billed saltator flit among abundant native trees and shrubs. We eat a picnic lunch by a rushing mountain stream, before deciding whether to take an easier route, or an optional steep trail via a tall waterfall where we can pause to refresh ourselves amidst the cool spray, or enjoy an alfresco shower and dip beneath the falls. Climbing further, we visit the little-known Inca ruin of Corimarca, perched at mid-altitude on a shelf high above the Soccma valley. An Inca-built channel still carries water rushing past this small, elegantly designed settlement, which was probably built by the Incas to collect and control the agricultural production of the surrounding valley. We camp here, or at a spacious set of Inca terraces a short distance upvalley.
Day 2: Sacred Valley (Corimarca - Chancachucu Pass - Q'euñacancha). We climb across open meadows, before reaching a zone of high altitude shrubland, which in turn gives way to treeless grasslands known as puna as our trail winds gently around mountain spurs following an undulating approach to the pass of Chancachucu (4,400m/14,430ft). In clear weather this section of our journey offers dramatic panoramas of every major snowpeak in the region. We gaze east across the distant town of Chinchero toward mighty snowcapped Ausangate and the Qoyllur Rit’i range, while the jagged peaks of the Cordillera Urubamba rear across the Sacred Valley to the north. The scenic drama reaches new heights as we cross the pass and confront the glaciers of Verónica (5,750m/18,850ft),looming vastly in the near-distance to the north-west. Our route continues across a rolling, sparsely inhabited plateau with views of the tip of Salcantay and the Huayanays. We pass mountain lakes where we may see wetland birds such as Andean geese, crested ducks and puna ibis, before we descend to our second camp at Q’euñacancha (4080m/13,380ft).
Day 3: Sacred Valley (Q'euñacancha - Punkuyoc - Cachicata). With luck we may see Andean condors today. We set off on one of two routes. Fitter, more experienced groups will follow the Chancachucu valley downstream, following the broken remains of an Inca water channel that once carried water to the ancient quarries. The stream plunges through Punkuyoc, a narrow ravine enclosed by vertical cliffs draped in ferns and orchids, and emerges amidst a small woods of native Q’euña trees. A narrow trail zig-zags steeply down open, grassy slopes, offering spectacular views of the Camicancha valley, its river a silver ribbon far below us. We climb once more, and again pick up the Inca water channel, which has traversed a near-vertical cliff far above us. Now we follow the channel on a gentler path, enountering stunning views of Ollantaytambo and the Sacred Valley as we reach the imposing gateway of Intipunku, an Inca temple apparently dedicated to worship of snowcapped Verónica. The alternative, easier route for this day climbs gently from our second camp across rolling grassland to the south flank of Yana Orco, a rocky crag high above the Sacred Valley and the Inca quarries. Viewpoints allow us to look straight down on Ollantaytambo and its valleys 1,400m/4600ft below us, as if from an airplane. We wind our way along the rim of the valley, reaching a pass where we descend a steep draw through native Q’euna woodland, leveling off as we approach the Inca site of Intipunku. We lunch facing a breathtaking mountain and valley panorama, near the well-preserved Inca complex of Choquetacarpo. This site was most likely the residence of architects, masons and visiting dignitaries who managed the Inca quarries and performed ceremonies at Intipunku. After lunch, we wend our way downward, exploring different sectors of the Inca quarries, a natural rockfall, where massive carved blocks of pink rhyolite lie scattered in disarray. The quarried stones, testimony to a great building project that was never finished, were destined for the Inca temple at Ollantaytambo, (6km/4 miles) away on the north bank of the Urubamba river. We descend to our third and last camp, located on Inca terraces topped by small burial towers known as chullpas, near the village of Cachicata. Here we enjoy hot showers and a warmer climate, as we relax in preparation for our train ride and visit to Machu Picchu next morning
Machu Picchu
Day 4: Sacred Valley - Orient-Express Vistadome - Machu Picchu. Walk to the Ollantaytambo train station. Vistadome to Machu Picchu. Transfer to the ruins. Day entrance. Private guided tour in the morning. Buffet luncheon in the hotel. Afternoon exploration with your guide or own your own. Dinner and overnight in the Orient-Express Sanctuary Lodge.
Cuzco
Day 5: Machu Picchu - Orient-Express Vistadome - Cuzco. Day of exploration with your guide or on your own. Entrance into the ruins. Sunrise over Machu Picchu. Lunch in the hotel. Transfer to the train station. Vistadome to the Poroy Station, on the outskirts of Cuzco. Reception and transfer to your hotel. Dinner at the Restaurante El Tupay. Overnight in the Orient-Express Monasterio.
Your next destination
Day 6: Cuzco - Your next destination. Transfer to the airport or terminal for the trip to your next destination.
Photo: Beto Santillán.
Day 1: Cuzo - Raphcca - Corimarca
We drive to Pachar in the Sacred Valley of the Incas and follow the Huarocondo Gorge a short way upstream to our trailhead at the village of Raphcca (2,900 meters/9,510 feet of elevation). From here, we hike up a lush side valley of scattered farmhouses and crop terraces, where Andean bird species such as the giant hummingbird and golden-billed saltator flit among abundant native trees and shrubs. We eat a picnic lunch by a rushing mountain stream before deciding whether to take an easier route or a steep trail by a tall waterfall, where we can pause to refresh ourselves amidst the cool spray or enjoy an alfresco shower and dip beneath the falls.
Climbing further, we visit the little-known Inca ruin of Corimarca, perched at mid-altitude on a shelf high above the Soccma Valley. An Inca-built channel still carries water rushing past this small, elegantly designed settlement, which was probably built by the Incas to collect and control the agricultural production of the surrounding valley. We camp here or at a spacious set of Inca terraces a short distance up the valley. Overnight in camp.
Photo: Beto Santillán.
Day 2: Corimarca - Chancachucu Pass - Q'euñacancha
We climb across open meadows, before reaching a zone of high altitude shrubland, which in turn gives way to treeless grasslands known as puna as our trail winds gently around mountain spurs following an undulating approach to the pass of Chancachucu (4,400m/14,430ft). In clear weather this section of our journey offers dramatic panoramas of every major snowpeak in the region. We gaze east across the distant town of Chinchero toward mighty snowcapped Ausangate and the Qoyllur Rit’i range, while the jagged peaks of the Cordillera Urubamba rear across the Sacred Valley to the north. The scenic drama reaches new heights as we cross the pass and confront the glaciers of Verónica (5,750m/18,850ft),looming vastly in the near-distance to the north-west.
Our route continues across a rolling, sparsely inhabited plateau with views of the tip of Salcantay and the Huayanays. We pass mountain lakes where we may see wetland birds such as Andean geese, crested ducks and puna ibis, before we descend to our second camp at Q’euñacancha (4080m/13,380ft). Overnight in camp.
Photo: Beto Santillán.
Day 3: Q'euñacancha - Punkuyoc - Cachicata
With luck we may see Andean condors today. We set off on one of two routes. Fitter, more experienced groups will follow the Chancachucu valley downstream, following the broken remains of an Inca water channel that once carried water to the ancient quarries. The stream plunges through Punkuyoc, a narrow ravine enclosed by vertical cliffs draped in ferns and orchids, and emerges amidst a small woods of native Q’euña trees. A narrow trail zig-zags steeply down open, grassy slopes, offering spectacular views of the Camicancha valley, its river a silver ribbon far below us. We climb once more, and again pick up the Inca water channel, which has traversed a near-vertical cliff far above us. Now we follow the channel on a gentler path, enountering stunning views of Ollantaytambo and the Sacred Valley as we reach the imposing gateway of Intipunku, an Inca temple apparently dedicated to worship of snowcapped Verónica.
The alternative, easier route for this day climbs gently from our second camp across rolling grassland to the south flank of Yana Orco, a rocky crag high above the Sacred Valley and the Inca quarries. Viewpoints allow us to look straight down on Ollantaytambo and its valleys 1,400m/4600ft below us, as if from an airplane. We wind our way along the rim of the valley, reaching a pass where we descend a steep draw through native Q’euna woodland, leveling off as we approach the Inca site of Intipunku. Overnight in camp.
Photo: Beto Santillán.
We lunch facing a breathtaking mountain and valley panorama, near the well-preserved Inca complex of Choquetacarpo. This site was most likely the residence of architects, masons and visiting dignitaries who managed the Inca quarries and performed ceremonies at Intipunku.
After lunch, we wend our way downward, exploring different sectors of the Inca quarries, a natural rockfall, where massive carved blocks of pink rhyolite lie scattered in disarray. The quarried stones, testimony to a great building project that was never finished, were destined for the Inca temple at Ollantaytambo, (6km/4 miles) away on the north bank of the Urubamba river.
We descend to our third and last camp, located on Inca terraces topped by small burial towers known as chullpas, near the village of Cachicata. Here we enjoy hot showers and a warmer climate, as we relax in preparation for our train ride and visit to Machu Picchu next morning
.
Citadel of Machu Picchu.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Luxury Cuzco Tours & Travel.
Consider the top-of-the-world panorama of the Machu Picchu Mountain Trail.
(Trek must be requested in writing at the time of booking your tour.)
Photo album: Marvels of Machu Picchu
Day 4: Cachicata - Ollantaytambo - Orient-Express Vistadome - Machu Picchu
Breakfast. At the Ollantaytambo Station, we board the train for a descent into the Urubamba Valley to reach Machu Picchu (Old Peak), the "Lost City of the Incas". The Orient-Express Vistadome's recently renovated carriages have panoramic windows, offering enhanced photographic opportunities. Refreshments will be served. Upon arrival, your guide will accompany you to the Orient-Express Sanctuary Lodge, near the top of Machu Picchu and next to the ruins.
Agricultural terraces,
Machu Picchu.
Photo:
Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Luxury Cuzco Tours & Travel.
On your private tour this morning, you will ponder the many theories about this mysterious citadel, including the latest -- that it was Inca Pachacuti's winter palace. The word "ruins" is misleading, as the site is actually in a remarkable state of preservation -- only the wood and palm-frond roofs have decomposed over the centuries. Surprisingly, the Spaniards never discovered the sanctuary, and it remained unknown to the outside world until Hiram Bingham's expedition of 1911. Its discovery captured the world's imagination, and its allure has never diminished.
A sumptuous buffet luncheon of regional cuisine by chef Paulino Huaman at the Sanctuary Lodge's Tinkuy Restaurant and an afternoon of exploration with your guide or on your own. One memorable possibility is the steep trail to the top of Huayna Picchu (Young Peak), a strenuous, two-hour round-trip. Other trails lead to the Temple of the Moon (a moderate, four-hour round-trip), the Inca Drawbridge (an easy, one-hour round-trip) or Machu Picchu's multitude of hidden nooks and crannies.
Walk back to the hotel. From its terrace and nearby lookouts, you will be able to watch the sunset, southern constellations and sunrise over the citadel, from high above the canyon of the Urubamaba River. A gourmet dinner of Peruvian-Mediterranean cuisine by chef Huaman at the Sanctuary Lodge's Tampu Restaurant. Overnight in the Orient-Express Sanctuary Lodge.
Trapezoidal windows, Machu Picchu.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Luxury Cuzco Tours & Travel.
The temples and royal chambers, throughout the Empire, were lined with gold, and, in preparing the stone, they left niches and empty spaces in which to put all sorts of human or animal figures: birds, or wild beasts, such as tigers, bears, lions, wolves, dogs and wildcats, deer, guanacos, vicuñas and even domestic ewes, all of which were made of gold and silver...
Imitation of nature was so consummate that they even reproduced the leaves and little plants that grow on walls; they also scattered here and there, gold or silver lizards, butterflies, mice and snakes, which were so well made and so cunningly placed, that one had the impression of seeing them run about in all directions...
In all the royal mansions there were gardens and orchards given over to the Inca's moments of relaxation. Here were planted the finest trees and the most beautiful flowers and sweet-smelling herbs in the kingdom, while quantities of others were reproduced in gold and silver, at every stage of their growth, from the sprout that hardly shows above the earth, to the full-blown plant, in complete maturity. There were also fields of corn with silver stalks and gold ears, on which the leaves, grains, and even the corn silk were shown.
In addition to all this, there were all kinds of gold and silver animals in these gardens, such as rabbits, mice, lizards, snakes, butterflies, foxes, and wildcats... Then there were birds set in the trees, as though they were about to sing, and others bent over the flowers, breathing in their nectar. There were roe deer and deer, lions and tigers, all the animals in creation, in fact, each placed just where it should be.
-- Garcilaso de la Vega, The Royal Commentaries of the Inca, 1609
Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Luxury Cuzco Tours & Travel.
Day 5: Machu Picchu - Orient-Express Vistadome - Cuzco
Breakfast. Day of exploration with your guide or on your own. Start by ascending Machu Picchu for sunrise, which due to the high, surrounding mountains does not occur until around 7:00 am. It takes an hour to hike up to Intipunku (Sun Gate), the end of the Inca Trail and the ancient entrance into the sanctuary. Its majestic panorama of the citadel, seen from on high, is the first view the Incas had upon arriving from Cuzco. A lunch by chef Huaman at the Tampu Restaurant.
Early afternoon for further exploration. Descend from Machu Picchu at mid-afternoon and walk to the station for the train departure. Evening arrival at the Poroy Station, on the outskirts of Cuzco, reception and transfer to your hotel. A dinner of inspired dishes influenced by French cuisine and created with local produce of the highest quality by executive chef Federico Ziegler at the Restaurante El Tupay. Overnight in the Orient-Express Monasterio.
What we include:
A licensed, well-trained, English-speaking guide, who will visit you before departure to explain the trek and answer any questions.
Camping equipment: spacious North Face tents, dining tent, toilet tent, sleeping bags, sleeping map, pillow, tables and chairs, ecologically-correct hiking poles, oxygen bottle, cooking equipment and water purification tablets.
Chef preparing healthy, hearty meals cooked with fresh, local ingredients.
Well-paid and well-treated porters. We supply the appropriate duffel for you to pack and them to carry. You carry a light daypack.
Transportation from Cusco to start of the trail and back to Cusco.
Two-day Machu Picchu excursion with meals and overnight at the Sanctuary Lodge by Orient-Express
First class Vistadome train: Ollantaytambo - Aguas Clientes (Machu Picchu) - Cusco.
Entrance fees and roundtrip bus transportation from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu archaeological sanctuary.
Private guide service
Lunch at Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge.
Photo: Beto Santillán.
Important Notes:
Although the trek is rated as moderate, we strongly suggest spending at least two nights before start this trek to totally adjust to the altitude.
Extraordinary explorations.
© 2011 Inka's Empire Corporation, Luxury Peru Travel & Peru Tours. All rights reserved.