Machu Picchu Eco Lodge Adventure
11 days /
April - December
Pricing: Pricing is based on group size and seasonality, please check with us to secure the best pricing.
Highlights:
• A five-day trek along the Salkantay Route through the mountains of the Andes, with breathtaking vistas during the day and luxurious mountaintop lodges at night.
• A guided two-day tour of the sacred and stunning Machu Picchu, one of the great wonders of the world.
• A chance to fully explore the famous Sacred Valley, with a personal guide.
Start Map
Day 1: CUSCO
We will pick you up from the airport and escort you to the hotel so that you can check in. In the afternoon, you will take a guided tour of Cusco. Highlights include the main plaza and its cathedral, as well as the Inca temple of Koricancha.
Day 2: SACRED VALLEY
We will spend the entire day exploring the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Once the heart of the Incan Empire, this stunning region boasts archaeological ruins, Incan sites, and lovely villages. We will visit the Pisac ruins, which offer an excellent example into the Inca’s advanced masonry skills. We’ll also visit the market so you can purchase some unique and authentic souvenirs, things like sweaters, tapestries, blankets, rugs, ceramics, or musical instruments. We’ll follow our shopping trip with lunch and then a trip to Ollantaytambo, one of the last Inca cities remaining still intact.
Day 3: TREK
After an early breakfast, we will head out to the Salkantay Lodge & Adventure Resort in Soraypampa. En route, we will take a short break to visit the Inca ruins of Tarawasi near the town of Limatambo. After leaving Limatambo, we will pass through the mountain village of Mollepata before beginning our trek to Soraypampa. We will take an old route called to a place called Marcoccasa, providing good opportunity for you to acclimate with a short and gentle trek on your first day. The Salkantay Lodge takes its name from the majestic peak at the head of the valley, the second-most sacred peak in Inca mythology and the highest in the region at 20,600 ft (6,270 m). We will arrive in the early morning and spend out afternoon resting and enjoying the lodge.
Day 4: TREK
We will spend the day resting and acclimating with short hikes, if you feel the urge. You may choose to take a half-day hike to a glacial lake. You might even choose to take a (short!) swim. In the afternoon, you may choose to trade an icy swim for a relaxing soak in the hot tub. After dinner, you will get a briefing and gear check before we begin our big hike.
Day 5: TREK
We will begin our four-day trek to Machu Picchu. After an early start, we will hike up the Rio Blanco Valley, circling Humantay Peak. At the highest point on the trek – a 15,000 ft (4,600 m) pass – we will stop to marvel at the views of the snow-capped peaks of the Vilcabamba Range. We may be lucky enough to glimpse Andean condors, which are often visible in this area. From the pass, we will continue our descent toward the Wayra Lodge.
Day 6: TREK
We will enjoy a leisurely breakfast at Wayra before we begin our trek by hiking downhill above the Salkantay River, through increasingly verdant scenery. Once we reach the lodge, will enjoy a traditional Pachamanca-style lunch, with the food cooked with hot stones in an earthen oven is known as a huatia. The Colpa Lodge is located in an open promontory at the confluence of three rivers. The outdoor hot tub in this lodge boasts prominent views of lush green mountains and a small far-away town.
Day 7: TREK
After an early breakfast, we will head down the Santa Teresa River Valley, passing through plantations that grow bananas, granadillas,and coffee. (The local beans are said to be one of the best organic coffees in the world!) We will stop along the river for a hot picnic lunch. After another hour of trekking, we will board a private vehicle for a short drive to the beginning of the Llactapata Inca Trail. From the head of the trail, it is a short climb to the Lucma Lodge, set in an avocado orchard. We will arrive in time to allow you to explore the small village of Lucmabamba and get to know some of the members of the local community.
Day 8: AQUAS CALIENTES
After an early start and a hearty breakfast, we will begin the last day of our trek. We will head uphill towards the Llactapata Pass (8,900 ft /2,700 m), which provides a unique glimpse of the distant Machu Picchu, a view few tourists ever glimpse. We will also see the Llactapata Ruins, which have recently been restored. We will eat our lunch at the observatory, gazing at the panorama of Machu Picchu, before we begin our final descent to the Aobamba River. We will pass through lush bamboo forests and more orchards and coffee plantations before we take a short and scenic train ride to Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu. When we arrive in Aguas Calientes, we will check into our hotel for the night.
Day 9 and 10: MACHU PICCHU
We will spend the day exploring one of humanity’s most remarkable achievements – Machu Picchu. This Lost City of the Incas is one of the most famous archeological sites in the world and merits a leisurely inspection. This sacred site – declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 — provides a unique glimpse into the past because it was not plundered by the Spanish during the conquest of the Incas. We will spend at least one day giving the ruins the attention that they deserve.
Day 10: MACHU PICCHU and VISTADOME TRAIN and CUSCO
You can choose to spend the morning examining the ruins in more depth or you can choose to relax and enjoy the amenities of the hotel. After lunch, we will take the Vistadome Train to Cusco and check into our hotel.
Day 11: CUSCO LIMA AIRPORT
After a nice breakfast, we will escort you to the airport to catch a short flight to Lima where you will transfer to your return flight home.
We have worked hard to include natives in our day-to-day operations, keeping our money in the local economy as well allowing the area’s young people to learn a profession at the same time that they share their culture with us.
As part of our ongoing efforts to support the communities’ economic development, we helped sponsor Yanapana Peru, an NGO that works to elevate the level of education for local families and helps them take an active part in developing the area’s tourist trade.