Inca Trail & Lake Titicaca

In the morning, transfer back to the airport for a short flight to Cusco, center of the Inca Empire.  Your guide picks you up at the airport for a quick tour of the beautiful Plaza De Armas. From there, you will be taken to your hotel, where you will be free for the remainder of the day to relax and acclimate to the altitude. (10,856 feet) (B)

Today begins with a guided walking tour through Cusco to see the colorful markets, the colonial cathedral and Koricancha, the impressive Temple of the Sun. After a lunch of regional cuisine, you tour the remaining prominent Inca sights in and around Cusco. These include the fortress of Sacsayhuamán, with its megalithic stone terraces; Kenko, with carved stone surfaces and subterranean altars; Puka Pukara the small fortress that once protected the royal capital; and the water temple, Tambo Machay. In the late afternoon, you’ll return to the comfort of your hotel to relax or continue to explore Cusco on your own. This evening you will meet with your guide for a briefing session regarding your upcoming trek. (B)

Embark upon a day-long excursion through snowcapped mountains to the Incas’ legendary Sacred Valley. The first stop is Pisac’s hilltop citadel, featuring the civilization’s agricultural terracing along the steep valley walls, panoramic views of jagged granite peaks and the temple ruins. Descend down to the town of Pisac, known for one of the best Andean textile markets in Peru. After taking in some of the local culture and enjoying a traditional lunch, depart for Ollantaytambo (9,185 feet), a small town with an impressive Inca fortress. Tour the ruins and enjoy this small traditional town. Overnight at a local hotel in Ollantaytambo. (B)

Rise early this morning for a bus ride to (Km 82), where your Inca Trail trek begins. After meeting the porters, you cross the Urubamba River by bridge. Continuing along the winding path between the sloping banks of the river, where you have a stunning view of the Vilcanota mountain range and Mt. Veronica, which sits at 18,745 feet. The route travels through the narrow Cusichaca valley, with slopes that show the clear imprint of an ancient culture and its agriculture practices. Later, you’ll arrive at the small indigenous community of Huayllabamba (9,843 ft.), where you camp for the night. (B,L,D)

Hiking Details: 7.46 miles; approximately 5-6 hours hiking

Altitude min/max: from 8,438 ft. to 9,843 ft. (camping at 9,843 ft.)

After a hearty breakfast at camp, continue along the trail through the narrow hanging valley where you begin to see a cloud forest where the Quenua tree grows, a rarity of the Andes. From here, your Inca Trail trek ascends steeply to large pampas and continues to Dead Woman’s Pass, the highest pass on the Inca Trail at 13,796 ft. After a short break, you’ll begin the descent to where you will camp overnight at Pacaymayo (11,788 ft.). (B,L,D)

Hiking Details: 6.84 miles; approximately 6-7 hours hiking

Altitude min/max: from 9,843 ft. to 13,796 ft. (camping at 11,788 ft.)

Today’s Peru tours take you through most of the archaeological ruins seen along the Inca Trail. The first is Runkuracay. At this small resting place, you’ll visit the ruins before reaching a second pass and then gradually climbing towards the second highest pass on the trek (12,960 ft.). Here you’ll have a spectacular view of the Cordillera of Vilcanota. After a break, you’ll descend towards the Inca village of Sayacmarca (11,850 ft.). Along the way, you observe a marvel of Inca engineering, and then come upon the beautiful ruins of Phuyupatamarca (11,975 ft.), where you’ll camp for the night. (B,L,D)

Hiking Details: 6.21 miles; approximately 6 hours hiking

Altitude min/max: from 11,788 ft. to 12,960 ft. (camping at 11,975 ft.)

Your final day of trekking along the Inca Trail starts with a visit to the Phuyupatamarca ruins and then follows the flagstone trail that winds sharply down into the cloud forest leading to the ruins of Wiñay Wayna (8,855 feet). Wiñay Wayna is located along the same watercourse as Phuyupatamarca and contains well-restored Inca ruins. After two more hours of trekking the Inca Trail, you pass through a cloud forest and arrive through Intipunku or the Sun Gate of your long-awaited destination, Machu Picchu (7,970 feet. After a brief tour, you take a bus to the nearby town of Aguas Calientes (6,690 ft.) to spend the night at a charming hotel. (B,L,D)

Hiking Details: 6.20 miles; approximately 6 hours hiking

Altitude max/min: from 11,975 ft. to 7,970 ft. Machu Picchu

Today, you’ll have the opportunity to experience Machu Picchu during the early morning hours. Explore the numerous ruins including an optional climb to the sacred peak of Huayna Picchu. By midday, you return to Aguas Calientes for lunch and an early afternoon train ride back to Ollantaytambo. Your private vehicle will be waiting at the station to deliver you to the Chinchero textile market, where members of the local weavers’ collective will explain the traditional weaving methods of the Sacred Valley. Continue on to your Cusco hotel for the evening. (10,856 feet) (B)

Huayna Picchu Hiking Details: 1.25 miles; approximately 2-3 hours hiking, the trail is narrow and very steep.

Altitude min/max: from 7,875 ft to 8,835 ft.

Embark over the altiplano (high plains) onboard a bus for a full day of high altitude views.  The bus is a full day journey and you’ll have several stops along the way including archeological stops, scenic view points, and lunch. Reach Puno, along the shores of Lake Titicaca and transfer to your hotel. Let us know if you prefer to travel from Cusco to Puno via short flight or full day train experience. (B,L) (12,510 ft)

*Full day train upgrade from Cusco to Puno runs Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. Please inquire for more details.

This morning, you board a boat to explore Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable lake that is considered the birthplace of the Incan people. These frigid vividly blue waters are the remnant of an ancient inland sea that stands in stark contrast to the parched altiplano, a gorgeous natural gem. The first stop is the floating islands of Uros, where you spend time with locals who share how these islands were created and what daily life is like. Next cruise over to Taquile Island, a small island known for its unique textile weavings and distinct culture, which hasn’t been heavily influenced by outsiders due to its remote location. Enjoy a local lunch and optional hike around the island before returning to your Puno hotel in the late afternoon. (B,L)

You’ll have the morning free to enjoy breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the Juliaca airport in the early afternoon. Make a stop on the outskirts of Puno at the mysterious pre-Incan ruins called chullpas (funeral towers), the finest of which sit on a peninsula in Lake Umayo at Sillustani. The Colla people, a warrior tribe that spoke Aymara, buried their elite in these giant cylindrical tombs, some as tall as 40 feet. The stonemasonry is exquisite and many archaeologists and historians find them more complex and superior even to Inca engineering. Explore this area before your late afternoon flight to Lima and your connecting international flight home, marking the end of Southern Explorations services. (B)