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Peru: Luxury Trek to Machu Picchu
On this page: Overview | Itinerary | Pricing
Overview
Adventures Within Reach has teamed up with Mountain Lodges of Peru to offer the 7-day/6 night luxury lodge to lodge trek to Machu Picchu. AWR will help you with all the arrangements, including pre- and post-trek hotels and tours of Lima, Cusco and beyond, and flights! We take the worry out of your travel plans.
The trek itself is the ultimate in luxury trekking with accommodations at beautiful lodges along the ancient trail called the "Salkantay Route" in the Cordillera Vilcabamba. The end of the trek brings you to the Sanctuary Lodge of Machu Picchu and the town of Aguas Calientes. Before returning to Cusco by train, you will have a guided tour of Machu Picchu.
This is the same trek with the same price that you find on the Mountain Lodges of Peru website. AWR will help you with the finishing touches before and after the trek!
This trek has set departures weekly March - December. Daily departures available for groups of 6 or more.
Itinerary: Day 0 Briefing in Cusco; Day 1 Cusco Salkantay Lodge at Soraypampa; Day 2 Soraypampa; Day 3 Soraypampa to Wayra Lodge at Huayraccmachay; Day 4 Huayraccmachay to Colpa Lodge at Collpapampa; Day 5 Collpapampa to Lucma Lodge at Lucmabamba; Day 6 Lucmabamba to Aguas Calientes/Machu Picchu; Day 7 Machu Picchu to Cusco.
Itinerary
Day 0 BRIEFING IN CUSCO
You will be invited to an evening meeting and briefing in Cusco, to greet the guide and get any last minute instructions.
Day 1 CUSCO TO SALKANTAY LODGE AND ADVENTURE RESORT AT SORAYPAMPA
Your guide and driver will pick you up early at your hotel in Cusco and head towards 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 (approx. 1.5 hrs from Cusco). After leaving Limatambo, we pass through the mountain village of Mollepata where we stop for a short coffee break before ascending a winding mountain road to a place called Marcoccasa (30 minutes from Mollepata by vehicle).
Here, we will begin our trek to Soraypampa, on an old route called the "Camino Real" (Royal Path). This is a good opportunity for guests to acclimate and enjoy a mild & beautiful 3-4 hour trek ontheir first day. (Optional: guests who do not wish to trek may be transported to the lodge in the vehicle). The Salkantay Lodge takes its name from the majestic peak at the head of the valley – the "Salkantay", the 2nd most sacred peak in Inca mythology and, at 20,600 ft (6,270 m), the highest in the region. After a warm welcome, the guests will be shown to their rooms and have time to wash-up. The first afternoon is spent at leisure to adjust to the altitude. An evening briefing by the fireplace is followed by aperitifs and dinner. (Lunch on Day 1 is a gourmet box lunch) (BLD).
Day 2 SORAYPAMPA
This day is spent at the Salkantay Lodge & Adventure Resort as a time for leisure, rest or activities, depending upon guests’ level of acclimatization. The most popular activity at Soraypampa is a half-day hike to a glacial lake where the more adventurous might take a very short swim! This activity is excellent for acclimatization and a first immersion into high-mountain trekking! In the afternoon, guests may choose to trade the glacial swim for a relaxing soak in the outdoor jacuzzi. In the evening, the guide will brief the trekking party on gear and the itinerary for the next four days. (Meals are taken at the Lodge) (BLD).
Day 3 SORAYPAMPA TO WAYRA LODGE AT HUAYRACCMACHAY (3,850m/12,600 ft)
This is the big day: the start of the four-day trek to Machu Picchu. After an early start we will hike up the Rio Blanco valley, circling Humantay Peak across from the Salkantay. The highest point on the trek is a pass at 4,500 m (14,800 ft). At the pass we stop to take in views of snow-capped peaks of the Vilcabamba Range in every direction, the south face of Salkantay towering above us. We will keep our eyes out for Andean condors, often visible in this area. From the pass we continue our descent toward the Wayra Lodge ("Wayra": wind; ‘the place where the wind lives’) our destination for the evening. A hot lunch is taken en route. Dinner and overnight at the Lodge (hiking time: 4-6 hours; total excursion time for day 5-7 hours) (BLD).
Day 4 HUAYRACCMACHAY TO COLPA LODGE AT COLLPAPAMPA (2,800m/9,200 ft).
Following the long first day we enjoy a leisurely breakfast at Huayraccmachay. We then begin our trek by hiking downhill above the Salkantay River, through increasingly verdant scenery. Our arrival at the lodge encounters a "Pachamanca"-style lunch (subject to availability; traditional underground stone cooking). The Colpa Lodge is located in an open promontory at the confluence of three rivers. The outdoor jacuzzi in this lodge has prominent views of lush green mountains and a small far-away local town. Dinner and overnight at the lodge (BLD).
Day 5 COLLPAPAMPA TO LUCMA LODGE TO LUCMABAMBA (2,100m/6,900 ft)
After an early breakfast we head down the Santa Teresa River Valley, through more populated rural areas with coffee plantations (said to be one of the best organic coffees in the world!), bananas, ‘granadillas’, and orchards. We stop along the river for a hot picnic lunch. A vehicle arrives to the lunch spot to pick us up for a short drive to the beginning of the "Llactapata Inca Trail". From the head of the trail it is a short climb (30 min.) to the Lucma Lodge, set in an avocado orchard. We arrive in time to allow for exploration of the small village of Lucmabamba and possible meeting with members of the local community. (hiking time: 4-6 hours/total excursion time for day 5-7 hours) (BLD).
Day 6 LUCMABAMBA TO AGUAS CALIENTES (1,900 m/6,200 ft)
After an early start and a hearty breakfast, we tackle the last day of our trek. We head uphill for two hours towards Llactapata pass (2,700 m/8,900 ft), where we come upon a distant but quite special view of Machu Picchu from the southwest, a view few tourists ever glimpse; an added value are the Llactapata Ruins, which have recently been restored. Lunch is provided at the observatory, in view of Machu Picchu. We then begin our final descent to the Aobamba River through lush bamboo forests and more orchards and coffee plantations (2-3 hours descent). Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu are a short (30 minutes), scenic train ride away. (Total hiking time: 4-6 hours). We then arrive in Aguas Calientes to check-in to the hotel. Overnight at 4-star hotel in Aguas Calientes (BLD).
Day 7 MACHU PICCHU TO CUSCO
We have an early breakfast at the hotel and then make our way to the shuttle bus station for the ride up to Machu Picchu (30 min). A complete guided tour of Machu Picchu will be provided. You will have about 4 to 6 hours to tour the ruins. Afterward, we will return by shuttle bus to Aguas Calientes for lunch and to go to the train station for the afternoon departure. The train will arrive in Cusco and passengers will be dropped at the their hotel (BL).
Pricing
2008-2009 Prices per person land-only:
| # Passengers in Group | Set Departure | Single Supplement |
| Price per Person | $2500 | Add 25% to 50% |
Set departures weekly March - December.
SERVICES INCLUDED: Transportation by vehicle/train to start and from the end of trek (Cusco to Cusco), mountain luxury lodges, 4-star hotel in Aguas Calientes, fully supported trek, all meals listed in itinerary; bilingual guide on the trek, guided tour of Machu Picchu, entrance fees.
SERVICES NOT INCLUDED: Hotels in Cusco before and after trek, personal expenses (alcoholic beverages, laundry service, insurance, personal gear, extras), tips for your guides, trek crew and lodge staff, additional tours and day trips, international and domestic airline tickets. AWR can help you with your pre- and post-trek arrangements!