Lares, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu (4 days / 3 nights)
(Quishuarani- Aruraycocha – Yanahuara – Sacred Valley Lodge - Ollantaytambo and a full day tour of Machu Picchu)
A trek through the dramatic high Andean scenery of the Urubamba range to the east of the Sacred Valley of the Incas; visiting highland villages where life goes on much as it did centuries ago and local inhabitants continue the ancient textile traditions of their ancestors. From these high, open spaces we descend by train into the lush forests around Machu Picchu, where our trip ends with a visit to this most famous of “lost cities”.
Day 1
:
Cusco / Quishuarani / Cuncani
You will be picked up from your hotel in Cusco at around 7 a.m. for the drive to the village of Quishuarani (3,700 m) in the Lares Valley. From here we climb to the Willkaqasa Pass (4,200 m), from where we will have fine views of the surrounding Urubamba range, before descending to the village of Cuncani (3,750 m), near which we will make our first camp.
Day 2
:
Cuncani / Aruraycocha
After breakfast, we will continue our trek through unspoilt high Andean scenery to the remote highland lake of Aruraycocha, with fine views of the surrounding mountains, including snow-capped Mount Veronica (5,750 m). We will camp near the lake.
Day 3
:
Aruraycocha / Yanahuara / Sacred Valley / Machu Picchu
After breakfast we will leave our porters to strike the camp and begin our final day’s hike down into the Sacred Valley of the Incas, We will descend along the narrow Aruraycocha and Mantacnayniyoc canyons to the village of Yanahuara. Here our vehicle will be waiting to pick us up for the short drive to our hotel in the picturesque Sacred Valley, where we will spend the night.
Day 4
:
Ollantaytambo / Full day visit to Machu Picchu
From our hotel it is a short drive to the Inca village and ruins of Ollantaytambo, which is renowned for being the only remaining community in Peru which retains its original Inca street plan. Above the village, the imposing ruins of the same name are those of a fortress temple dedicated by the Incas to their pantheon of gods. From Ollantaytambo we will take the train to Machu Picchu. Standing at the top of a steep, forested hill overlooking the Urubamba River, Machu Picchu was hidden by dense vegetation for centuries until the historian Hiram Bingham began to clear the site. Today the city has been restored and even if it has lost some of its mystery it still remains an unforgettable sight. Our tour includes a visit to the temples, plazas, palaces, watercourses and residential areas and will also leave you time to explore the ruins on your own.
In the afternoon: Return to Cusco by train, transfer to hotel.
