We will pick you up from your hotel at approximately 6:00 a.m. and drive for 1.5 hours to Huarocondo. During the trip, you can observe glaciers like Salkantay and Veronica, sacred gods of the Incas, and enjoy colorful valley landscapes. We’ll make a stop in Huarocondo to buy last-minute supplies like water. Huarocondo is known for its roasted piglets and the Virgin of Carmen festival, featuring colorful dances from July 15 to 20. 

We continue driving past fields of maize, potatoes, and quinoa to the community of Soqma, where we meet our muleteers and mules. We start our hike with a 1-hour walk to the Perolniyoq waterfall, then continue uphill to the Raqaypata archaeological site (3,560m/11,679 ft). Our chef will prepare lunch near the site. After lunch, we hike for another hour to our camp in the Rayanpata community.

• Distance: 11 km (6.8 miles)
• Time: 4-6 hours
• Lowest Elevation: 3,000m (9,743 ft)
• Highest Elevation: 3,700m (12,149 ft)
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Highlights: Spectacular valley views, Perolniyoq waterfall, Raqaypata archaeological site

This is the most challenging but rewarding day. We ascend for 3 hours to the Puccaqasa pass (4,370m/14,337 ft) to enjoy stunning valley and glacier views. We descend for 30 minutes to our lunch spot. After lunch, we ascend to the Kuychiq’asa pass (4,450m/14,600 ft) and enjoy panoramic views of the Andes. We descend for 2 hours to Inti Punku (Sun Gate) for an impressive view of the Sacred Valley and glaciers, then continue to our camp at Choquetacarpo (3,600m/11,800 ft).

• Distance: 15 km (9.32 miles)
• Time: 8 hours
• Lowest Elevation: 3,600m (11,800 ft)
• Highest Elevation: 4,450m (14,600 ft)
• Difficulty: Demanding
• Highlights: Spectacular views of valleys, ravines, glaciers

We descend for about 4 hours, visiting the Cachicata quarry where we find partially worked stones abandoned by the Incas. This quarry was used in the construction of Ollantaytambo temple. We also see Inca tombs and giant stones in transit. We reach Ollantaytambo for lunch and then take the train to Machu Picchu town for an overnight hotel stay.

• Time: 4 hours
• Distance: 10 km (6.21 miles)
• Lowest Elevation: 2,792m (9,160 ft)
• Highest Elevation: 3,600m (11,800 ft)
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Highlights: Valley views, rocks in transit, tombs

This is the most important day of our journey as we visit Machu Picchu, one of the new seven wonders of the modern world. We take a 25-minute bus ride to the Machu Picchu Sanctuary entrance and explore with our guide for about 2.5 hours. After the guided tour, we return to Machu Picchu town, take the train back to Ollantaytambo, and then our private transport will take you to your hotel in Cusco.

• Difficulty: Easy
• Machu Picchu Town Elevation: 2,040m (6,693 ft)
• Machu Picchu Sanctuary Elevation: 2,430m (7,972 ft)