This itinerary is truly unlike any other typical Peru hiking trip out there. Root Adventures has worked closely with our local operators to create a truly specialty trek that captures the beauty, remoteness, and solitude of the Andes.
This experience is all about connecting with the locals and visiting off-the-beaten path locations that are rarely seen and traveled to by tourist and crowds.
This exclusive trek is a first step in addressing the privilege in travel. We are working with the founder of the Native Women’s Wilderness, Jaylyn Gough, in our first ever attempt to decolonize travel. Guided conversations will explore the impact of colonization in the Americas and the parallels of the North and South American indigenous experience. All guides, porters, and leaders of the trek will be of indigenous descent. We will also offer 4 scholarships to indigenous people who may not otherwise have the chance to explore travel. This remote trek was designed to help us connect with local indigenous communities and to learn how their many practices can help us tackle climate change.
DAY 1 - Arrival in Cusco
Upon arrival, we will be met at the airport and transferred to our hotel. Rest and relaxation are encouraged today as the city sits at an elevation of 11,000' and most of us will be feeling the effects of the altitude. Enjoy a leisurely exploration of Cusco and dinner on your own.
Accommodations: Casa San Blas Boutique
Your hotel is located right off the ever vibrant Plaza de Armas.
DAY 2 - City and Ruins Tour in Cusco
After breakfast, we’ll explore the ancient city of Cusco. Our City Tour begins with a visit to the Temple of the Sun at the Koricancha, followed by a walk back to the Main Square (Plaza de Armas) to take in the impressive cathedral at its center.
A pleasant walk downhill and back into town delivers an afternoon at your leisure.
Overnight: Casa San Blas Boutique
Meals: B | L | D
DAY 3 - Chincheros Weavers, Maras, and Moray
After breakfast, we will drive to the Urubamba, or Sacred Valley, to visit the Chincheros Weavers where we will learn traditional practices of all stages of weaving, from the yarn making and dying process to the actual weaving of the yarn. Next we’ll enjoy a picnic lunch surrounded by spectacular mountain scenery.
We’ll then make our way to Moray, where you will have the privilege of exploring one of the earliest agricultural experimental “labs” in existence on the planet. It is believed that the beautiful and elegantly constructed descending circular terraces were used to support a variety of microclimates, encouraging the growth of specific crops attuned to each climate. The temperature difference between the uppermost and lowest levels can vary by as much as 15°C (59 °F). Plants that thrive at the deepest level of over 30 meters (98 ft) are different species from those that thrive at the uppermost levels. To think that indigenous Peruvians used experimental techniques to nurture diverse food crops centuries before modern greenhouse techniques were invented, is truly impressive!
Shortly thereafter we’ll arrive in Maras, famously known for its spectacular mountainside salt ponds. Here residents “mine” with 3000 bright white and multicolored salt pans, which are divided among local families. You will be able to observe the salt pans from a viewpoint and taste the famous Maras salt, known for its beneficial health properties. You’ll get a glimpse into a lifestyle very different from your own, as you learn about the techniques used to extract this mineral-rich condiment. Purchasing a bag of precious salt will help support this community in maintaining their centuries-old traditional way of life.
In the afternoon, we´ll return to Cusco for dinner and stay overnight.
Accommodations: Casa San Blas Boutique
Meals: B | L
DAY 4 - Cusco | Sacred Valley | Limatambo | Tinco
From Cusco, we drive toward Limatambo, past the Tika Tika Pass where we will gain our first views of majestic Mount Salkantay and Humantay on the horizon, before crossing the Ants plateau. Driving past breathtaking panoramas of this vibrant agricultural region with views of rugged snow capped peaks in the background, we will arrive at the trailhead just beyond the village of Mosquito where we’ll begin our trek through one of Peru’s newest private conservation areas signed into law in 2021.
We begin our uphill hike through an old growth Meso-Andean Relict Forest, a rare type of inter-Andean cloud forest that exists in less than 0.02% of Peru’s vast territory. Among the species that inhabit this forest are the Tasta (Escallonia myrtilloides) and Chachacoma (Escallonia resinosa) tree species, which are protected by Peruvian law.
As we approach the heights, we will observe how the ecosystem changes with the altitude, leaving behind the tree line to enter the high grasslands to reach our campsite at Acopía (13,628 ft.).
Trekking time: ~5 hours
Trekking distance: 6.5 miles
Altitude: Min. -10 698 ft. | Max. - 3 579 ft.
Accommodations: Camping
Meals: L | D
DAY 5 - Acopia | Cruzjara Pass | Mirador de Pampacahuana
Leaving Acopía, we will continue our uphill climb toward the first pass at Tambomachay (4367 km/ 14,323 ft). As the day warms up, we may see some Andean bird species, including Condors, as they soar majestically above the mountains.
After 4-5 hours of gentle uphill climbing, we will reach our lunch spot Uspaccasa (4,559 km/ 14,953 ft), a sheltered area just beyond the pass with majestic views of Mt. Salkantay and Mt. Humantay.
After lunch, we’ll continue along the high ridge and veer right toward Cruzjasa Pass (4,683 km / 15,360 ft) where we will have fantastic views of the South face of Mt. Palcay, the south face of Mt. Salkantay and the Pampacahuana Valley and enjoy the special feeling of solitude that comes with knowing there are few other humans in the vicinity.
From here, we descend on a steep trail to our campsite where we will sleep surrounded by mountains and stars at Mirador de Pampacahuana (3902 km / 12,801 ft).
Trekking time: ~8 hours
Trekking distance: 10 miles
Altitude: Min. - 3,921 km / 12,864 ft | Max.: 4,818 km / 15,808 ft
Accommodations: Camping
Meals: B | L | D
DAY 6 - Mirador de Pampacahuana | Paucarcancha | Chamana
We’ll take our leave of imposing Mt. Salkantay and continue our hike downhill along an ancient Inca canal flowing down the center of the Pampacahuana Valley, passing through a landscape dotted with small farm settlements. At the end of the valley, we’ll once more begin to observe a greater variety of vegetation as we descend past the tree line before arriving in Paucar Cancha, a remote Inca site at the confluence of the Pampacahuana and Q ́esca valleys.
After a short visit to explore the Inca stone walls and remnants of ancient houses at the site, we will have lunch. Then we’ll continue our journey downhill and join the first stretch of the famed Inca Trail, descending toward the Patallacta ruins. This site was once an important rest stop for the Inca on the way to Machu Picchu. After a brief visit, we will continue to our campsite at Chamana, which is a private campsite that we have equipped with a hot shower for you to cleanse and refresh after the strenuous activity of the previous few days.
Camp at Chamana (2585 km / 8480 ft).
Trekking time: ~7 hours
Trekking distance: 10.4 miles
Altitude: Min. - 2,585 km / 8,481 ft | Max. - 3,921 km / 12,864 ft
Accommodations: Camping
Meals: B | L | D
DAY 7 - Chamana | Huayna Q’ente | Piscacucho | Ollantaytambo | Machu Picchu Village
At this point, we will be on the edge of the Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary. Aer visiting the ruins of Huayna Q’ente, with its amazing Inca terraces and impressive landscaping, we will leave the Sanctuary through the town of Q’oriwairachina and head towards Piscacucho, where the main entrance to the Inca Trail is located.
The trail will take us alongside the Vilcanota River and through several more ancient archaeological sites. In fact, this is the same path that Hiram Bingham used when he was first led to Machu Picchu by local people living here in 1911. From here, we’ll travel by car to Ollantaytambo, in time to take the afternoon train to Machu Picchu Village, where we’ll spend the night before visiting the magical citadel of Machu Picchu tomorrow.
Dinner on your own.
Trekking time: ~5 hours
Trekking distance: 10.4 miles
Altitude: Min. - 2471 km / 8107 ft | Max. - 2808 km / 9213 ft
Accommodations: El Mapi
Meals: B | L
DAY 8 - Machu Picchu – Cusco
After an early breakfast, a quick, half-hour bus ride brings us up the road to the gates of Machu Picchu where we’ll enjoy a guided three-hour tour of this ancient hilltop citadel. Exploring the various sectors and entering some of the houses and temples will bring these iconic ruins to life for us. As we immerse in this mystical place, we’ll feel that we’ve entered a dream of ancient times.
Wandering among these ancient man made structures blended seamlessly into natural surroundings, will leave us with a sense of wonder and reverence, and gift us with memories to savor for years to come.
In the afternoon, we’ll return to the village where a train will take us back to Ollantaytambo. On-board entertainment, snacks, and hot and cold refreshments are available. We will arrive at the Ollantaytambo train station, where we will be picked up and driven back to the city of Cusco.
Accommodations: Casa San Blas Boutique
Meals: B | L
DAY 9 - Depart Cusco
Today you will be picked up at your hotel and transferred to the airport for your return flight home.
Meals: B
This exclusive trek is a first step in addressing the privilege in travel. We are working with the founder of the Native Women’s Wilderness, Jaylyn Gough, in our first ever attempt to decolonize travel. Guided conversations will explore the impact of colonization in the Americas and the parallels of the North and South American indigenous experience. All guides, porters, and leaders of the trek will be of indigenous descent. We will also offer 4 scholarships to indigenous people who may not otherwise have the chance to explore travel. This remote trek was designed to help us connect with local indigenous communities and to learn how their many practices can help us tackle climate change.
This specialty trek captures the beauty, remoteness, and solitude of the Andes. It is a different, unique, and pristine version of the Classic Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu. Discover the southern face of this spectacular Apu Salkantay, “Wild Mountain Spirit”, which is the highest peak in the Vilcabamba Mountain Range. Andean mountain dwellers hold a strong belief that mountains are powerful deities, which guard and protect the communities that live on and near them. The magic and awe-instilling power of the Andes mountains will soak into your spirit as you traverse these little-known paths.
This trip is truly the “road less traveled”. You will absorb the remoteness and solitude of the area, striding across Andean valleys and encountering Inca stone ruins that are a part of the natural landscape and history of the people. We’ll hike near remote communities and come across the women and children who live their lives in this isolated region, carefully watching over their herds. We’ll challenge our endurance by hiking over a spectacular pass to face snow-capped Mt. Salkantay, finally descending along the edge of the Machu Picchu Sanctuary towards the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Marvel at the remains of ancient homes, walls, and Inca stairs at the little-known ruins of Huayna Q ́ente and Machu Q ́ente, seemingly one with their natural surroundings. Both sites have been recently restored and receive few visitors. On Day 4, we’ll meet up with our private transportation and head for Ollantaytambo where we’ll board the train to visit the magnificent citadel of Machu Picchu on the last day.
Benefits:-
Food is mostly included in the trip except for when specified otherwise in the itinerary.
Expect to eat authentic and local cuisine!
