Exceptional Luxury Lares 5 Day Lodge-to-Lodge Trek to Machu Picchu

Superior 4-star Costa del Sol Ramada Airport Hotel in Lima.

The 4-star Ramada Airport Hotel is strategically located in the heart of Jorge Chavez International Airport, Costa del Sol Lima Airport Hotel provides services to exceed your expectations during your stay. This hotel is perfect for those in transit who enjoy the tranquility of walking to or from your flight in a few minutes. There is an Indoor pool and free Wi-Fi available to all guests.

Exceptional Luxury 5-star Palacio Nazarenas Hotel (No. 5 hotel in the World on TripAdvisor)

The Palacio Nazarenas Hotel is located in a peaceful spot behind Cusco’s main square. This former palace and convent emerged from years of restoration to become one of the city’s most exclusive hotels. This intimate retreat has just 55 suites, each enriched with oxygen and with its own private bar, where guests can make drinks using fresh ingredients grown at the hotel.

Junior Suites

Junior Suites are located in both the ancient part of the hotel and the new section, which is near the pool. The sumptuous marble bathroom is equipped with a separate bath and shower, dual washbasins and luxurious bath amenities.

Also included in the hotel are complimentary wireless Internet access, butler service, widescreen LED satellite TV with premium channels, CD and DVD players, iPhone and iPad for guest use, iPod dock, personal safe large enough for a notebook PC and a well-stocked mini-bar.

Other Suites Available in the Hotel:

• Suites
• Grand Master Suites
• Palacio Suite
• Nazarenas Suite

**** All Suites are enriched with oxygen to help combat altitude sickness. You may also choose to have your room delicately scented with healing essential aromas of Andean flowers and herbs.

Private Afternoon Cusco City Tour

The Private Half-Day Tour Visits the Principal Inca & Colonial Highlight in Cusco.

Tambomachay was an Inca sanctuary dedicated to water. It was reserved for Royalty.

Puca Pucara is an Inca archaeological site located again on a hill and is believed to be a military position to protect Tambomachay.

Qenko is a sanctuary dedicated to animals, which consists of stone ruins with stairs and a main building with a circular amphitheater where 19 window sills form seats.

Sacsayhuamán is a large fortress overlooking and protecting Cusco. Its construction took over seven decades and required over 20,000 men to build the stone foundations, transport the materials, carve and set stones.

Cusco Cathedral is one of the finest Colonial Cathedrals in the Americas.

Coricancha was originally named Inti Qancha (Temple of the Sun). It was the most important temple in the Inca Empire and dedicated to the Sun God.

After an early breakfast, we depart Cusco for the Urubamba Valley, the “Sacred Valley of the Incas.” We drive past Pisac and turn off the main road at Qoya (9,514). After a 1-hour drive, we reach the AyarCancha community, where we start hiking at an elevation of 12,830 feet.

The trail winds uphill for two hours to Challwaccasa Pass (13,943 feet), which grants us great views of the peaks of the Vilcanota and Vilcabamba mountain ranges and the giant snow-capped peaks of the Ausangate and Salkantay mountains. We then head downhill to the community of Viacha (12,950 feet), where we enjoy a gourmet lunch.

After a well-earned rest, we join a restored Inca trail that leads to the archaeological site of Pisac (10,826 feet), which dominates the valley below. The lower slopes of the surrounding mountains feature impressive agricultural terraces and irrigation systems dating from Inca times. After exploring the ruins, we continue downhill for an hour to the picturesque village of Pisac (9,750 feet), well known for its colorful handicraft market.

Lamay Lodge

Our vehicle will be waiting to take us to the town of Lamay (9,649 feet), where we have dinner and spend the night at the comfortable Lamay lodge.

Total hiking time: 6 hours (including lunch)

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES ON DAY 3 for the lodge trek Machu Picchu

In the event that a guest does not feel like hiking or prefers an easier hike for their first day of trekking, we suggest the following alternative:

You can enjoy a leisurely breakfast and relaxing morning at the Lamay Lodge. In the early afternoon, a private van takes us to join the group of trekkers for lunch at Viacha community, this exquisite meal should not be missed! If after lunch guests are feeling active they may join the other trekkers for the hike downhill towards the Pisaq archeological site.

Pisac Inca Ruins

Pisac is a bustling colonial village at the base of a spectacular Inca fortress set on top of a mountain. In recent years, Pisac has seen an influx of expats and new age followers in search of an Andean Shangri-la. It is located 33 kilometers northeast of Cusco by road and is the most convenient starting point to the Sacred Valley.

Pisac has military, religious, and agricultural structures. Researchers believe that Pisac defended the southern entrance to the Sacred Valley, while Choquequirao defended the western entrance, and the fortress at Ollantaytambo the northern area. Pisac protected a route which connected the Inca Empire with the border of the rain forest.

We depart Lamay early in the morning and take a scenic two-hour drive toward Lares, the region north of the Sacred Valley. Leaving the main road, we soon arrive at the quaint village of Quiswaran (12,562 feet), where we begin our hike.

Our trail heads westward up a small valley dotted with lakes and herds of grazing alpacas, then narrows into a series of switchbacks to Abra Huchuyccasa pass (14,481 feet), which we reach after three hours. From the pass, we have the most amazing views of distant mountain ranges and stunning turquoise lakes, whose brilliant hues are the result of bronze metal elements in the icy waters.

We continue hiking slighlty downhill for another hour toward our second pass of the day at Phoñoccasa (14,393 feet). From here, we descend to Qeywaqocha Lake for lunch, then end our hike at the village of Qelqena (11,965 feet). Along the way, enjoy spotting native bird species including Andean geese, ducks, and plovers. Our vehicle meets us at the trailhead for the drive to the famous weavers’ village of Huacawasi (12,579 feet). We will have dinner and spend the night at Huacawasi Lodge.

Total hiking time: 8 hours (including lunch)

Huacawasi is a famous weavers’ village, where men still wear traditional colorful ponchos and women wear wide handmade skirts and decorated hats.

Our hike starts from Huacawasi Lodge and as we walk through the village we are immersed in scenes of community life, including women working on looms and children heading to school. The wide and easy trail takes us uphill for 2.5 hours to the top of Ipsaycocha Pass (14,757 feet), where we enjoy stunning views of the surrounding mountains. We will meet locals traveling from village to village with their goods and herds of animals along the hike. We descend gently for about 40 minutes to Lake Ipsaycocha, where we may have the chance to see condors circling effortlessly in the sky while enjoying our lunch.

We continue our descent for 2.5 hours to the village of Patacancha (12,624 feet) where they produce high-quality weavings. Our vehicle will be here to take us to Ollantaytambo town (9,160 feet) in the Sacred Valley. Dinner and overnight at a hotel.

Total hiking time: 6.5 hours (including lunch)

After our three-day hike, we can enjoy a relaxing day with a leisurely breakfast and visiting Ollantaytambo, which has an impressive archaeological site and a well-preserved Inca town structure. This was the estate of Emperor Pachacutec who conquered the region, building the town and the ceremonial center. Ollantaytambo dates from the late 15th century and has some of the oldest occupied dwellings in South America.

In the late morning, we board the First Class Vistadome train for the 1.5 hour ride to Aguas Calientes, also known as Machu Picchu town, where we arrive in time for lunch. Optional visit to Machu Picchu Sanctuary in the afternoon, when we can enjoy the site with less visitors. We will have dinner and spend the night at the superior luxury 5-star Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel.

The Vistadome Train Service

This train ride is highlighted by amazing views of valleys, Inca farming terraces, snow-capped mountains, and sub-tropical jungle. After arriving in Aguas Calientes, a shuttle bus will transport you to this mysterious town known as Machu Picchu.

The Vistadome service has large panoramic windows and additional windows in the roof allowing you to enjoy the mountain scenery. A small meal and hot drink are included on board. There is also a table in front of you and posh leather seats which are very comfortable with plenty of leg room. This service allows the visitor to be immersed and feel the Andean culture through its landscapes, music, dance and food carefully prepared with local ingredients.

Superior Luxury 5-star Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel

Breakfast | A la Carte Dinner | Orchid, Hummingbird, and Nature Tours Included

Inkaterra’s vacation paradise and luxury boutique Hotel offers Spa services, which use sublime natural essences, and a first-class restaurant with stunning views of the rushing Vilcanota River.

The train station is only steps away but Inkaterra Machu Picchu Hotel exists in a world apart. An intimate 85-cottage luxury Hotel within the secluded 12 acres of exquisite beauty, where guests follow stone pathways to their rooms, located in comfortable one or two-story whitewashed casitas.

Pueblo Hotel includes several services in their prices:

• Your choice of 6 tours Detailed below.
• A la carte Dinner.
• Welcome gift.
• Tea Time.
• Happy Hour.
• Breakfast.

Optional Tours – All Included

Birds (2 Hours)

An early walk through the cloud-forest bird watching. Begin at a river observatory, with the possibility of sighting the sought-after torrent duck and the white-capped dipper. Then proceed to a productive tanager feeding area, where silver-beaked, blue-necked, fawn-breasted and saffron-crowned tanagers can be found. Along the hotel’s pathways, be on the lookout for the cock-of-the-rock, the golden-headed quetzal and many of the 18 different hummingbirds identified on the grounds, including the booted racket-tail and the green- and-white hummingbirds.

Orchids (2 Hours)

Walk through the orchid garden to observe some of the hotel’s 372 different native orchids in bloom. From the largest orchid flower in the world – the Phragmipedium caudatum, to tiny flowering specimens properly appreciated only through a magnifying glass, there are orchids to amaze both the newly inquisitive and the expert, including species new to science which have been discovered on the hotel grounds.

Nature Walk (2 Hours)

Walk along the hotel’s trails, and discover the fascinating yet fragile ecosystem of the Machu Picchu cloud forest, and learn about its many indigenous plants and animals. The Nature Walk offers guests a glimpse of cloud forest flora: ferns, bromeliads and orchids and fauna – an interesting variety of birds; as well as an introduction to the Vilcanota river system, the Observatory, the tea garden and house.

Tea Plantation (2 Hours)

Visit the organic tea plantation and tea house to discover the wonders of the traditional tea making process. Take part as the freshly picked leaves are pressed over wooden blocks and finally seal your own tea bag.

Twilight Walk (2 Hours)

This early evening walk is designed to connect on a spiritual level with the environment and the historical energy of the Machu Picchu area.

Spectacled Bear Project (2 Hours)

The Inka Terra Association (ITA) and the Peruvian National Institute of Natural Resources (INRENA) manage the Inkaterra Machu Picchu Spectacled Bear Project, an effort designed to recover bears that have been negatively affected by human impact, and reintroduce them into their natural habitat. Donations are appreciated.

Revisit Machu Picchu

Today you will enjoy further Private Guided Tours of Machu Picchu.

Additional Tours Available

You may start at Dawn or as you wish. All tours are included and you are only limited by your time and energy.

The Sun Gate (2 Hours)

Inti Punku (Sun Gate) marks the entrance to Machu Picchu. It is a one-hour uphill hike to the southeast of the Sanctuary. The hike is on the original Inca trail and is paved with Inca stones. There is a spectacular view from the gate!

Apu Machu Picchu (4 to 5 Hours Roundtrip)

The hike to the summit of Apu Machu Picchu is 2 ½ hours and can be quite steep in places. This is a breathtaking hike with a lot of orchids, birds, and every stop gets better. The climb is 600 meters uphill, so a reasonable level of fitness is required.

Access to Apu Machu Picchu is controlled by special tickets which need to be purchased in advance by us. Access is 07:00 – 11:00.  Please ask to have these tickets included in your tour if desired.

Inka Bridge (Bridge 1 Hour Round Trip)

The Inca Bridge is a part of a mountain trail that heads west from Machu Picchu. The trail is a stone path, part of which is cut into a cliff face.  A twenty-foot gap was left in this section of the carved cliff face, over a 1,900 feet drop that could be bridged with two tree trunks. When the tree trunks were removed then the trail became impassable to outsiders. The path is narrow and paved with original Inca stones.

Huayna Picchu (3 – 4 Hours)

Huayna Picchu is the mountain you see behind Machu Picchu. Towering above the north end of Machu Picchu this steep mountain is often seen in the backdrop to the classic photos of the ruins. The mountain is steep, but stone steps are laid along most of the way and where the mountain is steeper you will find steel cables used as handrails. For fit people it is not a difficult climb.

Very Limited Access!

Only 400 people are allowed to hike Huayna Picchu each day.  You have to sign in at the entrance gate. The first 200 tickets are available for the 8:00am hike. The second 200 are available at 10:00am. We need to buy these special tickets in advance to be sure you will have space for this hike.

Guided Tour of Machu Picchu (2 – 3 Hours)

Machu Picchu is the most famous archaeological site in all of South America and possibly the world. The spectacular collection of temples, terraced hills and squares was the mountain-top citadel of the Inca under Pachacutec and Tupac Yupanqui, until the coming of the Europeans with Pizarro.

It may have the most familiar name, but Machu Picchu has refused to reveal many of its mysteries, including the secrets of its construction, function, and demise. The overgrown ruins were discovered by US historian Hiram Bingham in 1911, and the quality of the stonework hints that it was an extremely important ceremonial site.

The remains are thought to date from around 1450, built at the height of the Inca Empire, and as they escaped being plundered by the Spanish they include semi-intact icons and shrines that were defaced or removed at other sites.

Luxury Hiram Bingham Train

From Machu Picchu

The Hiram Bingham is an exclusive Luxury Orient Express service operated by Peru Rail.

The Service Includes:

• Exclusive Bus return from Machu Picchu.
• Gourmet Dinner & Small Show included on the return journey.

Observation Car: At the back of the Hiram Bingham is the Observation car, offering a space in which to truly appreciate the stunning Peruvian landscape.

Carriages: The carriages are luxurious with elegant decoration in the style of the 1920′s Pullman trains. Each of the four carriages has been furnished in polished wood and brass, with large chairs and plenty of space.