Lodge to Lodge luxury hike

Welcome to Peru!!! You arrive at the International Jorge Chavez Airport, in Lima, Peru. From here, you connect with a short flight to Cusco, the capital of the ancient Inca Empire. A member of Vamos Expeditions is waiting for you to take you to your hotel. You have the chance to acclimatize to the high altitude and explore the main square and get a first view of the historical center.

We take you on a private tour around Cusco and the nearby Inca ruins. Our local guide explains you everything while you explore this fascinating city. In the afternoon, you have time to get prepared for your trek tomorrow.

After an early breakfast, you are picked up at 7:00 am from your Cusco hotel by your guide and vehicle. En route, we take a short break to visit the Inca ruins of Tarawasi near the town of Limatambo (approx. 1.5 hours 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 begin our trek to Soraypampa, on an old route called the “Camino Real” (royal path). This is a good opportunity for everyone to acclimate, while enjoying a beautiful six-hour trek. Salkantay Lodge takes its name from the majestic peak at the head of the valley – Mt. Salkantay, the second most sacred peak in the Incan mythology and, at 6,270 m (20,600 ft), the highest in the region. After a warm welcome by our friendly staff, we are shown to our rooms and have time to freshen-up, before tea and cookies. The trip leader holds a briefing by the fireplace, followed by aperitifs and dinner. We stay at Salkantay Lodge overnight, at 3,869 m/12,690 ft.

Today we take an acclimatization hike on the slopes above the lodge to Lake Humantay, fed by the hanging glaciers of Mt. Humantay. The hike is optional, but the views are amazing, and those brave enough can even go for a dip. We return to the lodge for lunch with your afternoon at leisure, after which you may choose to try the glacial swim for a relaxing soak in our outdoor jacuzzi. We spend the night at the Salkantay Lodge (at 3,869 m/12,690 ft) with gourmet food and warm, comfortable beds. In the evening, the guide briefs us on gear and the itinerary for the following day. All meals are served at the lodge.

This is the big day! After an early start, we hike up the Rio Blanco valley, circling Humantay Peak across from Salkantay Peak. The highest point on the trek is the Salkantay Pass at 4,638 m (15,213 ft). At the pass, we stop to take in views of snow- capped peaks of the Vilcabamba Range in every direction, the glaciated south face of Salkantay towering above us. We keep our eyes out for Andean condors, often visible in this area. From the pass, we descend towards Wayra Lodge (at 3,906 m/12,812 ft) (“wayra” means wind; from the name of the location Wayracmachay: “the cave where the wind lives”), our destination for the evening. A hot lunch is served en route; dinner and overnight spent at the Lodge.

On this day, we enjoy a leisurely breakfast at Wayra Lodge. Then, we continue our descent along the left bank of the Salkantay River, through increasingly verdant scenery. We can feel the warm air rising from the jungle, accompanied by colorful butterflies and striking orchids. Upon arrival at Colpa Lodge (at 2,870 m/9,414 ft), we are greeted with a Pachamanca, a traditional festive Peruvian meal cooked by layering meat and vegetables with hot stones. Everything is then covered with hot stones, plantain leaves, high Andean grass and local herbs and the contents are baked in this underground oven. Colpa Lodge is located on an open plateau at the confluence of three rivers. The outdoor jacuzzi has panoramic views of lush green mountains. We spend the afternoon relaxing or exploring the nearby orchid trail. Dinner is served at the lodge, where we also spend the night.

Today, we hike along the Santa Teresa river valley, through more populated rural areas. We pass through banana, granadilla, and avocado orchards and coffee plantations (said to be one of the best organic coffees in the world). A hot picnic lunch is served by the river. After lunch, we hike another hour before a private vehicle meets us for a short drive to the beginning of the “Llactapata Inca Trail” (approx. 30 minutes). From the head of the newly restored Inca trail, we easily make our way to Lucma Lodge, set in an avocado orchard. On the way, we visit an organic coffee plantation where we join the owner on a short tour of the farm and learn how coffee is grown, harvested, dried and processed. Dinner is served at the Lucma lodge (at 2,135m/7,003 ft.), where we also spend the night.

After a hearty breakfast, we tackle the last day of our trek. We head uphill for 2-3 hours towards the Llactapata Pass (2,736 m/8,974ft), where we come upon a distant but spectacular view of the Machu Picchu Sanctuary from the southeast, a view few travelers ever get a chance to admire. We take a short break to explore the Llactapata Ruins, which have recently been restored. Lunch is served at a scenic viewpoint, looking out to Machu Picchu, after which we begin our final descent to the Aobamba River through lush bamboo forests, orchards and coffee plantations. We then board a train for a scenic ride (approx. 1 hour) to Aguas Calientes, the town of Machu Picchu. Upon arrival, we check into an award-winning hotel for a celebration dinner with our guide and one last briefing!

After a very early buffet breakfast at the hotel, we make our way to the bus station for the ride up to the Machu Picchu Sanctuary (30 min). Our trip leader gives an introductory 2-hour guided tour of the ruins, after which we have the option of climbing the steep staircase of Huayna Picchu, a steep and vertically -quite challenging- hike that takes about 2 hours which affords great views of Machu Picchu. Afterwards, we meet up with our guide and return -by bus- to Aguas Calientes for a late lunch and to catch our train. The ride from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo takes about 1.5 hours, and then a private vehicle drives us back to Cusco (an additional 1.5 hour stretch). Upon arrival in Cusco (approximately 7 or 8pm), we bring you to your hotel of choice.

A short flight brings you from Cusco to the Puerto Maldonado town, located in the Amazon basin. The Amazon area of Puerto Maldonado is known as the capital of biodiversity in Peru. Our local nature guide waits for you at the airport and guide you into another world. You drive to the local river port and enter a motorized canoe that takes you to our jungle lodge. Here you have lunch and, in the afternoon, you start to explore the area in search of wildlife.

Today you enjoy a full-day of nature and jungle exploration with your local guide. For all meals, you return to the comfortable jungle lodge and there is plenty of time to relax and enjoy the sights and sounds of this romantic place. An ideal way to end your holiday.

You return by motor canoe to the little town of Puerto Maldonado for your flight back to the capital, Lima. You may connect with your international flight tonight.