Andean colors in Peru: trek in the white cordillera

Day by day…
Overland circuit in 4x4. Discover the White cordillera out of common roads! We will take you by routes only known by local people... Ascend to 4890 m. by a vertiginous road and admire the beauty of landscapes... Discover the navel of the world: Cusco and its beautiful Inca citadel, Machu Picchu, and meditate in waters of the lake the highest in the world…

Day 1: LIMA RECEPTION
Reception at Jorge Chavez airport, flight ? to ? and transfer to Ducado ** located in the Miraflores district.
Free for lunch

Day 2: LIMA CITY TOUR 1 DAY
Francisco Pizarro, the famous Conquistador founded Lima in 1535, in 1542, this town became the capital of the Spanish Empire in South America. Because of the political, strategic and economical importance of this capital the Spanish undertook many constructions in Lima between the 17th and 18th centuries.
09: 00 am guided tour of Lima with an English-speaking guide. In the morning, we will go sight seeing in the colonial districts of the center: the Plaza San Martin, the Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral as well as the San Francisco convent. After lunch, we will head off to the archeology museum, which has a collection of pre-Columbian fabrics, jewelry, and mummies... We will finish our day with a visit of the Barranco district (the artists’ district)
Transfer to Ducado ** at the end of the afternoon.
Free time for meals.

Day 3: LIMA – HUARAZ (BUS)
Transfer in the bus terminal to go to Huaraz. Located in the central region of Callejon de Huaylas, Huaraz, the capital of Ancash State, is the main urbanized area in the valley. It is a starting point you cannot get away from for treks in the White Cordillera.
Reception and transfer to Steel guesthouse **.
Free time for meals.
Note 1: unaccompanied bus trip– 6h trip – Lunch stop (not included)
Note 2: the timetable will be confirmed before booking

Day 4: HUARAZ – CHACAS – TOUR DU HUASCARAN (6768 M D’ALT.) (PRIVATE)
Huaraz region is famous for its spectacular natural scenery with a view of the White Cordillera. The mountains are massive since their average altitude is about 5 500 meters… The Huascaran and its 6768 meters is always amazing for travelers. It is called « Peru’s roof of the world». In this region, about 22 natural thermal springs and over 600 lakes have been discovered.
This part of the Cordillera is also special for the kindness and the hospitality of its inhabitants. Departure to Chacas village early in the morning, in a private vehicle. We will go by a town called Yungay, which was totally destroyed during an earthquake. Today this site is a « a memorial garden » that can be visited. From Yungay, we will take a road that crosses the White Cordillera to reach the East valley. We will admire a panoramic view of one of the most famous lakes of the area: « Llanganuco lagoon». We will walk around this unique site to relax. Then we will pass a pass located at an altitude of 4767 meters and go back down to 3500 meters on the other side of the Cordillera. We will then have a view of a typical and unknown region. Arrival in Chacas (alt. 3360 m) at the end of the afternoon.
Night in an Inn.
Free time for meals.

Day 5: CHACAS – HUARAZ (PRIVATE)
Departure in the morning in a private vehicle to go back to Huaraz. We will pass the « Punta Olimpica » at an altitude of 4890 meters, one of the highest trails in Peru. From there, we have a magnificent view of lakes that have different colors and the massive Huascaran. Arrival in Huaraz at the end of the afternoon.
Night at the Steel Guesthouse **.
Free time for meals.

Day 6: HUARAZ – CHAVIN DE HUANTAR– HUARAZ (PRIVATE)
Departure in the morning, in a private vehicle, to the Chavin archeological site located 115 Km from Huaraz. Chavin was, more than 2500 years ago, an important peregrination center where people whom, sometimes came from very far, brought offertories to consult the temple’s famous Oracle. Chavin de Huantar was the capital of a highly hierarchical society endowed with advanced technological knowledge in hydraulic and agricultural engineering.
Visit of the site until lunchtime. Free for lunch in Chavin. Arrival in Huaraz at the end of the afternoon.
Night at the Steel Guesthouse **.
Free time for meals.

Day 7 HUARAZ – LIMA (BUS)
Transfer to the Huaraz bus terminal and connection to the « grand tourism bus » to Lima. Arrival in Lima and transfer to Ducado Hotel **
Note 1: unaccompanied bus trip.
Note 2: the timetable will be confirmed before booking

Day 8: LIMA- JULIACA - PUNO – LAC TITICACA (AIRPLANE)
Early in the morning, transfer to the airport for a flight to Juliaca. Reception and transfer in a private vehicle to Puno which is located on the edge of lake Titicaca. On the way we will visit Chullpas de Sillustani, an archeological site located 30 Km north of Puno. The Chullpas are funeral towers built of stones in a circular shape that can measure up to 12m high. They were used by the Collas, a pre-Inkaic civilization and later by the Inkas.
Installation at the Balsas Inn ** in Puno.
Free time for meals
Note 1: unaccompanied flight.
Note 2: the timetable will be confirmed before booking

Day 9: PUNO – UROS – AMANTANI (BOAT)
Transfer to Puno’s port to board early in the morning to go to Uros and Taquile islands. After a 40-min boat ride, guided tour of the Uros floating islands. These islands are not natural; the Uros tribe built them. This tribe’s main activity is fishing. After a 40-min tour, departure by boat to Amantani located 2h30 away from the Uros Island.
Arrival in Amantani in the end of the morning and a family will receive you in their house. Lunch with the family. In the afternoon we will visit sites that are dedicated to the Pachamama and the Pachapapa.
Lunch, dinner and night, in your family’s house.
Everything is included

Day 10: AMANTANI –TAQUILE – PUNO (BOAT)
Departure by boat at 08: 30 to Taquile Island located at 1 hour from Amantani. Taquile is an island of great cultural interest. The inhabitants still follow the ancient traditions and the Inca laws. Guided tour of the island and its Inca ruins. Free time to have lunch in one of the island’s typical restaurants. Time to relax and return to Puno in the middle of the afternoon.
Transfer to Balsas Inn **.Free time for meals.
Note 1: it is forbidden to navigate by night on the lake.

Day 11: PUNO – CUSCO (BUS)
Transfer to the bus terminal to head off to Cusco. Beautiful scenery all along the way. Visit of the Raqchi and archeological sites as well as Andahuaylillas village and its famous « Sixtine Chapel » that was built in the middle of the 17th century. Lunch on the way in Sicuani (included)
Departure: Puno at 08: 00 p.m., arrival in Cusco at 5: 00 p.m.
Transfer to Tika Wasi Hotel **.
Lunch included.
Free for dinner.
Note 1: unaccompanied bus trip.
Note 2: the timetable will be confirmed before booking
Option: The Andes Orient Express train– runs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Day 12: CUSCO CITY TOUR 1 DAY (Alt.3399 m)
Departure at 09.00 a.m. from the hotel. In the afternoon we will visit Cusco and its surroundings. We will begin our tour with a visit of Koricancha (Temple of the Sun); main religious building the Inkas built dedicated to the cult of the sun. We will continue our tour visiting the Cathedral. Its construction began in 1560 and ended in 1669. This church has many paintings from the Cusuqenian School, and a large collection of jewelry, silver and precious stones. Then we will head off to the heights of Cusco to visit the 4 Inca ruins overhanging Cusco: Tambomachay Q'enko - Pukapucara - Sacsayhuaman -. Transfer to Tika Wasi Hotel**at the end of the afternoon.
Free time for meals.

Day 13: CUSCO – PISAC – OLLANTAYTAMBO – URUBAMBA (PRIVATE)
9.00 a.m. Departure to the Sacred Valley in a private vehicle. After a 1-hour trip, we will be arriving at the Pisac ruins, which was once one of the most important fortresses of the Inca Empire mainly built to stock the Empire’s food supplies. Guided tour of the Inca site. We will walk back down to Pisac, the colonial village and walk around the Indian market (Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays). Lunch in a restaurant to taste a typical buffet. In the beginning of the afternoon, we will continue our tour to see Ollantaytambo, which is an Inca village, and we will visit the fortress, which was a military, religious and agricultural strategic center. At the end of the day we will walk around this village’s streets. Transfer to Casa de Campo Hotel **.
Free time for dinner.
Note: 40-minute walk.

Day 14: URUBAMBA– MORAY– MARAS – PISAC – CUSCO (PRIVATE)
In the morning we will go to Moray farming site in a private vehicle. Moray is an ancient Inca agricultural laboratory. The Inkas re-created different suitable climates for growing certain cultures. We will continue our tour at a strange site called Maras: salt marshes in the cordillera! The salt cultivation existed in pre-Inkaic and colonial times. We will observe farmers use the traditional techniques for salt harvesting. We will continue on to Pisac. Free time for lunch. Pisac was once one of the most important fortresses of the Inca Empire mainly built to stock the Empire’s food supplies. Guided tour of the Inca site. We will walk back down to Pisac, the colonial village and walk around the Indian market (Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays). Return trip to Cusco. Transfer to Tika Wasi Hotel **.
Free time for meals.

Day 15: CUSCO - SILCACANCHA - SORAYPAMPA
TREK SALAKANTAY – MACHU PICCHU
We will depart from Cusco at 05:00 by private bus, and we will pass by the towns of Izcuchaca and Limatambo. We will arrive at Mollepata (2900 m.a.s.l.) at 09:00 and then eat breakfast. We will meet our team and organize our equipment for our trekking adventure, and then set out at 10:30. We will arrive at the town of Silcacancha at 13:00 and have lunch. In the early afternoon, we will walk approximately 4 hours to our campsite along the foot of the majestic Salkantay Mountain (6264 m.a.s.l.).
Altitude Change: 2900 to 3750 m.a.s.l.
Duration: 4 hours (by bus)

Day 16: SORAYPAMPA - ARRAYANNIYUC
TREK SALAKANTAY – MACHU PICCHU
We will have a nice early breakfast at 06:00, and then begin our trek at 07:00. Day 2 is the longest day of our trek. We will pass along the left side of the Humantay glacier, which is located next to the Salkantay glacier. At 12:00, we will cross the highest pass of the hike at 4600 m.a.s.l. From there, we will enjoy a magnificent panoramic view of the Salkantay glacier. We will take a short break for lunch and a one hour rest before making a 2-hour descent. We will make camp at Arayanniyuc (3400 m.a.s.l.).
Altitude Change: 3750 to 4600 m.a.s.l.
Duration: 7 hours

Day 17: ARRAYANNIYUC - WINAYPOCO – LA PLAYA
TREK SALAKANTAY – MACHU PICCHU
Day 3 is an unforgettable dayney through an amazing variety of vegetation. We will continue our descent towards the Yunga region; a subtropical forest at the edge of the Andes. We will hike to the town of Wiñaypoco (2750 m.a.s.l.), and then we will follow the Santa Teresa River. Along the way we will see a variety of orchids and waterfalls. We will make camp at La Playa for the night.
Altitude Change: 3400 to 2450 m.a.s.l.
Duration: 6 hours

Day 18: LA PLAYA - LLACTAPATA - HYDROELECTRICA – AGUAS CALIENTES
TREK SALAKANTAY – MACHU PICCHU
On Day 4, we will make a long hike to the archaeological complex of Llactapata where we will stop at the pass (2950 m.a.s.l.) and take in the full vista of the Machu Picchu and the entire wonder of the area. We will descend towards the power station (1850 m.a.s.l.) and take the local train at 16:00 to Aguas Calientes (2050 m.a.s.l.), where we will spend the night in the Continental Hotel**.
Altitude Change: 2450 to 2950 to 2050 m.a.s.l.
Duration: 6 hours
Note 1: Dinner not included

Day 19: AGUASCALIENTES – MACHU PICCHU- CUSCO (TRAIN)
TREK SALAKANTAY – MACHU PICCHU
Hiram Bingham, an American anthropologist discovered Machu Picchu, in 1911. The archeologists estimate this citadel was built in the middle of the 15th century. Today several hypotheses have been ventured on the function this inaccessible citadel. Was it for military purposes? A kind of secret harem dedicated to the Inkas? A place to rest for the Inkas? It is still an enigma!
Departure early in the morning at 06.30 a.m., by bus to reach Machu Picchu citadel. The day will be dedicated to visiting the site. Free for lunch. Return to Aguascalientes by bus and connection to catch the train to Cusco at 03:55 p.m., arrival at 8:20 p.m. Transfer to Tika Wasi Hotel ** in Cusco.
Free time for meals
Suggestions: You can also reach Huayna Picchu peak. The hike up there is quite difficult. You will need good shoes, light backpacks and not to be afraid of heights. From the top, you can enjoy a beautiful view of Machu Picchu. You will need about 2 hours to go up and come back down.
Or you can walk to the Sun gate. Less dangerous and you will also have a beautiful view. It will take you about an hour and a half, both ways.
Note: the train timetable will be confirmed when you book the trip.

Day 20: CUSCO – LIMA (AIRPLANE) DEPARTURE INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT
Transfer to the Cusco airport for a flight to the Peruvian capital.
3 hours before landing Transfer to the airport and connection for the international return flight.
Free time for meals

Included:
Mentioned transport, 2 domestic flights, mentioned meals, double room in 2-star hotel with breakfast, 1 night in houses in communities visited, entrance to parks and cultural sights, guided visits and mentioned excursions, English guide to accompany visits and excursions.
Trek Salkantay : English speaking guide (+ 1 assistant if the group is > 8 people), 1 cooker (+ 1 assistant if the group is > 8 people), food during the treks, hiking and mountain equipment (tents, camping equipment), transport of collective equipment (by mules and porters)

Not Included:
International flights; Airport tax (US$28 per person for international flights and US$5 for national flights); meals which are not mentioned, drinks, tips, etc.; Personal equipment; Obligatory personal insurance.