Itinerary including Salkantay Trail

                                Lima, Cusco, Salkantay Trek and Machu Picchu

12 Days / 11 Nights

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Day 1- - Arrival transfer in Lima Arrival in Lima, the "City of Kings" famous for its Spanish Colonial architecture, extraordinary museums and cuisine. Lima is internationally recognized as the "Gastronomic Capital of the Americas", and its cuisine is considered among the most diverse and exquisite in the world on par with French cuisine. Upon your arrival a host will meet you an assist you and help you in transferring to take your tour in Lima.

Day 2- - City Tour and Larco Museum (B) Tour of Modern and Colonial Lima including the world famous Larco Museum - This half-day tour visits both the colonial and modern sections of Lima. Colonial sites include the lovely Plaza Mayor, the Government Palace, San Francisco Church and the exquisite Torre Tagle Palace modern day seat of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In modern Lima, drive along the exclusive residential areas of Miraflores and San Isidro.

Continue to the Larco Museum, founded in 1926, it displays remarkable chronological galleries providing an excellent overview on 3000 years of development of Peruvian pre-Columbian history. Located in a unique vice-royal mansion of the 18th century built over a 7th century pre-Columbian pyramid is surrounded by beautiful gardens. The Larco Museum also features the finest gold and silver collection from Ancient Peru and the famous erotic archaeological collection, one of the most visited Peruvian tourist attractions.

Day 3,–  Lima / Cusco (B) Early morning transfer from the hotel to the airport for a short but spectacular flight over the snowcapped Andes to the oldest inhabited city in the hemisphere, Cusco, at an elevation of 11,440 feet. Upon arrival a host will meet and assist you in transferring to the hotel and in registering.

Day 4,– Cusco / City Tour and Nearby Ruins / Cusco (D) Tour of Cusco and Nearby Ruins – Visitors are caught up in the excitement of touring the ancient capital of the Inca Empire, a delightful combination of Inca and colonial architecture. The tour visits important landmarks such us Cusco's Cathedral, Plaza de Armas and Koricancha “The Temple of the Sun”. This tour of the oldest continuously inhabited city in the western hemisphere also includes the nearby ruins of Kenko, Puca-Pucara, Tambomachay as well as the Sacsayhuaman fortress, an imposing example of Inca military architecture.

Day 5,–   Cusco / Pisac Market and Ollantaytambo Archaeological Complex / Cusco (B,L) Full Day Excursion to the Pisac Indian Market and the Ollantaytambo Fortress - Morning departure for a drive through the fertile countryside of the Urubamba Valley to the colonial village of Pisac where an Indian Market takes place Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Other days you will tour the religious nucleus and archaeological site of Pisac. During your visit to the bustling marketplace you will have the opportunity to bargain with the natives for many different types of Peruvian handicrafts and jewelry.

Continue to the Ollantaytambo archaeological complex, the Incas built it as a fort that included a temple, agricultural terraces, and an urban area. There are two distinct sectors: The religious and worship zone, and the residential area. Ollantaytambo was an important administrative center with probable military functions if one considers the walls and towers. There are also traces of ancient roads and aqueducts. The town of Ollantaytambo is called a "Living Inca Town" since the inhabitants maintain very old practices and customs. Lunch is at a beautiful country estate on the shores of the Urubamba River.

Day 6, - Cusco – Mollepata -  Soraypampa (L,D) Very early in the morning, about 5:00 am, we’ll depart from Cusco by bus to Mollepata, place where we’ll arrive about 9:00 am; We’ll take a time to have the breakfast. After that, we’ll start the trekking to Cruzpata, where we’ll arrive about 12:00 m. Getting Cruzpata we’ll have our first lunch. After take a rest we’ll continue walking until Soraypampa (3850 m.a.s.l.) about 5:30 pm. There we’ll have dinner and camp.

Day 7,– Soraypampa – Salcantay – Chaullay Cancha (B, L,D) After having breakfast about 6:00 am. We’ll start our trekking crossing Pampa Salkantay, getting to the left side of Umantany Cold Mountain that is next to Salkantay Mountain; about 12 m. We’ll be in the highest point (Salkantay pass 4500 m.a.s.l.). At this place we’ll see other mountains, also we could take some pictures, and after about 1 hour of rest we’ll have the lunch in the place called Huayrac Pampa. After that we’ll continue trekking down for about 4 hours to get Chaullay Cancha (2900 m.a.s.l.) where we’ll have the dinner and camp.

Day 8, - Chaullay – Santa Teresa. (B,L,D) After the breakfast we’ll start the trekking about 8:00 am.to Collpapampa. On this part of the trek we’ll see some species of orchids, different kinds of plants, and some cornfields, fruit trees and a beautiful waterfall. Getting to the place called “La Playa” we’ll have the lunch. After that we’ll continue walking until get Santa Teresa (1650 m.a.s.) where we can take a bath in the hotsprings, before take the dinner. (Camp)

Day 9,– Santa Teresa –Aguas Calientes  (B)  We will get up at 7.00 in the morning and after breakfast we start walking until Machupicchu hydroelectric (lunch) after lunch we will take the train to Aguas Calientes where we will spend the night in a hotel.

Day 10,– Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu / Cusco (B) We will have to get up at 5:30 am to take a buss to get to the Archaeological Site of Machu picchu; we will have a guided tour per 2:00 hours aprox. After the guided tour we will have free time for take picture. After that we’ll get down by bus to Aguas Calientes town where we’ll take the train to Poroy backpacker class (3:30 hrs aprox). Afternoon ride back to Cusco

Day 11,– Cusco / Lima (B) Transfer to the airport for your departure to Lima. Upon arrival a host will meet and assist you in transferring to the hotel and in registering.

The Inca Trail is fully booked until 29th September

The Inca Trail is fully booked until 29th September 2012

But don't miss out.  there are two others:

Which trek to do? Comparisons between Lares and Salkantay

 Courtesy of the Lonely Planet Thorntree.

Why is Salkantay more popular than Lares?

The reasons why Salkantay is 'more popular':

 You can almost trek to Aguas Calientes on this route, whereas Lares you need to take the train from Ollantaytambo.

 Geographically, the Salkantay trek is closer to the traditional Inca trail than the Lares trek

 When the limits were placed on the traditional Inca Trail, agencies began selling Salkantay as the 'Alternative Inca Trail' As such, guide books tend to list it and its the second best known trail.

 So more people have done the Salkantay trek than the Lares trekand so they tend to talk about how great it is... thus giving the impression that its more popular.

 I don't think Salkantay is necessarily easier than Lares, they are quite similar - highest point on Lares 4400m (depends what route you take) and Salkantay 4600m.

Cultural? Neither of them have ruins on them, unless you go via Llacatapata on the Salkantay route. I'd say you would be more likely to see traditional culture on the Lares route as Salkantay is certainly beginning to show signs of its 'popularity.'

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Differences between Lares and the Salkantay trek

Both treks are in the high andes.

Salkantay actually does end up in Machu Picchu (well pretty close - at santa theresa only a few kms away) whereas lares doesn't end up at machu picchu - you usually/sometimes end up at huaran and then have to take the machu picchu train from olllanta - eg. several hours travel.) travel agencies seem to be saying things like the "lares trek to machu picchu " - that is really misleading marketing - as the trek is not to machu picchu at all.

Salkantay has good views of snow capped mountains -eg huamantay and salkantay plus descends down into the humid high jungle near santa maria .

Lares is A LOT LESS touristythan Salkantay and you pass through a couple of very traditional villages.

Lares has stunning views of lakes and some pretty waterfalls.

Lares has great hot springs - but then there are hot springs at Santa Maria and also at Aguas Calientes...

Neither Salkantay or Lares treks have ruins - whereas the traditional Inca Trail does.

Lares will generally be more expensive than a Salkantay trek as there is a return train ticket involved from Ollantaytambo (valued at around $75 minimum). Good travel agencies will include a Vistadome ticket from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes because the timetable is much better. This means a return ticket of around $100, making the price of the Lares trek quite high).

We've just had this from a couple of our clients currently in Peru:

Everything has been tickety-boo as we say in the UK. Its been great.

Arequipa is the place of choice if we were to live in Peru. Colca Canyon is sublime. Stunnig scenery and we managed to see condors flying today on the tour.

   Mili from the travel agent was a superb guide. You will know we have been completing surveys at each stopover.

If the trip continues like this all will be very good.

 Casa Andina in both Arequipa and Colca have done us proud. This chain is to be highly recommended but I am sure you know that.

This  is the Plaza de Armas of my wife's home town, Trujillo, which is known as the capital of the eternal spring because of its beautiful climate.  We are arranging a trip for this September - and if we have enough people we'll travel as a group. International Spring Festival:
Usually held in the last week of September in Trujillo, La Libertad and features decorated floats, Marinera dancers marching bands and of course a festival Beauty Queen... more about International Spring Festival   Contact us on info@peru-experience.com