Early morning pick up from your hotel in Cusco will be at 7:30 AM. We will drive to Tambomachay (3800 MASL – 12467 FASL), an archaeological complex situated in the Sacsayhuaman Archaeological Park. Tambomachay is comprised of a series of ceremonial water fountains, which are thought to have been dedicated to a water cult. The day’s hike will start at this point, and will continue through puna landscapes and over the Sicllaccasa pass at 4100 MASL/13186 FASL where we will have spectacular views of two valleys.

To your right, you will see the capital of the Incas, Cusco, with stunning mountains surrounding it. Your tour guide will tell you about how and where the Incas arrived to this area, and about its conquest by the Spaniards. There are two Inca sites at the bottom of the valley and, on your left, there will be a beautiful landscape of mountains and farmlands.

From the pass, we will follow the side of the valley, making our way toward the top to cross over to the other side. It's about a 45-minute walk to the top end of the valley. Once we get there, we will cross a small stream that divides the valley and begin making our way to our lunch spot at Qoricocha Lake. The scenery at the lake is quite barren because the whole area is a high puna between the mountains, and is covered with tough, Andean grass called Ichu.

It may be possible to see a variety of bird life, such as Andean geese, lapwings, and partridges, among others. After lunch, we will continue on to our campsite at the village of Patabamba. We will make our way to the top of one of the ridges and, as we descend, loop around Qoricocha Lake (Golden Lake). It is about a two and a half-hour walk to the village where we will be greeted by groups of locals who are always happy to welcome us into their community!

After we have settled in and had a steaming cup of coca tea, we will visit one of the local families to learn about their way of life. If you have brought any gifts with you, you can share them with the family at this time. After visiting the family, we will have time to relax, and your tour guide will teach you more about the Andean way of life.

After waking up at 5 to 5:30am and enjoying a hot breakfast, we start a steep ascent towards the highest pass, Abra de Warrmihuañusca or Dead Woman’s Pass at (4,200m/13,779ft). On this day, you will feel a real sense of achievement upon reaching the top! After a well-deserved rest, we begin the descent towards our lunch spot, which is located at Pacaymayu (3,550m/11,646ft).

On our way up towards the pass, we will be able to see an array of hummingbirds and a combination of other species of birds. There will be plenty of time to appreciate the incredible variety of native plants and the Polylepis or Q’ueuña trees, which grow in the astonishing cloud forest located at (3,650m/11,972ft)

After lunch, begins the second two-hour steep climb towards Runkuraqay pass (almost 4,000m/13,123ft). We arrive at our campsite by 5 pm. Temperatures at this campsite are around 4ºC during the night.

This trail will first take you to the little village of Sihua and then up to the Pukamarca pass (4150 MASL – 13615 FASL) which overlooks the village with the same name. Here, you will have a splendid viewpoint of the Urubamba mountain range and the Sacred Valley. After reaching the top of the pass, there is a 2km/0.6 mile (approximately 30 minute) downhill hike to the Pumamarka Community for lunch.

After this, you will continue your trek to the Puma Puncu canyon ( “the puma door” ). From here, you will hike along an original Incan trail, which has been restored as part of the Qapacñan project. This trail will lead you to the isolated and mysterious Inca site of Huchuy Qosqo (“the little Cusco’’) perched above the Sacred Valley of the Incas at 3600 MASL/11811 FASL. Once in the site, your guide will walk you through and show you all the site’s amazing Inca buildings like sacred temples, storehouses, Inca terraces for agriculture and the Inca reservoir used to store water during the dry season.

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fter your guided tour of the site, we will begin our 2-hour walk downhill to the village of Lamay (2800 MASL – 9186 FASL) by the Urumbamba River in the Sacred Valley where a bus will be waiting to take you back to your hotel in Cusco.