HIKING ON THE SECOND HIGHEST MT. SALKANTAY OF CUSCO & INCA TRAIL-MACHUPICCHU 6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS

Altitude : 2050 - 5200meters
High Season : April to November
Duration : 06 days and 05 nights

This trek will combine perfectly the cultural and a natural attraction where we'll be able to enjoy fully of the magnificent sights over Salkantay snow-peak It's the domain of the Apu The Mountain Gods that watch over Machu Picchu . This road will lead us straight back to Inca-times, accompanied by Apu Salkantay and Apu Humantay.
Not only will we be amazed by the enormous variety of plants and flowers on this trek, it is also the natural habitat of three important spiritual and symbolical animals in the Andean culture The snake represents the world below, the puma that represents the earthly world and of course the condor, the largest bird of prey in the world, representing the heavenly world.
We will also be able to appreciate meeting with local people that continue to live and work their lands the ancestral way. They hold on to their ancient traditions and wear typical clothes that seem to be out of time.
Passing by Huayllabamba we'll continue on the famous Inca Trail that will lead us through a giant garden filled with an incredible amount of different orchids.
The river that slingers through the landscape and that is known by the Incas as Wilkamayu will lead us through a gigantic garden with an incredible amount of orchids until the majestic Inca ruins of Machu Picchu (2400m) A historical and religious capital, an agricultural and astronomic center floating in the sky, hidden by clouds Mystical and wonderful.

Day 01: Cusco - Mollepata - Soraypampa - Salkantaypampa

Transfer from your hotel in Cusco (3300 masl) direction to the little village of Mollepata (3000masl), place where we'll start our hike on the Inca Trail.
We'll pass through the small village of Cruz Pata (3400 masl) where we'll have the most spectacular sights over the Mollepata Valley .
Our campsite for the night is at the feet of the most majestic and impressing mountains of this area such as Salkantay (6271 masl) and Humantay (5217 masl). The campsite is called Salkantaypampa and it's situated at 3900 masl. We'll be hiking about 6 hours in a rather cold climate. (L+D)

Day 02 : Salkantaypampa – Paso Salkantay – Sisay Pampa

The colder morning-temperatures will be excellent to ascend to the highest and toughest part of this trek, in the snow over the Salkantay-pass (5200 masl). This pass is a wonderful spot for sightseeing because it’s surrounded by majestic snow-peaks such as Humantay (5217m), Tucarhuay (5450m) and Soray Hill (5428m). After the pass we’ll be hiking down until the Sisay pampa (3700m) where we’ll have our campsite. Our hiking-time will be about 7 hours in a cold climate. Where we make camp (B+L+D)

Day 03 : Sisay Pampa – Canal Inca – Wayllabamba

We will have to hike down by Incan canals and original paths in order to enter Wayllabamba (3000masl). There we’ll have our connection over the Inca trail to our campsite (B+L+D)

DAY 04 : Wayllabamba to Pacaymayo

We climb the steep-sided Llullucha valley past a rushing stream and through enchanted native polylepis woodland. Crossing the rim of a small plateau, we abruptly find ourselves in the puna, the treeless grasslands of the high Andes. The trail traverses an open slope opposite mighty mountain crags as we ascend to the first and highest pass, Warmiwañusca (4,200m/13,776ft). Here we’ll see spectacular views of the trail ahead to the second pass, and look back to the sweeping snowpeaks and valleys of the Huayanay massif. The trail to the floor of the forested Pacaymayo valley, where we make camp. (B+L+D).

DAY 05 : Pacaymayo – Wiñay Wayna

We pick up an Inca stairway and ascend again past the small Inca site of Runkuracay. As we reach the second pass, the landscape opens on-to spectacular new views to the snowpeaks of the Pumasillo range. We descend to the ruins of Sayacmarca (Inaccessible Town), an intricate labyrinth of houses, plazas and water channels, perched precariously on a rocky spur overlooking the Aobamba valley. The Inca trail, now a massive buttressed structure of granite paving stones, continues along the steep upper fringes of the cloud forest through a colorful riot of orchids, bromeliads, mosses and ferns. At the third pass pinnacles topped with Inca viewing platforms overlook the archaeological complex of Phuyupatamarca (Cloud-level Town). Pausing to explore the wondrous maze of Inca stone towers, fountains and stairways that spillins down the mountainside here, we begin a long descent through ever-changing layers of cloud forest. An Inca stairway partly cut from living granite leads us finally to our camp by the ruins of Wiñay Wayna (Forever Young), the largest and most exquisite of the Inca Trail sites. (B+L+D).

DAY 06 : Wiñaywayna to Machupicchu.

Very early we leave camp to reach Inti Punku in time for sunrise. From here we get the first glance of Machu Picchu between the mountains on its saddle high over the Urubamba River. We all meet at Machu Picchu at a decided hour to make the tour of Machu Picchu. We will learn about the importance – religiously and historically – of the place, and we will be able to appreciate the fine architecture of the Incas. After the guided tour you can go to the top of Wayna Picchu, from where one has a good overview of the whole area and the full site of Machu Picchu. Another possibility is to visit the beautiful temple of the moon. In the afternoon we meet in Aguas Calientes to take the train back to Cusco. (B).

B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner