Peru: The Inca Trail & Machu Picchu

Hola! Welcome to Lima. Our adventure kicks off at 2PM with an important Group Meeting. You’ll meet your Group Leader, and fellow Out Adventures travellers, to talk about our upcoming adventure. We’ll then head for the trendy historic neighbourhood of Barranco for a walking tour that explores the streets lined with traditional casonas (colonial-style houses). This charming area is also home to many artists, musicians, and writers. We’ll also make some stops in trendy Miraflores, taking in the seaside views along the “Malecon”, a six-mile strip of parks, gardens and green space along the cliffs overlooking the sea. Later in the evening we’ll reconvene for our included welcome dinner to sample the finest delicacies of this foodie capital. 

Today we rise bright and early for a flight to South America’s oldest continually-inhabited city, Cusco (also spelled Cuzco). After checking in to our centrally located boutique hotel, we’ll discover the Moon Temple and enjoy a picnic lunch. Then we’ll transfer back to the city-centre for an orientation walk, including a visit to the hyper-local San Pedro market. Later today, we’ll have a mandatory briefing regarding our upcoming gay hike. The evening is free, with an option to head for dinner as a group.

This morning we’ll travel to the Sacred Valley. This lush, fertile land is the primary food source for those living in the high Andes Mountains. We’ll stop by a farming community, then head to our quaint hotel in Urubamba just on the outskirts of Ollantaytambo, a geometrically-perfect town famous for the huge terraces that guard the ancient temple overlooking the valley. For dinner we’ll enjoy an incredible included meal. Rest well tonight, because our hike begins tomorrow.

Today we travel by minivan to a starting altitude of 2,850m/9,350ft, where we’ll be met by our esteemed crew of porters, cooks and guides. For the first day of our hike we’ll tackle an uphill trek to our campsite, which sits at an altitude of over 3,300m/10,800ft. There will be other groups at camp, but we’ve arranged our own dining and washroom tents. En route we’ll see the ruins of Llactapata, burnt to the ground by the last Inca emperor, to discourage Spanish pursuit down the trail.

This is the most challenging day of our trek. We’ll ascend a long, steep path to our apex—Dead Woman’s Pass—at a height of 4,200m/13,779ft. We’ll then descend to the Pacaymayo Valley at 3,650m/12,000ft, before another climb to Runkuracay Pass at 3,980m/13,000ft. From here, we can enjoy views of the snow-capped Cordillera Vilcabamba, before our final descent of the day to the ruins of Sayacmarca. At last, ready for rest, we’ll arrive at our campsite at 3,620m/11,900ft.

For our hike’s last full day, we’ll continue over the third pass, then eventually encounter the enigmatic ruins of Phuyupatamarca—the ‘Town above the Clouds’—at 3,850m/12,630ft. From here, we’ll descend along the famed Inca steps to our final camp by the Wiñay Wayna (‘Forever Young’) archaeological site at 2,750m/9,022ft. We may even pop some bubbly to celebrate our trek thus far.

Today we’ll rise early and hike towards the Sun Gate. You’ll have roughly an hour to explore this fascinating part of Machu Picchu on your own. After taking sufficient selfies, we’ll reconvene for a unique two-hour private guided tour of the UNESCO World Heritage site itself. Please note: as of July 2018, no one is allowed to explore Machu Picchu on their own. Then it’s off to the town of Aguas Calientes for an optional lunch. Finally, we’ll hop aboard the charming 360​​° Machu Picchu Train to Ollantaytambo, where a private transfer will return us to Cusco. The evening is free for some well-earned rest and relaxation.

This morning you’ll have the option to visit the archaeological sites of Saqsayhuaman, Qenqo and Tambomachay via private transport (price will depend on number of participants). While these sites may not be as mesmerizing as Machu Picchu, they remain historically significant, and are worth a visit. This evening we’ll gather one last time, at a gay-welcoming restaurant, to share some fond memories over our Farewell Dinner.

There are no activities planned today, so you are free to depart at your leisure.