Sacred Valley Tour & Ausangate Trek

Duration

14 Day

Group Size

Max People : 15

Sacred Valley Tour & Ausangate Trek – 14 Days

Overview

Sacred Valley Tour & Ausangate

Sacred Valley Tour: Begin your Peru Adventure exploring the Sacred Valley. Take in all of the great and local sights; such as Ollantaytambo, Pisac, Maras & Moray, Yucay and Calca. The Sacred Valley tour & time spent here is often a great insight into Andean life and a very cultural experience. It’s also a great place to acclimatise and prepare in readiness for the Ausangate trek.

Ausangate: This five day trek takes us through the Cordillera Vilcanota, South East of Cusco. We circumnavigate the mountain Ausangate (Apu Awsanqati) which stands at 6380m (20931ft). A good level of fitness and pre-trek acclimatization is necessary as you’ll hit a couple of mountain passes at 5,200m.

Following then; Ausangate is the largest and one of the most spectacular mountains in Southern Peru. In total there are three high passes of or above 5000m (16404ft), making it an excellent expedition for those looking for challenge. Often you will encounter small poblados (small local communities); with many farming llamas for their way of life.

This is a remote region to trek in, but close enough to Cusco to be accessible. You’ll trek close to the Ausangate Nevada along with taking in Rainbow Mountain (Mt. Vinicunca) and Red Valley.

For more information about the Ausangate region you can read our article

Highlights
Visit traditional herding villages nestled in the mountains
Soak in the hot springs of Upis and Pachanta
Summit the impressive 5,050m Campa pass
Get a chance to spot endemic wildlife such as vizcachas and Andean foxes
Trek around the Apu of Ausangate
Explore the cultural Sacred Valley & the famous Incan Citadel of Machu Picchu

Included
Breakfast x 10
Lunch x 9
Dinner x 4
Private Transport – collection & drop-off
Professional bilingual guide
Mountain Cook
Muleteer & Mules
All camping equipment (Sleeping bags to hire + Trekking Poles)
Hotel Accommodation in Cusco & Sacred Valley x 7 Nights
All tours and meals as outlined in the itinerary
Return Domestic Flights from Lima to Cusco
Airport Transfers

Not Included
International Airfare
Hotels before & after (can be organised as part of trip)
Tips for crew
Any additional extras
Domestic flights (can be organised as part of trip)

Joining Arrangements	There will be a pre-trek briefing held usually the evening before departure, at your hotel, to go over the details of the trek and any specific requirements not already captured.
Food & Water	Prior to setting off we recommend you steer clear of street food and only eat in good restaurants, to avoid any stomach complaints. Likewise with tap water, it is largely untreated, please only consume bottled water only or sterilised water if you have the right equipment.
Special Diets	We’ll ensure that we cater for all of your dietary needs, at the point of booking we’ll collect this information from you. We can secure special menu requests also for your trek party.
Trekking Crew	We are able to customise our treks to suit you, but usually our treks are guided by a professional bilingual guide, mountain cook, arriero (horseman) and mules to carry all equipment (passenger horses also available on request). They become a large part of your trekking expedition and it’s a great experience working together.
Acclimatisation	This is a really important part of your trip planning process, please find a link below which explains a little more about preparing for altitude. Altitude Preparation
Preparation	Attached below are a couple of links which will explain how to prepare for your trip & trek in advance of your arrival. We recommend being prepared in advance to save time & stress whilst you’re in Peru. Trip Planning \| Trek Planning
Machu Picchu	An excursion to Machu Picchu is included as part of your trip, including professional bilingual guide, entrance tickets, return trip bus tickets, Huayna Picchu & Machu Picchu Mountains (mountain climbs to be confirmed on reservation) & your return train ticket to Cusco. To be confirmed on reservation.
Covid-19 (Coronavirus)	We are working with the latest protocols issued by the Ministerio de Salud (Ministry of Health) to ensure our operations are safe and compliant for the future. We also have access to on-call health services for your time with us.
Covid-19 (Useful Links)	World Health Organisation \| World Health Organisation – Peru \| Covid-19 Data – Peru \| Covid-19 Daily Statistics
Available Discounts	Throughout 2022 we’re offering a 15% discount for each member of a group larger than 4+
Reservation	Please contact us to reserve your trek and we will send you our deposit & payment options.
Customer Service	Please feel free to contact us at any point before your trip for any queries or problems.

Details

Itinerary

Starting by collecting you from the airport or your hotel and driving straight to the impressive archaeological site of Sacsayhuaman, which translates as the 'sacred falcon' and was thought to guard the city of Cusco. Walking around the site to understand the importance of it to Cusco & its people, you'll take your time before moving on for a great picnic. This will feature local food native to the area, which is organic and unique, and not available in other parts of Peru. A really delicious lunch option.

In the afternoon we'll arrive into Calca, a beautiful town in the heart of the Valley, with plenty of time to relax and enjoy your surroundings before the next few days.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

You'll leave your hotel early and arrive at the village of Pisac, known for its traditional market and archaeological complex built into the mountainside. Its views, balconies, tunnels, crop terraces and irrigation canals are some of the finest. After exploring and trekking around the ancient town of Pisaq, you can spend some time walking around its unique and artisanal market, where you can appreciate or buy the different crafts that are handmade in this town. You'll walk around the Inca Fortress and ceremonial site of Ollantaytambo, marveling at these extraordinarily well-preserved ruins. Set around a tranquil plaza, renowned for its peaceful charm. The little-altered layout of the town offers an unprecedented peek into the way of life of its past peoples, the Incas. Even the street names are the original one from ancient times. Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch Overnight Ollantaytambo - Casa Don David

Setting off from Ollantaytambo at arounf 8-9am, you’ll weave through the mountain routes of the sacred valley towards Lares town arriving in time for some lunch. After lunch you’ll begin trekking from the ‘Bano Termales’ of Lares & following an old Inca trail along the Rio Huacahuasi. The rustic towns and children help you along the way. On arriving in Huacahuasi you’ll overnight in a beautiful little mountain lodge, in this welcoming Quechuan valley community. On leaving Huacahuasi the route weaves through more local ‘poblados’, with glimpses of the Apu Pitusiray Nevada always in the background. Potatoes being cooked using traditional methods out in the open countryside. Herds of Llamas graze the slopes with valley girls shepherding them high on the mountainsides. Quechua is the native language in these parts of the Andes. Passing 4,800m the descent then weaves via Ipsaycocha lake, winding down the Setting off from Ollantaytambo at arounf 8-9am, you’ll weave through the mountain routes of the sacred valley towards Lares town arriving in time for some lunch. After lunch you’ll begin trekking from the ‘Bano Termales’ of Lares & following an old Inca trail along the Rio Huacahuasi. The rustic towns and children help you along the way. On arriving in Huacahuasi you’ll overnight in a beautiful little mountain lodge, in this welcoming Quechuan valley community. On leaving Huacahuasi the route weaves through more loc valley below heading towards Pataccancha. Crop fields here are being harvested by local families. Pathways carved into the hillsides show the way down to Pataccancha where dinner will be prepared. You'll stay in Ollantaytambo before catching a train in the morning to Aguas Calientes. From here, it’s onwards to Machu Picchu.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch x 2, Dinner
Overnight: Ollantaytambo - Casa Don David

Leaving Ollantaytambo train station in the mid-morning (9am) you'll take a stunning train journey through the Sacred Valley to Aguas Calientes where you'll meet up with your guide once more. Stopping for lunch in Aguas Calientes, then you'll catch the bus up to Machu Picchu. It is a 25minute bus ride to the sanctuary (2400 m). As other people begin leaving Machu Picchu, you'll start exploring the ruins and visit some of the most important places in the archeological site. Our guide will lead us in our exploration and discovery of the many corners of this enigmatic citadel. The guided tour will have an average duration of 2 hours. There will be plenty of time for pictures, after which we take the bus down to Aguas Calientes to catch our train back to Ollantaytambo where our private transportation will be waiting for us to drive us back to Calca. If you feel like an uphill challenge, you have the option to climb the infamous mountain of Huayna Picchu. It is important to know that to climb this mountain, you need to buy a separate ticket in advance. Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Leaving around 7:30 a.m, we begin our final journey to Rainbow Mountain. The hike starts from Hanchipata-Quesuno at 3,700 m elevation above sea level. From here, it´s a three hour, uphill hike to reach the famous pass Rainbow Mountain. Once we arrive at the top of Rainbow Mountain, there is enough time to enjoy the beauty of the surrounding landscapes. It is also possible to view Ausangate Glacier Peak from this point. There are a couple of options here for accommodation. You can camp in a small community Chacco Huayllasca. Located at the bottom of the rocks you'll climb, which is very picturesque, that can also be quite cold, however the best equipment combats the elements. The other option is an overnight stay on a small dairy farm (Tambo Queque Norte) where you can experience a nice warm bed, dinner and farm life. Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Rock climbing here, in one of Cusco's southernmost valleys, is a great experience due to the unique and beautiful landscape. It's a special place because you can do this in the Andes at 4,000 m altitude. The climbing is designed to be fun and to improve your level and ability. It includes a pre-experience briefing and all the necessary climbing equipment (helmet, harnesses, ropes, billets, etc).

There are a couple of options here for accommodation. We can camp in a small community Chacco Huayllasca. Located at the bottom of the rocks you'll climb, which is very picturesque, that also be quite cold, however the best equipment combats the elements.

The other option is an overnight stay on a small dairy farm (Tambo Queque Norte) where you can experience a nice warm bed, dinner and farm life.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Our private transport leaves Cusco early in the morning. Taking a three hour drive through the beautiful countryside and small towns in route to the Andean village of Tinqui, which is at the foot of the Vilcanota mountain range. This is where you’ll meet your team, the mules and where our expedition will begin.

On our first afternoon you’ll walk the plains below the mountain, giving us our first taste of what’s to come, with the ever present Apu Ausangate (guardian mountain) in view. Not an item usually found on a trek packing list, but bring your bathers! Our campsite tonight is in Upis, where you can bathe in the natural thermal springs.

Maximum Altitude: 4447m / 14589ft
Minimum Altitude: 3778m / 12395ft
Distance Travelled: 10 km / 6.21 ml
Approximate Walking Time: 5 hours
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Now well and truly into the trek, there are two high passes to summit today. After walking approximately 2.5 hours we reach our first pass, Arapa at 4,850m (15255ft). We begin our circuit around the glacier, passing Lake Jatun Puqa Q'ocha. From here you'll ascend again until you summit your second pass, Apechata at 4900m (16,076ft).

You'll move through a landscape dotted with turquoise lagoons which are fed from glacial waters. Today you truly enter the quiet simplicity and awe inspiring beauty of the area. After an easier downhill, you'll arrive at your campsite, near the turquoise Laguna Ausangate Q'ocha, which is close to tomorrow’s mountain pass.

Maximum Altitude: 4850m / 15255ft
Minimum Altitude: 4447m / 14589ft
Distance Travelled: 16 km / 9.94 ml
Approximate Walking Time: 9 hours
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

You'll awake to the silence of man and the sounds of nature, surrounded by views of the mountains bathed in early morning light. Today you'll conquer the Palomani pass, at a considerable 5200m (17,060ft), it is the highest on the expedition. The ascent is relatively steep and the altitude can affect the pace. On reaching the summit, spectacular views of the snow-capped mountains of Puka Punta and Tres Picos are a gracious reward for our strenuous efforts.

Descending through the valley of Finaya Pampa makes for a long downhill day leading us to our next camp at Jampa. Today we should walk amongst free roaming alpacas and llamas grazing on the mountainside. You could see the local farmers as we pass by their stone houses, which may be refreshing after our first two days almost total in isolation.

Maximum Altitude: 5200m / 17056ft
Minimum Altitude: 4447m / 14589ft
Distance Travelled: 10 Km / 6.21 ml
Approximate Walking Time: 9 hours
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today we walk into the sun, trailing a mountain stream with strikingly bright glaciers ahead of us. Before the Q’ampa Pass the terrain gets very rocky, providing the perfect environment for a game of ‘spot the Viscacha’ (animals similar to chinchillas and from the raccoon family). Our route passes through the small community of Q’ampa before reaching Q’ampa Pass, not quite as high as Palomani but still a respectable 5,000m (16,404ft).

Once we reach the summit the landscape alters and from the pass, if the sky is clear, you can see Apu Salkantay, a sight to behold. Gradually entering back into civilization, we walk to the quaint village of Pacchanta for our final campsite. Again your bathers will come in useful for a fabulously hot and well deserved soak in yet more thermal springs.

Maximum Altitude: 5000m / 16100ft
Minimum Altitude: 4447m / 14589ft
Distance Travelled: 16 Km / 9.94 ml
Approximate Walking Time: 10 hours
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After yet another delicious breakfast in the mountains, we have about a 3 or 4 hour walk downhill, back into the village of Tinqui, thus completing the circuit. On arrival we say good bye to our trek team, meet up with our driver and with a scrumptious boxed lunch we head back to Cusco.

Distance Travelled: 10 Km / 6.21 ml
Approximate Walking Time: 3 hours
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Take a final day in Cusco, to relax, enjoy, taste the local life here and the incredible food.

Meals included: Breakfast

Today we'll transfer you to the airport in time to make your connecting flight out to Lima for your onward international departure. It's never goodbye, only until the next time!