Vilcanota and the Sacred Valley for Connoisseurs
Holiday Itinerary
Day 1: Arriving in Cusco, KE Land Only Package services begin with a transfer to the city. After a brief look around, we transfer to the Sacred Valley where we check into our hotel. The rest of the day is free.
Day 2: A full day excursion in the Sacred Valley, including Ollantaytambo, the Inca citadel of Pisaq, and the indigenous craft market. Overnight in our hotel in the Sacred Valley.
Day 3: Today's excursion takes us to the salt pans of Moray and Maras. We walk between these sites and drop down to the village of Pichincoto. Overnight in our hotel in the Sacred Valley.
Day 4: We take an early train from Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu. We visit the site in the company of an informative guide who will bring its history alive for us, In the afternoon we return to Cusco by train and check into our hotel.
Day 5: Sightseeing in Cusco. In the morning we visit the Inca and pre-Inca ruins of Sacsayhuaman, Qenko and Tambomachay. In the afternoon we have a walking tour of the city with its Spanish colonial architecture, often built on existing Inca foundations. Overnight in the hotel in Cusco.
Day 6: We take a bus to Tauca and from there walk to Huchuy Qosco (little Cusco) above the Sacred Valley where we have a good view of the Vilcanota range of mountains. Overnight in Cusco.
Day 7: A drive through the fertile Vilcanota Valley brings us to Checacupe and we then climb to the mountain village of Chillca. We spend some time in this charming town before walking for approximately 1 hour the first of the Camino del Apu Ausangate lodges, the Chillca Tambo (4300m.). Overnight at the lodge.
Day 8: We make a day hike, climbing to the hamlet of Quilleta, home of llama and alpaca herders. There are stunning views of Ausangate from here. We return to spend a second night at Chillca Tambo.
Day 9: Today we trek through the Upis Valley, beneath the peak of Santa Catalina. Beyond the small lake of Paloma, we cross moraines to reach Machuracay Tambo (4800m). Overnight at the lodge.
Day 10: We ascend to cross the Palomani Pass (5100m.) and descend to Ausangatecocha. Continuing towards Nevado del Inca, we reach our next lodge, Anantapata Tambo. Overnight at the lodge.
Day 11: We have a hike of 6 to 7 hours through the heart of the Vilcanota to reach our next overnight stop at Huampococha Tambo. a feature of today's scenery is the unusual multi-coloured strata of the rock.
Day 12: We trek across the Anta Pass and descend gradually to farmland and villages. After 4 to 5 hours of walking, we reach the roadhead, meet our bus and drive back to the hotel in Cusco.
Day 13: After breakfast, KE Land Only package services end with a group transfer to Cusco Airport.
