All this for $685 per person, doesn't include airfare.
CUSCO ADVENTURE BUDGET (7 DAYS AND 6 NIGHTS)
*********************************************************
DAY 1: MARCH 22ND CUSCO
Reception at the airport of Cusco and transfer to the hotel.
In the afternoon: Cusco City Tour from 2 pm to 6:30
pm. This tour includes the Qoricancha (Temple of the Sun) and the Cathedral.
The tour drives along the Circunvalacion Road up to famous fortress of
Sacsahuaman, then to Q'enqo, Puca Pucara and Tambomachay with Spanish and
English speaking professional guide. Includes Tourist ticket valid for the
entrance to many museums and ruins as well. Overnight.
DAY 2: MARCH 23RD RAFTING
Breakfast. At 09:00 hrs. we leave for Urubamba river on the Sacred Valley of
the Incas (North of Cusco), where our guide will give a introductory chat on
safety and equipment for our trip running the Urubamba. After lunch we
return back to Cusco, arriving at around 17:00 hrs. Overnight . (B,L)
INCLUDED:
*Private Round Trip Transportation.
*Professional English/Spanish speaking rafting guide.
*Lunch (Meal, salad, sodas, tea, coffee, desert, fruits) *Complete Rafting
Equipment (helmet, life jacket, rain coat, paddle, wetsuit, boat).
OPTIONAL:
Video and Photos Service.
WE RECOMMEND TO BRING:
*Bathing suit
*Towel
*Sandals or running shoes
*Short pants (to use over the wet suit)
*Hat, sun block
*Photo camera.
DAY 3: MARCH 24TH INCA TRAIL 4DAYS 3NIGHTS
PISKAKUCHO (KM. 82) - WAYLLABAMBA
A spectacular early morning drive through the Sacred Valley of the Incas
takes us to our trailhead at Km. 82 of the Machu Picchu railroad. After
getting acquainted with our trail crew we set out, crossing a footbridge to
hike a gentle two hours down the Urubamba canyon, and then visit imposing
sculpted Inca farming terraces and the settlement of Llaqtapata on the banks
of the Cusichaca side river. We then climb a short way up the Cusichaca
valley to Wayllabamba, the last inhabited village on the trail, where we
camp.
DAY 4: MARCH 25TH WAYLLABAMBA - PAKASMAYU
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 encounter 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 Pakasmayu valley, where we make camp.
DAY 5: MARCH 26TH PAKASMAYU - 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 onto
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.
DAY 6: MARCH 27TH WIÑAY WAYNA - MACHU PICCHU - CUSCO
An early morning hike takes us across a steep mountainside through lush,
humid cloud-forest of giant ferns and broad-leaf vegetation. Suddenly we
cross the stone threshold of Intipunku (Sun Gate) and encounter an
unforgettable sweep of natural beauty and human artistry -a backdrop of
twisting gorge and forested peaks framing the magical city of Machu Picchu.
We complete the final leg down the royal flagstone walkway, past outlying
shrines and buildings and into the heart of Machu Picchu, where we spend the
rest of the morning with a guided tour of the highlights and some individual
exploring among Machu Picchu's multitude of hidden nooks and corners. In the
early afternoon a bus takes us to the small town of Aguas Calientes, where
we board our return train to Cusco Overnight at the hotell.
DAY 7: MARCH 28TH Transfer out
Breakfast, transfer to the airport and end of our services. (B)
Monday, January 12, 2009
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3 comments:
The Inka trail is hard, but the hardest thing is DEFINITELY the altitude. I'll bet your fitness training is going to be plenty - based on your blog! At least you are going to be in Cuzco for a couple of days first. The other thing -are you carrying your own gear? It's DEFINITELY worth it to have them carry your gear through dead woman's pass (you can pay just for that day - they don't tell you that until you are on the trail). We carried our own stuff the whole way, but in retrospect, if I'd paid $15, the second day would have gone MUCH faster!!
Wow, thanks for the advice. We'll definitely ask about that. We were wanting to do some big mountain hikes before that, but those are hard to come by in Feb. I guess we'll just have to ski instead. In all seriousness, we're anticipating a tough hike, since our normal elevation is so low here. I think there are some gyms in town that have chambers with treadmills where you can adjust the oxygen levels. We may look into that, or just suffer when we get there!
I was re-reading the description of the Inka trail - and thought of another "suprise" for me on Day 3. I was all psyched up for Dead Woman's Pass on day 2, but on day 3 I was not ready for the climb straight up first thing in the morning. I was physically exhausted (mentally, too) from the day before and had a mini-breakdown. Luckily it got better after that first pass - and the cloud forest and ruins were pretty cool. Also - I don't know about YOUR tourguide, but most likely, they will get you up at 3AM to get you to Macchu Picchu in time to watch the sunrise at Inktipunku (sun gate). So you wait in line until the gate opens at 5, then you hike the first 2 miles in the DARK with everyone else that camps where you do (it's a big place - with beer for sale, happy happy joy joy). Happily though, you miss the tourist hordes that show up around 10AM on busses from Aguas Calientes and Cuzco. You're going to have an awesome trip - are the orchids actually going to be blooming while you're there (they don't bloom in July - I can tell you that). Good luck!
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