A Thousand And One Night (9 days)

For a detailed day-by-day itinerary, click here

The attractions of this route are many: It takes hikers beneath the great slopes of Mount Salkantay, passing through ancient forests of native trees, traditional farming communities and it provides a rarely-seen view of Machu Picchu not seen by those who trek the more well-known Inca Trail. And along this route there are no crowded campsite of other walkers as one enjoys the spectacular landscapes.

Itinerary
Day 1 Arrival Lima and transfer to selected hotel
Day 2 Flight to Cusco, transfer to hotel. Afternoon City tour and ruins of Saqsayhuaman
Day 3 Full day tour to the Sacred Valley of the Incas           
Day 4 Salkantay – Machu Picchu / Cusco – Soraypampa
Day 5 Salkantay – Machu Picchu / Soraypampa – Chaullay
Day 6 Salkantay – Machu Picchu / Chaullay - La Playa
Day 7 Salkantay – Machu Picchu / La Playa – Aguas Calientes
Day 8 Salkantay – Machu Picchu / Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu. Afternoon train to Cusco or Ollantaytambo and bus to Cusco
Day 9 Flight back Lima or trip extension to Puno (Lake Titicaca)

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Included:

• All transfers airport – hotel –airport
• City Tour and ruins of Saqsayhuaman, tour to the Sacred Valley and tour to Machu Picchu (available in pool and private services upon request)
• Entrance fees for all tours and excursions, parks and museums
• Hotel in Lima by 1 night, in Cusco by 2 nights, in Machu Picchu by 1 night (tourist class hotel, first class hotel or De luxe hotel, upon request)
• Meals described in the program (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner, FB=Full board), in the trek the meals are prepared by the trek cook and also includes: daily morning snack, daily tea service except last day, vegetarian or special menus are available at no extra cost. 
• Other services including trekking services:
• Pre-departure briefing
• Transport to the start of the trail and return transport by train from Machu Picchu to Cusco
• Professional bilingual guide (English and Spanish), 2 guides for groups of over 8 people.
• Accommodation on the trek is camping (3 nights). Tents are set up by the porters.
• Services during the trek: wranglers, horses and mules for carrying equipment and personal gear, saddle horse for emergencies and auxiliary staff 
• Camping equipment: Personal tents (2 people in each 4-people capacity tent, they are 3 season and highly maintained), mattresses, kitchen tent, dining tent with tables and chairs, toilet tent, household items.
• Accommodation for all our staff
• Chef and cooking equipment
• Hot water every morning to clean up and boiled water to fill in your canteen every morning or night.
• First aid kit and emergency oxygen supply
• Bag for the gear you will need during the trek
• Machu Picchu entrance fee
• R/T Bus ticket (from the village of Aguas Calientes up to Machu Picchu ruins and from Machu Picchu to the village)
• Train ticket from Aguas Calientes to Cusco (Backpacker, Vistadome or Hiram Bingham service, upon request) (*)
• Transfer from the train station to the hotel in Cusco
• All the garbage produced during the trek will be returned to the city of Cusco

(*) If there would not be train ticket available in the direct route Aguas Calientes – Poroy, a train ticket Aguas Calientes – Ollantaytambo (Sacred Valley) with an additional transfer to your selected hotel will be provided.

Not included:

• Domestic and International flights
• Airport taxes
• Meals not included in the program, at Machu Picchu you can choose to have lunch or dinner either in Machu Picchu (close to the ruins) or in Aguas Calientes (town) at your own expense.
• Sleeping bag (we have sleeping bags for hire at an extra cost)   
• Personal expenses
• Any kind of personal insurance
• Tips

We recommend that you take:

• Travel documents: passport, visas, travel insurance certificate, air tickets, vouchers
• Health requirements arranged
• Any Vaccination Certificates required
• Money: cash, credit card and money pouch
• Waterproof rain jacket or poncho
• A good sleeping bag (down bag for temperatures as low -15°C)
• Inner sleep sheet (for sleeping bag)
• Backpack for carrying items for daily use such as cameras, water bottles, etc.
• Long-sleeved shirts
• Short-sleeved t-shirts
• Comfortable pants
• Shorts
• Walking boots , waterproof trekking boots recommended
• Sports shoes or sandals for a higher comfort while at camp
• Warm clothing, including jacket, fleeces
• Flashlight/headlamp and batteries (batteries consume more quickly under cold conditions)
• Hat, cap and accessories
• Rehydration cream
• Underwear
• Towel, toilet paper
• Camera, video camera, binoculars, etc.
• Insect repellent
• Sun block
• Non-disposible canteen and water for the first morning. Optionally: water-sterilizing tablets in case you pick up water from streams or rivers along the route. Otherwise, we provide filtered boiled water, which is safe to drink and has not reported health problem so far
• Original International Student Identity Card (in case you have applied for a student discount)
• Walking poles (you will need rubber tips to cover the metal tips and protect the trail)

Before you travel we recommend that you check that you have adequate health insurance, travel insurance and personal insurance to cover the needs of your family in case of loss of baggage, accident, theft or death.

Important:

• Departure and arrival times are approximated.
• Campsites are subject to change according to the designation of the governmental institution regulating the use of the Inca Trail, as well as to our guide’s criteria and the group progress
• Challenging and levels of difficulty: (range between 1 to 10): 7 and an acclimatization period of at least 2 days in Cusco or at elevations above 3000m/9840ft is recommended.

Prices per Person 2009:
Prices per person depend on the group size, the larger the group the lower the price per person. Please contact us, specifying:

• Service (in pool or in  private)
• Number of people in the trek
• Departure date
• Type of hotel: Tourist class (3 star hotel), First class (4 star hotel), De luxe (5 star hotel)
• Requested train service: Backpacker (Basic train), Vistadome (First Class), Hiram Bingham (Luxury train)

Available discounts (these discounts are not cumulative):

• Students: US$ 45.00 (students require a valid International Student Identity Card. Please note that Youth Travel Cards are not valid)
• Teenagers: US$ 40.00 (up to 15 years of age, passport copy required for all bookings)
• Children: US$ 85.00 (up to 7 years of age, passport copy required for all bookings)

Social & Environmental responsibility
Peru & Travel is committed to travelling in a way that is respectful of local people, their culture, local economies and the environment. With your participation we can help conserve the area we visit and bring positive benefits to our host communities.

What you need to know on how to be a responsible traveller:

• The natural environment is also very important. If in the bush we need to make our human waste, be sure is buried away from waterways. Burying or carrying out used toilet paper is a must. Tampons and sanitary pads must also be taken out of the area and disposed of appropriately. Minimize use of soap or shampoos in rivers and lakes - your local guide will let you know when using soap is unsuitable.
• When trekking, many travellers take an extra plastic bag to pick up any rubbish that they see to improve the area and for their own rubbish. Rubbish may have to be carried until a suitable disposal opportunity in the next town.
• Please try and minimize the waste of plastic water bottles. Consider packing a water filter, water purification tablets or iodine to purify drinking water. At some of our hotels there are large water 'bubbler' dispensers where you can refill your bottle with purified water for free or for a small fee.

For reservation or questions