Travel the enigmatic and famous Inca Trail, experience the beauty of the pampas and salt mines of Maras, visit the weaving community of Chinchero, fish in high Andean lakes, and enjoy a night under a million stars while glamping in a luxury camp in these remote mountains.
Explore Cusco, the ancient capital of the Inca Empire, hand in hand with a renowned historian. Then delight in an exquisite dinner prepared by Ani, our founder’s mother, in the warmth of her villa in the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
All these experiences will make this trip a unique and unmatched adventure.
Your journey begins in Cusco, the ancient capital of the Inca Empire and cultural heritage of humanity. At the airport, a Terra Explorer guide will welcome and accompany you to your hotel in the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
On the way you will discover the Andes, the longest mountain range on the planet, inhabited by legendary indigenous communities and areas untouched by modernity. In the following days, this place will allow you to connect with different ways of seeing the world.
Meals included: Snacks.
Accommodation: Hotel or private house in the Sacred Valley.
Visit the home of a master weaver in the community of Chinchero, share a morning with her family, and learn about different types of local fibers and ancestral dyeing techniques, a craft that has been passed down from generation to generation since pre-Inca times.
From here, ride mountain bikes to Huaypo, a beautiful lagoon perched high in the Andes. Surrounded by majestic mountains and snow-capped peaks, ride through breathtaking landscapes, farmlands, and local communities.
Tonight, enjoy a luxury glamping in Terra Explorer-style and explore remote spaces with the elegance and comfort of luxury accommodations.
Relax with a lakeside massage and, at nightfall, enjoy a fire under a starry sky.
Duration: 2 hours biking.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Accommodation: Glamping at Huaypo lake.
After an outdoor breakfast under the first sun rays of the morning, explore Huaypo paddling its waters with stand-up paddles, learn how this lake is linked to the surrounding communities and crop fields, and observe the endemic birds that inhabit it as you glide amidst the reflection of the surrounding mountains and snow-capped peaks.
Continue by car to the impressive salt mines of Maras. Over three thousand salt wells were built by the Incas on the slopes of the mountain “Qaqawiñay, which are still used today.
Tonight, we will enjoy a special dinner in Ani Vellutino´s country home,located on the banks of the Vilcanota River facing the Pitusiray Mountain. Ani will open the doors of her lovely house to share with us her fabulous food, her personality, and the warmth of her home.
Duration: 2 hours paddling.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Accommodation: Hotel or private house in the Sacred Valley.
Together with passionate, expert fishermen and with the surrounding communities’ permission, you will explore lakes and streams hidden among the majestic mountains of the Andes in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. A place of impressive natural beauty, it is the ideal location to fish for rainbow trout.
You will learn about this fish whose habitat is crystal clear and low-temperature waters, while practicing catch and release fly fishing either from the shore or by boat.
To fully enjoy this beautiful and remote place, we will set up an outdoor lunch and continue fishing in the afternoon.
Meals included: Breakfast and lunch.
Accommodation: Hotel or private house in the Sacred Valley.
The trek begins at km 82 (mile 50) in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, in the Piscaycucho community. Here the porters will be waiting for you with all the equipment ready. They are an essential part of this experience and will accompany you along the entire route.
Hike parallel to the Urubamba River, with beautiful views of the imposing, snow-capped Verónica Mountain, until you reach the village of Miskay. Then, ascend to the viewpoint of Llactapata and be amazed by this ancient and masterful archeological center.
Say goodbye to the Urubamba Valley and enter the Huallabamba Valley, where you will camp in a village carrying the same name, built on the pillars of an ancient Inca settlement.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Accommodation: Luxury camping in Huallabamba.
Begin the day’s trek by ascending to Llulluchapampa. The route crosses a forest of Uncas (native Andean tree) and then a dwarf forest until finally reaching the top of the Inca Trail at the Warmihuyñuska Pass, where the landscape transforms into an arid high Andean puna.
From here, a descent with large stone steps will bring you, slowly and magically, to the cloud forest. Flora and fauna will change in front of your eyes and will allow you to appreciate different types of plants and endemic birds until you reach Pacaymayo.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Accommodation: Luxury camping in Pacaymayo.
Today is, without a doubt, the most rewarding day of the entire journey.
Ascend to the Runkurakay Pass, from where you will see the Warmiñuska Pass and the valleys that descend to the Amazon.
Along a wide, cobblestone, and well-preserved Inca trail, amid orchids, ferns, and brambles, you will enter the cloud forest and continue to the remains of Sallacmarca. This is the ideal habitat for hummingbirds and the spectacled bear, which with luck can be seen in this area.
Finally, continue to Phuyupatamarca, where you will camp with a breathtaking view of the Urubamba and Vilcanota mountain ranges, which blend in front of our eyes to give way to the Amazon. Simply amazing!
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Accommodation: Luxury camping in Phuyupatamarca.
This morning appreciate from the campsite one of the most spectacular sunrises in the Andes with a panoramic view of the surrounding mountain ranges, including the Pumasillo Massif and the imposing Salkantay.
Descend to the ruins of Intipata, an ancient agricultural experimental center with a spectacular panoramic view of the entire Urubamba Valley.
Continue to the most important and impressive archeological site of the entire route: Wiñaywayna. Then, along a path covered with tropical vegetation, cross the Intipunku (the Sun Gate) and be amazed by a fabulous view of Machu Picchu.
Briefly visit the citadel, taking advantage of having arrived at an advantageous hour, since it is less crowded during the late afternoon.
Meals included: Breakfast and lunch.
Accommodation: Hotel in Machu Picchu town.
Take the day to explore Machu Picchu at length. Discover the Inca’s history as you walk through squares, temples, fountains, monuments, and residences of the most important religious, political, and cultural center of the Empire.
Optionally, you can climb to the summit of Huayna Picchu, a natural viewpoint that allows you to appreciate the citadel from a different angle. There you will see the breathtaking scenery of the surrounding mountains and the Urubamba Canyon.
In the afternoon, you will board the train that will take you back to the city of Cusco or to the Sacred Valley.
Meals included: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel or private house in Cusco city.
Access privileged information by visiting the historic center of Cusco together with the researcher, anthropologist, and ethnohistorian Jean-Jaques Decoster.
Visit the Cathedral, guardian of exquisite and ancient pieces of art elaborated centuries ago by the famous “Cuzco School” and contemplate its remarkable architecture.
Visit Koricancha, the Inca Temple of worship to their most important God: the Sun, and immerse yourself in the fascinating history of the ancient capital of the Inca empire, recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage of humanity for its unique beauty.
Meals included: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel or private house in Cusco city.
Transfer to Cusco airport.
Meals included: Breakfast.
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To ensure the well-being and safety of our travelers and staff throughout our operational chain, Terra Explorer will comply with the health and safety measures and protocols established by the Peruvian Association of Adventure Tourism and Ecotourism (APTAE), and implement the Covid-19 health and safety guidelines for adventure tourism developed by the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA).
Our experiences are designed considering the least possible exposure, where the final destinations are usually remote places. By their very nature, our adventure activities are considered to be low risk, mainly because they are performed outdoors where ventilation is constant and making it easy to achieve social distancing.
During these times we are working together with a small staff of honorable people who have been part of the Terra Explorer family for many years. They and their families are aligned with the established health and safety measures. Employing these staff members also seeks to reactivate the local economy.
We guarantee a safe, soul-fulfilling trip to all our travelers for whom we make these adventures possible.
Terra Explorer will strictly comply with the safety, cleaning, and hygiene protocols during our internal processes, third parties, and throughout your trip. This involves:
Follow the instructions related to health and safety given by the Terra Explorer team and your guide, before and during your trip.
Stay home if:
With the intention of delivering the most flexibility at the time of confirming your trip, we will determine the amount of the initial deposit individually and according to your itinerary characteristics.
Secure your trip with a deposit and pay the rest in one or more payments, at a time that suits you best. Please make sure you adhere to our policy and pay in full at least 31 days prior to your trip date.
If you need to cancel your trip, we will apply the following flexible policies.
For more detailed information on our terms and conditions and Covid-19 policies, please contact us at [email protected]
