Dive deep into the heart of the Andes and discover its millenary magic.
This trail will make you feel tiny, as you face the grandness of nature more than once. Once on top of its peaks, you will understand why the Incas worshipped these mountains and considered them their gods. The worship of mountains is not difficult to understand when you expose yourself to these impressive natural sceneries while walking accompanied by the sacred snow-capped Salkantay.
This hike begins in the village of Marcocasa. Along a trail surrounded by impressive mountains and snow-capped peaks, you will reach Challacancha, the first campsite.
Enjoy a short day to acclimatize optimally to the altitude of the Andes.
Ascend to the Soraypamba Pass, where the views of the snow-capped peaks of Humantay, Tucurway, and Salkantay will amaze you with their imposing beauty.
Passing Salkantaypampa, you will arrive at Ichupata, the location of the second camp of the route.
Walk with snow-capped Salkantay behind you, an immense wall of snow that will accompany you during the ascent to the Incachiriaska Pass, the highest point of the route.
It is inevitable to feel small facing nature and understand why the Incas worshiped these mountains as their gods.
Countless small lakes, turquoise, green, and blue, hide on the slopes of these mountains. With luck, you will observe the wildlife that inhabits this area, such as vizcachas (Andean rodents), white-tailed deer, guanacos, vicuñas, and condors.
Finally, you will arrive at the small community of Pampacawana, the third camp on the route.
From this point on, a continuous descent will take you to the end of the trek. En route, explore Paucarcancha, an archeological complex of agricultural use with several dwellings, which will offer you an introduction to the architecture of Inca times.
Continue along a trail in the middle of subtropical rainforest, with abundant bromeliads, orchids, ferns, mosses, and begonias, until you reach Hatunchaca.
Wake up in the middle of the Andes and its purity with a stunning view of the Hatunchaca Valley.
On the way to Piscaicucho, the final point of the journey, you will have the opportunity to observe the ruins of Llactapata, an ancient Inca village with squares, enclosures, granaries, and impressive terraces, built on the banks of the Urubamba River and discovered by Hiram Bingham in 1912.
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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]
