Amazon Adventures

Peru Tours and Travel

A Journey With the Last Incas

(5 days / 4 nights)

This walk is a unique experience. We will visit isolated villages where life has not changed since Inca times among communities dedicated to growing their crops and herding Andean animals like llamas and alpacas, which are used as pack animals and food respectively. Unlike many other people in the region, these villagers conserve their traditional weaving techniques, making their traditional clothing from sheep, alpaca and llama wool. This unforgettable journey ends in the fertile Lares valley among subtropical vegetation where we may bathe in natural thermal pools. On this trek we will use llamas as pack animals.

Day 1 - Cusco/Ollantaytambo/Patacancha - Leaving our hotel we will head north through the Sacred Valley to Ollantaytambo where we will visit the village and ruins in the company of our guide. We will then continue by bus for about one hour to the village of Patacancha (3806m), a charming little community of small houses built from mud brick and thatch. This is where our trek really begins. We will walk for approximately four hours, arriving at the village of Palca (4173m), where we will camp.

Day 2- Palca / Qelcanca - Leaving in the early morning we will make a brief ascent to the next pass at 4392 metres before descending to the valley of Qelcanca, a rural community which lives from the herding of llamas and alpacas. The village school teaches its children in their native Quechua, and the people here are friendly and welcoming. We will camp close to the village at 3844 metres, with a fine view of the imposing Terijuay mountain (5800m).

Day 3- Quelcanca / Cochayoc / Cachin - In the morning we will climb to the beautiful Yurac Cocha lagoon which is formed by the meltwaters of Terijuay. From there we head downhill, enjoying the surrounding countryside, until we reach another lagoon called Yano Cocha close to the village of Cochayoc, a place famous for its textile tradition. We will continue to Cachin at 3726 metres, where we will make our camp.

Day 4- Cachin / Lares -In the morning we will visit Cachin, whose inhabitants are famous for their weavings. These people's houses are built in the traditional Inca style. Around midday we descend towards the Lares valley and its warm, agreeable climate, as far as the village of Lares. At an altitude of 3207 metres, this is a typical colonial village with a church, a main plaza and narrow streets. We will camp on the outskirts of the village and visit its thermal baths.

Day 5- Urubamba / Cusco - We travel by road as far as Urubamba in the Sacred Valley, or directly to Cusco. The highest point of this road stands at 4265 metres, and from there we will be able to see the mountains of Sawasiray and Pitusiray before descending into the valley.

2010 Price: Shared services (min. of 2 people) = US$965 if return by vistadome train or $865 if return by backpacker train. Single supp. = $60.

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Private services =
with vistadome return - $879 each for 3, $789 each for 4.
with backpacker return - $775 each for 3, $681 each for 4.
further price reduction for larger groups

Dates: any day with minimum of 2 people

SERVICES INCLUDED IN TREKKING SERVICES:
Private bus outbound and return.
English speaking tour guide
Entrance fees
Trekking services, including: camp cook, porters and camp assistant(s).
Single supplement includes: single tent on trek.
All group camping equipment, double tents and Thermarest, kitchen and/or dining tent, and toilet tent.
Food: hot breakfast, lunch, and dinner as described in the above itinerary (B.L.D.)
All our trash produced during the trek, returns to Cusco.
First-aid kit.

SERVICES NOT INCLUDED:
Tips to guides
Tips to the staff.
Drinks
Travel insurance. Please ensure that passengers have adequate insurance
Personal expenses: clothing and sleeping bag, laundry, telephone calls, etc.
Meals not included in the program.

What to bring on the trip:
Passport, (bring additional photocopies of your passport).
A big frameless backpack or duffle bag for your things which will be carried by our porters.
A small backpack for daily personal items (to be carried by Passenger)
Sleeping bag
Warm clothing for Andean region.
Rain jacket
Long sleeved shirts (cotton). Shorts for walking (optional)
Cap and sunglasses
Insect repellent and sun block cream
Digital camera or 35mm film camera
Binoculars for bird watching enthusiasts
Well broken in hiking boots, or waterproof sports shoes
Walking poles; if you are used to walking with poles, ensure they are not metal tipped.
Bathing suit and sandals (if you wish to visit thermal baths in Aguas Calientes)
Flashlight. Knife (Remember to pack this in your main luggage for flights)
Bags for garbage.
A bottle of mineral water for the first day only (you can buy this locally)
(We provide drinking water on subsequent days)