Vilcabamba Trek to Machu Picchu – 5 Days

Itinerary:

DAY 1: CUSCO – HUANCACALLE – VITCOS

We leave Cusco at 4:00 a.m. in our private bus and pass small villages like Chinchero, Urubamba, and Ollantaytambo. We’ll make the ascent to a cold place close to the snow caps, where we’ll see huge stones covered with snow, and then we’ll ascend until Abra Malaga (4170 m.s.n.m). Then we will descend to La Convencion and pass along Alfamayu, Amaybamba, Huyro, Huayopata, Quintalpata, arriving to Santa Teresa. After another 2 km, we will find Chaullay (1890 meters), the point where both the Urubamba River and Vilcabamba River come together. From this point, we have to ascend and pass through Lucuma (the main village of Vilcabamba). These are good lands for agriculture and growing fruit. We’ll walk through Naranjal, located 3.5 Km. from Chaullay, and arrive in Paltaybamba (17 km from Chaullay). The group will rest in Huancacalle around 3:00 pm for lunch. Just 30 minutes away, we’ll find an archaeological site at Vitcos (Rosaspata), where we will spend the night.

DAY 2: HUANCACALLE – JASUTINA – RACACHACA

We will start our second day from Huancacalle at 7:00 am. After 4 hours of walking, the group will arrive at Totora Huayco (1890 m.a.s.l.). We will ascend for 1 hour to Jasutina Pass, where we’ll stop for lunch. From there, we will descend for 3 hours until Racachaca, where we will find a nice view of the snow-covered peak of Lasoma and our second campsite.

DAY 3: RACACHACA – PUMACCASA – ABRA MOJON – MUTUYPATA

The group starts to ascend at 7:00 am from Racachaca to Pumaccasa pass, where we can see Yanacocha Lagoon. After 20 minutes of walking, we’ll arrive at the Pumaccasa pass. The snow-covered peak of Pumacillo and Soyroccocha lagoon offer wonderful vistas here. We’ll descend to Soyrococha lagoon to enjoy lunch and continue to Mojon Pass, the highest pass in our trek. We’ll see the snowy peaks of Verónica and Salkantay and also the Huayna Picchu. The group will descend for almost 4 hours until Mutuypata, where we’ll find the third campsite.

DAY 4: MUTUYPATA – YANATILE – SANTA TERESA – AGUAS CALIENTES

We leave Mutuypata at 7:00 am, descending to the town of Yanatile. Along the way, we can enjoy the hot waters on the edge of the Sacsara River, and we can also see the flora and fauna that surround the spectacular Yanatile Valley.

From Yanatile, the group takes local transportation to Santa Teresa (it’s around 40 minutes by bus). When we reach a suspension bridge, we’ll walk for 15 minutes until La Oroya, and here we’ll take a local bus to Hidroeléctrica de Machu Picchu. where we have lunch.

Afterward, we’ll continue hiking to Aguas Calientes, where we’ll spend the fourth night in a nice hotel.

DAY 5: AGUAS CALIENTES – MACHU PICCHU – CUSCO

Early in the morning, the group will take the first bus to Machu Picchu, arriving there after 25 minutes. The group will have a guided tour for approximately 2 hours and then free time to enjoy the citadel. Around 1:00 pm we’ll take the bus to Aguas Calientes, where we’ll have time for lunch. After that, you will take the train back to Cusco, where our representative will be waiting for you at the train station. Transfer to the hotel