Trip Length: 7 days, 6 nights
Trip Type: MultiSport to Machu Picchu via hiking, mountain biking, and optional horseback riding. Only moderate skill and conditioning required
Highlights: Ride single track to and around numerous Inca sites; Hike up to one of the Sacred Valley’s most epic and remote Inca sites with no one else around; Bike five thousand feet all downhill on a paved road coming off the 14,500 foot high pass at the Continental Divide (twice, including once to the upper Amazon jungle!); mingle with the locals and children in high Andean villages; finish each day with locally sourced organic dinners, and of course a visit to one of the 7 Wonders of the World, Machu Picchu
Fixed Dates: We run this trip private dates any date, any time of year, with minimum of three people. Or, if it is just yourself or two people you can join one of our small groups (10 max, but usually 4 to 6) that begin nearly every single Sunday, year round. Just email us for exact availability!
Trip Price: $1999 per person (includes the $300 cost to visit Machu Picchu!)
Trip Itinerary:
Day 1 – Arrive to Cusco airport, where our private vehicle, driver, and English speaking guide will all be waiting for you! Beautiful, two hour drive transfer to your hotel in Ollantaytambo with a few photo stops along the scenic drive. Check into your hotel, relax, and then go check out this incredible Incan town, one of the oldest in all of the Americas, either on your own or with your knowledgeable local guide.
Day 2 – After breakfast of local fresh fruit, coffee, breads and eggs, we will head out for a long and fun day of bicycling and exploring. We will begin by heading up in our van to the Continental Divide of South America, at over 14,000 feet above sea level, to the pass of Abra Malaga. After getting our selfies on at the top, we will bicycle down the paved road, It plunges down nearly 5,000 feet over approximately forty kilometers of gravity-fed goodness. We will pass by local Andean farmers and their herds of sheep and llamas, waterfalls, half-covered Inca sites, and more. When we finally arrive at the bottom, we may have time to enjoy the local specialty of hot corn on the cob (“choclo”) Peru style, with cheese and large kernels you can eat with your fingers they are so big. After a tasty, locally sourced lunch in one of our favorite restaurants, we will head over to the Urubamba, Salt Mines of Maras, and Moray region.
Day 3 – Inti Punku means “Sun Gate” in Quechua, the language of the Incas, and that is where we are going today. This is not the same site as the Sun Gate over Machu Picchu, where the Inca Trail comes in. It is located on a hilltop just outside of Ollantaytambo, with incredible views in all directions from the top. It is a fierce, three thousand foot climb up a trail about four miles long. There is also the option of renting a horse for the ascent if you prefer. Once we get to the top, you will be treated to an Incan archaeology site that very few tourists ever see. This is one of our favorite places to hike to anywhere in Peru!
Day 4 – It is time to head down into the high Amazon Jungle for our three day expedition to Machu Picchu ! We will drive back up to the Abra Malaga and the Continental Divide of South America ! Only this time, we are going to bicycle down the other side, a massive descent of nearly 9000 feet on a paved road all the way down to the upper Amazon Jungle town of Santa Maria. This is one of the funnest bike rides to be found anywhere! We will then transfer to local transportation, and take a dramatic road and travel to our Eco Lodge in the jungle town of Santa Theresa for the night.
Day 5 – There are some wonderful, natural hot springs in the area known as Cocalmayo, and we will make the short drive down to the river to spend the morning soaking in them and resting up a bit after our several consecutive days of hard adventure ! After a local lunch near the famous Hydro Electric station, there is a lovely three hour hike alongside the Urubamba river which will take us right to Aguas Calientes and the base of Machu Picchu itself via a route known as the “Back Door” or “Inca Jungle”. Catch your first glimpses of the Incan buildings high up on the mountainside as well as a few that are seen by only a few travelers a year compared to the masses that go to Machu Picchu via the traditional Inca Trail or bus route. The hike is beautiful and there is also an option to stop at a botanical garden along the way. Abundant floral and bird life along this hike make it a great prelude to tomorrow’s big day.
Day 6 – Its finally time to visit Machu Picchu, one of the 7 Wonders of the World! By now you will be fully acclimated, and settled in to the rhythm of Peru culture, familiar with Inca stonework, and ready to fully appreciate its splendor. Because make no mistake, no matter how many pictures you have seen or how crowded you might worry that it is, a visit to Machu Picchu remains one of the most spectacular days one can spend anywhere. The site is underrated as far as we concerned, particularly when it comes to water management, architecture, civil engineering and planning, and the sheer and overwhelming beauty of its construction and integration into the mountains. We never get tired of it, its amazing! We will get up early and take the bus up (ticket included) to the site itself, visit as long as you want with your knowledgeable and licensed guide, then back down and train back through the jungle to Ollantaytambo
Day 7 – After breakfast, we will make the two hour drive to Cusco and marking the end of the trip. Some will need to head to Cusco early this morning to catch a flight out this afternoon, while others may have the time to stay in Ollantaytambo this evening (recommended) and head to Cusco the next day. In either case, your private shuttle for the two hour drive to Cusco or its’ airport today is included with your trip, at whatever time you request.
Whenever you are scheduled to fly out of Cusco, be sure when checking in to ask for a seat on the right hand side (a la derrecha) for awesome views of the Peruvian Andes !
Trip Inclusions: Private transportation and English speaking guide the entire week from airport pickup to airport dropoff; 6 nights hotel, (comfortable and well located two to three star hotel, upgrades available for small extra charge upon request), breakfast Days 2 through 7; lunch Days 3,4, and 5; Dinner on Day 5; Salt Mines entrance ticket; Machu Picchu standard entrance ticket, Round trip train ticket, Round trip bus ticket. It also includes unlimited phone and email support with our owner from beginning to end, including 24/7 support in English to a toll free US number while you are in Peru.
Trip Exclusions: Does not include lunches or dinners, hot springs entrance, Boleto Turisto ticket (optional, approx $42 and includes every site listed in the itinerary); optional guides to guides and/or driver