Itinerary

DAY 1: DEPARTURE
You will depart from London on a long-haul flight to Cusco with at least one stop. *Please note that you may have more than one change en-route, including the possibility of an overnight stay in Lima.

DAY 2: ARRIVAL AND ORIENTATION
You will be met in Cusco by a Choose a Challenge representative and transferred to your hostel in the centre of Cusco. There will be a short briefing before your free afternoon in which you can explore Cusco and acclimatise to your new altitude of 3,400m. Hostel accommodation and dinner included, where you will be given your 8kg duffel bags to pack in the evening, in preparation for your trek the following day.

DAY 3: TREK DAY 1
Depart for Marcojasa where you will start your trek, having lunch along the way, and following the path along the aqueduct to Soraypampa (3,760m). You will arrive into your campsite at Soraypampa in mid-to-late afternoon. Tented accommodation. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

DAY 4: TREK DAY 2
Today is an acclimatisation day, so you will ascend from your camp in Soraypampa to Laguna Humantay, one of the most beautiful lakes in the region at the base of the Humantay Glacier (4,200m). You will descend back to camp for lunch before a 2-hour trek to your next camp at Salktantaypampa. Tented accommodation. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

DAY 5: TREK DAY 3
After breakfast, you will depart on a long and tough ascent towards Abra Salkantay, the mountain pass at an altitude of 4,650m. The views will be spectacular with the looming hulk of the sacred mountain, Nevado Salkantay, dominating the glaciated valley through which you pass. You will spend a short time at the top of the pass for snacks and rest, before descending to Wayracmachay where you will have lunch. In the afternoon, you will make a slow and steep descent to Collpapamapa (2,900m). Tented accommodation. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

DAY 6: TREK DAY 4
After breakfast, you will continue down the Santa Teresa Valley, taking small breaks as you walk very close to the river, completing the day with a 6km walk along the road to your campsite at Lucmabamba (2,100m). From here you will have fantastic views over Peru’s coffee plantations and fruit trees. At dinner your guides will show you how the local coffee is made - you’ll be able to taste freshly-made coffee from the bean! Tented accommodation. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

DAY 7: TREK DAY 5
On your penultimate trekking day, you will take a steep and humid climb through the jungle up to Llactapata. You will spend some time here, learning about the history of the Inca and the surrounding mountains. If you look very closely you can spot part of Machu Picchu in the distance. You will then descend into the Aobamba Valley for lunch at the hydroelectric plant. After lunch, you will trek alongside the rail tracks, following this route for around 3 hours. You will arrive into Aguas Calientes (1,900m), the town at the base of Machu Picchu, in the late afternoon. Tented accommodation. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

DAY 8: TREK DAY 6
You will have a light breakfast before setting off to ascend up the steep steps to the ruins of Machu Picchu. You will have an optional guided tour of Machu Picchu before having time to explore the Lost City of the Incas yourself. Then, choose to walk back down to Aguas Calientes or hop on the bus (at an additional cost). On your return, you will have a late lunch and then free time to explore Aguas Calientes. You will catch an early evening train back to Ollantatytambo and arrive back to Cusco in the late evening. Hostel accommodation. Breakfast and lunch included.

DAY 9: FREE DAY IN CUSCO
Today, you are free to explore the beautiful town of Cusco. There are optional day trips available, so please ask your guides for more information (these may incur an extra cost). Hostel accommodation. Breakfast and dinner included.

DAY 10/EXTENSION DAY - DEPENDING ON YOUR TRAVEL OPTION
If you’ve chosen to come home early you will depart for the UK, arriving the following day. Those on our ‘without flights’ travel option are free to continue on your own itinerary after breakfast. If you’ll be joining us on our extension trip you will depart on the extension trip today! Breakfast included.