Machu Picchu, Ausangate and Rainbow Mountain 6 Days

A representative of Salkantay Trekking will be waiting for you at the Cusco Airport to greet you to our marvelous city and take you directly to your hotel. Cusco is located at an altitude of 3,400 m / 11,155 ft, so you may need some time to acclimatize.

After a short rest, we’ll pick you up from your hotel to explore Cusco on a city tour. Our tour begins in the fascinating Qorikancha or Temple of the Sun, probably the most important Inca place within the city of Cusco. While you take your time to marvel at the exquisite architecture of the place, our guide will share a bit of the history of the Incas with you.

We’ll then continue to the Plaza de Armas (Main Square) to visit the Cusco Cathedral that holds approximately 300 paintings from the famous Cusqueña School. The Plaza de Armas itself is a wonderful place to sit and immerse yourself in the local atmosphere and watch the world go by.

Later we’ll visit the impressive Inca fortress of Sacsayhuaman, located in the north of Cusco city. It’s characterized by having been built with colossal rocks that weigh hundreds of tons. Ancient Inca architects cut and polished these giant rocks to build zig-zag walls that span hundreds of meters. Despite the fact that only a small portion of the original site remains, the immense dimensions of Sacsayhuaman continue to inspire and surprise its visitors.

Later in the afternoon, we’ll continue to the Qenqo temple, carved from a single stone block. This temple has artificial tunnels, one of which forms an amphitheater. The original purpose of the amphitheater has been lost over time, but most experts agree that the area was used to worship the sun, moon, and stars—very important bodies in Inca culture. We’ll then go to Puca Pucara, a site that the Incas used as a military control center.

Our tour ends in Tambomachay, an Inca archaeological site that boasts a series of aqueducts and channels with two water fountains that still run spectacularly in front of your eyes.

At the end of the day, we’ll take you to the door of your hotel to enjoy a relaxing night and some dinner in a place of your choice.

We'll pick you up from your hotel in the city of Cusco at 07:30 a.m. after you’ve had a tasty breakfast. We'll head to our first stop in Chinchero, a beautiful place known not only for its impressive landscapes but also for the quality of its textile art, which is absolutely stunning. We'll visit the home of a local family where we'll learn some of the main textile techniques inherited from generation to generation. The low prices and very high quality of Chinchero fabrics make this an ideal opportunity to do some shopping for yourself or as a gift for someone back home.

As we continue our journey, we'll observe endless farming fields, small traditional communities, and huge snow-capped mountain peaks. Next, we'll arrive at Moray and will visit its spectacular circular terraces. Scholars have verified that Moray functioned as a true agricultural laboratory where food from other altitudes and climatic regions could be produced, even though it looks like something almost extraterrestrial.

Next, we'll go to the Maras Salt Mines that have been in operation since pre-Inca times. Be amazed by the more than 3,000 salt pools flooded daily by water that comes from inside the earth.

At noon, we'll be heading to Urubamba to recharge our energies with a well-deserved lunch. We'll continue our tour of the Sacred Valley and arrive at Ollantaytambo, considered by many to be the last and only living Inca city to this day. Its streets maintain the original layout made by the ancient Peruvians, and the water still runs through the canals found next to the main roads. It’s a quaint and lovely place to visit.

When we've finished touring this pretty historical place, we'll go to the Ollantaytambo train station and begin our ride into the Amazon jungle. It'll be an unforgettable hour and forty-five minutes along the rails next to the furious Vilcanota River.

We'll arrive at Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Town), an intense miniature metropolis where you'll spend the night in a comfortable hotel.

The day to visit one of the New Wonders of the World is here! You’ll need to wake up before dawn to enjoy a delicious breakfast in the hotel before you board the bus in Aguas Calientes at 5:30 a.m. The journey takes around 25 minutes and will take you to the entrance of Machu Picchu.

As soon as you step inside, the immense energy of the site will wash over you. This pre-Hispanic marvel of architecture and engineering is built on the top of a mountain in complete harmony with Mother Nature. We'll be one of the first groups to enter, so you'll be able to observe in peace, without the distraction of a multitude of tourists, how the orange light of the dawn sun floods its light over these ancient walls.

You’ll learn all the history of Machu Picchu and visit the most important sectors in a guided tour of approximately two hours. You can also hike Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain at this point if you have tickets booked in advance.

At the end of this unforgettable tour, you can choose one of the many restaurants in Aguas Calientes for lunch (price not included in the tour). Then, depending on your train’s departure time, you'll return to the Ollantaytambo station where our driver will be waiting for you to transport you to the door of your hotel in the city of Cusco.

We’ll embark on our adventure very early this morning to the high Andes. We'll pick you up from your hotel at 5:00 am and go on our private transport to the starting point of our trek in the small town of Upis (4,250 m / 13,944 ft). On the way, we'll be able to see pretty picturesque towns and beautiful lagoons in the Vilcanota Valley.

After breakfast, we’ll start walking on a plain that looks directly at the immense Ausangate glacier (6,372 m / 20,905 ft)—the highest peak in the Cusco region. As we continue, we'll come across local people wearing their beautiful and colorful traditional clothes. Herds of llamas and alpacas will also accompany us along the way. We'll arrive in around 3 hours at the thermal baths of Upis (4,400 m / 14,436 ft) to enjoy our lunch.

After a delicious meal in the middle of the cold and towering mountains, we’ll begin our walk for two-and-a-half hours in a beautiful high Andean valley towards the Arapa pass (4,800 m / 15,748 ft). The spectacular Ausangate mountain will be by our side the entire way.

From the summit, the beauty of the landscape multiplies. You'll be able to observe the sheer size of the mountain range and if you're lucky, the flight of the largest flying bird in the world, the condor. Our guide will tell you a little more about the impressive local flora and fauna.

Then, we’ll begin to descend for two-and-a-half hours until we come across the crystalline multi-colored lagoon of Yanacocha (black lagoon) and then another one hour to reach Hatun Pucacocha (red lagoon), as well as several pretty waterfalls. We’ll find our camp here, where you'll have time to take a re-energizing nap.

In the afternoon, you’ll get to explore the vicinity of the lakes and drink delicious tea. As always, before you go to sleep, a nutritious dinner cooked by our talented chef awaits you.

There’s nothing better for your body than waking up to a hot herbal tea of coca leaves—this fantastic plant has been used since Inca times to give you an energy boost. Get up early to start one of the most beautiful days of the entire excursion. Today, you’ll be in awe at the stunning views of the snow-capped mountains and deep green valleys.

After a hearty breakfast to get you going, we’ll hike up to Puca Pass (4,870 m / 15,978 ft). You’ll feel the impressive presence of the Apu Ausangate and take photos of its beautiful turquoise lagoons. Once you reach the top, you’ll come face to face with the gigantic Apu Ausangate right in front of you. You’ll also be able to observe the extended beauty of the Chilca Valley, where llamas and alpacas will be grazing peacefully. From this opening, you’ll already be able to see the start of the Rainbow Mountain range with its striking colorful stripes.

After taking some stunning photos, we’ll continue with a gradual descent for an hour and a half to our lunch point located in Anantapata (4,750 m / 15,584 ft). Once we’re full and rested, we’ll continue with an ascent to Warmisaya pass (4,985 m / 16,355 ft). From there, you’ll feel like a bird as you observe the vastness of the horizon.

We only have to descend for an hour to the Surinecocha lagoon where our camp for the night will be waiting for you. In our camp, we’ll enjoy happy hour (drinks and snacks) and then dinner before you head to your cozy beds.

After a tasty breakfast at 4:00 am, we will walk for 2 hours to Rainbow Mountain to contemplate this colorful valley lit by dawn. You'll have time to enjoy this paradise for an hour before the tourist crowd begins to arrive. Our expert guide will take you directly to the key places to get the best pictures.

Your guide will explain in detail why this mountain has such unique colors. It's one of the most amazing places in South America and one of Peru's main natural attractions. The only other colored mountains can be found in China.

Once we get to the Rainbow Mountain viewpoint, you'll have enough time to take pictures of this prestigious geological phenomenon.

We'll begin the descent to the base camp of Llactoc for an hour, where the transport will be waiting for us to take us back to Cusipata. There we'll satisfy our appetite with a delicious lunch.

You can enjoy the beautiful Andean landscape at sunset from the transport while we return to the city. We'll arrive in Cusco at approximately 6:00 pm to take you to the door of your hotel for some well-deserved rest.