Trek amidst Peru's Cordillera Vilcabamba, then join the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
Trek amidst Peru's Cordillera Vilcabamba, then join the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
This trek spends a few days deep in the bewildering majesty of the Cordillera Vilcabamba before joining the classic Inca Trail for the approach to Machu Picchu. This high route skirts many of the great peaks and passes close to Mt. Salkantay (6271m) and its creaking glaciers. The trek continues through remote villages and crosses the spectacular Inca Chiriasqa Pass and finishes by exploring the Inca temples and fortresses of Cuzco and the Sacred Valley.
Peru's diverse geography results in a very varied climate between different regions. Cuzco and the Andes have a temperate climate. December to March is the rainy season in Cuzco/the Andes and April to November is the dry season; characterised by clear skies and strong sunshine in the mornings, sometimes clouding over as the day progresses. Daytime temperatures are usually pleasant (approx. 20 degrees C on average) but night times only 5-10 degrees C, except for May, June, July and August when days are cooler and nights on trek are often below freezing, particularly at the highest camps where it may be around -10 degrees C. In the Andes, however, anything is possible at any time of year, including cloud, rain or even snow, and rapid and unexpected changes! Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu are in the cloud forest and as such attract large amounts of precipitation all year as clouds move up from the Amazon Basin. Rain here can be heavy but is seldom prolonged. Cold fronts sometimes occur from July-August. Peru is affected by the El Niño weather phenomenon whereby warming of Pacific Ocean surface water off South America drives a shift in the atmospheric circulation resulting in abnormally high levels of rainfall over parts of South America. These events occur at irregular intervals of two to seven years, and last nine months to two years. A strong El Niño event occurred in 2014-16.
This trip is graded as Challenging (level 5) - please refer to our activity level guidelines. There are 7 days point-to-point walking with full porterage, reaching a maximum altitude of approx. 4960m, average 3550m. More strenuous and at higher altitude than the classic Inca Trail, sections of this trek take us over difficult terrain underfoot, particularly on the descent from the high pass, which has a lot of loose gravel. The walking days are generally not long but there are some steep climbs and descents. On the main Inca Trail the paths are well maintained, but there are a lot of irregular stone steps which can be tiring on the knees, so we recommend walking poles.
You may find our Fitness Training Guide a useful reference.
Some nights can be very cold (below freezing), and you should note that over the last few years there have been a few occasions where heavy snowfall has closed the Inca Chiriasqa Pass (day 7). If this happens the leader will take an amended route to join the Inca Trail. If the snow is very heavy the group may retreat to Mollepata and then join the Inca Trail at Km 82 (the start point of the normal Inca Trail). This is not a common occurrence but you should be aware that it does occasionally happen. It is most likely to occur in July and August although is very unpredictable.
As this trip spends considerable time at altitude, we ask you to refer to the altitude warning within the Trip Notes. We spend three days in Cuzco (3400m) acclimatising before starting the trek.
Protest action/strikes are not uncommon in Peru, and whilst these are generally peaceful, they can involve roadblocks and cause disruption to travel. Occasionally your leader may have to adapt your itinerary in response to this.
Walking hours stated within the itinerary are given as approximates only. Timings stated include lunch and photo stops and will vary depending on the pace of your group.
Inca Trail Regulations
An Inca Trail permit is required for this trip. There are a number of important regulations regarding the Inca Trail that we would like to make you aware of:
1. Spaces on the Inca Trail are on a first come, first served basis and we urge you to book as early as possible.
2. If you cancel your booking more than 8 weeks before departure and wish to transfer your deposit to another departure or another trip the transfer fee is £150 as we will lose the permit we have purchased. This is an amendment to our Booking Conditions. No transfers are possible within 8 weeks of departure.
3. Bookings can only be made if we are supplied with your full name, passport details, date of birth and nationality, exactly as per the passport you will be using to travel to Peru (this information is used to purchase your Inca Trail permit). If your passport details do not match those on your permit you will be refused entry to the Inca Trail by the local authorities.
4. Should the passport used to purchase your permit be lost, stolen or expire before your Inca Trail start date, you must purchase a new passport and notify Exodus immediately as we will need to apply to amend your Inca Trail permit. To do so, you must supply copies of both your old and new passports to Exodus in advance of travel and pay an administration fee of £25. For this reason, we strongly recommend that you make a copy of your passport at the time of booking.
5. Please be aware that these regulations may change at any time, and Exodus is not responsible for the decisions made by Peruvian authorities.
6. There is a possibility that the Peruvian authorities may increase the entrance fees to the Inca Trail, Machu Picchu and other major sights at any time. If they do so, we will inform you of this increase and the extra amount will need to be paid locally in cash in Peru.
Please Note:Â Whilst your departure date may be 'Guaranteed', your Inca Trail permit itself will initially be 'On Request'. If travelling within the current year we will try to purchase your permit immediately upon receiving your booking. If travelling next year, we will apply for your permit as soon as they are released for sale. In either case, in the event that we are unable to get your permit we will contact you to discuss your options.
List of Regulations for visiting Machu Picchu:
The main points impacting your visit are the following:
The tickets are valid only for one entry which means that you cannot leave the site and re-enter.
Once you have done the chosen circuit with your guide, you cannot walk back to view anything already visited and once you finish the circuit, you will have to leave the site. You can no longer explore the site further after the guided tour.
The two visit times for visiting the site, either 6am-12pm or 12-16.30pm.
The local authorities have restricted the temples which can visited at Machu Picchu depending on the time of the visit to the site.
These regulations will affect how long you are able to spend at Machu Picchu and which temples you can visit. In the past, after the guided tour passengers could stay longer to explore the site, this is not possible anymore. The alternative that we are implementing on our visits to allow you further time, is to walk up to the Watchman’s Hut (for classic shots of Machu Picchu) before starting the guided tour. The guided tour will be about 2 hrs in duration and ends with exiting the site to catch a return bus back down to Aguas Calientes for lunch. On our circuit you will be able to visit the Temple of the Sun, House of the Inca, Sacred Rock and Condor’s Temple, but not the Sun Dial on this itinerary – circuit routes are dictated by the Mach Picchu Park Authorities.
Schedule of visit to Machu Picchu on this itinerary:
Early bus to Machu Picchu with the tour leader to walk up to the Watchman’s Hut for iconic photos of Machu Picchu
Between 9-10am start the guided tour
Between 11.30am-12.30pm passengers leave Machu Picchu
Please see our COVID Travel Guide for Peru for more information on current guidelines for travel in Peru.
Ved skriftlig aksept av vårt tilbud bekrefter du/dere at våre betingelser er både lest og forstått og at evt kansellerings gebyrer kan tilkomme ved en evt. avbestilling av reisen.
TILGJENGELIGE DATOER | PRIS (1 VOKSEN) | PRIS (1 BARN) | STATUS REISE | |
---|---|---|---|---|
søn, 30 apr 2023 / lør, 13 mai 2023 | NOK 25 945 | På forespørsel | På forespørsel | |
søn, 25 jun 2023 / lør, 08 jul 2023 | NOK 25 945 | På forespørsel | På forespørsel | |
søn, 23 jul 2023 / lør, 05 aug 2023 | NOK 25 945 | På forespørsel | På forespørsel | |
søn, 20 aug 2023 / lør, 02 sep 2023 | NOK 25 945 | På forespørsel | På forespørsel | |
søn, 17 sep 2023 / lør, 30 sep 2023 | NOK 25 945 | På forespørsel | På forespørsel | |
søn, 01 okt 2023 / lør, 14 okt 2023 | NOK 25 945 | På forespørsel | På forespørsel |
TILGJENGELIGE DATOER | PRIS (1 VOKSEN) | PRIS (1 BARN) | STATUS REISE | |
søn, 30 apr 2023 / lør, 13 mai 2023 | NOK 25 945 | På forespørsel | På forespørsel | |
søn, 25 jun 2023 / lør, 08 jul 2023 | NOK 25 945 | På forespørsel | På forespørsel | |
søn, 23 jul 2023 / lør, 05 aug 2023 | NOK 25 945 | På forespørsel | På forespørsel | |
søn, 20 aug 2023 / lør, 02 sep 2023 | NOK 25 945 | På forespørsel | På forespørsel | |
søn, 17 sep 2023 / lør, 30 sep 2023 | NOK 25 945 | På forespørsel | På forespørsel | |
søn, 01 okt 2023 / lør, 14 okt 2023 | NOK 25 945 | På forespørsel | På forespørsel |
Vi vil komme tilbake til deg med et tilbud på den forespurte reisen/pakken I løpet av 48 timer. Alle tilbud er uforpliktende og er vanligvis gyldige i 7 dager. Vi gjør oppmerksom på at reserverte tjenester kan bli kansellert innenfor disse 7 dagene og at pris kan endres inntil en endelig bestilling er mottatt.
SEND FORESPØRSELAntall dager | 14 |
Pris fra | NOK25,945.00 |
Destinasjoner | Cuzco |
Turkode | TPS |
Aktivitet | Dyreopplevelser & fotoreiser,Villmarksopplevelser,Fotturer,Historiske reiser,Aktive reiser |
Reisen er levert av |
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