Teens on the Trail

This morning, you will get a chance to visit the city on a bus tour which will take you through the archeological museum and the infamous Catacombs underneath San Francisco church.In the afternoon, you'll take a short flight from Lima to Cusco. Cusco, once the imperial capital, was laid out in the rough shape of a puma. Today, its orderly streets bear witness to the extraordinary skill of Inca stonemasons; many are still lined with precisely interlocked stonework, which serves as the foundation for later buildings from the colonial era, creating an atmospheric pastiche of contrasting architectural styles. Tupac Yupanqui Palace (AA) - 3 nights - (B)

Today, you’ll have a fun day out rafting on the Urubamba River. The section we usually take is the Chuquicahauna section, graded class 3-4 (depending on weather conditions). You’ll receive a full briefing on arrival before setting off on the river to practise your manoeuvres (the minimum age for rafting is 12). As you make your way through the beautiful canyon, where you’ll hopefully see torrent ducks and the magnificent surrounding peaks, the rapids build in intensity. You’ll stop midway for a picnic lunch before finishing your journey and returning to Cusco. (BL)

Today you will start to prepare for the Inca trail, with a walk up to the village of Chinchero. Leaving the fertile Sacred Valley behind, you follow a newly reopened section of Inca road up the Urquillos Valley, climbing 900m in about four hours to reach the high altitude plains of Chinchero (3760m). This route is rarely walked by tourists and offers great views of the Vilcanota range and hopefully a chance to spot some birdlife such as parrots and hummingbirds. At Chinchero the villagers are famous for their skills in weaving and they can be seen in traditional dress tending their fields. In the afternoon, you can explore the village, where the people of Chinchero offer their textiles in a colourful local market, visit the painted church and investigate the Inca ruins. Tonight you will sleep in a village house and stay with a local family. Local house (A) – 1 night - (B)

Facilities are limited at a village homestay but this will be an unforgettable night with the local people.

Today you visit the ruins of Ollantay, the only Inca stronghold ever to have resisted persistent Spanish attacks. The steep terraces cling to the mountainside, supposedly in the shape of a llama with a large rock outcrop forming the pack baggage. Right on the ridge with commanding views of the valley, the temple area appears to have never been completed and it is possible to gain a fantastic insight into how these incredible structures were built. This is good preparation for the trail which you will start after your visit to the ruins. You set off to Chilca, where the Urubamba gorge narrows, forcing us to abandon motor transport. Here you meet your trail crew and begin the trek. Heading away from the river, a gentle climb soon brings you to a pleasant campsite at Llactapata (2850m), overlooked by ruins. This is camping made easy: as you walk, you carry only a daypack whilst an experienced team of porters carries all other equipment for you. You will be provided with a duffle bag in which to put items needed for the trek. Anything you don’t need is left behind in Cusco in your main bag. You camp in spacious tents; porters, with the assistance of a cook and helper, do all camp chores. A toilet tent is provided at camp and at each lunch stop. Camp Llactapata - 1 night - (BLD)

Approx. 4-5 hours easy walking today.

Your ascent this morning leads past a fine set of ruins to Runkuracay Pass (3998m); from here the trail is largely downhill! The vegetation changes as you walk through areas of cloud forest that mark the outer edges of the Amazon Jungle. You cross the Aobamba River below the Sayacmarca ruins, which overlooks it from a rocky spur. A final easy ascent over a lower pass, with spectacular views over the Urubamba Valley far below, takes you to the campsite, perched above Phuyupatamarca ruins. Camp Phuyupatamarca – 1 night - (BLD)

About 7 hours moderate walking today.

Rising early this morning, you return to the Machu Picchu ruins which you will have largely to yourself before the train brings in day-visitors from Cusco. Your guided tour will unravel the magnificent lost city rediscovered by American archaeologist Hiram Bingham in 1911, which stands on a high saddle dominated by the jungle-clad peak of Wayna Picchu. You have time to explore the citadel and enjoy nearby walks before catching the late afternoon train back to Cusco. Tupac Yupanqui Palace (AA) - 1 night - (B)