Ausangate, Rainbow Mountain to Machu Picchu - 7 Days

After breakfast, we’ll hike up for about 3 hours until we reach the first mountain pass, called Arapa, at 4,800 m / 15, 748 ft. This is our highest point on Day 2. From here it’s a 1.5-hour trek downhill until we reach our lunch spot at Pukacocha (4,491 m /14, 734 ft. This is a scenic spot near a beautiful lagoon and beneath Mount Ausangate.  After lunch, we will continue on our hike to Anantapata, found at 4, 750 m / 15,583 ft. We begin on a trail with a series of ups and downs, passing some of the prettiest scenery yet. Here, blue and turquoise lagoons are dotted all around the foot of the Ausangate Massif, creating a magical landscape that wouldn’t look out of place in a Lord of the Rings movie.  After we arrive at our campsite at Anantapata, our chef will prepare a well-earned dinner after this lengthy trekking day and we can relax for the evening under the star-filled skies of Ausangate.

Hiking Time: 7 – 8 hours.
Hiking Distance: 12 km / 7.46 miles.
Highest Point: 4,800 m / 15, 748 ft.
Lowest Point: 4,350 m / 14,272 ft.

Today we visit the beautiful Vinicunca, also known as the Rainbow Mountain. After an early breakfast, we’ll hike for about 6 hours total (return journey) until we reach the famous Rainbow Mountain, at about 5,050 m. Our early start means we’ll beat the large crowds that visit the mountain, and we should have it all to ourselves for about 45 minutes. This is enough time to enjoy the splendid colors of the striped landscape, the result of varied mineralogical compositions on the slopes and summits.

After Rainbow Mountain, we will return by the same trail to Anantapata, where we camped on Day 2. We’ll have lunch here also before we start trekking to our next campsite. We will continue hiking for two more hours to the next campsite, called Ausangate Qocha (4,700 m 15, 419 ft) where we’ll set up camp and have dinner.

Hiking Time: 8 – 9 hours.
Hiking Distance: 15 km / 9.32 miles
Highest Point: 5,050 m / 16,568 ft.
Lowest Point: 4,700 m / 15,419 ft.

Today is the shortest day of trekking so far in terms of distance covered, but we will be trekking up to the highest point on our Ausangate adventure. After breakfast, we’ll begin trekking up to the Palomani mountain pass, which sits at 5,200 m (17,060 ft). above sea level – the highest pass on the whole trail. It’s a challenging hike, especially at this altitude, but we’ll take it slowly and you can stop for a breather whenever you want. 

The views on the way up are amazing, but just wait until you reach the pass! All your effort will be rewarded with a spectacular sight as you reach the top and look over to the other side, where a pink lake lies shimmering among colorful mountains and large glaciers. 

After enjoying this awe-inspiring view, we will walk down the other side of the pass until we reach a mountain valley called Huchuy Finaya. Here we’ll have lunch. Refreshed and reenergized, we’ll continue on in the afternoon, trekking for about two more hours until we reach our next campsite at Jhampapampa, at a comparatively comfortable 4,550 m /14,927 ft. above sea level. Here we’ll rest with a cup of coca tea, have dinner, and then have a well-earned sleep amid the mountains.

Hiking Time: 6 – 7 hours.
Hiking Distance: 10 km / 6.21 miles.
Highest Point: 5,200m / 17,060 ft.
Lowest Point: 4,550  m / 14, 927 ft.

After another great breakfast cooked by our chef, we will walk gradually up to the last mountain pass of our trek, the Jhampa pass, at 5,060 m (16,601 ft). From here we have amazing views of glaciated peaks right in front of us. 

We’ll now start trekking gradually downhill for two hours, passing by more pretty lakes and keeping an eye out for alpacas and chinchillas. We will have lunch in Pachaspata before we continue on our way. We will hike for 2 hours more to our campsite in Azulcocha at (4,550 m / 14,927 ft.  You will have the whole afternoon to relax and enjoy the scenery at your leisure, knowing that the hardest parts of our Ausangate trek are all behind us. Later we’ll have dinner and then hit the sack, on what is our last night of camping under the Andean night sky.

Hiking Time: 5 – 6 hours.
Hiking Distance: 8 km / 4.97 miles.
Highest Point: 5,060 m / 16,601 ft.
Lowest Point: 4,550 m / 14,927 ft.

Our morning begins with a hot cup of coca tea and another excellent breakfast, after which we set off on a 2.5-hour downhill hike to the town of Pacchanta, where the trail ends. Here we can soothe our muscles in the local hot springs and enjoy lunch, thinking back on our epic trekking adventure through the mountains. We’ll also say goodbye to our local muleteers, chef, and other trekking staff.  

We now return to our private transport for the five-hour drive to Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Once we arrive, we can explore this picturesque town, with its ancient cobblestone streets and colorful traditional market. In the evening we’ll have dinner in one of the local restaurants and celebrate the trip with a few well-deserved pisco sours! 

Later, at around 7 p.m., we’ll take the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, the town that sits below Machu Picchu. Here we’ll check into your hotel (not Included). You’ll probably want a reasonably early night; as the next day we wake early to explore our final destination: the magnificent Machu Picchu citadel.

Hiking Time: 2 – 3 hours
Hiking Distance: 5 km / 3.11 miles.
Highest Point: 4,550 m / 14,927 ft.
Lowest Point: 2,000 m / 6,561 ft.

To best appreciate Machu Picchu, we’ll wake up early in the morning so we can get to the citadel in good time. You’ll have time for breakfast first, and then your guide will pick you up from the hotel at around 5:40 a.m. Then we will walk to the starting point of the bus, a trip of approximately 45 minutes in the direction of the citadel of Machu Picchu.
We’ll then pass through the gates to the Machu Picchu archaeological site. Here you’ll begin your guided walking tour with an experienced and highly knowledgeable guide. Our tour of Machu Picchu will last about two hours and will take you to all the most famous and spectacular parts of the extensive archaeological complex. These include the House of the Guardian, Intihuatana, Temple of the Sun, Sacred Plaza, and other key locations. (It will depend on the circuit that the Ministry of Culture determines).
And as we walk around, we’ll have spectacular views across the agricultural terraces of Machu Picchu and across to the surrounding mountains and plunging gorges.
Once we’ve finished our tour of Machu Picchu, we’ll take the bus back down to Aguas Calientes where you can relax and have lunch (not included) before we board the train back to Poroy and Cusco. Upon arrival at the station, our staff will be waiting for you to take you back to your hotel in Cusco, a quick trip of approximately 25 minutes, where you will be able to remember your incredible tour of one of the most famous and impressive attractions in the world.