We will pick you up from your hotel in Cusco at 6:00 am and then will drive for about 1 hour and a half to the small town of Soqma that is hidden in the mountains and sits at 3,200 m (10,500 ft). We will then start our hike up the mountain which will take about 4-5 hours to reach the lunch site. As we ascend, we will pass by the 60 meter high Perolniyoc Waterfall. We will continue hiking up until the reach the Inca archaeological site of Perolniyoc which sits on a small plateau overlooking the valley and town of Soqma below. Here we will rest and have a snack while our guide provides us a tour of the site that was mainly used as an administrative center for the region. After our tour we will then continue our ascent passing through the village of Rayan where locals live in mud brick houses, farm crops, and raise cattle, sheep, and horses. Here we will enjoy lunch and will be able to visit a local house to learn more about the Quechua culture. After eating we will hike for about 3 hours to the campsite, and will pass through the rest of the village and then up through the highlands until we reach the Pukapuhio Pass at 4,400 meters (14,435 ft). Then we will follow a trail around the mountain to our campsite called Charcahualla. From here we will be able to see the Sacred Valley that includes the snowy mountains of the Urubamba mountain range.

After having an early breakfast we will start hiking which will take about 6 hours to reach the lunch site. The trail will follow the side of the mountain open to the Sacred Valley, so that we will be able to see the town of Ollantaytambo below and the mountains on the other side of the valley. This part of the trek will vary from hiking on a flat trail to ascending. We will then cross to the other side of the mountain and will get to see this remote valley where locals bring their livestock to graze. Then we will hike up to the highest pass which is called Kuychicassa and is at 4,470 m or 14,665 ft and here we will take a moment to rest and take photos of the Sacred Valley below. From there, we will start our descent, following a winding path down and using our trekking poles. After about an hour the trail will descend more gradually and we will then hike to the Inca gate Intipunku which was a strategic lookout post to the valley. We will stop here to have a snack and learn more about the Incas before continuing down into the valley. We will then stop at another Inca site called Cachicata which has several well-preserved buildings. Our trail will then pass through the Inca Canteras, or rock quarry, where the Incas chose the stones they would use for their buildings in Ollantaytambo. We will be able to see stones that are already 80% carved and ready to be transported down to the town via a system of platforms. We will also see small Chullpas that were buildings used as tombs for important Incas. Then we will stop to enjoy a well-deserved lunch and we will also say good-bye to our horseman and chef. After that we will follow a wide trail for about an hour that gradually descends to Ollantaytambo. Once we reach the town we will have the opportunity to rest, and can also visit the main plaza as well as the chocolate factory. We will have supper at a local restaurant and in the evening we will take the train to Aguas Calientes which takes about 2 hours. At Aguas Calientes we will take you to your hotel where you can check in and rest for the night.

After having an early breakfast at your hotel, you will meet your guide and take the 25-minute bus ride up to Machu Picchu. You will have a 3-hour tour with your guide where you will see and learn about important sites that include temples, plazas, terraces, and canals. Please note that certain temples are open only at specific times. After your tour, you will take the bus back down to Aguas Calientes, and in the afternoon you will take the train back to Cusco where we will pick you up from the train station and drop you off at your hotel.