Ausangate, Rainbow Mountain, & Machu Picchu Trek

SEE THE 5 BIGGEST ATTRACTIONS IN THE CUSCO REGION ALL IN ONE HIKE!

Machu Picchu (twice!) ✓    Rainbow Mountain ✓    Inca Trail ✓     Ausangate Mountain ✓    Red Valley ✓

The Ausangate (Ow-Sun-GAH-tay), Rainbow Mountain, & Machu Picchu Trek, without a doubt, gives you the most bang for your buck when it comes to any hiking trip in the Cusco region.  This is an amazing option for anyone who wants to see it all – from a challenging, high-altitude hike that includes incredible scenery over three mountain passes to the cloudy forest and ruins on the famous Inca Trail.  Along the way, you’ll also get the bonus of seeing unique wildlife, getting close to the glacier of Ausangate – the 2nd highest mountain in Peru – and finally hiking into the jewel of Peru – Machu Picchu city.

This trek will take you back in time to a place where the locals still wear traditional ponchos and hats and reward you with quiet, uncrowded trails, spectacular glacial lakes, stunning snow-capped peaks, and the unusual streaked landscapes of the Rainbow Mountains of Vinicunka.

*This is a full-service trek.  A duffle bag will be provided prior to hiking for your personal items and our staff will transport the bag and all other equipment (tents, food, cooking supplies) from campsite to campsite.  All you will need to carry is your day pack.*

DAY 1 – CUSCO – PACHANTA – UPIS

• This morning, we’ll pick you up from your hotel in Cusco early.  You’ll want to have breakfast at the hotel or grab some snacks to go because we have a gorgeous 3 hour car ride to the trail head in the Pachanta community (3830m/12,730ft). 
• When we get to Pachanta, you’ll meet the rest of the staff, hand over your pre-packed duffel bag, strap on your day pack, and hit the trail.
• The first 3 hours are fairly easy – we’ll have a mostly level path with a slight incline on a well-maintained dirt road.  You’ll barely notice the elevation gain because you will be distracted by the llamas, alpacas, 7 lakes and unique stone farmhouses we’ll pass all along the way.  If you bring some coca leaves with you, feel free to share them with the locals and have a chat (translated by your guide or in Spanish if you know it!). 
• Around noon, we’ll have our first meal of the trek – a delicious lunch cooked by our chef.  Just wait – the things our chefs can do with a single camping stove and some propane – you’ll be in heaven.  Prepare your stomach to be satisfied for the next few days!
• With full bellies, we’ll keep going on the same steady, gradual incline for a few more hours until we reach the first campsite at Upis (4400m/14,430ft).  Finally you can relax, take off your hiking boots, and enjoy Andean Happy Hour (tea and snacks) while the chef prepares another amazing meal.

Bonus Tip: If you’re interested and you pack a swimsuit, there is an opportunity here to take a dip in some natural hot springs!  Or if you don’t want to swim, there will be plenty of free time to just relax or take photos of the incredible Ausangate Mountain.

• Walking Distance: 14km/8.6 miles (6 Hours)
• Elevation: 3830m/12,730ft to 4400m/14,430ft
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Weather: Cool during the day; cold at night
• Includes: Lunch & Dinner

DAY 3 – PUKAQOCHA – YANA COCHA

• Once you’re up and through our breakfast routine, we’ll start the day’s hike to get around the Ausungate Glacier. Today will be our longest of the trek, but we’ll earn some bragging rights by the end of the day because the Ausangate Mountain is the second highest mountain in Peru (only second to Huascaran!).  
• It’s going to be a little tough as we climb uphill again for 2 hours to the Puka Pass (16,370ft), but mother nature will not disappoint.  Turquoise glacial lakes, llamas, alpacas, and the snow-capped peak of Ausangate will fuel you with every new view.  We’re well beyond the halfway point of our trek at this point – you’ve got this!
• And just when you think you can’t climb anymore and the views can’t get any better, it will be time to start descending and mother nature will bless us again with our first look at the stunning rainbow mountains in the distance.  We’ll have 2 hours downhill to take in the sights before we reach the lunch spot to fill up.
• With full stomachs, we’ll begin another pretty steep uphill climb for 1.5 hours to the 3^rd and final pass – Warmisaya (14,370ft).  We’ll spend a little time at this pass reflecting on our accomplishments and enjoying the view before continuing on a more level path for 30 more minutes to our campsite at Yana Qocha (4600m/15,170ft). 

Bonus Tip: If the weather is good and we want to see the sunset at Rainbow Mountain, we can take an additional 1.5 hour round trip hike to the scenic overlook before dinner.

• Walking Distance: 16km/11miles (7-8 hours)
• Elevation: 4500m/14,760ft to 4600/15,170ft
• Difficulty: Challenging (high altitude)
• Weather: Cold/Windy
• Includes: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

DAY 5 – OLLANTAYTAMBO – INCA TRAIL – AGUAS CALIENTES

• We’ll grab breakfast in your hotel before heading down to the Ollantaytambo train station around 7:30am.  We’ll take this picturesque train ride along the river for just over an hour to our stop on the famous Inca Trail – KM104.  Your duffel bags will continue on with our staff and you will just get off the train with your day pack.
• From the checkpoint, we’ll visit the first Inca site called Chachabamba before beginning the most challenging part of our trek.
• Today, you’ll start with a 2-hour steady incline through thick vegetation until you reach the infamous Inca Steps.  You’ll spend the next 2 hours climbing and descending through a series of stairs until you finally reach the Inca site of Wiñay Wayna (Forever Young).  Don’t be afraid! It’s not all bad!  While you’re completing this stone step maze, you’ll see huge waterfalls, rivers, beautiful flowers, and all the unique animals and Inca sites you can only find in the Peruvian Cloudy Forest.  It’s going to be a tough challenge, but we know you can do it, we’ll support you every step of the way, and you will love it in the end!
• Once we get to Wiñay Wayna, we’ll take a well-deserved rest and enjoy our boxed lunch. 
• We still have 2 more hours today, but it’s smooth sailing with a level, easy path to Inti Punku (the Sun Gate) – the Inca Trail entrance to Machu Picchu.
• We’ll spend a little time resting and taking photos at the Sun Gate before descending into Machu Picchu and doing a quick walk through.  Unlike most other tourists, you have the unique opportunity with this hike to come back to Machu Picchu and explore tomorrow, so for now, we’ll take the shuttle down to Aguas Calientes where you’ll have a comfy bed, hot shower, and a last dinner together with us.   

Bonus Tip:  The weather today is going to be totally different than the weather you’ve been experiencing the last few days.  You’ll be in the rainforest at this point to it will be hot and muggy, but we still recommend you wear pants and long sleeves if possible, to prevent against bug bites and the strong sun.

• Walking distance: 14KM/8.7miles (6.5 hours)
• Elevation: 2100m/6,889ft to 2700m/8,858ft
• Difficulty: Challenging
• Weather: Hot with a good chance of a little rain.  Watch out for mosquitos.
• Includes: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner