Upon arrival in Cusco, the former capital of the Incan Empire, your Wild Women Expeditions guide will meet you in the hotel lobby at 2:00PM. You will receive your Inca Trail Trek duffle, hiking poles, sleeping bag and Thermarest.

We’ll then immediately immerse ourselves in all things Peruvian with a walking tour that includes all the urban must-sees. The fusion of Inca and Spanish influences in the Stone of Twelve Angles at Inca Roca Palace on Hatun Rumilloc street is an impressive sight. We’ll also experience the pounding heart of the city, the Plaza de Armas, which is surrounded by colonial arcades and four formidable churches.

Later, your senses will be overloaded with a sweet fix! We’ll participate in a two hour bean-to-bar chocolate workshop at Choco Museo and learn how to make Peruvian chocolate and tisane (tea) from the roasted husks of cacao nuts. During the workshop, we will be introduced to the entire scratch chocolate-making process from cacao harvest to the familiar “OMG!” tasting. We’ll make our own custom milk or dark chocolates under expert direction with more than 15 different add-in ingredients to choose from. Our biggest decision will be sea salt and toffee bits or sprinkles and gummies? 

After the workshop, we’ll swap stories over dinner at Mamá Seledonia’s, a truly feel-good restaurant that supports young mothers and teens in rural areas. Women who have expressed a passion and talent for cooking but have experienced difficulty in finding employment due to their family obligations are trained in the industry. The restaurant’s spectacular menu offers traditional fare like baked guinea pig, grilled chicken with elderberry sauce, trout ceviche, yuyo (sea algae) and grilled alpaca steak in pepper sauce. 

Today’s first big bite out of Peru is a sweet one!

Disclaimer: Dreams come true on this trip.

Meals Included: Dinner
Tonight’s Sweet Sleep: Los Portales Cusco Hotel

At 8AM, we’ll depart Cusco for the embrace of the Sacred Valley (the drive to Ollantaytamo is approximately two hours). On the way, we’ll stop at El Mirador, for an uninterrupted view of the entire Sacred Valley and Inca History 101 lesson.

The Sacred Valley was a critical settlement area to the Incas. The agreeable climate and fertile plains made for perfect alchemy and an unusual bounty for the high Andes. The Incas intelligently sculpted the mountain flanks with contour terracing and irrigation channels. Gardeners and farmers will appreciate the thoughtful blueprint process and proactive planning.

We will then head to Ollantaytambo. Located on the 725km (450 mile) Urubamba River, the Inca-era cobblestones and adobe buildings of this town are otherworldly. We’ll check in to our hotel and drop off our luggage before exploring Ollantaytambo’s archaeological site to the east of the Plaza de Armas..

This is a magnificent example of Inca urban planning and one of the few places where the Incas defeated the Spanish. The upper terraces of this site offer extraordinary photo opps of the tidy square-grid town below. Situated on a hilltop landscape, the surrounding terracing and Ciclopean rock carvings are part of the unspoken story. We will notice the prevalence of cut stones known as “tired stones” in the ancient quarry. These abandoned, carved stones never made it to their intended last stop in the village–adding to the mystery (and understandable fatigue!).

From the tiptop, there is a mind-stretching view of the village below and surrounding countryside. Painters and poets in the group will be making mental notes!

After exploring the ruins, we’ll make our way to the Awamaki community to learn about traditional Andean life and have lunch in one of the community member’s homes. We’ll meet the colourful women of the Awamaki community for an introduction to textiles and the historical connection it provides. After a weaving demonstration, we will each partner with a local Awamaki woman and try our skill at weaving a small and precious souvenir. There will be an opportunity to purchase expertly woven items which will directly support the Awamaki community. Please note–it’s not appropriate to haggle here, however, this is an ideal spot to practice your Quechua! Best to start with “Allillachu!” (Hello!)

After a full day of amazement, we’ll transfer back to our hotel to chill and hang out over dinner. We’ll also begin the process of prepping and packing for our first day on the Inca Trail in the morning!

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Tonight’s Sweet Sleep: Samanapaq

After a big hiker’s fill of carbs and protein at breakfast, we’ll weigh our duffle bags for the Inca Trail. They must weigh no more than 7 kilos (15.4 lbs). Keep in mind that this maximum must include the weight of your sleeping bag and Thermarest. So, in reality, your personal gear should weight no more than 5 kilos (11 lbs) out of respect for our porters. We’ll store our original bags, and any gear we don’t need in Ollantaytambo. On Day 7, we will be reconnected with our baggage before heading back to Cusco so pack thoughtfully! Please note that the duffle bags are not to be kept!

We’ll then drive to Km 82 (Piscacucho) to hike a scenic section that follows the original Inca Trail to the winding Urubamba river. We’ll cross the bridge over the mighty river at Km 88 for a celebratory lunch at Tarayoc trail before continuing to hike another two gratifying hours to reach our maximum altitude for the day at Huayallabamba (3,100m/10,170ft).

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Tonight’s Sweet Sleep: Tent Camping
The skinny on today’s hike:

• Hiking Distance: 16 km(9.94 miles)
• Hours: 8–9 hours (*dependent on the group’s pace and skill)
• Altitude: 2,750m(9,022ft) 
• Maximum Altitude + Campsite Elevation: 3,100 m(10,170ft)
• Elevation Gain: 350m(1,148ft)

We will begin walking around 7AM after a filling early bird breakfast. For 3–4 hours we’ll follow the trail’s steep ascent to Llullcha Pampa (3,900m/12,795ft) below the first pass, where we will have lunch with a killer view of Mt. Huayanay. Along this narrow hanging valley and its unfolding trail, we will begin to see the surreal cloud forest that shrouds the Queñua (polilepis) woodlands, a rare and precious Andean forest of fairy tale-like polylepis trees and shrubs that are only found at high elevation.

After lunch, we’ll continue for 2 hours to the daunting Dead Woman’s Pass at 4,215m (13,828ft). This is the highest point of the Inca Trail (in elevation and heart rate!) and so-named for the mountain crests and their resemblance to a woman’s supine body. 

From here, we’ll continue downhill for 2–3 hours, depending on the group’s pace and affection for taking photos! We will be spending the night in the en plein air serenity of the Pacaymayu campsite.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Tonight’s Sweet Sleep: Tent Camping
The skinny on today’s hike:

• Hiking Distance: 10km(6.21 miles)
• Time: 6-8hrs
• Altitude : 3,100 m(10,170ft)
• Maximum Altitude: 4,215(113,828ft)
• Campsite Elevation: 3,600 meters (11,811ft)
• Elevation Gain : 900m(3,000ft)
• Personal Gain: OFF THE CHARTS!

Today, we’ll kickstart the day by walking uphill approximately 90 minutes. At 3,800m (12,467ft) we’ll visit the unique semicircular complex of the Runcuraqay ruins (*Runkurakay is a Quechua word meaning “collapsed house”) before ascending another 90 minutes to Runcuraqay Pass (3,900m/12,795ft). From here, it’s all downhill, baby!

We’ll descend for nearly 2 hours, following ancient Incan stairs down to the ridgetop ruins of Sayaqmarka to pass through a 20m(65ft) tunnel that the Incas created without the convenience of modern tools or an Ikea Allen key. We’ll slip into the dripping, verdant cloud forest vegetation, spellbound by the transitions. Hungry? We’ll carry on for another 30 minutes to one hour (depending on the group’s pace and selfies) to Chaquicocha (3,500m/11,483ft) where we’ll have lunch.

Satiated and stretched out, we’ll continue hiking for 2 hours until we reach the Phuyupatamarka ruins (3,600m/11,811ft) that overlook the fast flow of the Vilcanto River far below. This is the last pass on our agenda and we’ll spend the night here enjoying a few recovery bites of chocolate, feeling the hum of our hamstrings. 

Phuyopatamarka is suitably named. In Quechua, it means the “City above the Clouds.” The views from our campsite toward the sacred peak of Salcantay are sublime. There are three short trails that split off from the campsite that we can explore if we want to pack some more hiking into our extraordinary day.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Tonight’s Sweet Sleep: Tent Camping
The skinny on today’s hike:

• Hiking Distance: 12km(7.456 miles)
• Time: 5-6 hrs
• Altitude: 3,600m(11,811ft) 
• Maximum Altitude + Campsite Elevation: 4,200m(13,779ft)
• Elevation Gain: 600m(2,000ft)
• Peruvian Chocolate Bar Cravings: SKY HIGH

We’ll rise early for a short but necessary walk (15 minutes) to the viewpoint to (hopefully) take in the marmalade glow bathing the snow-blanketed mountain peaks of Salkantay and Pumasillo. Mother Nature can be moody and cloud cover can often impede sunrise.

This morning will be our last opportunity to say a grateful thank you to our lean and mean porter team. There will be a formal tipping ceremony to demonstrate our appreciation for their kindness, encouragement, enthusiasm and rock solid backs! Remember, they made this trip as smooth as pudding for us and carried the weight of the world (well, our packs) on their shoulders!

After breakfast and the tipping ceremony, we will descend steeply all day, following the famed Royal Highway through a cloud forest seemingly painted with delicate orchids to Winya Wayna (or Wiñayhuayna) ruins. We’ll first walk 2.5 hours downhill to the Inti Pata Inca site (2,900m/9,514ft). From here, we’ll continue another 45 minutes to reach the Wiñayhuayna campsite (2,600m/8,530ft) where we’ll enjoy a well-deserved lunch. The final part of the trail (on the east side of Machu Picchu) is a gorgeous traverse across the remarkable Inca stonework leading to the iconic Gate of the Sun overlooking Machu Picchu.

Refuelled, we’ll walk for 90 minutes to the iconic Gate of the Sun (2,700m/8,858ft) where we’ll absorb a mesmerizing, panoramic view of the Machu Picchu ruins. Stunned, we’ll float as though in dream, downhill, to the Machu Picchu site. A bus will transport us to Aguas Calientes village (2,040m/6,692ft) where we’ll spend the night and gather for a set menu dinner at a local restaurant. We will celebrate this dream-come-true journey and lap up all the pampering at our hotel in Aguas Calientes. Hot showers! A pisco sour! Real beds! It’s the small things (after the BIG things, of course).

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Tonight’s Sweet Sleep: Hatun Inti Classic Hotel
The skinny on today’s hike:

• Hiking Distance: 9km(5.59 miles)
• Time: 6–7hrs
• Altitude: 2,400 m(7,874ft) 
• Maximum Altitude: 3,600m(11,811ft)
• Campsite Elevation: 2,400m(7,874ft)

We will return to “the Sanctuary” via a short and rollicking local bus ride bright and early this morning (breakfast will be available at our hotel from 4:30AM onward). Upon arrival to the site, our tour guide will introduce us to the sectors of this impressive Inca City as we follow the circuit to the archaeological zone of Machu Picchu.

Take an unhurried moment to reflect on this sacred spot and time in your life. Our guide will share the unbelievable stories behind Intiwatana (solar clock) and the urban and agricultural sector. This in-depth guided tour of the ridge-top city will allow us to fully appreciate the ancient marvel as the sun rises into the sky.

Machu Picchu stands 2,430m (7,972ft) above sea level, smack dab in the middle of a verdant, tropical mountain forest. The Incan Empire urban design of impossibly giant walls, terraces and ramps appear as if they have been naturally carved into the continuous rock escarpments. Contemplating the origins, mysticism and resilience of Machu Picchu under the rising sun is life affirming. 

After the guided tour, we will return to the town by local bus and in the afternoon, we will board the super scenic tourist train back to Ollantaytambo, followed by a private transfer to the Novotel in Cusco.

In Cusco, we’ll gather for a reflective farewell dinner still giddy and goosebumpy from our Machu Picchu experience.

Note: Machu Picchu visiting regulations require all visitors to follow a predetermined route within the site. This route must be followed in one direction only and once the guided visit commences, exiting and re-entering the site is not permitted. Once the guided visit concludes, visitors must exit the site as personal exploration of Machu Picchu is not permitted.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Tonight’s Sweet Sleep: Novotel Cusco Hotel

After a nourishing breakfast, the rest of the day is unscheduled! Unless you have a flight to catch, of course! For those who are lingering a little longer, explore the city’s colourful pockets a little deeper. Sit down with Andean mint or toronjil (lemon balm) tea or chicha morada (made with purple corn). Or, sip a genuine emoliente (a medicinal mixture of several herbs).

Note: If you are joining the Amazon extension, you must book your own early morning flight to Puerto Maldonado on this day.

IMPORTANT: If your passport is due to expire before your trip please send in new passport details as soon as possible before the trip commences. If applicable, please bring both passports on the Inca Trail (the original you used to book your trip and your new passport) as officials may request to see both.

What now? Start dreaming about your next DREAM destination with your shiny new Wild Women BFFs!

Meals Included: Breakfast
Other Notes: Option to extend for 4 days in the Amazon Jungle

AMAZON RAINFOREST LODGE EXTENSION (4 DAYS)

Want to stay on for a few extra days of high octane adventure and explore the lush and lively Amazon? We are offering the option of a 4-day package based at the Refugio Amazonas Lodge. This biodiverse private 200-hectare reserve is located in a brilliant Brazilian nut forest within the buffer zone of the Tambopata National Reserve. The Refugio Amazonas Lodge is located four hours by motorized canoe from the Puerto Maldonado airport. 

What’s included during your stay? Three daily savoury meals, tea/coffee, a rainbow of macaws, activities, guided excursions (a shared service with other lodge guests) and transfers to and from the airport.

Things you should know:

• The order and scheduling of activities may be modified due to weather. 
• You will have to bring a small bag to re-pack your luggage for the three nights at the lodge as your main luggage will NOT travel with you. Fret not, it will be securely stored in the lodge’s office in town. 
• Rooms at the lodge are simple but comfortable with en suite flush toilets, mosquito nets and (brace yourself) showers with cold water only.
• Your visit to Refugio Amazonas contributes directly to the Wired Amazon Project and its efforts to conserve and learn more about the biodiversity of the Tambopata National Reserve.

Please contact us at adventure@wildwomenexpeditions.com to book! 

DAY ONE: JOURNEY TO TAMBOPATA

Upon arrival in Puerto Maldonado, the “gateway city to the Amazon jungle”, we will be greeted by our energetic bilingual guide and board a bus for a one-hour transfer to our next mode of transport: a one-hour boat ride along the serene Tambopata River to Refugio Amazonas Lodge. Instead of planes, trains and automobiles– it’s a plane, bus and boat! Our first taste of Amazonian cuisine will be alfresco, on the boat!

Be binocular-ready! We’ll scan the riverbanks, branches and skies for our first sightings: the rainbow blur of macaws, stock-still herons, caiman and even capybara! In the treetops, we’ll be on high alert for curious brown capuchin and dusky titi monkeys. 

This jungle refuge with its low-impact design sits in the pounding heart of the rainforest and has all the amenities and necessary pampering pleasures (yes, massage!). 

A gentle 30-minute walk from the lodge will lead us to a 35m canopy tower (a staircase with railings provides safe access to the top for those who are jittery and vertigo-prone). From the top, it’s a mesmerizing view of the National Reserve of Tambopata. Toucans, macaws and raptors enjoy the same view, but often from a little higher in the sky.

We’ll immerse ourselves in the full-throttle jungle hospitality with a welcome drink before checking into our rooms. There will be time to chill out before dinner with the natural soundtrack on HIGH! There’s actually a bird called the horned screamer!

Fun fact: This eco-hostel is the headquarters of Wired Amazon, the first citizen science project that permits guests to be citizen scientists and contribute to the region’s dynamic research on species like the elusive jaguar and white-lipped peccary!  Frequently, a lucky guest discovers a brand new tiger-moth, scorpion-wasp, caddisfly or treehopper species. It could be you!

Meals Included: Lunch, Dinner
Tonight’s Sweet Sleep: Refugio Amazonas Lodge

DAY TWO-THREE: AMAZON RAINFOREST

The next two days will be an awesome and educational combo of birds, Brazil nuts, lessons in sustainability and the goosebumpy thrill of a night walk through the jungle!

DAY TWO: Lake Condenado/Don Manuel’s Organic Farm/Night Hike

Today, we will navigate around Lake Condenado in search of the dramatic hoatzin, a tropical bird of many names! It’s also known as the stinkbird, reptile bird and Canje pheasant. We’ll also look for the brilliant Martin Fisherman (kingfisher), alligators and rare river otters while learning about the differences of a lake and river ecosystem.

Later,  we’ll visit the neighbouring organic farm of Don Manuel, which is just five minutes along the river (by boat)from the lodge. He will show us the typical crops of the area and no doubt surprise us with some of his exotic fruit bounty. 

We will have the option of taking a daring night walk through the jungle just as most of the nocturnal mammals come to life. They might be difficult to see but we’ll definitely hear them! The frogs and their nightly chorus are truly a marvel. 

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Tonight’s Sweet Sleep: Refugio Amazonas Lodge

DAY 3: Brazil Nut Farm Visit, Medicinal Plant Trail and Wired Amazon Lecture

Today is going to be NUTS! We are going to learn everything about the vital and decadent Brazil nut and its origin at a Brazil nut farm that’s situated close to the lodge. Locally, this nut is often referred to as a ‘chestnut’ but it differs greatly from the North American interpretation of a chestnut. 

Brazil nut harvesting is a valuable, sustainable source of income for residents of Puerto Maldonado who collect and process the divine nut once a year in the dry months between the rainy season. 

Later, we’ll learn about the other treasures that are grown in the forest on a medicinal plant trail. We’ll be introduced to a wide variety of healing plants and trees that the local population has relied on for years. The Amazon forest’s medicine cabinet includes an ever-growing list of remedies like Sacha-Ajos (“forest garlic”), Uña De Gato (Cat’s Claw) and Ayahuasca, a South American psychoactive brew. This ‘tea’ is gaining interest with travelers desperate for enlightenment from its guaranteed high and curative powers. The sacred elixir is still used in ceremony by some tribes. The Psychotria viridis shrub along with the stalks of the Banisteriopsis caapi vine are cleaned, smashed, brewed and distilled into a highly-concentrated formula. Free samples will not be provided!

Later, we’ll take advantage of a lecture presented by researchers from the Wired Amazon Project about the opportunities and challenges of their unique projects in the Tambopata National Reserve. 

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Tonight’s Sweet Sleep: Refugio Amazonas Lodge

DAY FOUR: DEPARTURE

After a nourishing early breakfast, we’ll start our trip back to Puerto Maldonado following our original boat and bus route. 

We will be able to experience a surreal sunrise over the river–one that will no doubt lead to quiet reflection and meditation on the amazing Amazon days behind us. 

We’ll emerge from the jungle restored (and probably with an unexpected Brazil nut craving!) and pick up our stored luggage from the lodge’s office in town before continuing to the airport for flights back to Lima and onward! A guide will be present until the departure flight in case there are any last minute changes or needs.

Please note: Flights from Puerto Maldonado to Lima usually arrive between 4pm and 5pm. Please take note of this incase you have an international connection flight.

Meals Included: Breakfast
Tonight’s Sweet Sleep: Refugio Amazonas Lodge
Additional Details