Peru Women’s Adventure Machu Picchu Inca Trail + Optional Lares Trek Extension
Cusco, Peru
8 Days
Sept 23-30, 2023
Optional Add On: Lares Trek September 30-October 3, 2023
Women’s Adventure
Moderate Physical Activity
Scroll Down For The Itinerary
Explore ancient paths, rituals, and ways. Walk with Pachamama, bask in the glow of Inti, and feel the spirit of Apu Ausangate on this unforgettable journey to Inca’s Sacred Valley and the “Lost City of the Incas” – Machu Picchu.
Be immersed in Cusco’s colorful culture and kaleidoscopic natural wonders on our Women’s Adventure Machu Picchu Inca Trail plus optional Lares Trek extension. More than traditional tours, participants will have authentic encounters with local people, hiking one-day Inca trail, and Rainbow Mountain, and the opportunity to extend their stay for a wilderness trekking adventure in the Andes.
In Cusco, your taste buds will dance to the delightful ingredients of Peruvian foods. Meet a Shaman from the Quechua people will who guide us in a Pachamana Ceremony, one of Peru’s most ancient rituals. For those who are interested, the Shaman will offer coca leaf readings to give each person insight on your personal goals, challenges, and strengths.
Beyond Cusco, participants will experience high altitude 2-mile hike (over 16,000ft) at the Palcoyo Rainbow Mountain and photograph the fascinating straited geology.
In the Sacred Valley, participants will learn about ancient agriculture that is being used in modern day. You will tour archeological sites and explore textile markets.
Finally, the main event, to see Machu Picchu in all its glory! First, a hike over 8 miles of the original Inca steps on the last leg of the Inca Trail. Along the way, participants will learn about plants, history, and see other archeological sites. Just before sunset, we will pass through the Sun Gate and down in the valley below will be the Lost City of the Incas. Further down the trail, we enter the complex to capture the iconic photos of stunning Machu Picchu that you’ve seen in magazines like National Geographic.
Ladies who love to hike, and want to partake in a wilderness trek that is much quieter than the Inca Trail, we are offering an add on to this already action-packed adventure. The Lares Trek is an expedition-style journey into the alpine trails of the Andes. You will see old stone houses, herds of alpacas, snow-capped mountains, and blue alpine lakes. More details about this trek can be found below the 8-day itinerary at the bottom of this page.
The Women’s Adventure Machu Picchu Inca Trail plus optional Lares Trek is open to all women and is in partnership with International Becoming an Outdoors Woman. No previous experience required. Join us as a solo traveler, with a partner, or with a friend. There are no forced single supplements. On our fun and active women’s adventure, you will have instant travel buddies, lots of belly laughs and future-lifelong friends. The Women’s Adventure Machu Picchu Inca Trail plus optional 3-day Lares Trek will be a positive and unique experience in the company of like-minded travelers.
Trip Highlights:
- Participate in shaman-led ancient ceremony to learn about Pachama and other important deities of the Incas.
- Let the spirits guide you. Have your questions answered during a private coca leaf reading ceremony.
- Learn to make Peruvian foods in a hands-on cooking class.
- Explore the Palcoyo Rainbow Mountain on a day trip from Cusco.
- Visit archeological sites, ancient agriculture sites in the Sacred Valley.
- See the Moray, Maras, and Saleines sites, a farming lab for the Incas.
- Ride the Machu Picchu Railroad through winding tropical forest.
- Hike 8 miles of the original steps of the Inca Trail.
- See Machu Picchu at sunset, with fewer crowds, and better photo opportunities.
- Tour the Machu Picchu site with a guide to learn about the temples and other features.
- Add on an expedition-style wilderness trek to see what rural life is like in the Andes. (+$1170 pp)
Inclusions & Exclusions
Included:
- All activities (see itinerary)
- 7 nights, double occupancy lodging 3-star hotels.
- Most meals from dinner day 1 to breakfast day 8.
- 24/7 Onsite support from a Green Edventures Trip Leader
- Local, professional guides.
- Airport transfer day 1.
- Tickets, entree fees, permits.
Excluded:
- Personal spending money.
- Alcoholic beverages.
- Gratuity ($200 per person)
- Airfare to Cusco
- 1 dinner, 2 lunches
- Travel insurance
- Airport shuttle day 8 ($25 per car)
Supplemental Information:
- Packing List (coming soon)
Tour Map
Machu Picchu
sacred valley
Payments
Package Price: $3795
Deposit Due by June 15th: $500
Installments: 4 equal installments due May 15, June 15, July 15th, August 15, 2023
Group Size Min / Max: 8/14
Travel Documents: A passport is required.
Travel insurance is available and recommended.
Cancellation Policy
Terms & Conditions
Tour Itinerary
The adventure begins and ends in Cusco. We spend 7 nights in 3-star hotels. Each room double occupancy. A single supplement upgrade might be available. Those who want to extend their stay can add on the Lares Trek for a more authentic and challenging hiking experience.
►Where Do We Stay?
- Night 1: Cusco
- Night 2: Cusco
- Night 3: Cusco
- Night 4: Ollantayambo
- Night 5: Ollantayambo
- Night 6: Aguas Calientes
- Night 7: Cusco
►Day 1:Welcome to Cusco, Peru!
Schedule your flight to arrive before 5pm and anytime before that is convenient and economical for you. This is a travel and rest day. A taxi driver will be at the airport waiting when you arrive in Cusco. Your Green Edventures Trip Leader will be at the hotel and there to greet you at check in. In the evening we will have a group meeting before heading out to dinner. The next few days will be easy days to allow your bodies to acclimate to 11,000ft elevation (D).
Note: Detailed travel parameters will be provided. Most flights from the USA will transfer through Lima. Green Edventures and our travel agent will assist you with your flights.
►Day 2: Shaman-Led Pachamama Ceremony & Coca Leaf Readings
Morning:
Breakfast at the hotel, then transfer to Inca ruins just outside the city to get away from the urban life and closer to Pachamama, Mother Earth. This morning you will participate in one of the most sacred and ancient rituals of the indigenous Peruvian people. A Shaman will guide us through a ceremony to help us give thanks to Pachamama, and with it a chance to share with her your dreams and aspirations. You will learn about coca leaves and the spiritual role it plays in rituals. Participants who want to ask the shaman questions about their lives (health, career, advice) will have a one-on-one private opportunity to talk with him (through a translator). He will use the coca leaves to provide answer to your questions.
Evening:
Spend the evening inside a Peruvian kitchen and learn to prepare authentic Peruvian dishes that you’ll make yourself with the guidance of our professional chef. Participants will enjoy the dinner they made, together. (BLD)
►Day 3: Palcoyo Rainbow Mountain Day Trip
►Day 4: Maras, Moray, & Salineras
►Day 5: Sacred Valley Tour
After breakfast at the hotel, we drive to the Sacred Valley of the Incas, which was of great significance in Inca Culture. Thanks to the rivers that make it fertile, it was the most important area for maize production in the heartland of the Inca Empire, and an important import route of tropical foods such as coca leaves and chili peppers into Cusco. We will spend the day strolling through picturesque villages, agricultural terraces, and archaeological sites. This tour is the classic/traditional Sacred Valley tour and will visit the towns of Pisac, Urubamba, Chincheros, Ollantaytambo. Lunch will be in a restaurant in one of the villages. Overnight and dinner in Ollantaytambo. (B.L.D)
►Day 6: Hike The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
The adventure begins with a ride on the Machu Picchu Railroad! From the Ollantaytambo Train Station, we take the train for about 1 hour 45 minutes to the beginning of this Inca Trail Trek, at Km 104 or Chachabamba. The scenery is green and lush, now we are in tropical rainforest!+++
At our stop, our guide walks us over a hanging bridge that crosses over the Urubamba river to the Control Checkpoint. Here we will show our permits, tickets, and original passports. Once the tickets are stamped, we will stop to use the bathrooms, get our backpacks sorted and begin 8-mile, 7-hour hike on the Inca Trail. The first part of the journey is a 4-hour ascent to the Wiñaywayna (forever young) archaeological site ( located at 8858 ft) where we will have a box lunch.
After lunch we continue for 1 1/2 hours to reach the Sun Gate, the entrance to Machu Picchu from the Inca Trail, and then another 1/2 hour to reach the southern agricultural zone of Machu Picchu city (where the most famous photos of the site are taken). After our arrival in Machu Picchu city, we leave the park and take the 25-minute bus ride down to Aguas Calientes Town (6,692 ft). We check into our hotel and have a celebratory dinner. (B.L.D)
++ Alternate to hiking Inca Trail is taking transportation (train & bus) to Machu Picchu with a guide. Participants will choose ahead of time to hike or transport on this day for no additional cost. Both options will be guided.
►Day 7: Guided Tour of Machu Picchu
Morning:
Wakeup call and breakfast is early for us to take one of the first buses directly to Machu Picchu (7,875 ft). After the short 25-minute drive, you will enjoy a fascinating tour of Machu Picchu with your guide who will unfold the mysteries of this magical site, explaining the history and flora/fauna. Your guide will spend about 2 1/2 hours relating interesting and amazing stories, explaining temples and special sectors.
Afternoon: Lunch in Aguas Calientes & shopping. Transfer to Cusco.
Evening:
Overnight in Cusco. Dinner on your own and shopping. (B.L)*
*Tentative plan: those who are staying on for the Lares Trek will spend the night in Ollantaymbo. See the itinerary for the optional hiking extension below.
►Day 8: Departures & Flights to USA
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel. Schedule your flight to depart whenever is most convenient and economical for you. Participants will arrange a taxi from the hotel to the airport with the hotel front desk. This is not included and is approximate $25 per car. If you have late flights, you can store your luggage at the hotel and explore until it is time to leave. (B).
** Please note: The activities, lodging, guides, and schedule may change without notice as practical considerations arise during program development or onsite. **
Lares Trek Add On Itinerary
The Lares Hotsprings Trek. is one of the most beautiful treks available through the Vilcanota Mountain Range of the Andes to Machu Picchu and a great alternative to the full Inca trail because there are fewer tourists. Hikers will see local stone houses and encounter local people along the way. Hikers will experience remote alpine scenery including beautiful lakes, snow-capped mountains, and herds of alpacas and llamas. This trek is moderately difficult, is approximately 20 miles, and goes up to 15,420 ft. Participants will sleep two nights in camps that are fully supported by local crew. The stars are amazing!!! All equipment is provided, except a sleeping bag (rentals available). To add this to your 8-day Machu Picchu Tour select the add on option when booking. The additional fee for this tour is $1170 per person.
►Where Do We Stay?
- Night 8: Wilderness Camp
- Night 9: Wilderness Camp
- Night 10: Cusco
►Day 8: Lares Trek Pumahuanca – Cuyoc
After breakfast we drive to the Pumahuanca valley, famous for its white corn and Chicha (traditional corn beer of the Incas). Here we begin our trek through this gorgeous valley, where the woods of the Queuñas (Polylepis) trees predominate the landscape, on a gentle serpentine ascent and impressive views. We hike for about 3 to 4 hours to the archeological site called Inca-Kancha, and after exploring the complex we will have lunch. You will have time to relax until we continue our hike through the Queuñas trees to the community of Paccha where a spectacular mountain landscape with plenty of lamas, alpacas and sheep awaits us. We will walk for another 2 hours, passing several small waterfalls, arriving at our campsite Cuyoc at an altitude of 13,156ft.
- Walking distance approximately 8.4 miles (6-7 hours)
- Meals: box breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks on the trail, boiled water at lunch and camp
- Overnight: Mountain Hardwear Tent (double occupancy or optional single supplement upgrade)
►Day 9: Lares Trek Cuyoc -Pumahuanca Pass – Cancan
We will start the day at 6:00 am with a cup of hot coca tea and enjoy breakfast. Then we start our trek with a view of the snow capped peaks of Chicón, San Juan, and Verónica. Surrounded by woods, a challenging 5 hour adventure awaits us. We climb up a path with steep stone steps and a few tight bends to the Pumahuanca pass (4700m/15,420ft). From here we can enjoy the view of Moray, Maras and Salineras (the salt mines). After enjoying the scenery we begin our 1 hour descent along a stone path with lovely views until we are close to the lakes where we will have our lunch and enjoy a brief rest. After lunch we walk for about 2 more hours, mostly downhill until we reach out campsite in Cuncani (3,900m/12,795ft). Along the way may come across local farmers wearing traditional and colorful clothing, which is typical of Lares Valley. Cuncani is very famous for its textiles which are still being woven according to ancient traditions and techniques. You will have the opportunity to buy handmade textiles directly from the people of Cuncani/Lares if you wish.
- Walking distance approximately 13 km/8.1 mi (6-7 hours)
- Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks on the trail, boiled water at breakfast, lunch and camp
- Overnight: Mountain Hardwear Tent (double occupancy or optional single supplement upgrade)
►Day 10: Lares Trek Cancan – Lares- Ollantaytambo – Cusco
- Walking distance approximately 6km/3.7 (3-4 hours)
- Meals: breakfast, lunch, water, snacks on the trail, dinner at a restaurant.
- Overnight: Comfortable hotel room in Cusco (double occupancy)
►Day 11: Departures & Flights To USA
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel. Schedule your flight to depart whenever is most convenient and economical for you. Participants will arrange a taxi from the hotel to the airport with the hotel front desk. This is not included and is approximate $25 per car. If you have late flights, you can store your luggage at the hotel and explore until it is time to leave. (B).
** Please note: The activities, lodging, guides, and schedule may change without notice as practical considerations arise during program development or onsite. **
Lares Trek Add On Inclusions & Exclusions
Included:
- Cooks, porters, guides
- Mountain Hardwear Tents (double occupancy)
- All meals
- 24/7 Onsite support from a Green Edventures Trip Leader
- Local, professional guides.
- Tickets, entree fees, permits.
Excluded:
- Personal spending money.
- Alcoholic beverages.
- Gratuity ($100 per person)
- Travel insurance
- Airport shuttle day 11 ($25 USD)
- Sleeping bag (rental available)
Supplemental Information:
- Packing List (coming soon)
Your Trip Leader
Tara Short
Trip Facilitator / CEO Green Edventures Tours
Tara is the Founder & CEO of Green Edventures Tours. She has 20 years of experience curating and facilitating educational adventures in the Americas, the Caribbean, Africa, and Iceland. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in Natural Resource Management with an emphasis in Environmental Education/Interpretation. Tara has worked for notable educational, scientific, and conservation organizations and institutions such as the John G. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago’s Museum of Science & Industry, USDA Forest Service in the Chugach National Forest in Alaska, and Wild Studies in the Bahamas. Tara is a PADI Open Water Diver, Advanced Diver, Rescue Diver and has specialty certifications as Underwater Naturalist, Deep Diver, Multi-Level diver and Night Diver. She holds current Wilderness First Aid & CPR Certifications.
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