Arrive at Cusco Airport, where you are transported to Explora Valle Sagrado. Gather to meet with fellow travelers, your guide, and the Expedition Leader for an introductory talk about the exciting journey ahead. Enjoy lunch at the lodge with your group, featuring a specially crafted menu to savor the local flavors of the Sacred Valley. Later, embark on your first Exploration with an overland journey to Chinchero and a 2.9-mile hike (4.6 km). Visit the archaeological site of Machu Kolka and hike through picturesque crop fields, offering stunning views of the pampas, Urquillos Valley, and surrounding snow-capped mountains.

Accommodation: Explora Valle Sagrado

This day is designed for acclimatization before the expedition moves into mountain camps. The route follows old shepherd trails around lagoons that sustain nearby rural communities, with gentle slopes and shifting Andean scenery. Back at Explora Valle Sagrado, the afternoon focuses on practical preparation—reviewing equipment, packing strategy, and what to expect as the journey transitions to camp-supported trekking.
 
Accommodation: Explora Valle Sagrado

This morning, we leave Explora Valle Sagrado and drive into the highlands of the Sacred Valley, watching the landscape open into wide plateaus and small farming communities before reaching the Misquiyaco Private Conservation Area—a protected buffer zone to Machu Picchu entered with exclusive Explora access. After meeting our camp team and muleteers, we begin a 4.8-mile hike (7.7 km) through the Sacred Mountains of the Incas, starting in a relict Mesoandean forest, gradually ascending beyond the tree line. We pause for a trail-side lunch, then continue on to our first tented campsite. 

 Accommodation: Private Tented Camp.

This morning, we set out on an 8.1-mile (13 km) mountain trek toward Apu Salkantay, the snow-capped giant of the Vilcabamba range. In Andean belief, Apus are revered as mountain guardians, and Salkantay is often regarded as one of the most significant among them. The route reaches a maximum altitude of 15,324 ft (4,671 m), opening wide views of ridgelines and valleys as we move deeper into the range. We end the day in Pampacahuana, settling into camp at 12,795 ft (3,900 m) for the night. 

Accommodation: Private Tented Camp.

Today we descend through a long, scenic valley toward the Vilcanota River, gradually approaching the Sacred Valley once again. Along the way, we pass remnants of Inca agricultural terraces that reveal the ingenuity of ancient mountain farming. The route covers 15.2 km (9.4 mi) with a total descent of 1,308 m (4.291 ft), offering shifting landscapes as we lose altitude. We end the day at our new camp, Chamana, located at 2,575 m (8,448 ft), surrounded by a lush and tranquil Andean environment. 

Accommodation: Private Tented Camp. 

This morning, we walk for around 2.5 hours through Andean scenery before meeting our vehicle and continuing to Ollantaytambo. We visit the Temple of the Sun and explore its monumental terraces and finely crafted Inca stonework, then walk into the village along narrow cobblestone streets to the main square. Here, we pause to take in daily life around small markets, community gatherings, and local crafts. Later, we transfer to our lodge just outside the village for a traditional pachamanca lunch, prepared earth-oven style with local ingredients. The afternoon is free to rest and enjoy the quieter side of the Sacred Valley. 

Accommodation: Las Qolqas Hotel 

After breakfast, we travel by van to the station and take the Vistadome train to the starting point of the Inca Trail. From Chachabamba, we begin a 6.5-mile (10.5 km) hike, ascending along lush mountain slopes into the cloud forest to reach Wiñay Wayna, a standout Inca site of steep terraces and finely crafted stonework. We then continue to Inti Punku, the Sun Gate and the historic entrance to Machu Picchu. We enter the sanctuary and explore its main areas with our guide, then descend to Machu Picchu Pueblo for the return train to Ollantaytambo and our transfer back to Explora Valle Sagrado for a farewell dinner. 

Accommodation: Explora Valle Sagrado 

After breakfast, depart Explora Valle Sagrado by 10:00 AM. We will transfer you to Cusco Airport for your flight home.