Llama Hike.A journey to discover the Andean villages and their traditions, customs, beliefs and costumes. The villagers will allow us to experience unforgettable moments as they do their daily work in each place in the region of Cusco, and at the same time, make sure we get to know attractive cultural, religious and natural places.
Our driver will pick us up from the hotel to bring us to the starting point of our hike. On our way, we will enjoy a panoramic view of the Sacred Valley of the Incas and to take advantage of our trip, we will visit an archeological site called Pisaq (3,400 m), which was of major importance in the epoch of the Incas: terraces, fountains, ceremonial community centers, astronomic observatories,and a cemetery. This city is built between the high peaks of the Urubamba mountain chain. And from this point, the Incas reigned and controlled the Sacred Valley. Afterwards, we will bring a visit to the handicraft market of Pisaq, where you can appreciate different works of art offered by its inhabitants, and bargain a deal. Pisaq is especially famous for its silver jewelry.
As we continue our trip, we will have a picknick lunch prepared by our professional Chef, after which we will be heading for Lares.On our way,we will pass by small Andean villages until we arrive at Lares (3,100 m), where we will spend the night with a local Homestay family. Before dinner, we may like to enjoy the thermal baths, then have dinner and relax.
After breakfast, we will meet with our team of llama carriers and lamas that will transport our personal luggage (up to 5 kg per person). There will also be another porter accompanying us with an emergency horse in case there may be any mishaps. Now, our walk to the village of Huacawasi begins. On our way, we will enjoy a picknick lunch prepared by our chef cook. As we arrive at the local Homestay family, we will have an activity in the afternoon. We will participate in a traditional ceremony that is well kept by the families: the Ceremony of the Lamas. The aim of this ceremony is to thank Mother Earth, the Pachamama, and the gods that are symbolized by the mountains called Apus, that they guard and protect the Andean villages. After that we will have dinner and the evening to relax.
Many houses that we will see in this small village of Huacawasi are built of stone and have thatched roofs. The people of this village make beautifully colored textiles. In the morning, we will learn more about the weaving techniques and we can admire some of their high quality ponchos, chullos (woolen hats) and other garments. After breakfast, we will climb to the top of the Ipsayccasa pass that, at 4,500 m, is the highest pass of the whole hike. We will see herds of alpacas and lamas and a natural landscape. From there, we will have impressive views of the surrounding mountains. We will slowly walk down to have our picknick lunch, next to a beautiful lake in Ipsayccasa. We may be lucky to see Andean goose, the Puna ibis and other birds of the region. Then, we will continue our descent to the village of Patacancha where we will spend the night with a local Homestay family. In the afternoon, we will have a small activity with the children of the region, who would like to teach us some of their native tongue, Quechua. We may teach them some English, some drawings or stories. For this activity you may like to bring some coloring pencils, notebooks or children’s books in English. Afterwards, we will have dinner and the evening to relax.
After breakfast, we will take the opportunity to see some of the textiles made by the Homestay family. These high quality textiles are famous for their intricate designs that reflect aspects of the daily life and culture of the people. Next, we will take a local minibus to go down to the village of Pallata and walk up to the archeological site of Pumamarka. After our visit, we will descend to the Valley of Ollantaytambo. During our walk, we will have a picknick lunch, as always prepared by our one and only chef cook. As we arrive at Ollantaytambo, we will visit its beautiful archeological site and in the evening, we will board the train to Aguas Calientes where we will stay in a hotel.
In the early morning we will leave the hotel to take a bus to Machu Picchu, the Magical City of the Incas, which is considered a jewel of Inca architecture with agricultural terraces, neighbourhoods, squares, streets, an astronomic observatory etc. Constructed upon the slopes of the mountain, in the middle of nature, it is considered one of the miracles of today’s world. UNESCO has recognized it as a part of the common Natural and Cultural Heritage of Mankind, as it was an important religious, political and administrative center in the epoch of the Inca. The altitude is about 2450 m. After exploring this Magical City, you may like to explore the mountain of Huaynapicchu. From the top of this mountain you can enjoy an impressing overview of the entire City of Machupicchu. It is advised to make reservations months in advance, so please do not hesitate to contact us, if you like to include Huaynapicchu. We will return to Aguas Calientes to take the train back to Ollantaytambo or Poroy, where our driver is waiting to take us back to the hotel in Cusco.
If you would like bring some gifts for the children of the Andean communities we are staying with, it would be much appreciated. You could bring for example, coloring books, coloring pencils or some small toys. Small children’s gifts are also for sale in Cusco; feel free to ask your guide.
A mínimum group size would be 2 persons. The bigger the group, the lower our cost per person: please, find our prices and discounts below!
A mínimum group size would be 2 persons. The bigger the group, the lower our cost per person: please, find our prices and discounts below!
Reserve here