"We believe that love and understanding for nature comes through living amidst it."
Programs
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Photos of the Program
Summary of the program
Day 1. CUSCO – HUANCACALLE (L.D.): Early in the morning we leave from Cusco, in Quechua ...
Day 2. HUANCACALLE (B.L.D.): We spend the day visiting the archaeological sites ...
Day 7. ESPIRITU PAMPA – QUILLABAMBA (B.L.D.): We leave Espiritu Pampa early in the morning going ...
Day 8. QUILLABAMBA - CUSCO (B.L.): We spend the morning in the town of Quillabamba, enjoying ...
Difficulty
Hard level
Leaving dates
- Daily departures, all year around;
Price information
| starting at | 727.00 p.p. |
Included
- Professional Bilingual Guide (with official certificate);
- 03 Nutritious meals per day prepared by professional, experienced and certified mountain cook;
- Daily boiled water for drinking;
- 1st day morning pick up from your hotel in Cusco;
- Private Tourist coach from Cusco to Cachora (starting point);
- Train from Machu Picchu to Cusco (seasonally only to Ollantaytambo);
- Mules to carry camping equipment plus personal luggage and tour food;
- The Mules carry 10 kilos of trekker’s luggage;
- Well rested riding horses for emergency support on the climbs along the tour;
- Vegetarian meals are available;
- Energy snacks every day;
- Professional mountaineering tents;
- Professional self inflating mattresses;
- Dining tent with camping tables and chairs;
- Toilet tent with Biodegradable seat kit;
- Duffel bag to replace your back pack for the tour;
- Our Guides have First Aid certificates;
- 8 trekker’s maximum per tour guide;
- Very friendly local horsemen from tour route communities;
- Tourist bus from Cusco to Huancacalle;
- Tourist bus from Chuanquiri to Quillabamba;
- Tourist bus from Quillabamba to Cusco;
- One night in a Hotel in Quillabamba with private bathroom, 24 hours hot water and breakfast;
- Entrance to the Citadel;
- Transfer for passengers back to the Hotel in Cusco;
- First-aid Kit;
- Oxygen bottle;
- Satellite Telephone for emergency calls;
- 1st day late breakfast;
- 7th day dinner in restaurant in Quillabamba town;
- 8th Day Lunch is a pack Lunch;
Not included
- Sleeping bag;
- Travel insurance;
- Extra personal mules;
- Extra assistant horses;
- Dinner last day of the tour;
- Tips, in Peru tips are expected, however this is not a must;
- Personal creams, medicines, water bottles;
- Daily back pack;
- Entrances to Aguas Calientes hot springs;
You should bring
- Trekking boots with water proof and breathable material;
- Good sleeping bag that is suited for minimum -2 Degrees Celsius;
- Change of clothes minimum 3 t-shirts, 2 pants;
- We recommend sweat transportable material as underwear during the trekking;
- Wind and water proof jacket (Gore-Tex);
- Clothes for cold weather;
- Good trekking socks, we recommend a thin sock underneath, which can keep sweat out;
- Good water bottle;
- Purifying water tablets;
- Camera with a plastic protection;
- Extra batteries for camera;
- Extra cash money for your own expenses;
- A Simple copy of your passport;
- A copy of your travel insurance;
- Mosquito repellent with a maximum of 40% DEET;
- Cream for your skin and spray for your clothes;
- Sun block with extra UV protection;
- Sunglasses;
- Sunhat;
- Good flashlight with extra batteries;
- Swimsuit;
- Walking cane;
- Toilet paper;
- Good water proof Binoculars;
Please note
- The Espiritu Pampa is a hard level trekking tour;
- The hardest days of the trek are the second, fourth and seventh tour days;
- You need altitude acclimatization before the tour;
- Trekkers need to be in good physical conditions;
- From April to October is the dry season with heavy short rains;
- From November to March is the rainy season;
- February and March are the 2 rainiest months During the tour, temperatures change dramatically due to us walking from the Andes Mountains into the cloud forest and sub tropical rainforest. We recommend bringing good waterproof clothes for both cold and warm temperatures. Trekkers carry their own daypack with room for water bottle, snacks and day changing clothes;
- We offer special discounts in the low season (December - April);
- 10% discount to holders of the international student card (I.S.I.C.);
- 10% discount to S.A.E.C. members. We give special discount to small and large groups;
You are here: Mountain Expeditions > Hiking in Cusco > ESPÍRITU PAMPA TREKKING TOUR 8d
ESPÍRITU PAMPA TREKKING TOUR 8d
starting at US$ 727.00
THE ESPIRITU PAMPA (PLAIN OF THE GHOSTS) 8 DAYS TREKKING TOUR
In 1911 Yale professor Hiram Bingham III came to Espiritu Pampa. He thought it was a small Inca settlement, but investigations by many since have shown that most possibly this is what has been referred to as “The Lost City of the Incas”, the last Inca capital. The last Inca revolts towards the Spaniards took place here in the late 16th century.
In 1440 a great army under Inca Pachacutec entered the zone of Vilcabamba to conquer the forest tribes “Antis” and “Chunchos”. The expedition was successful and the area was conquered as a province in the expanding Inca-Empire. The same strategy the great Inca Pachacutec followed to conquer the jungle tribes, was used by Inca Manco less than a century later while retreating from a terrible army of Spaniards with steel armored horses and swords. This was the beginning of the end of the Inca Empire.
Tour itinerary schedules, accommodations, activities and destinations are subject to change due to transportation, weather, river conditions and group sizes. This includes but is not limited to changes in itinerary requests by specialized tour groups.
Program itinerary
Day 1. CUSCO – HUANCACALLE (L.D.)
Early in the morning we leave from Cusco, in Quechua “the navel of the world” towards Huancacalle. Along the way we stop in Chaullay, where we will eat lunch. The tour duration is approximately 10 hours. We arrive in late afternoon where we check into a basic but friendly local hostel in Huancacalle.
Day 2. HUANCACALLE (B.L.D.)
We spend the day visiting the archaeological sites of Ńusta Ispańan – place of the famed “White Stone” and Vitcos, first reported by Hiram Bingham in 1911, and for a short time the capital of Manco Inca. Here Manco Inca lost a bloody battle to the Spaniards before he fled into the jungle.
Day 3. HUANCACALLE - VILCABAMBA THE NEW VALLEY (B.L.D.)
After breakfast we start our walk towards Espíritu Pampa. We walk along the river into the green valley passing the town of Vilcabamba the New. Along the way we pass many wooden crosses, some Inca walls and walking parts of Inca steps and trails. Most notably there is alteration of the landscape from green valley to cloud forest. In a short time after Vilcabamba the New where we will scout for a campsite for the night, there are a choice of 3 possible camp sites close to Rio Chalcha, the small Mollipunko Ruin or the ideal site Ututu (total 8 hours of trekking).
Day 4. VILCABAMBA THE NEW VALLEY – VISTA ALEGRE (B.L.D.)
After breakfast we go from Ututu towards Vista Alegre. In the morning we cross many small streams and rivers via log bridges on our way through the jungle like cloud forest with mosses, bromeliads and abundant birdlife. The walk is quite flat and nice with beautiful and mysterious scenery. Upon arrival at the small community of Vista Alegre we set up our camp on the flat football field next to the closed school. (Bosque Nublado – crossed by many small creeks and rivers). BREAKFAST, LUNCH, AND DINNER SERVED.
Day 5. VISTA ALEGRE – CONCEVIDAYOC (B.L.D.)
From Vista Alegre to Concevidayoc (6 hours) once again we cross small streams several times, sometimes getting wet. On this day we will do some short uphill climbing before arriving at the small farming village of Concevidayoc between the rivers of Pumachaca and Sarahuasi. This location is where the indigenous village of Marcanay (mentioned by Calancha) used to be situated during the Inca-Empire. This was the same village where Tupac Amaru Inca sentenced Padre Ortiz to death.
Day 6. CONCEVIDAYOC – ESPIRITU PAMPA (B.L.D.)
From our camp to Espíritu Pampa it is about 3 hours walking. After we set up our camp we begin our exploration of the archaeological site 20 minutes away in the site of “Vilcabamba the Old” – the last Inca capital and refuge. The rest of the day is spent exploring Hanan and Urin, the Huaca (immense rocks with a religious purpose) and learning from our guide about this historically important place. The last battle between Incas and the Spaniards took place here more than 400 years ago. “The nature is amazing,” said Bingham in his matter-of-fact description about Espíritu Pampa.
Day 7. ESPIRITU PAMPA – QUILLABAMBA (B.L.D.)
We leave Espiritu Pampa early in the morning going through the Cloud Forest to Chuanquiri (8 hours), and from here we drive through the night to Quillabamba.
Day 8. QUILLABAMBA - CUSCO (B.L.)
We spend the morning in the town of Quillabamba, enjoying a nice breakfast before we start our 8 hours bus trip through Cloud Forest and mountains back to Cuzco.
End of service.