Day 1: Hike to Mandor Waterfall and to Putucusi Mountain

To start our adventure, we will pick you up at your hotel in Cusco in the morning to take you on our private transport to Ollantaytambo train station (1 hour and 40 minutes away from Cusco) which is located in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. There, we will board a train to Aguas Calientes, a small town just below Machu Picchu. Your tour guide welcomes you at the city train station, will take you to your hostel for check-in and leave your luggage, After, start today's walk surrounded by breathtaking scenery! First, you follow the Vilcanota River (upper part of the Urubamba River) walking along a railroad track to Hydroelectric power station. You can see abrupt cliffs that stick out everywhere. You leave the railway after an hour's walk to turn towards the Mandor waterfall. On the way, you will pass through a fertile land with banana, avocado and coffee plantations, fruit trees and later a cloud forest, where you will find the impressive Mandor Waterfall! There, you can also find a small pool that offers you a nice refreshment! Then enjoy a lunch before heading to the next point of interest  "Putucusi Mountain". You follow a recently discovered Inca trail that leads you through the cloud forest including pristine areas where bromeliads and more than 90 types of orchids grow! If you are lucky, you can spot a spectacled bear, as well as hundreds of birds - and species - many of them are endemic! The hike includes many rocky steps and several vertical wooden stairs (up to 30 meters) so you must be in a very good shape and not suffer from vertigo or fear of heigth to be able to undertake it! At the end, you will reach the Putucusi Mountain (2560 masl / 8400 masl), a high mountain with a round shape. There, surrounded by clouds, you get a feeling of appearing in a dream place with its overwhelming views of Machu Picchu !!

Day 2: Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu Trek

After an early and delicious breakfast at morning, we will walk for around 2 hours to the mysterious city of Machu Picchu that we will enter in the early morning to take advance of the best opportunities of photos! Then our guide shows us around the Inca city and tells us about its history and purposes. After the guided tour, you climb by yourself for about 45 minutes to Huayna Picchu, a peak above Machu Picchu that serves to take some panoramic pictures of the Inca city. Then, we are given free time to spend and explore Machu Picchu on our own. In the afternoon, we return by train to Ollantaytambo, from where we are taken by van back to Cusco. 

THIS TOUR INCLUDES:

• Pick-up from your hotel or airport in Cusco;
• A private transport Cusco - Ollantaytambo;
• Accommodation: Hostel (1 night);
• Entrance fee to Machu Picchu;
• Meals: 1x breakfast, 1x box lunch, 1x dinner;
• Professional bilingual Tour Guide;
• Guided tours of Machu Picchu and Putucusi Mountain;
• A train round trip Ollantaytambo - Aguas Calientes (Expedition Service);

NOT INCLUDED:

• Breakfast on the day 1 and lunch on the last day;
• International and domestic flights nor airport departure taxes;
• Travel insurance;
• Entrance fee to Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain
• A shuttle bus between Machu Picchu and Aguas Calientes Town ($9.50 - one way, $18.50 - a round trip);
• Tips to local staff (please note: it is a custom to give tips in Peru; however, it is not obligatory);
• Other extras not mentioned.

PLEASE BRING WITH YOU:

• Light clothes for the day in dry season (it is very hot) 
• Sportswear for walks (diver and jacket / jacket / jacket)
• Comfortable shoes to walk a lot. (Sports are the best for these situations)
• Poncho for the rain. (rainy season)
• In case you want to be 100% covered, bring an umbrella (rainy season)
• In case you do the trekking to MAPI, you will have to leave your backpack in your hostel. Always make sure you leave your valuables in the cupboards assigned to the most valuable things, if there is not in your hostel, ask the reception if they can save it.
• Debit and credit cards
• Photocopies of your passport and credit cards. The other very wise is to have all your documents scanned in your email.
• Your international student card (ISIC) or anything that identifies you as a student, can serve you immensely during the trip.

Best time to go to Putucusi Mountain Trek

The best time to go to Putucusi Mountain Trek is in the dry season. Like the other hiking trails in Machu Picchu, it is more complicated in the rainy season (November - April), as the path like the stairs, they become slippery and difficult to overcome. The region has a sub-tropical climate throughout the year, with average temperatures bordering 18ºC (64ºF). Humidity during the dry season, ranges between 40% and 45%, reaching 60% or 65% during the rainy season. It is recommended to hike early in the morning, since the temperatures are cooler, and the intensity of the sun is lower. Make sure you are not traveling this route, after 6 pm (it could be very dangerous).

Be in shape:

Take with you clothes for both rain and sun, since the weather throughout the southern region of Peru, is quite unpredictable at any time of the year, the path is mainly stone stairs and wooden stairs (vertical), so It is recommended to prepare with light, comfortable and used hiking shoes (never new). Also bring with you, a rain poncho, sun protection and some snacks. We also recommend that you bring wet towels and hand sanitizer.