Itinerary Expand all Cuzco to Cuzco Depart London. The overnight group flights to Cuzco leave London this evening. Arrive Cuzco (3400m); free time to explore the Inca capital. Set amidst hills in the altiplano, the Imperial City of the Incas, Cuzco (3400) was the geographical, cultural and political centre of a vast empire which, at its peak, stretched from present day Quito in Ecuador to Santiago in Chile. After the Spanish conquistadores invaded the city, they started building on top of the Incan structures, resulting in unique architecture, a fusion of the Incan and Spanish colonial styles. The group flight usually arrives around midday and there will be time for a short orientation tour of the city or free time to wander the cobbled streets admiring the old houses, visiting its interesting museums, churches and pre-Columbian buildings, or to sit in a café and sample a coca-tea. It is recommended to take it easy upon arrival into Cuzco and to drink plenty of water to allow your body time to acclimatise to the altitude (3400m). There will be a welcome briefing in the hotel lobby this afternoon/evening. Accommodation: Hotel Koyllur (or similar) Day 1 Start Cuzco (3400m); free time to explore the Inca capital Set amidst hills in the altiplano, the Imperial City of the Incas, Cuzco (3,400) was the geographic, cultural and political centre of a vast empire which, at its peak, stretched from present-day Quito in Ecuador to Santiago in Chile. After the Spanish conquistadores invaded the city they started building on top of the Incan structures, resulting in unique architecture, a fusion of the Incan and Spanish colonial styles. The group flight usually arrives around midday, giving time for a short orientation tour around the city or free time to wander the cobbled streets admiring the old houses, visiting its interesting museums, churches and pre-Columbian buildings, or to sit in a café and sample a coca-tea. It is recommended to take it easy upon arrival into Cuzco and to drink plenty of water to allow your body time to acclimatise to the altitude (3400m). There will be a welcome briefing in the hotel lobby this afternoon/evening. Accommodation: Hotel Koyllur (or similar) Day 2 Free day; optional Sacred Valley excursion. Today has been left free for exploring Cuzco, one of South America's most beautiful cities. The Plaza de Armas is a fantastic spot for people-watching, and Qorikancha – the Sun Temple, located in the Santo Domingo Church and monastery, are worth a visit. The Mercado San Pedro is the place to try some local produce and there are many handicraft markets to shop for souvenirs such as alpaca jumpers and scarves. Outside the town are more Inca ruins, notably the fortress of Sacsayhuaman where the Inca armies made their last stand against the Conquistadores. Cuzco is also the gateway to the Sacred Valley of the Incas and should you wish to visit the sites, your leader can help organise an excursion, including Pisac Market (optional). If you fancy something more active then there are an array of other optional activities available from Cuzco including paddle-boarding on a lake, mountain biking, or a combination of via ferrata and zip-lining in the Sacred Valley. Accommodation: Hotel Koyllur (or similar) Meals included: Breakfast Day 3 Start the Moonstone Trek; walk past ruins and hamlets to the village of Chillipawa An early start as it's a very busy first day! We take a private minibus to the trailhead, stopping first to explore the nearby ruins from which the trek takes its name. This is a large site with several distinct Inca remnants, clearly of religious importance. As with the rest of the trek, we are most likely to have the site completely to ourselves. The Moonstone itself is a large carving on an enormous boulder, and its significance is not yet understood. The trailhead is in a quiet, dusty valley and we soon climb high enough from the floor to enjoy some great views. At around lunchtime we stop to explore the imposing pre‐Inca fortress of Wata that straddles the trail. The ruin has not yet been accurately dated and pottery can often still be found lying on the ground. The path then traverses along a green side valley as we make our way above a few tiny villages before entering the village of Chillipawa, where we camp. Walk Profile: approx. 10.5km / 6‐7hrs walking Full‐service Camping Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 4 Up the Accoccosa Pass and onto the high pampas A long, steady climb with plenty of rest stops to aid acclimatisation takes us above the villages and into the high pampas ‐ rugged meadows of long grass. We normally stop for lunch shortly before the crest of the Accoccosa Pass (and the very rare Andean Flicker is sometimes seen (although often heard!). The last leg of the pass is on loose red scree, but the view from the top makes it all worthwhile: a broad, hidden valley surrounded by snowy peaks ‐ the Huayanay Range on the left, the Urubamba Range straight ahead and beautiful, triangular Mt Veronica (5800m) to the right. We have time to explore this plateau and experience walking in the high altiplano before returning to our camp for a well‐deserved hot dinner. The camp's isolation, well away from any settlements, results in spectacular night skies when clear. Walk Profile: approx. 8.8km / 4‐5hrs walking Full‐service Camping Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 5 Continue along a narrow canyon and Incan aqueduct before crossing over to the Inca quarry of Canchiqata We start after breakfast by following the stream from down this hidden valley into a narrow canyon. Rare polylepis trees grow here and we pass through a small grove as we leave the canyon. Our path then turns North and traverses very high above a deep and steep valley separating us from the Huayanay Mountains. This is probably the most spectacular section of the trek and we roughly follow a (now defunct) Inca aqueduct spectacularly carved out of the cliffs to take water from the hidden valley of our campsite to the Sacred Valley several miles away. At the end of the traverse we have a short but steep climb up to our lunch spot, a flat, ridge‐top meadow facing straight across the Sacred Valley to the snowy Urubamba Range. After lunch we walk down to Huayrapunku. Meaning "Gate of the Wind", this is a ridge‐top Inca shrine oriented to Mt Veronica, of which it has a simply incredible view. A short walk brings us to our final campsite in amongst the granite stones of the Canchiqata Quarry. It was here that huge blocks were cut from the rose‐coloured granite before being dragged down the mountainside and across the river to the Sun Temple at Ollantaytambo. Walk Profile: approx. 11.8km / 5‐6hrs walking Full‐service Camping Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 6 Descend to Ollantaytambo where the trek ends Photographers are advised to wake up before dawn this morning, to watch the sun rise over the Sacred Valley from our campsite high above it. The sun's first rays catching the glaciers of Mt Veronica certainly makes the effort more than worthwhile. This is our last day on the trek and we descend from the pampas down into the lush valley floor along the enormous stone ramps on which the Incas dragged the stones. We cross the river and explore the huge Sun Temple complex to see where the stones ended and what use they were put to. Walk Profile: approx. 8km / 2‐3hrs walking Accommodation: Tunupa Lodge (or similar) Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Day 7 Day walk along Inca Trail via Winay Wayna ruins Today we have a day walk along a section of the Inca Trail, starting early with a train from Ollantaytambo. After showing our passports at the check point, we will pass by the archaeological site of Chachabamba and start our trek. The trail has impressive views of the valley and the Urubamba river, with orchids and begonias along the way and the sight of magnificent mountains all around. The trail passes the ruins of Wiñay Wayna where we will stop to explore and have our packed lunch. After visiting the attractive ruins of Wiñay Wayna, we have an undulating walk through cloud forest high above the river to Inti Punku, the Sun Gate. From here we get our first full sight of Machu Picchu itself, with Huayna Picchu rising behind. Walk Profile: approx. 11km / 6-7hrs walking Accommodation: Intipunku El Tambo (or similar) Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Day 8 Guided tour of Machu Picchu; free time to explore further; return to Cuzco by train and road In order to beat the day-trippers arriving from Cuzco and reach the ruins as early as possible, a very early start is required to queue for Machu Picchu; only government-registered buses can make the 30-minute drive up the winding road to the site entrance, and during high season (May-October) queues can be hours long. Machu Picchu is one of the architectural and engineering marvels of the ancient world and what makes it all the more dramatic is its mountain backdrop of staggering immensity. The Spaniards never found it; the Incas left no records of it, and so Machu Picchu remained a great enigma, a city lost for centuries in the jungle until it was rediscovered in 1911 by the American historian Hiram Bingham. New regulations for visiting Machu Picchu are now fully enforced; of the three possible visiting slots, we will purchase the morning slot from 06:00 until 12:00 (unless unavailable), you will be limited to a maximum of four hours within the site and must be accompanied by a guide. There will also be three set routes to follow around Machu Picchu; we select the most comprehensive route. We catch an afternoon train back to Ollantaytambo (1hr 30 mins) and continue by private bus to Cuzco (2hrs 30 mins). Accommodation: Hotel Koyllur (or similar) Meals included: Breakfast Day 9 End Cuzco For land only travellers, the trip ends in Cuzco after breakfast today. Those who are travelling on the group flights will be taken to Cuzco airport to catch the overnight flight back to London. Meals included: Breakfast Depart Cuzco For land only travellers, the trip ends in Cuzco after breakfast today. Those who are travelling on the group flights will be taken to Cuzco airport to catch the overnight flight back to London. Meals included: Breakfast Arrive London The group flights arrive into London this afternoon.
Amazon Rainforest extension (from Cuzco) Code: XPC Easily accessible via a short flight to Puerto Maldonado from Cuzco, the Amazon is the world's largest rainforest and home to an astonishing array of wildlife, as well as countless plant species. Spending three nights at a lodge in the incredibly rich Tambopata Reserve, we use motorised canoes to explore its lakes and rivers, and follow jungle trails to discover its dense forests. The detailed itinerary can be found here. Please ask your sales consultant for more details. Price from: £449 (compulsory supplement of £80 for single travellers)
Lake Titicaca extension Code: XPT Journey across the spectacular high altiplano to Lake Titicaca, the world's highest navigable freshwater lake (3,800m). Explore its waters by boat and visit the descendants of the Uros Indians who live on floating reed islands, and are also known for producing fine textiles. Back on the mainland, we visit the pre‐ Incan site of Sillustani, comprised of burial towers with fantastic views over the region. The Titicaca Extension is only available after your main tour as we do not recommend arriving straight into Puno due to the altitude. The detailed itinerary can be found here. Please ask your sales consultant for more details. Price from: £209 (compulsory supplement of £48 for single travellers)
Peru Visas are not required by UK citizens, Western European nationals, Americans, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, South Africans and most other nationalities. If you are in any doubt please contact the nearest Peruvian Embassy.
Peru There are no mandatory vaccination requirements. Recommended vaccinations are: Polio, Tetanus, Typhoid, Hepatitis A. Zika fever is a mosquito‐borne viral disease and a known risk in places visited on this trip. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available, we therefore strongly recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites. If you are travelling to the Tambopata reserve in the Amazon rainforest, the risk of malaria is slight, but you may wish to consult your GP or travel health clinic for further advice. We also strongly recommend that you obtain a Yellow Fever vaccination. Dengue fever and/or Chikungunya are known risks in the Amazon region. Both are tropical viral diseases spread by daytime biting mosquitoes. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available for either, and therefore the best form of prevention is to avoid being bitten. We recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites: always apply insect repellent and wear long-sleeved shirts and trousers while in the rainforest to avoid being bitten.
Hotels & Camping The hotels normally used are indicated within the itinerary, however, accommodation may differ from those stated depending on your departure date. All of our Cuzco hotels are small and locally-owned with en-suite bathrooms and breakfast facilities. All are located within walking distance of the central Plaza de Armas. Most hotels have a safety deposit box in the room but if not, there will be one at the reception. Please note that central heating is very rare in Peru, even in good standard hotels. Most hotels provide plug-in heaters and spare blankets. Additionally whilst all of the hotels have a hot water supply, it can be temperamental when there is high demand. A railway line runs straight through the centre of Aguas Calientes and whilst we try to allocate rooms away from it whenever possible, the trains might be heard from some rooms. The Moonstone trek is on a full-service camping basis with full porterage, meaning that our camp staff will erect and dismantle the tents for you, cook, and do all of the camp chores for you. You need only carry your daypack. There is a separate dining tent for meal times, as well as a toilet tent for use both in camp and during lunch stops. On the Moonstone Trek we use wild campsites. Should you wish to extend your stay, we can book extra nights accommodation in Cuzco for you. While we endeavour to book your pre/post tour accommodation in the same hotel that you will start/end the trip, it may not always be possible. If your extra accommodation is in a different hotel to where the group will start/end the trip it is your responsibility to make arrangements to get to/from that start/end hotel. We recommend the early booking of single supplements and of pre/post-tour accommodation. Single accommodation (including tents) can be arranged, subject to availability. Please request this at the time of booking.
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Reviewed November 2019 Andrew Beaven Trip: The Moonstone Trek Moonstone Trek and more Wonderful trip — cleverly varied itinerary with a mix of challenging trekking, history & local life. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Trek up to the pass at Accoccassa (4625m). and the view of Mt Veronica. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? 1. Don’t be put off by the altitude — it is extreme (see Accoccassa (4625m), followed by an evening in a camp also above 4000m, but we (a very mixed group) managed it. 2. If you can, get an extra day in Cusco to acclimatise. Well worth it, both to get used to the altitude and also to have more time to look around — depending on flights, you might not get long in Cusco on the way home. One day _less_ in Cusco on the way in could well leave you struggling with the altitude. We were stuck in Bogota after our flight was cancelled due to local electrical storms (well looked after by Avianca, once they made up their mind to cancel the flight); a day at 2640m does not prepare you for 3000-4000m. 3. The Museum of Pre-Columbian Art – MAP Cusco (https://mapcusco.pe/en/) is well worth a visit (and is open on Sundays). 4. Ollantaytambo is a wonderful place to visit and walk around (not only because it is the first “civilisation” after the 4 days trekking...although the first shower was very welcome). Obviously, there’s no guarantee of Top Gear filming in the main square (don’t know when the episode airs, but the cars were very loud!), or the local schools rehearsing for a festival, but the town and temples are fascinating. 5. The international departure lounge at Cusco airport has just one (very) small cafe. Stay in the domestic lounge (up the escalator to the left of the entrance to International) for food, bar & shops, if you can.
Reviewed October 2019 Lajos Hanzel Trip: The Moonstone Trek A fantastic trek and Machu Picchu Memorable hike in the Andes without any other turist on the trek, fantastic valleys and mountains plus 1 day Inka trail reaching Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate. This was an all-in-one trek. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? After an Exhausting steep hike to 4600m ridge suddenly getting the first glimps of Mt. Veronika...wow!!! What did you think of your group leader? Thanks to our leader, Fabrizio, I know much more about Peruvian life, culture and the Inka history. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Add an extra day in Cusco for acclimatisation just in case your flight is delayed or cancelled.
Reviewed July 2019 Chris Hull Trip: The Moonstone Trek Enjoyable Peruvian trekking This is a great trip to visit Cusco, The Andes and Machu Picchu, including physical, culinary and cultural delights. As with all activity at altitude, a good fitness level is no guarantee that altitude symptoms will not occur, however it will certainly make the trekking more manageable and help assure that the group remains together. The Moonstone Trek provides the opportunity for high Andean trekking away from the crowds that can be experienced on the "Inca Trail". However, from discussions with other travelers, the Inca Trail offers greater variety of flora whilst trekking in the cloud forest. The landscape on the trek is stunning, but generally involves fairly barren and rugged mountain-scapes, as might be expected at such altitudes. Visiting in July, the days were warm to hot and the nights often sub-zero, requiring a range of clothing. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? It’s difficult to identify a single highlight, but Machu Picchu is set in a stunning landscape and a marvel to behold, whilst Cusco offers a more Spanish colonial feel and waking-up on a mountainside always stimulates the senses. What did you think of your group leader? Fabrizzio, our main tour leader, was enthusiastic, knowledgeable and clearly passionate about his country. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? No amount of training can counter the impact of altitude, but a good fitness level should help assure enjoyment whilst trekking and even walking around Cusco. A good sleeping bag and warm layers will help with avoiding the evening/night cold and getting a sound sleep.
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