Peru & Machu Picchu: Comfortable Camping on the Inca Trail

The air is a bit thinner when you step off of the plane and you can immediately sense the magic of Cusco as you make your way to the city centre along the cobblestone streets past grand buildings and ancient Inca stonework. We welcome you to Peru, a diverse land of natural beauty and traditional cultures and we invite you to open yourself to curiosity and wonder as you embark on this adventure up in the Andes.

The Sacred Valley is aptly named for its importance to the people who have lived there and it is also stunningly beautiful with mountain scenery and colourful farmland along the Urubamba River. You'll see the massive ruins of Pisaq perched up above the town as you approach and you'll get to spend time with a local community on the way up to the site. Lunch is an experience unto itself at a community-run restaurant, using locally-grown ingredients for a delicious and traditional meal. Back at the hotel for dinner, feast on a traditional pachamanca meal consisting of various types of meat, potatoes and vegetables cooked for hours in the ground under hot stones.

Sitting at a slightly lower altitude than Cusco, spending time in the Sacred Valley helps to get you used the altitude in these parts. Choose from a scenic acclimatization hike to a waterfall or get the adrenaline flowing by scaling a via ferrata network of rungs and ladders for lunch with a view.

The Lares Trek will take you to new heights both literally and figuratively, with high mountain passes to tackle and majestic Andean scenery. Setting off from Ollantaytambo you'll head up the valley with porters and pack animals to help carry the gear, who will accompany you for the next few days. Let the cool mountain air fill you with energy as you head off into the mountains.

Awake at the mountain campsite and enjoy a cup of tea and a warm shower. The morning mist and the joviality amongst the porters make for a homely atmosphere as you get ready for the day and prepare your things to walk.

Open your tent to the cool air and see some warm washing water and a cup of tea waiting for you. You'll get wafts of something delicious being cooked and the increasing murmur of the cooks and porters going about their morning. Savour the moment and be present to your surroundings.

The sense of achievement you feel for completing the hike is one of the biggest rewards for your efforts, and the best is yet to come as Machu Picchu awaits you. Looking out at the mountains from the train as you wind along the Urubamba River makes it feel that much sweeter for the time spent walking the trails and through the remote Andean communities that you visited.

Exploring the mountaintop Inca citadel of Machu Picchu is a magical experience, no matter how many pictures you may have seen of it. The history of the ancient Inca that you've heard in the days leading up to this moment seem to all come together as you wander the site's temples and terraces. Relive the memories and take in the views as you return by train on the way back to Cusco.

Your adventure comes to an end, and you can depart at any time.