“Slowly travel through Machu Picchu's backyard”
4 Day Private Adventurous Coffee Route Hike to Machu Picchu in Peru
Cusco, Peru
Private Hiking Tour in Peru
The Coffee Route is a unique, alternative experience that will take you to Machu Picchu while meeting and staying with remote coffee farmer families along the way. On this four-day Adventurous Coffee Route, you’ll hike beautiful Inca trails with steep stairs alongside high cliffs in order to reach the houses of the families that will welcome you and show you how to produce their organic and unique coffee.
Highlights
- Go on one of the most active coffee routes in Impactful Travel's offers
- For hiking and nature lovers
- Visit Machu Picchu, “The Lost City of the Incas”
- Slow travel with Machu Picchu's coffee farmers and other locals' services
- English-speaking guide for three days
- Local transportation included
- Entrance fee Machu Picchu included
- 3 nights accommodation with meals
4 days with instruction
Group size: Maximum of 8 participants
Accommodation
The coffee farmers have rooms with twin beds, double beds, and multiple beds. Usually, there is enough space for double occupation. If there is another small group when you visit, traveling families might have to share a room. You will never have to share a room with strangers nor with your guide.
Nowadays, almost every room of Impactful Travel's coffee farmers has its own private bathroom ensuite. Here and there, when they have more guests, they might make use of additional rooms where the bathroom is outside, but these are exceptions.
The rooms are located next to the farmers’ own house, but not inside them, for more privacy for both. The rooms are optimally designed for two people, and they can be either double or twin depending on the requirements.
Program
This Adventurous Coffee Route is physically demanding. The first day has quite some steep uphill's (Inca stairs) that go on for around two hours. If it is hot, this can be quite strenuous. The second day has about four hours of hiking - not too heavy. But the third day boasts a six-hour route of which at least three hours are uphill.
If you won’t take a train, you’ll add another two to three hours to your hiking time of this day. Despite the lower altitudes, this tour is recommended for fit people only.
By the way, if (one of) you suffer from vertigo, this route might also cause problems. The precipices are quite impressive, and you’ll have to cross suspended bridges and even cross the river on a small ropeway. Of course, your guide will always be there to assist.
Highest point
By car, you’ll pass the Abra Málaga which has an elevation of 4.330m (14,200 ft). When hiking, the altitudes are rather low: between 1,500 and 2,900 meters (5,000 to 9,500 ft). Thanks to that, you can do this Adventurous Coffee Route after just one day of acclimatizing in the Sacred Valley (unlike the Inca Trail).
How is this experience Impactful?
The Coffee Route is a wonderful example of a sustainable trip. Instead of taking the tourist train to Machu Picchu, you will slowly be traveling towards the site through its backyard, using the services of the Machu Picchu Coffee farmers, local transport companies, and other local services.
By hiking the ancient Inca Trails, you will give an important incentive to maintain these archaeological treasures. Eating seasonal food based on local produce and refilling your water bottle with the family’s water filters will also further decrease your impact whilst you make your way largely on foot to Machu Picchu. Well done!
Important note
Only one day-backpack that does not exceed six kilograms or 13 lb per person is allowed on the train back to the Sacred Valley (from Aguas Calientes back to Ollantaytambo) on the last day. Please pack only what you need for the few days that you will spend on your way to Machu Picchu and leave your big luggage in your hotel.
What about your big luggage then? Well, it depends.
If you will stay in Cusco before this trek and want to end up in Ollantaytambo afterward, Impactful Travel will pick you up in Cusco on the first day, drive past your hotel in Ollantaytambo where you will be staying after your tour, and leave your luggage there.
Then, at the end of the tour, they will take you from the train station in Ollantaytambo to the respective hotel, where you will check in and retrieve your luggage.
If you will stay in Ollantaytambo before the tour and in Cusco afterward, just leave the luggage directly at your hotel and, when you come back from the tour, Impactful Travel will pick it up and take it to Cusco for you.
If you will stay in the same location before and after the tour, you will of course just leave your luggage there and retrieve it upon arrival back to the hotel.
In any case, Impactful Travel will take care of your luggage. Just let them know in which hotels you will be staying before and after the tour and don’t worry about it any longer.
Day 1 - Cusco or Ollantaytambo to Huacayupana (1,650m)
This will be the start of your Adventurous Coffee Route. You will be picked up by your guide from your hotel in Cusco (at around 07:00) or Ollantaytambo (at around 08:00).
If you’re in other areas of the Sacred Valley, please refer to the "How to get there" section below, as you will be taken on private transportation from any of the starting points to Santa María (passing the Malaga pass at 4,300 m.a.s.l. along the way), from where you will take other transportation to the trailhead of the path leading to Alejandro’s house.
You can choose the most beautiful hike (two to two and a half hours with some steep parts) or a shorter hike of about one hour and 15 minutes (only if you’re afraid of heights). Upon arrival, Alejandro’s sister-in-law, Edith (or he himself), will serve you a delicious lunch!
In the afternoon, you will learn all about the coffee-making process from one of Peru’s best specialists - from harvesting the beans to your cup of coffee.
Overnight stay will be at Alejandro’s nice accommodation. Some rooms share a bathroom with a hot shower, while other rooms have this ensuite.
- Change in altitude: 385 meters (12,060 feet) ascent
- Distance: 3.8 km (2.36 miles)
Day 2 - From Alejandro to Enrique in Lucmabamba (2,100 m)
From Alejandro’s house, you will go towards Santa Teresa, a nice walk of about four hours. If the water level allows for it, you will take the beautiful, adventurous path alongside the river. If this isn’t possible, the guide will choose a more suitable path.
Once you arrive at the thermal baths of Cocalmayo (about 10 minutes before Santa Teresa), you will get to use the baths and relax before continuing to Lucmabamba.
After taking shared or private (not included) transportation to Enrique’s house, it’ll be time for a delicious lunch prepared by Teófila, Enrique’s lovely spouse. After lunch, you can get to know Enrique’s coffee plantation or you can also go for a walk to look for orchids and hummingbirds.
Overnight stay will be at Enrique’s homestay. Your room will have a private bathroom with a hot shower.
- Change in altitude: 379 meters (1,240 feet), 45 minutes of ascent, the rest will be for descent
- Distance: 7.9 km (4.9 miles)
Day 3 - Lucmabamba to Aguas Calientes (2,100 m)
Rise and shine! This day, you will have to leave Enrique’s coffee farm early to continue the route, following a well-preserved Inka Road. This will be the same route as the last day of the Salkantay Trek and the cloud forests along this route will be a paradise for birdwatchers.
From the top (after having climbed for about two to three hours) you will descend for another two and a half to three hours with an almost continuous view of Machu Picchu - breathtaking!
After arrival at the train station called Hidroélectrica, you can have lunch (not included) and then continue your way on foot alongside the train tracks for another three hours (flat terrain) to the village just below Machu Picchu, Aguas Calientes.
This part will be optional and can be done by train as well, but Impactful Travel will need to know in advance if you want to take the train since you cannot buy tickets at the train station in Hidroeléctrica on the day of its departure. The train ticket can be added throughout the booking process and costs 29 USD per person.
In Aguas Calientes, you can do a little walk around town and have dinner in one of the many restaurants. You will probably want to go to bed early, to be one of the first to go to the Machu Picchu entrance. The gates open at 06:00!
- Change in altitude: 1,100 meters (3,600 feet), ascent from 2,000 meters (6,560 feet) to 2,800 meters (9,185 feet), and then descent to 1,800 meters (5,900 feet)
- Distance: 11.7 km (7.2 miles)
If you'll be walking instead of taking the train, the distance will have an additional 10 km (6.2 miles) on flat terrain.
Day 4 - Machu Picchu (2,430 m) to Ollantaytambo to Cusco
From Aguas Calientes, you will take the bus to Machu Picchu early in the morning (you can decide the time in advance with your guide).
Often referred to as “The Lost City of the Incas,” Machu Picchu is one of the most famous and spectacular sets of ruins in the world. It is located 2,430 meters above the Urubamba River.
The Incas started building it in around 1430 AD as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti, strategically located between deep canyons and impressive mountains called Apus (gods for the Incas), so it was a well-hidden and well-protected fortress.
In the morning, you will have a tour in Machu Picchu (duration will be two to two and a half hours). Impactful Travel's tip for active people is to climb the Machu Picchu Mountain before the tour: not the over-visited Huayna Picchu.
The Machu Picchu mountain is a little higher (climbing time will be one and a half hours), but offers a nice panoramic view of Machu Picchu, Huayna Picchu Mountain, and the underlying Urubamba River. In addition, the path and the nature on the way are beautiful, and because of its limited number of visitors, it feels like an escape from the hustle and bustle of Machu Picchu.
Note that you must decide beforehand whether you want to do it or not since it needs a different entrance ticket and there are fixed times of entrance (time slots).
In the same afternoon, after your visit, you will take the train back to the Sacred Valley and then private transportation back to your hotel in the Sacred Valley or Cusco. You will arrive back there between 17:00 and 19:00, ending your Adventurous Coffee Route.
Location
Machu Picchu is one of the most famous and spectacular sets of ruins in the world.
Food
On this Adventurous Coffee Route, you will find a source of filtered or purified water available in the hotel accommodations, and also in the house of Alejandro. Enrique is still working on providing a source of purified water, but he will always find a way to help you refill your bottle and offer you boiled water.
Included:
- Lunch, dinner, and breakfast on the next morning at Alejandro's house
- Lunch, dinner, and breakfast on the next morning at Enrique's house
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
The following drinks are included:
- Water
- Coffee
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation
What's included
- English-speaking guide for three days
- Entrance fee Machu Picchu
- Private tour through Machu Picchu with your Coffee Route guide
- Taxi from Cusco or Ollantaytambo to Santa Maria
- Bus tickets from Aguas Calientes to the entrance of Machu Picchu and back
- Train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo
- Private transfer from the Ollantaytambo train station to your hotel in Cusco
- Towels
- Overnight stay in Aguas Calientes at a comfortable small-scale hotel
- Lunch, activities, dinner, overnight stay, and breakfast at Alejandro's house (double room)
- Lunch, activities, dinner, overnight stay, and breakfast at Enrique's house (double room)
- 3 nights accommodation in total
What's not included
- Taxi (or different public transportation) from Santa Maria to the trailhead, approximately 12 Peruvian soles per person (to be organized on site by your guide)
- Snacks to make it through the morning (lunch might be somewhat late)
- Crossing the river by "cable car" at Cocalmayo (sometimes you will have to pay for this: 5 Peruvian Soles per person)
- Entrance to the Cocalmayo Hot Springs (10 Peruvian Soles per person; optional)
- Taxi (or different transportation) to Lucmabamba (count on approximately 30 Peruvian Soles per person - to be arranged by your guide)
- Lunch and dinner on Day 3 (15 Peruvian Soles) and Day 4
- Overnight stay on Day 4
- 18% sales taxes
- 72 Peruvian Soles total of non-included costs per person, to be paid by each passenger along the route - taxis, entrance to thermal pools, lunch on the way to Machu Picchu, and things like that; this amount is in Peruvian Soles and is an estimate that may vary; it should be carried in cash during the tour; ensure to have enough local cash (Peruvian Nuevos Soles) daily, with options to withdraw money in each large city along the way.
How to get there
Recommended Airports
CUZ
Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport
2 km
Transfer not provided
As the pick-ups will be made only in Cusco or Ollantaytambo, Impactful Travel recommends that you be already in these two cities, or at least in Urubamba (since it’s close to Ollantaytambo, it will only take you 30 minutes to get there using the local or private transportation).
But in case you’re in other areas, you will have to manage how to get to the meeting point on time.
If you’re in Chinchero, they recommend that you go to Cusco. The time it will take from there to Cusco is approximately 50 minutes.
If you’re in Calca, they recommend that you go to Ollantaytambo. The time it will take from there to Ollantaytambo is approximately 60 minutes.
If you’re in Pisac, they recommend that you go to Cusco. The time it will take from there to Cusco is approximately 60 minutes.
Keep in mind that in case you take local transportation, it may take a little bit longer to get to your destination than if you take a taxi
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 14% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through Tripaneer.com. All major credit cards supported.
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