Inca Trail charity trek

country:	Peru
location:	Inca Trail
departures:	2008: 22 Aug, 5 Sep, 5 Oct
price:	From £495 deposit + £2875 fundraised, 55% to charity (10 days) including flights from the UK. Self funders pay £495 deposit + £1394 (10 days) including flights & £100 donation to chosen charity. This trip can also be booked without flights

Charity challenges

Charity treks

Inca Trail treks

the amazing things you'll be doing

Your initial taste of the Inca world will be in and around Cusco, the ancient Inca capital, it is here you will spend the first few days acclimatising and seeing some must-see sites.

The first day's trek brings you to the entrance of the Machu Picchu sanctuary from here you will trek alongside the Cusichaca River. The next day you will join the famous flagstoned trail which over the next few days will take you through high grasslands, dank cloudforest, challenging high passes and spectacular ruins.

You will then begin your descent and the push to your final destination Machu Picchu, the lost city of the Incas. Stepping through the Incan Sun Gate for your first sight of the ancient citadel is an emotional and magical moment. You will return the following day to fully explore and appreciate the hidden treasures of the city

Please note: Some of the dates are exclusive for specific charities, please contact us for details. 6 Apr 2007 (ADDISS), 18 Sep 2007 (Multiple Sclerosis Society), 12 Oct 2007 & 5 Oct 2008 (Breast Cancer Campaign)

day-by-day itinerary

Day 1:	International Departure. Fly from London Heathrow to Lima, Peru. Our representative will meet you at the airport to assist with check-in and any last minute questions. On arrival, you will be met by a local member of staff who will transfer you to your hotel in Lima for a light dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 2:	Lima to Cusco. You will depart first thing for the airport to board your one-hour internal flight to Cusco, the ancient Inca capital, where you will stay the night in a centrally located hotel. You will spend the rest of the day acclimatising to the altitude (3,350m/11,400ft) on a guided tour of the city. Among the highlights is the Inca sun temple of Qoricancha. In the evening you will be fully briefed about the week ahead and the challenge it entails. Meals included at local restaurants.
Day 3:	Cusco to Lares hot springs. The day begins early as you drive towards the Sacred Valley, taking in the impressive Inca sights of Sacsayhuaman, Kenko and other nearby ruins. Once past the village of Calca, you will veer off the beaten track and over the Lares mountain pass – the view of the surrounding snow peaks is awe-inspiring. Your group will stop at the town of Lares, where you will visit the colourful local Sunday market. In the afternoon you will hike up to the hot springs where you will camp overnight (3,600m/11,800ft).
Day 4:	Acclimatisation Day (Lares / Cuncani / Sachapata). After breakfast you will hike up to the town of Cuncani (3,850m/12,600ft) where you will have a picnic lunch. A further two hours of trekking will lead you to your camp above the town of Sachapata (4,010m/13,100ft). Here you will start seeing alpacas and llamas roaming among the scattered houses.
Day 5:	Sachapata / Ipsay Cocha. Prepare to be challenged. Over the course of the morning, you will gradually gain altitude as you hike for about four and a half hours. Your route takes you past a lake with views of the southward snow peaks. Once over the mountain pass, you will stop for lunch by Lake Ipsay Cocha, home to a range of diverse Andean bird life. From here you will continue for a further 2 hours until reaching your campsite in the Ipsay Cocha Valley (4,300m / 14,100ft).
Day 6:	Ipsay Cocha / Cahuan / Quellhua Cocha. Leaving Ipsay Cocha, you will follow a trail up to the Pajlayoc pass (4,460m/14,600ft). You can enjoy the spectacular views of mountains like the Chicon to the north and south, before descending for about an hour and a half to the top of the Cahuan Valley (4,280m/14,000ft). After lunch you will trek uphill to your last camp at the Quellhua Cocha Lake (4,300m/14,000ft).
Day 7:	Quelhua Cocha / Huilloc / Ollantaytambo. You will spend the morning heading down into the valley until you reach the road. A vehicle will meet you here and transfer you to the town of Huilloc. It’s then onto the quaint Incan town of Ollantaytambo, from where you catch the afternoon train to Aguas Calientes at the base of Machu Picchu, and where you will spend the night in a local hotel.
Day 8:	Machu Picchu to Cusco. Today is dedicated to exploring these extraordinary Inca remains. If you are still feeling energetic you can also climb Wayna Picchu, the mountain overlooking the site. The mid-afternoon train takes you back to Cusco. It’s party time at a local restaurant in the evening, as you celebrate achieving your Charity Challenge goal and discovering the majesty of Machu Picchu. Overnight at a hotel in Cusco.
Day 9:	Cusco to Lima to UK. Transfer to the airport for your return flight to Lima, where you will visit a typical Peruvian restaurant for lunch. There will be just enough time for a brief city tour in the afternoon, before you return to the airport for your flight back to London.
Day 10:	Arrive UK. Arrive back in the UK.

Optional extension:	A 2 day extension is available (changed itinerary from day 9) to include half day novice white water rafting on the Urubamba river, one day in Cusco & a city tour of Lima before your flight home. Please contact us for details.

Highly Commended

This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2007 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - the largest awards of their kind in the world, and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society.

Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.

how this holiday makes a difference

Our commitment extends to helping the local communities we visit. We employ local guides, porters and other essential support staff, and use locally owned accommodation. We donate USD$20 per participant of every group to the Instituto Machu Picchu (IMAPI). IMAPI is a Peruvian non-profit organisation dedicated to the conservation of natural and cultural resources in the Machu Picchu Sanctuary and surrounding Regions. IMAPI's goal is the sustainable development of tourism, agriculture, cottage industries, education, and scientific research projects.

By the year 2021 Instituto Machu Picchu will have contributed to the Master Plan of the Machu Picchu Sanctuary by helping to implement cultural and natural resource management plans and resolve social and conservation constraints, IMAPI will be a model for organizations of other project areas. Instituto Machu Picchu is the representative NGO for the sustainable development and preservation of cultural and natural resources within the Machu Picchu Sanctuary and Region.

Some of the activities that IMAPI are involved in are:

Activities that conserve, protect and restore the cultural heritage in and around the Machu Picchu Sanctuary.
Programmes that resolve social problems within the Sanctuary.
Promoting the welfare of the existing rural population in the area through agricultural technology and the recovery and sustainable use of Andean crops.
Educational programmes for the local population.
Projects including the conservation and rational use of the area's natural resources.
Programmes and nurseries that restore native forest and habitats in the region.
Stratergizing to help resolve the legal and physical problems that exist in and around the Sanctuary.

This trek is organised on the ground by one of Peru’s most respected trekking companies. The monies spent on ground arrangements, accommodation, food, guides and porters will go directly towards the local economy of the villages and communities we visit.

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