Lodge-to-Lodge Trekking

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It's easy to grasp the ancient Inca mindset. Easy, that is, once your lungs adjust to the rarefied Andean air. Once your brain absorbs the heart-stopping splendor of your surroundings. You're atop Salkantay Pass at 15,200 feet. Above you looms snow-mantled Nevado Salkantay, the 20,500-foot monarch of the Vilcabamba range. Towering nearby is colossal Humantay peak. From this vantage point, it's clear why these magnificent pinnacles of rock and ice inspired awe among the region's native inhabitants. And at the apex of this trek, Machu Picchu. You're breathless. Is it the altitude or the views? A little of both. 

Day 1 Expert-guided explorations of monumental Inca architecture  Savor stunning vistas of the Cusco Valley as you trek to the Inca sites of Q'enko, Temple of the Moon and fortress-temple Sacsayhuamán with a local expert  Overnight at Cusco's renowned five-star Orient-Express.

Days 2-3 Our high-altitude lodge invites a soak in its outdoor hot tub While you're getting acclimated, walk up to a glacial lake or opt for a horseback ride - either way, get lost in views of towering white-capped Salkantay, Inca mythology's most sacred mountain Taste pisco sours, the country's national drink, before our dinner of organic regional cuisine Summit the Salkantay pass at 15,200 feet.

Days 4-6 Hike lodge to lodge, with porters and mules transporting your luggage, and sleep in style  Condors soar overhead as you travel up the Río Blanco Valley, circling Humantay Peak Descend through a lush subtropical landscape above the Salkantay River before passing the Santa Teresa River Valley's patchwork of orchards and coffee plantations Feeling adventurous? Try cuy (guinea pig), cooked in a large pit of hot rocks, at a traditional Andean Pachamanca feast.

Days 7-9 Gaze upon magical Machu Picchu from the seldom-traveled Llactapata trail Head downhill through bamboo forests to the Vilcanota River  Take a full day to deeply explore the ruins of Machu Picchu: hike to the Gate of the Sun for an impressive overview, then get up close as our local guide reveals secrets of the "Lost City's" astrological designs and provides insight into the stonework at this sacred site Got an intrepid streak? Summit Machu Picchu Mountain for a bird's-eye look at the ruins Stroll the grounds of the Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel with a naturalist to learn about the local flora and fauna.