Backpacking Peru’s Iconic Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu – Alumni

Photo by: Kellsie Forbes

You must pay your deposit by Jan 15, 2027 in order to secure Machu Picchu tickets. Enrollments after Jan 15, 2027 will be based on availability of Machu Picchu tickets. Please email us at [email protected] and we can check on tickets for you. 

Photo by: Kellsie Forbes

Join NOLS Alumni for an unbelievable trek through the historic region of the Inca Empire. Centered in the Vilcabamba Range and Sacred Valley in southern Peru. The best part? We’ll have the trail mostly to ourselves! NOLS takes you along a remote route that no other outfitters currently use, far from the crowds of the famous Inca and Salkantay trails.

Photo by: Kellsie Forbes

You’ll trek deep into the breathtaking Andes, through a variety of ecosystems including cloud forests and alpine highlands, and visit one of the most famed historic sites in the world, Machu Picchu. This is your chance to experience the Andes as few others do — far off the beaten path, immersed in the beauty, solitude, and magic of the mountains.

Photo by: Kellsie Forbes

Participants for this trip will fly into Cusco, once the heart of the Inca Empire. Cusco is a Unesco World Heritage site known for its archeological ruins and, sitting at just above 11,000 feet, is the gateway to the surrounding mountains. Cusco is worth exploring for a couple days if you can extend your travel.

Photo by: Kellsie Forbes

Our trip together begins with a NOLS organized shuttle transfer from Cusco to Pisac. As we get acquainted with the altitude and prepare to head into the backcountry, we’ll explore the Pisac Inca ruins with an afternoon hike.The following day we’ll depart for the village of Ollantaytambo, with a hike along the way in the Pumahuanca Valley. It’s an out and back hike following the Pumahuanca River up and through the highland community of Sutocc Pachaqhike to a gushing waterfall. That evening we will enjoy the vibrant town of Ollantaytambo, a living Inca village.

Photo by: Kellsie Forbes

The following day we will visit the archeological site above Ollantaytambo, an amazing set of terraces that culminate in the Temple of the Sun. The rest of the day will include a 2-3 hour hike to the Pumamarca Inca site and a possible visit to a local weaving community called Huilloc. We’ll discuss the final logistics of our trek, finish packing our gear and make any last-minute purchases in Ollantaytambo before heading out to the Vilcabamba Mountain Range tomorrow.

Photo by: Kellsie Forbes

Departing from Ollantaytambo, we will transfer to the remote village of Huancalle, where our trek will start. We will send our gear with the donkey porters and hike with day packs into the incredible backcountry for the next 5 nights.

Photo by: Kellsie Forbes

We will hike deep into the Vilcabamba Mountains. Getting off the usual beaten path will allow us to visit Incan and pre-Incan sites rarely seen by other visitors. We will be camping under the stars and dining on delicious locally prepared camping meals under a group dining tent.

Photo by: Kellsie Forbes

Hiking along the Inca Trail is one of the highlights of this journey. This 25,000 mile network of stone paved trails crosses the Andeans and once aided transit for travelers through history.

Our hiking days will range between 4 – 8 miles with 2,000 feet of average elevation change each day. Along the way we will pass through alpine grasslands where we can spot the glaciated peaks of Pumasillu and Sacsarayoc in the distance, Andean Condors, and maybe a herd of llamas or two.

Photo by: Kellsie Forbes

Elevation is the most significant challenge of this trek with our highest camp at 14,500 feet. Dropping into the valleys, the cool temps of the high mountains will quickly become humid and tropical. Moss covered cloud forests will envelope us with colorful orchids and tropical birds speckling the trees.

Photo by: Kellsie Forbes

The final leg of our trip will bring us to Aguascalientes. This picturesque small town sits in the Urubamba River Gorge and will be our jumping off point to visit Machu Picchu. The next morning, we will take a bus up to the Machu Picchu Archeological Site which we will explore with a local guide.

Our trip concludes back in Ollantaytambo with a final night together and celebratory dinner. A shuttle will depart the next morning back to Cusco.

Photo by: Kellsie Forbes

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