Hola Locas! Today we’ll get to fully immerse ourselves in the city that will give us shelter for the most part of the trip: Cusco. After filling up our hearts and bellies with a delicious brekkie, we will ave some free time to explore Cusco on our own terms. (We recommend visiting the colorful San Pedro Markets and have a fresh smoothie there!).

Peru is famous for its unique textiles & clothing, so we'll make sure we explore all of the shops too!

If you feel tired from the flights or the altitude, you will have some free time to relax in your room, take a power nap, drink a nice warm coca tea or whatever it is your body is asking you for (listen to it!).

Having said that, we highly encourage you to use this time to purchase any last minute goodies you might need / have forgotten for your Inca Trail hike.

At around 6pm, our wonderful tour guide for the Inca Trail will meet us at our accommodation for a short but sweet safety briefing about the hike we are about to embark on. This will be your chance to ask any questions about the trail and start getting excited for the real adventure that's about to begin!

You will all then have time to go out for a carb-loading dinner to your restaurant of choice (it's a free dinner tonight). An early night is highly recommended as we will have a very early start the next day and lots of walking to do!

• Home away from home: Quinta San Blas
• Meals included: Breakfast
• Highlights of the day: San Pedro Market, eating yummy peruvian food, free afternoon in Cusco, shopping, exploring!

Wakey wakey…! The day has finally arrived for us to follow in the steps of the Incas towards the ancient citadel of Machu Picchu!

It’s a very early rise today, we are not going to lie. But it’s going to be VERY worth it. That’s not a lie either! Our day will start with a 4:30 a.m. pick up (I know, I know… it will be worth it, trust me!).

As we begin our drive down into Ollantaytambo, we will stop for a loaded brekkie right before driving all the way down to Km 82 (Piskacucho) where our scenic trek along the south bank of the Urubamba River will begin. Before starting the hike, you will be asked to show your original passport, so please have it handy when we reach km 82. Mixed feelings of nervousness and excitement will begin to arise as we start our hike towards the first Inca Site of the trail: Patallacta. From here, it takes approximately another 2 hours until we reach our celebratory lunch stop destination.

This will be your first meal on the trail… I can’t wait to see how your taste pallets rejoice with flavors! Any expectation that you had from the food will be completely exceeded. And I will stop writing now because I don’t want to spoil the surprise for you!

After lunch, we will continue our gratifying hike for 2½ hours more (depending on the pace of the group), passing through 2 small local communities where you will be able to purchase some snacks or drinks before reaching our first campsite for the night: Ayapata.

We aim to arrive at 5:00 p.m, which will give us enough time to settle into our homes / tents, freshen up and have a hot coca tea or drink of your choice with your friendly team of porters, chefs, guides and girlfriends. Shortly after, a sumptuous dinner will be served in the TreXperience style that will leave you ready to jump into your sleeping bags and call it a (wonderful) day!

• Hiking Distance: 14 kms (8.7 miles)
• Time: 6-7 hrs • Campsite Altitude : 3300m (10,826 ft)
• Maximum Altitude: 3300m (10,826 ft)
• Grade: Moderate
• Meals: Breakfast, snacks, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner.
• Highlights of the day: crossing the Inca Trail sign, meeting the TreXperience team, the FOOD (OMG), making it to camp!

Rise n’ shine in the middle of the Andes Mountains as you get ready for the most challenging day of the hike. Today’s the day when you will push yourself to your limit, where you will conquer your insecurities and fears as you climb up the highest peak in all of the Inca Trail: the Dead Woman’s Pass. 

Yep, you read it right. We are not kidding, that’s the real name. But don’t let that scare you, on the contrary, let that excite you! You will feel just like the Phoenix (or should I say the Condor?) rebirthing from the ashes, as you stand 4,215m above sea level hugging your 13 new soul sisters as you all scream out into the Andes: “WE MADE IT!!!¨

From here, it will all just be an easy downhill ride for most of us. If you have sensitive knees or a bit of vertigo from the altitude, for which we recommend to go slowly and mindfully, also allowing you to take in all the stunning scenery of the Andes along the way. Whatever pace you choose for yourself, we will all arrive at our designated lunch meeting point, where we will indulge in all things Peruvian cooked with love by our talented team of chefs. Sit down, eat and enjoy. 

But don’t eat just TOO much… because we are not done for the day just yet! We still gotta walk approximately 1½ hours more to reach our campsite for the night. We will climb a bit more as we reach the Runkuraqay Pass at 4,000m. Trust me when I say that this will feel easy peasy lemon squeezy after what we’ve climbed in the morning

! Our camp will be ready for us thanks to our incredible porters, who will receive us with both drinking water as well as a water basin to use as a “shower” lol… There’s a VERY cold shower on this campsite which the brave ones (and the most LOCAS) are free to use if they wish! Feeling clean and settled in our tents, we will eat a nourishing dinner before we head off to sleep under the beautiful mountain night sky. 

• Hiking Distance: 16kms (9.94 miles) 

• Time: 10 hrs 

• Campsite Altitude: 3600m (11,811 ft) 

• Maximum Altitude: 4215m (13,829 ft)

• Grade: Moderate to Hard 

• Meals: Breakfast, snacks, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner. 

• Highlights of the day: reaching the highest peak in the trail with your team of locas: The Dead Woman’s Pass and EATING delicious food as a reward :P

Good morning, adventurous LOCAS! I have great news for y’all: The hardest part of the trail is DONE and dusted!!

Today, wake up to a rewarding sunrise as you enter into what’s known as the easiest, most beautiful, relaxing day of the whole Inca Trail. After brekkie, we will hike for 2 hours along what the guides like to refer to as the “Inca flat” which translates to “lots of ups and downs”. This gradual incline will take us from mountain scenery and into the jungle, known as the Cloud Forest (this is one of the few things that you can only experience by walking the Inca Trail!).

We will then make our way up to the last peak at Phuyupatamarka from where we’ll be able to get a first glimpse of Machu Picchu Mountain, although the site itself will be hidden. From Phuyupatamarka we will descend for approximately 3 hours, visiting 2 Inca ruins, Phuyupatamarka (Town in the Clouds) and Intipata (Terraces of the Sun). We will then have arrived to our last campsite on the trail (*cries*), which is located right next to Wiñay Wayna, the most spectacular Inca site on the trail and a Locas Only favorite.

After lunch, you will have some time to chill and then your awesome guides will take you on little hour visit to this beautiful site which we like to refer to as the “Mini Machu Picchu'', as its archeological design and location resembles that of Machu Picchu BUT without the crowds!! How good is that?!

After explaining the historical and spiritual significance of the site, your guide will let you in on a dirty little secret that not many people know about… there’s a little waterfall down the bottom of the site where you can go for a swim if you are feeling like a cold ice bath immersion!

It’s hard at the start but, trust me when I say you will feel absolutely AMAZING after you do it! We’ll then head back into camp, where we will take part in an Inca Trail traditional thanksgiving ceremony where we tip our team of guides, chefs and porters as a way of showing our appreciation for their kindness, encouragement, enthusiasm and rock solid backs! Always keeping in mind that our experience wouldn’t have been the same if they weren’t there to share their knowledge with us, feed us daily with delicious food, and carry all the weight of our backpacks on their shoulders!

After the ceremony, the team will continue doing their outstanding job by spoiling us with a massive farewell FEAST which will make us sleep like babies and dream with Machu Picchu!

• Hiking Distance: 10kms (6.2 miles)

 • Time: 5-6 hrs 

• Campsite Altitude: 2600 m (8530 ft) 

• Maximum Altitude: 3600 m (11811 ft) 

• Grade: Easy (mostly downhill) 

• Meals: Breakfast, snacks, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner. 

• Highlights of the day: Wiñay Wayna the “Mini Machu Picchu”, Cloud Forest, Inca ruins, thanksgiving ceremony, farewell feast

Waking up at 3:30 a.m. would be unacceptable for most people in the majority of circumstances, but not when the reason being is to be the first ones to cross the Sun Gate to Machu Picchu! Who’s with me?!

Trust me, you’ll be so excited about this that waking up won't even be an effort. � We’ll then say goodbye to our awesome team of chefs and porters (*cries again*), turn our headlights on and make our way to the checkpoint, just a few meters away from the campsite. We’ll patiently wait there until they open the gates at 5.30 a.m. From there, a gorgeous path will lead us towards the iconic Gate of the Sun and the moment we’ve all been waiting for: MACHU PICCHU IN ALL ITS GLORY.

We’ll stop here for a moment to take in the mesmerizing, panoramic views of the Machu Picchu ruins, taking a moment of gratitude for our team, our beautiful environment and ourselves for getting us to where we are standing right now. Keeping this feeling of gratitude and joy, we will trek downhill for another hour to reach the Lost City of the Incas. 

We’ll have time to take some photos (although the camera won't be able to capture what we’ve experienced these past few days!) and then we will begin our 2 hours private guided tour through Machu Picchu, where we will learn about the history of the site, as well as its astronomical and spiritual significance. 

Upon completion of the tour, those who have purchased the Huayna Picchu optional tour will proceed to make their final climb. The rest of us will make our way down to Aguas Calientes by bus, where we will have time to explore the city at our own peace, buy some souvenirs, etc. 

We will all gather back together for our final lunch with our guide, where we will celebrate this accomplishment with some cheeky Pisco Sours! And just when you thought it was over… it’s time to start hiking again! Or did you think we were going to be like those other lazy tourists that take the incredible scenic train back to Ollantaytambo?! (Actually, we are those lazy tourists, there’s NO WAY our legs can take more walking and also no way we’d miss out on this splendid ride!) 

The train ride will finish in Ollantaytambo from where we will be transported by private vehicle onto our well-deserved home for the next few days: Samadhi Sacred Valley. We will be welcomed by Fernando, the friendly owner of the center, who will show us to our rooms and welcome us with a nourishing dinner prepared with organic ingredients from its own eco garden. 

After dinner, you know what’s coming: SLEEP. Deep, long, restoring sleep. Sweet dreams my locas ZzzzZzz… 

• Hiking Distance: 6 kms (3 miles) 

• Time: 2 hrs • Maximum Altitude: 2700 m (8858 ft) 

• Grade: Easy (mostly downhill) 

• Meals: Breakfast, dinner 

• Highlights of the day: waking up at dusk, crossing the Sungate, reaching Machu Picchu, scenic train ride from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo, arriving in Samadhi.

Girls… you earned it. A much-needed rest day at a spiritual & social sanctuary nestled in the heart of the Sacred Valley. A full day dedicated to relaxing, to nourishing our minds, bodies and souls, to integrating everything that we lived on the trail and also a day of reliving it all again. 

We will kick off the day with absolutely nothing. Sorry but who wants to wake up to the sound of a horrible alarm when you can wake up to the hummingbirds?! Today is sleep in day – we all deserve it! (us, guides, as well lol). Having said that, we will meet for our first wholesome brekkie altogether at 8.30am. 

You will then have some free time to chill, journal, read, wander around the center or do whatever it is that your body is calling you to do. At 1 p.m, we will all share a delicious meal together made with ingredients carefully picked from the garden. 

Straight after lunch, we will grab our cups of tea and meet at the yoga shala for our first Women's Circle. We will start off with a sharing circle, followed by some integration & journaling activities led by your Locas Only guides. This process will take us on a profound journey where we will learn more about ourselves and about each other. 

To complement this activity, we will pair it with a lovely Sunset Yoga Session. After stretching all of our muscles and calming our monkey minds, we will then have some free time to relax and unwind before dinner (7pm). And just when you think the day is over… my locas, you are in for a treat. 

Our day will finish off with nothing more and nothing less than a soothing Sound Healing Session that will take you to another dimension and (hopefully) make you sleep like a little baby llama :)

• Home away from home: Casitas del Arcoiris

• Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

• Highlights of the day: Yoga in the Andes, sleeping & relaxing, Women’s sharing circle, Sound Healing

At sunrise, we will start the day Saluting the Sun with an optional Yoga practice at this magnificent social hideaway in the Peruvian Highlands. We will be picked up by our good friends from Aula Artesana at 8.00 a.m, who will take us to the beautiful loca(l) community of Patacancha. 

As soon as we see a bunch of men and women dressed up in traditional Peruvian clothing, laughing, smiling, singing and dancing in a circle, we’ll know we’ve arrived. And when these welcoming locals ask you to join their party, that’s when you’ll know the fun has begun! 

The ethnic group of Patacancha is as well known for its friendliness, as it is for their well kept Andean Lifestyle and Traditions. The residents of these communities maintain their culture in force, which they express through their colorful, eye-catching textile offerings. Today, we will have the privilege to learn first hand about the ancient weaving technique from the pioneers in this craft. Each of you will be assigned a female “maestra” from the community, who will teach you how to wash, spin, tint, dye and weave the alpaca wool for a wall-hanging that you’ll create with your OWN hands and that you will take home as a souvenir! 

The full-day workshop will also include a typical Andean lunch called Pachamanca (earth pot). This means that all of the ingredients (marinated meats, organic potatoes, sweet potatoes, plantain, yuka and other produce) will be buried and cooked underground over hot stones for us. The result: an explosion of flavor only found in the Peruvian Andes. 

After living probably the most culturally-immersive and experiential day of the tour, we’ll be ready to go back home to Casitas del Arcoiris. We expect to arrive at around 6 p.m. You’ll then have free time to freshen up and have dinner at 7pm.

• Home away from home: Casitas del Arcoiris

• Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch (Pachamanca), Dinner 

• Highlights of the day: Peruvian culture immersion, 7-hour one-on-one weaving workshop (+ take home your own wall-hanging!), Pachamanca lunch with the community, farewell fire ceremony

Today, we go hiking again! (surprise, surprise!)

After nourishing our bodies, we leave Casitas del Arcoiris in search for our next trail to conquer. These Bitches can't really get enough of the Andes! :P We will spend the morning immersing ourselves deeply in the nature of the Sacred Valley

Lunch will be served at around 2pm. After eating, those who have booked a well-deserved massage or just want to spend more time relaxing in the beautiful common areas at Casitas del Arcoiris, you will have some free time to do so.

At 4pm, we  grab some cups of coca tea and head down to the Yoga Shala for our slow flow, restorative yoga practice (perfect combo after the hike!). We will have dinner at around 7pm.

And before we go to bed, we will have a farewell Fire Ceremony where we will let go of what doesn’t serve us in our life anymore and manifest what it is that we want to achieve for ourselves. 

• Home away from home: Casitas del Arcoiris

• Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

• Highlights of the day: Hiking in the Andes, Restorative Yoga, Fire Ceremony

Have you ever discovered new places in a foreign country by riding a mountain bike? No? Well, neither have we. And that’s why our purpose for today is to make YOU lose your mountain-biking virginity on this adventurous expedition through the Sacred Valley of the Incas. 

Get your adrenaline pumping (and your abs ready for all the laughing) as you embark on the the ride of your lives! But first, let’s break the fast - we do not want any hAngry Locas running around today! After a nourishing meal at Samadhi, we will then be privately transferred to the starting point of the tour: Moray.

This unique site dates back to Inca times and is renowned for its impressive beauty, as well as for its delicious pink salt which, rumor has it, once you taste it you won't be able to have normal salt ever again! We will then continue our journey down to Moray, better known as the Inca's agricultural laboratory. This impressive site made out of circular farming terraces was used by the Incas to experiment with the growth conditions of crops, thanks to which Peru now produces over 400 different types of potatoes and 5 types of corn (gracias Incas!). 

This adventure on wheels will conclude at approximately 1pm, time when we will take you on a 6-course gastronomic experience with a stunning view of the Andes at UNU restaurant. 

As we head back to our home in Cusco City, we will be able to witness some amazing scenery and nature along the way. Upon arrival at Quinta San Blas, you will have some free time to relax in your room, take a power nap, drink a nice warm coca tea or whatever it is your body is asking you for (listen to it!). 

Tonight is free dinner, so let's explore the city! (Or sleep early if we are mega tired

• Home away from home: Quinta San Blas

• Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

• Highlights of the day: Mountain-biking through the Sacred Valley, Maras Salt Mines, Moray, Scenery of the Andes, Peruvian culture, culinary experience

Goood morning Cusco!! It feels good to be back where everything started! 

Today we embark on the final adventure of the trip - our epic hike to Rainbow Mountain!

Our day starts suuuper early as we make our way to the Red Valley, 3 hrs from Cusco. We will have our brekkie for takeaway and start our hike that will take us 5,036m above sea level (thank god we are acclimatised by now!)

It's a challenging hike, we are not going to lie. But we will be rewarded with beautiful views of the Red Valley, Rainbow Mountain & snowy peaks. One of those experiences for the books!

Upon our return, we will have a quick shower to freshen up and waken up for the night that lies ahead of us: our last night in the city of the Incas!

Cusco is famous for its fun nightlife so we definitely had to tick that box before we left. We’ll leave our souls on the dance floor to the beat of Reggaeton, as we say our drunk love declarations to each other and reminisce on the amazing trip we just lived.

• Home away from home: Quinta San Blas
• Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
• Highlights of the day: Rainbow Mountain hike, drinking Pisco Sours and dancing Reggaeton!

Ohhh no!! the day we all dreaded has come… it’s the end!!!! After everything we have lived together and the incredible bonds we have formed, you are more than excused to cry your eyes and hearts out. But cry for happiness, for overwhelming gratitude for everything that we experienced during our 12 days in Peru. 

We’ll have our last nourishing breakfast at Quinta San Blas before hugging, loving and saying farewell to our new best friends. 

The ones staying in Cusco a little longer have the entire day to explore the city at your own pace, have some yummy Peruvian food, MORE coca tea (it’s never enough!) or even go on a little day tour if you are feeling extra adventurous 

The only thing left to do here is THANK YOU for choosing to travel with Loas Only and Bitches Who Hike, and supporting our small (but growing!) businesses, which encourage crazy women like you to step out of their comfort zones and live their absolute BEST LIVES. We really hope you enjoyed this Peru Aventura Loca and wish to see you on the next Locas Only x Bitches Who Hike Adventure! 

** See the section additional tours and activities for ideas of what to do after the trip is finished. If there is anything that draws your attention and would like assistance in getting booked, feel free to send us an email at info@locasonly.au