This itinerary is based on the current availability of trails, hotels, sightseeing, transportation, and local flights. This offer is subject to change, and we will always provide the best possible alternatives. Weather and other circumstances may also necessitate program changes. In such cases, we will find the best solution to meet your expectations.
Day 1 - Saturday
After the morning flight from the EU, you will arrive in Lima in the evening, where you will be picked up and taken to the hotel. Check-in and immediately have dinner, providing an ideal opportunity to meet other group members.
(If you prefer, you can depart the day before, arriving in Lima in the morning. We will arrange the transfer to the hotel, but the remaining costs until dinner will be at your own expense.)
Overnight: Authentic luxury hotel in Lima
Day 2 - Sunday
In the morning, after a delicious breakfast, you will explore the historic center of Lima with a guide, featuring beautiful colonial architecture such as the Plaza Mayor, the cathedral, and the monastery, with impressive museums for those interested. You will also visit the pyramid-like Huaca Pucllana archaeological complex, revealing Lima's ancient civilization. You will discover the Miraflores district with its scenic cliff paths along the Pacific Ocean and lunch in Barranco, known for its bohemian atmosphere, street art, and colonial architecture. A local Ceviche is highly recommended.
In the afternoon (14:40), you will take a flight to Arequipa at an altitude of 3000 m. Upon arrival (16:10), you will be transferred to the hotel, check-in, and relax.
In the early evening, you will embark on a guided walk through Arequipa, culminating in dinner at a top restaurant.
Overnight: Authentic luxury hotel in Arequipa
Day 3 - Monday
Early in the morning, transfer from the hotel in Arequipa to the start point of the Arequipa to Coast Horse Trail. This route takes you through Majes and La Joya, crossing beautiful green valleys with vineyards, leading to the Valle de los Petroglifos.
Overnight: A lodge in Samambaias
Day 4 - Tuesday
Morning transfer to Pedregal where the saddled horses are ready to cross the desert, arriving around lunchtime in the fishing port of Quilca. After lunch, you will gallop along beautiful beaches and pass charming fishing villages.
Overnight: A beach lodge
Day 5 - Wednesday
Today begins with a transfer to a location near Mejia, where you will mount the horses and ride to the Lagunas de Mejia National Bird Sanctuary. After lunch, you will ride back along the beach to Mejia. After refreshments, you will return by bus to the hotel in Arequipa. Check-in, relax, and dine.
Overnight: Authentic luxury hotel in Arequipa
Day 6 - Thursday
After breakfast, you will board a bus for the scenic ride to the Colca Canyon. Enjoy the impressive scenery of the Canyon, visiting traditional villages like Yanque and Maca, and stop at viewpoints for breathtaking views of snow-capped peaks, vast plateaus, and terraced fields. A highlight of the excursion is the Mirador Cruz del Condor, where you can witness the majestic flight of the Andean condors soaring on thermal air currents. In the late afternoon, you will arrive at the Colca Lodge, a top wellness hotel where you can enjoy hot springs, a relaxing massage or body treatment in the Spa, visit an Alpaca farm, or the Condor museum.
Overnight: Luxury lodge with hot springs and spa
Day 7 - Friday
Today you will embark on your second horse riding experience, a 6-hour ride in the Colca area.
Afterwards, you will head to the airport for the 18:00 flight to Cuzco (arrival at 19:05).
After checking in at the hotel, immediately dine.
Overnight: Authentic luxury hotel in Cuzco
Day 8 - Saturday
Today is set aside for sleeping in, having a leisurely breakfast, and relaxing.
After checking out, you will take a guided tour of the beautiful Cuzco, the ancient capital of the Incas. Visit the Plaza de Armas, surrounded by beautiful colonial buildings and the imposing cathedral, and stroll through the narrow streets of the San Blas district, known for its craft shops, art galleries, and cozy cafes with an artistic atmosphere. Those interested can visit the ancient Inca ruins of Sacsayhuamán, located just outside the city, with impressive stone walls and panoramic views of Cuzco. The Coricancha, once the most important Inca temple dedicated to the sun and now the Church of Santo Domingo, can also be visited to admire the blend of Inca and Spanish architecture.
In the late afternoon, you will travel by minibus to Ollantaytambo, the base to visit Machu Picchu and start the Valle Segrado horse trail. Check-in, relax, and dine.
Overnight: Authentic *** hotel in Ollantaytambo (best hotel in town)
Day 9 - Sunday
This morning you will travel with the guide on the special train to nearby Machu Picchu, the lost city of the Incas. The impressive archaeological site is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Be enchanted by the overwhelming beauty and spiritual power of the mysterious ruins, surrounded by majestic mountains and lush rainforests. A native guide will lead you through this ancient Inca site and tell you all the details.
Overnight: Authentic *** hotel in Ollantaytambo (best hotel in town)
Day 10 - Monday
Today begins the major adventure and highlight of this trip, the 5-day Valle Segrado Horse Trail.
HACIENDA – VALLEY FLOOR – SALINAS – MARAS – MISMINAY
After a short transfer from the hotel, you will arrive at the ranch in the town of Paucarbamba at an altitude of 2,828 meters and meet the guide and horses. The guide will give you a brief on the program* and today's trail. He will show you how to saddle the horses**, explain the Paso gaits, and finally assign the horses to the riders***.
The guide:
"
We will first cross a wooden suspension bridge to follow a path surrounded by eucalyptus trees to a local Inca-era cemetery located on a cliff overlooking the Vilcanota River. We continue our way via Yanahuara and the Tarabamba suspension bridge to the impressive Salinas de Maras. Here we dismount and take a guided walk through the salt complex. We ride further to Maras, a town famous for its carved rock portals, where we will have lunch. After lunch, we ride through fields of barley, oats, and other Andean products until we reach an altitude of 3,500 meters above sea level, where the farming community of Misminay is located. We will be welcomed by the local population with dances and Andean music. Drinks and snacks will be provided. We will spend the night here. Our cooking team will prepare a three-course dinner based on fresh, local ingredients.
"
Overnight: Guesthouse of the local population. Authenticity takes precedence over luxury here. Clean showers and toilets are located in separate buildings.
*This is a sample program
The described horse trail will be adapted as needed to current weather and terrain conditions. The pace depends on the environment and is determined by the guide. The organizer reserves the right to use alternative accommodations if the mentioned ones are fully booked. Should this occur, guests will stay in accommodations of the same or higher standard.
**The Horses
You will ride Peruvian Pasos. This noble breed has two additional gaits, the comfortable paso llano and the sobreandando, providing a comfortable ride, ideal for long trips. Special saddles with a McLellan tree also enhance riding comfort. Paso horses do not trot but can gallop. The pace depends on the terrain and is indicated by the guide. In the mountains, it is steep and rocky, so you will mainly walk. On flat sections, the pace will be quicker, allowing you to experience all the Paso gaits under the expert guidance of the guide.
***The riders
This trip is suitable for intermediate and advanced riders. You will cover many kilometers in the mountains and must be able to climb and descend smoothly on narrow rocky paths. You must adapt to the Paso gaits, gallop confidently, and control your horse on wide open plains and sandy paths.
Day 11 - Tuesday
MISMINAY – MORAY – MAHUAYPAMPA – HUAROCONDO – COMPONE.
The guide:
"
After breakfast and the farewell ceremony, we ride to a viewpoint from where we can admire the main Inca agricultural laboratory of its time, 'Moray,' and enjoy the beautiful view of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, the snow-capped peaks, and the flight of the eagles. After a descent, we cross a ravine and climb to the next peak in the middle of a dense eucalyptus forest that provides us with shade for lunch. After lunch, we continue our way via the Chaquepay ravine and Huarocondo, which shows a great influence of Spanish culture with the cathedral church built at the beginning of the 16th century. From here we ride to the town of 'Compone' and cross the entire plain of the 'Pampa de Anta.' Upon arrival, we unsaddle the horses, enjoy an aperitif, freshen up, and dine in the very cozy veranda with dining room, which also houses a real museum.
"
Overnight: Wooden houses or 'domes' with toilets and showers in a separate building.
Day 12 - Wednesday
COMPONE – ROCKY MOUNTAIN – COMPONE.
The guide:
"
The path of a woodcutter leads us to the top of the most elevated hill, where a pre-Inca cemetery is located. Here we find K’illke ceramic pieces from plundered graves scattered in the middle of the grassland. The height of this mountain provides an impressive panoramic view of virtually the entire Pampa de Anta and even further to the snow-capped peaks of Salkantay, Chicón, and Pitusitay. We arrive at the 'Yuraq Qaqa rocks' (rocky mountain), the result of volcanic eruptions, where we have lunch. The heart of this beautiful rocky area shows a circle walled by stone cliffs, like a large bead. Because this place is protected from rain and wind, a microclimate is created that provides vegetation with a rich ecosystem, making it possible to see white-tailed deer, vizcachas, hawks, and eagles, and even occasionally the master of the heights, the 'Condor,' looking for food as it leaves the Apurimac gorge. The return journey follows a very picturesque route, where we see herds of sheep, horses, goats, and alpacas as we pass. Upon arrival, we celebrate with drinks around the campfire, singing, and guitar playing.
"
Overnight: The trek to Rocky Mountain exceptionally requires returning to the accommodation from Day 11 to continue the journey in another direction.
Day 13 - Thursday
COMPONE – HUERTAS – HUAYLLAQOCHA – HUAYPO LAGOON.
The guide:
"
We cross the plain for the second time, but in a different direction to Huertas with its beautiful eucalyptus forest, where we have lunch today. After lunch, we ride along Huayllaqocha through artichoke fields and along irrigation canals to the charming Huaypo lagoon, arriving in the evening at the comfortable lodges with views of the Huaypo lagoon
."
Here the cooking team prepares the farewell dinner and we toast to the last night.
Overnight: A comfortable dome lodge (with shower and toilet inside).
Day 14 - Friday
HUAYPO LAGOON – TTIOBAMBA CHURCH – MARAS – HACIENDA.
The guide:
"
We begin the descent and return to the Sacred Valley of the Incas, enjoying the impressive view of the mountain range and snow-capped peaks such as the Chicón, San Juan, Patakancha, and Verónica. On the side of the road, a megalithic structure awaits us, the 'Ttiobamba' temple, built in the 16th century and currently used by the local population. Maras, with its colonial streets adorned with stone portals, welcomes us. Here we have lunch before starting the return journey. Halfway through the valley, we will see the majestic Sacred River of the Incas 'Willka Mayu' or Vilcanota for the last time from a viewpoint just before the town of Yanahuara.
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Around 17:30 you will arrive at the Hacienda. After a drink, you will say goodbye to the guide and head to a luxury hotel in Urubamba.
Check-in at the hotel, relax, and dine.
Overnight: Authentic luxury hotel in Urubamba
Day 15 - Saturday
Relax at the hotel in Urubamba or take a guided tour of the city if desired.
Transfer to Cuzco airport for the 13:45 flight to Lima (15:20), followed by the evening flight back home, arriving on Sunday afternoon.
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