​Ausangate Rainbow Mountain Astrophotography & Machu Picchu Trek 6 Day Andean Adventure &               Photography Tour 6D/5N

             Machu Picchu (twice!) ✓    Rainbow Mountain ✓    Inca Trail ✓     Ausangate Mountain ✓    Red Valley ✓

Join Us on a 6-day photography and adventure tour through the majestic Ausangate and Rainbow Mountain, capturing stunning landscapes, astrophotography, and the world-renowned Machu Picchu. This Andean trek offers a blend of high-altitude beauty, ancient Inca heritage, and photographic opportunities, perfect for astrophotographers, landscape photographers, and adventure seekers. On this journey, you will explore the breathtaking Rainbow Mountain, famous for its vibrant colored slopes, and Ausangate, one of Peru's highest peaks. Capture the starry skies above the mountains and the unique cultural traditions of the Andean people. Afterward, trek through the Sacred Valley and follow the iconic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, photographing Inca ruins, cloud forests, and picturesque views along the way. With local photography guides, you will receive expert tips and guidance for perfecting your astrophotography and landscape shots in some of Peru’s most photogenic locations. This tour is a unique opportunity to capture the Andes’ natural beauty while immersing yourself in the history and culture of the Inca civilization.
📩 Book Your Ausangate & Machu Picchu Photography Adventure Today!

Day by day Itinerary

                           SEE THE 5 BIGGEST ATTRACTIONS IN THE CUSCO REGION ALL IN ONE HIKE!
                   Machu Picchu (twice!) ✓    Rainbow Mountain ✓    Inca Trail ✓     Ausangate Mountain ✓    Red Valley ✓
The Ausangate , Rainbow Mountain, & Machu Picchu Trek, without a doubt, gives you the most bang for your buck when it comes to any hiking trip in the Cusco region.  This is an amazing option for anyone who wants to see it all – from a challenging, high-altitude hike that includes incredible scenery over three mountain passes to the cloudy forest and ruins on the famous Inca Trail.  Along the way, you’ll also get the bonus of seeing unique wildlife, getting close to the glacier of Ausangate – the 2nd highest mountain in Peru – and finally hiking into the jewel of Peru – Machu Picchu city.
This trek will take you back in time to a place where the locals still wear traditional ponchos and hats and reward you with quiet, uncrowded trails, spectacular glacial lakes, stunning snow-capped peaks, and the unusual streaked landscapes of the Rainbow Mountains of Vinicunka.
*This is a full-service trek.  A duffle bag will be provided prior to hiking for your personal items and our staff will transport the bag and all other equipment (tents, food, cooking supplies) from campsite to campsite.  All you will need to carry is your day pack.*
Full Itinerary

DAY 1 – CUSCO – PAJCHANTA – 7 LAKES
•This morning, we’ll pick you up from your hotel in Cusco early.  You’ll want to have breakfast at the hotel or grab some snacks to go because we have a gorgeous 3 hour car ride to the trail head in the Pajchanta community (3830m/12,730ft).
•When we get to Pachanta, you’ll meet the rest of the staff, hand over your pre-packed duffel bag, strap on your day pack, and hit the trail.
•The first 3 hours are fairly challenging due the altitude – we’ll have a mostly level path with a slight incline on a well-maintained dirt road.  You’ll barely notice the elevation gain because you will be distracted by the llamas, alpacas, 7 lakes and unique stone farmhouses we’ll pass all along the way.  If you bring some coca leaves with you, feel free to share them with the locals and have a chat (translated by your guide or in Spanish if you know it!).
•Around noon, we’ll have our first meal of the trek at the campsite call Q’omercocha 4000m/ 13,123ft – a delicious lunch cooked by our chef.  Just wait – the things our chefs can do with a single camping stove and some propane – you’ll be in heaven.  Prepare your stomach to be satisfied for the next few days!
•After lunch, with full bellies, we’ll hang out at the lakeshore mesmerizing the mountain or you can go take a nap until our staff call you for the Andean Happy Hour (tea and snacks) while the chef prepares another amazing meal.
Bonus Tip: If you’re a photographer or perhaps not but you have some energy left you can go back to see the rest of the lakes and watch the sunset and take a stunning pictures. Or you can just relax at the campsite and adjust to the altitude.
•Walking Distance: 10km/6.214 miles (4 Hours)
•Elevation: 3830m/12,730ft to 4400m/14,430ft
•Difficulty: Challenge/Moderate
•Weather: Cool during the day; cold at night
•Includes: Lunch & Dinner
 
DAY 2 – 7 LAKE – UPIS – APARA PASS – PUKA QOCHA
•This morning (and every morning!) our staff will wake you up early with warm water and coca tea to energize you for the day.
•When you’re ready and your duffel bags have been repacked, our staff will start taking down the tents while you enjoy breakfast with a stunning view of the morning light on Ausangate Mountain.
•Today’s hike is a more challenging because the trail gets a little steeper.  We’ll hike gradual incline for three hours then uphill for one hour 1/2 until we reach the Arapa Pass (4850m/15908 ft).  We’ll take a moment here to celebrate our accomplishment with some photos, high fives, and a little break at this first summit.
•When we’re ready to press on, we’ll get some sweet relief on our legs and lungs as we start a three hour descent to the 2nd campsite at Puka Qocha (4500m/14760ft) where happy hour and dinner will be waiting for us.
Bonus Tip: Today, the hike is a little more challenging and longer because of the elevation changes, but it’s also beautiful land-scape.  It’s so worth the effort when you stop and see the views.  In addition to the Ausangate landscape, you’ll pass many wild and domesticated animals and local people living miles apart from each other with no electricity.  It will be like traveling back in time.
•Walking Distance: 16km/9.945miles (9-10 hours)
•Elevation: 4400m/14,430ft to 4500/14,760 ft
•Difficulty: Challenging (high altitude)
•Weather: Cold/windy; cold at night
•Includes: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

DAY 3 – PUKAQOCHA – YANA COCHA
•Once you’re up and through our breakfast routine, we’ll start the day’s hike to get around the Ausungate Glacier. Today will be our longest of the trek, but we’ll earn some bragging rights by the end of the day because the Ausangate Mountain is the second highest mountain in Peru (only second to Huascaran!). 
•It’s going to be a little tough as we climb uphill again for 2 hours to the Puka Pass (16,370ft), but mother nature will not disappoint.  Turquoise glacial lakes, llamas, alpacas, and the snow-capped peak of Ausangate will fuel you with every new view.  We’re well beyond the halfway point of our trek at this point – you’ve got this!
•And just when you think you can’t climb anymore and the views can’t get any better, it will be time to start descending and mother nature will bless us again with our first look at the stunning rainbow mountains in the distance.  We’ll have 2 hours downhill to take in the sights before we reach the lunch spot to fill up.
•With full stomachs, we’ll begin another pretty steep uphill climb for 1.5 hours to the 3rd and final pass – Warmisaya (14,370ft).  We’ll spend a little time at this pass reflecting on our accomplishments and enjoying the view before continuing on a more level path for 30 more minutes to our campsite at Yana Qocha (4600m/15,170ft).
Bonus Tip: If the weather is good and we want to see the sunset at Rainbow Mountain, we can take an additional 1.5 hour round trip hike to the scenic overlook before dinner.
•Walking Distance: 16km/11miles (7-8 hours)
•Elevation: 4500m/14,760ft to 4600/15,170ft
•Difficulty: Challenging (high altitude)
•Weather: Cold/Windy
•Includes: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
 
DAY 4 – YANA COCHA – RAINBOW MOUNTAIN – OLLANTAYTAMBO
•Today is your choice – you can have a regular breakfast with our chef or we can pack some food to leave early for our 45 minute hike to catch the sunrise over Rainbow Mountain.  We definitely recommend trying to catch the sunrise!
•No matter what time we start, we’ll eventually arrive at Rainbow Mountain – one of the most stunning sites in the Cusco Region.
•We’ll spend as much time here as you want – taking in the view, snapping selfies and postcard photos – let’s enjoy the scenery without crowds for most of the morning.
•When you’re ready, we’ll start the bonus section of this combination trek with our steep descent for 2 hours through the Red Valley.  Most visitors don’t even know this path exists and miss out on this full experience – but you’re one of the lucky ones who made the right choice.  You’ll have this stunning valley to yourself as it wows you around every corner until we get to our lunch spot at Vinicunka.
•After lunch, we’ll say goodbye to our chef and porters (and offer some gratuity if you feel it’s appropriate) before we jump in the van for a scenic, 3.5 hour ride to the town of Ollantaytambo. 
•Tonight, you will stay in a hotel with a hot shower and comfy bed – a well-earned treat after all your hard work!
•Walking Distance: 6km/3.7miles (3-4 hours)
•Elevation: 4600m/15,170ft to 5000m/16,404ft
•Difficulty: Moderate/Challenging (high altitude)
•Weather: Cool/windy during the day; Warm evening
•Includes: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (at a restaurant)
​
DAY 5 – OLLANTAYTAMBO – INCA TRAIL – AGUAS CALIENTES
•We’ll grab breakfast in your hotel before heading down to the Ollantaytambo train station around 7:30am.  We’ll take this picturesque train ride along the river for just over an hour to our stop on the famous Inca Trail – KM104.  Your duffel bags will continue on with our staff and you will just get off the train with your day pack.
•From the checkpoint, we’ll visit the first Inca site called Chachabamba before beginning the most challenging part of our trek.
•Today, you’ll start with a 2-hour steady incline through thick vegetation until you reach the infamous Inca Steps.  You’ll spend the next 2 hours climbing and descending through a series of stairs until you finally reach the Inca site of Wiñay Wayna (Forever Young).  Don’t be afraid! It’s not all bad!  While you’re completing this stone step maze, you’ll see huge waterfalls, rivers, beautiful flowers, and all the unique animals and Inca sites you can only find in the Peruvian Cloudy Forest.  It’s going to be a tough challenge, but we know you can do it, we’ll support you every step of the way, and you will love it in the end!
•Once we get to Wiñay Wayna, we’ll take a well-deserved rest and enjoy our boxed lunch.
•We still have 2 more hours today, but it’s smooth sailing with a level, easy path to Inti Punku (the Sun Gate) – the Inca Trail entrance to Machu Picchu.
•We’ll spend a little time resting and taking photos at the Sun Gate before descending into Machu Picchu and doing a quick walk through.  Unlike most other tourists, you have the unique opportunity with this hike to come back to Machu Picchu and explore tomorrow, so for now, we’ll take the shuttle down to Aguas Calientes where you’ll have a comfy bed, hot shower, and a last dinner together with us.  
Bonus Tip:  The weather today is going to be totally different than the weather you’ve been experiencing the last few days.  You’ll be in the rainforest at this point to it will be hot and muggy, but we still recommend you wear pants and long sleeves if possible, to prevent against bug bites and the strong sun.
•Walking distance: 14KM/8.7miles (6.5 hours)
•Elevation: 2100m/6,889ft to 2700m/8,858ft
•Difficulty: Challenging
•Weather: Hot with a good chance of a little rain.  Watch out for mosquitos.
•Includes: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
 
DAY 6 – MACHU PICCHU- CUSCO
•Today is the well-deserved cherry on top of the cake! After catching the 30-minute shuttle, you will enter Machu Picchu for a two-hour guided tour of the most important sites in the city.
•At the end of the tour, you will return to Aguas Calientes to pick up your duffel bags from the hotel and return to the train station for your ride back to Ollantaytambo. A private van will take you back to your hotel in Cusco from the train station.
•Walking distance: varied! The walking tour takes 2 hours, but you may walk more if you added on one of the additional, optional climbs.
•Elevation: 2400m/7874ft
•Difficulty: Moderate. Machu Picchu city is large and requires many trips up and down stairs to see it all.

                              Difficulty
                   Very difficult: Long hikes and camping at high altitude

INCLUDED

DOES NOT INCLUDED

✓ Transportation from end to end in Cusco (van + Expedition Train train)
✓ English speaking guide
✓ All meals as listed (6 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 5 dinners) + (can accommodate dietary restrictions with proper notice)
✓ One Duffle bag per clients for items to be carried by porters (up to 22lbs/10kilos per person).
✓ Clean water for drinking provided at every meal stop +  daily Snack.
✓ 1 Night 3* hotel in Ollantaytambo and in Aguas Calientes & 3 nights camping in the wilderness.
✓ All entrance fees and permits (permits for Ausangate, short Inca trail & Machu Picchu + Bus & train tickets)
✓ Camping equipment (dining-kitchen tents, tents – 2 people/tent) (single occupancy available for additional charge)
✓ Portable toilet (Ecological toilet for our clients only)
✓ Professional Chef
✓ Pack animals to carry duffle + equipment (horse)
✓Emergency horse available for anyone who needs to take a break from hiking due to illness or injury
✓ Sleeping Mattress
✓ Basic First aid kit including emergency oxygen tank

​EXTRAS. Confort package usd 120.00
Sleeping Bag –per trek (It will be clean and warm)
Air Mattress –per trek (Therma rest mattresses)
Walking Poles - per pair per trek (Professional poles that can be extended)
Pillow per trek:
X Gratuity for staff (Guide, chef, porters, horsemens)
X Accommodation in Cusco
X Airfare
X Travel insurance
X Lunch & Dinner Day 6
X Walking sticks (available for rent for $20)
X Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain climb (can be reserved in advance available for additional fee of $8O per person)
​•Weather: Hot and humid (bring water and rain gear)
•Includes: Breakfast
Add-Ons & Upgrades 
Upgrades you can include in this trip:
•Huayna Picchu Mountain $80 USD
•Machu Picchu Mountain $80 USD
•Huchuy Picchu Mountain (small Picchu M) $80 USD
•Single supplement (hotel Aguas Calientes) – $45 USD
•Single supplement (camping tent) $35 USD
Additional items you can rent for this trip:

Price per person:2025

1 people US$1850 per person
2 people US$1450 per person
3 people US$1400 per person
4 people US$1350 per person
5 people US$1300 per person
6 people US$1250 per person
7+ people US$1200 per person.