Be immersed in Cusco’s colorful culture and kaleidoscopic natural wonders on our Women’s Adventure Cusco's Colors Machu Picchu + Short Inca Trail. More than traditional tours, participants will have authentic encounters with local Peruvians, explore ancient Incan ruins, hike the one-day Inca trail, experience Machu Picchu and visit the lessern traveled beautiful Palcoyo Rainbow Mountains.

Discover Cusco’s Colors

Begin in Cusco, where colonial charm meets Inca heritage. A guided walk introduces you to plazas, temples, and museums. Then, shop with a local chef in Cusco’s markets for an immersive cooking class, mastering ceviche, Lomo Saltado, and pisco sours. Your taste buds will dance with Peru’s bold flavors!

Hike Among Rainbow Peaks

Experience a breathtaking high-altitude, two-mile hike at Palcoyo Rainbow Mountain. At over 16,000 feet, the striated peaks create an unforgettable sight, perfect for capturing stunning photos.

Explore the Sacred Valley

Discover ancient agricultural techniques still in use today and visit the salt mines of Maras—harvested since pre-Inca times. Browse colorful textile markets and connect with Peru’s rich traditions.

Walk in the Footsteps of the Incas

Trek 8 miles along the final stretch of the Inca Trail, climbing stone steps and discovering hidden archaeological sites. Arriving at the Sun Gate by sunset, Machu Picchu unveils itself in breathtaking glory—an iconic moment. Descend into the Lost City to capture stunning photos.

Celebrate in Cusco with a Sacred Ritual

Conclude with a Pachamama Ceremony led by a Quechua shaman, an ancient Andean ritual to honor Mother Earth. 

Join us as a solo traveler, with a partner, or with a friend. There are no forced single supplements. On our fun and active women’s adventure, you will have instant travel buddies, lots of belly laughs and future-lifelong friends. 

Dates are estimated and subject to change.

• Guided walking tour or Cusco's temples, markets, & museums.
• Learn to make Peruvian foods in a hands-on cooking class - after shopping in the local market for the freshest ingredients!
• Explore the Palcoyo Rainbow Mountain on a day trip from Cusco.
• Visit archeological sites, ancient agriculture sites in the Sacred Valley.
• See the Moray, Maras, and Saleines sites, a farming lab for the Incas.
• Ride the Machu Picchu Railroad through winding tropical rain forest.
• Hike 8 miles of the original steps of the short Inca Trail 
• Tour the Machu Picchu site with a guide to learn about the temples and other features.
• Participate in shaman-led ancient ceremony to learn about Pachama and other important deities of the Incas.

Minimum 8 / Maximum 14

To ensure an intimate and authentic experience, the group is limited to no more than 12 participants, allowing us to connect more deeply while minimizing our impact on the pristine environment.

We need 8 participants to confirm this trip, and we truly appreciate your patience as we work toward that goal. We’re just as eager as you are to confirm this adventure!

Once the trip is confirmed, you’ll receive an email with essential details, including flight booking guidelines, waivers, and tour-specific information. If we’re unable to fill the trip within 90 days of the start date, all participants will receive a full refund.

The Women’s Adventure Machu Picchu Inca Trail is open to all women with no previous experience required.  Any healthy person can do the tour portion of this itinerary.

The Short Inca Trail Hike will be challenging and does require a good level of fitness.  Read the description in the itinerary.  Participants may be able choose to substitute the Short Inca Trail Hike for a tour of Aquas Calientes and still experience the amazing wonder of Machu Picchu. Please let us know right away if you are not interested in hiking the Short-Inca Trail or if you have questions.

Tara Short

1-888-622-4911 x 1

 7 nights double occupancy in  3-star hotels.  Hotels will be announced after the group is confirmed.

Installments

For your convenience you can pay for your adventure in interest-free monthly installments using a checking account or credit card. 

ACH / Checking Account 

Pay zero transaction fees when you pay from your checking account.

Credit Card

Want to rack up points on your credit card? We get it. WeTravel will add a service fee to the total amount of your trip if you pay with a credit card. Credit Cards fees: 2.9% (Amex: 3.9%). This is a bank convenience fee not a fee added by Green Edventures. 

Alternate Between ACH & Credit Card

You can change your payment method at any time in your WeTravel Account

Click on links to review:

Terms & Conditions

Cancellation Policy

Participants are highly encouraged to purchase travel insurance to cover unforeseen circumstances that may interrupt or cancel the trip. Purchase insurance within 14 days of your initial trip deposit for the maximum amount of benefit options including Cancel for Any Reason. You do not need to have your airline reservations to purchase travel insurance. Estimate the cost plus the package price to get your total trip cost.     

Travel insurance is available at:  https://greenedventures.com/travel-insurance/ 

 Click below for the packing list.  

Packing List 

Schedule your flight to arrive before 5pm, or a time convenient and economical for you.

This is a travel, and an easy day, designed to help your body acclimate to Cusco's 11,000 ft. altitude.  Your Green Edventures Trip Leader will be at the hotel and there to greet you as you check in.

Mid-afternoon, we will plan have a group meeting before heading to a Peruvian Cooking experience.  We'll meet a local chef who will walk with us to the market to buy fresh vegetables and fruits.  We'll then head to a Peruvian kitchen and learn to prepare authentic dishes that you’ll make yourself with the guidance of our professional chef.   You will enjoy the dinner and cocktails we make together.  Vegetarian and Vegan options will be available.   Overnight in Cusco 

Meals: D

Note: Detailed travel parameters will be provided. Most flights from the USA will transfer through Lima. 

Enjoy another slow and easy day in Cusco to help your body continue to acclimate.  After breakfast at the hotel, we will set out on a walking tour of Cusco.

Cusco was the capital of the Inca Empire until the Spanish conquest in the 16th century. The blend of these two cultures is ever-present throughout the entire city.  Because of the city’s antiquity and importance, Cusco was declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1983.  We'll spend time together walking around this beautiful city, taking in the history and the culture.  We'll walk through the Plaza de Armas, visit the San Pedro Market, get a glimpse of the 12 Angled Stone, and several other historic sites.  Overnight in Cusco

Meals: BLD

Today, we will pack breakfast as we depart at 4 am for a 3.5-4 hour drive one way to the Palcoyo Rainbow Mountain. It’s a long day of driving, but totally worth it.   This will be your first experience going through local Peruvian villages, seeing herds of alpacas and llamas and their tenders in traditional clothes. A drive up a windy dirt road brings us to this lesser-known, and less crowded, Rainbow Mountain. 

The altitude will take your breath away, but so will the views. You will be surrounded by 360 degrees of kaleidoscope geology. Everywhere you look, there are striated rainbow mountains with bands of red, yellow, orange, brown, and deep purple. A wide red valley makes this location a spectacular place with unobstructed views of wilderness. The hike is only 3 miles roundtrip and starts at 14,000 ft with a gradual climb to 16,000 ft. is accessible by most fitness levels. It is only a 45-minute walk to the summit. For those that are feeling strong, a climb to 17,000 ft will get you to the Rock Forest on a nearby ridge.

On our way back to Cusco in the afternoon, we stop for a chef-prepared hot lunch.

As we return to Cusco, you will have time to rest, socialize and have dinner on your own.  Overnight in Cusco.

Meals: BL

After breakfast at the hotel, we will depart Cusco and head toward the town of Maras. At Maras you will see the colonial architecture with beautiful stonework and sculpture and learn about traditional textile techniques. You’ll have the opportunity to purchase some textiles here if you wish.

We then drive to Moray where you can explore the incredible and still mysterious circular agricultural terraces that are surrounded by stunning mountain scenery.

Finally, we will visit the salt mines (Salineras) where you can view the 3000 salt pools and watch the salt miners harvesting the salt of the Incas! These salt mines are said to pre-date the Incan Empire! This area is believed to have been an agricultural laboratory where priests would test soils and different types of crops.  Salineras has a cute little shop where you can buy some hand mined Andean salt to take home with you if you wish.

Later, we’ll enjoy a meal of local specialties, prepared in a pachamanca, or underground stone oven.

Overnight in Ollantayambo.

Meals: B, Very Large Lunch

After breakfast at the hotel, the adventure begins with a ride on the Machu Picchu Railroad! From the Ollantaytambo Train Station, we take the train for about 1 hour 45 minutes to the beginning of this Inca Trail Trek, at Km 104 or Chachabamba. The scenery is green and lush, now we are in tropical rainforest!

At kilometer 104 we step off the train and begin the trek on the Inca Trail. Our guide walks us over a hanging bridge that crosses over the Urubamba river to the Control Checkpoint. Here we will show our permits, tickets, and original passports. Once the tickets are stamped, we will stop to use the bathrooms, get our backpacks sorted and begin 8-mile, 7-8 hour hike on the short Inca Trail. The first part of the journey is a 4-hour (2,000 ft ascent) with many stairs to the Wiñaywayna (forever young) archaeological site ( located at 8858 ft) where we will have a box lunch.

After lunch we continue for 1-1/2 hours on mostly flat terrain, with a final scramble up the “monkey steps” to reach the Sun Gate, the entrance to Machu Picchu from the Inca Trail, and then another 1/2 hour to reach the southern agricultural zone of Machu Picchu city (where the most famous photos of the site are taken). After our arrival in Machu Picchu city, we leave the park and take the 25-minute bus ride down to Aguas Calientes Town (6,692 ft).

Evening in town, celebratory dinner.  Overnight in Aquas Calientes.
Meals: BLD

Don't be misled by the name—the Short Inca Trail is a challenging hike. The high elevation, long hours on your feet carrying a backpack, and numerous stone steps make it demanding. If you have any concerns, please contact us to discuss alternatives. There are other ways to experience Machu Picchu without the hike. The sooner we know your needs, the more options we have to work with.

After breakfast at the hotel, we will take one of the first buses directly to Machu Picchu (7,875 ft). After the short 25-minute drive, you will enjoy a fascinating tour of Machu Picchu with your guide who will unfold the mysteries of this magical site, explaining the history and flora/fauna. Your guide will spend about 2 hours relating interesting and amazing stories, explaining temples and special sectors.

Lunch in Aguas Calientes & shopping. Transfer and overnight in Ollantaytambo.

Meals: BLD

After breakfast at the hotel, we will transfer to Inca ruins just outside the city to get away from the urban life and closer to Pachamama, Mother Earth. This morning you will participate in one of the most sacred and ancient rituals of the indigenous Peruvian people. A Shaman will guide us through a ceremony to help us give thanks to Pachamama, and with it a chance to share with her your dreams and aspirations. You will learn about coca leaves and the spiritual role it plays in rituals.  

Mid-afternoon, we'll return to our hotel for your final opportunity to shop, relax, rest and pack for the journey home.  Enjoy an easy, celebratory dinner together.  Overnight in Cusco.
Meals: BLD

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel.

Schedule your flight to depart whenever is most convenient and economical for you. Participants will arrange a taxi from the hotel to the airport with the hotel front desk. This is not included and is approximate $25 per car.

If you have late flights, you can store your luggage at the hotel and explore until it is time to leave.

Meals: B