Description
In late December 2002, ENIGMA was born as an adventure tour operator based in Cusco, Peru. Owner-managed by Silvia Ricco, a Spanish woman who fell in love with Cusco, its ruins, mountains and sorroundings, Enigma Adventure has grown as a result of hard work with a high level of efficiency. At ENIGMA, they have carefully selected and trained a group of people, all originally from Cusco, Lima and Arequipa, to be the best guides, chefs, porters and office staff. Enigma also offers ‘alternative’ options that allow you to experience some of Peru’s more cultural aspects such as Ayahuasca sessions and visits to local textile communities. Enigma is also one of the best known luxury travel operators in Peru and gives its clients the option to join a shared tour or create a custom-made private itinerary.

Tour 1: Ayahuasca Therapy Sessions
Ayahuasca is a sacred plant with psychotherapeutic effects, usually used by jungle tribes as personal healing therapy and as a way to venerate their deities. Enigma offers night sessions in Cusco with a special priest of ancestral traditions.

Tour 2: Esoteric Sessions
These sessions allow you to experience the rituals of the Andean people and gain a better understanding of their beliefs. Experiences include payments to Mother Earth (Pachamama), purification ceremonies, greetings to the apus, shamanic singings and meditation sessions which take place in sacred and high-energy-containing locations nearby Cusco.

Tour 3: Textile Experience
This option is hands-on and allows you to visit nearby Quechua communities, learning their life-style and their textile techniques, using natural dyes according to ancestral family traditions.

Tour 4: Inca Trail to Machu Picchu 4d/3n
Peru’s best-known hike visited by thousands of tourists every year. The classical 43-km trek leading to the Sacred Inca City of Machupicchu combines the visit of mysterious archaeological sites, amazing mountain scenery and lush cloud forest rich in Andean flora and fauna. Machupicchu is reached at sunrise on the fourth day.

Day 1: Cusco to Wayllabamba
Pick you up from hotel. Drive to Piskacuchu (2700m/8856ft), starting point of the Inca Trail. Walk along Urubamba river’s left shore. Reach the community of Wayllabamba (3000m/9840ft), first campsite. (5-6 hours walk).

Day 2: Wayllabamba to Pacaymayo
Most difficult part of the trek: steep ascent for 9 km. Reach the Abra Warmihuañusca (Dead Woman´s Pass – 4200m/13776ft). Possible view of spectacle bears and other animals. After the pass, we descend into the Pacaymayo valley (3600m/11808ft), second campsite (7-8 hours walk).

Day 3: Pacaymayo to Wiñaywayna
Longest day, but also the most interesting, due to archaeological sites and cloud forest area. Visit ruins of Runkurakay. Descend towards Yanacocha (Black Lagoon) and visit complex of Sayacmarca (3624m/11887ft). Arrive at another pass, the Abra Phuyupatamarca (3700m/12136ft), which means ‘town over the clouds’, with impressive views of a sacred complex. Continue descending stone steps to Wiñaywayna (2650m/8692ft), Inca complex made up of an agricultural center, a religious and an urban sector, close to campsite with a lodge, bar, bathrooms with hot shower facilities. Farewell dinner. (8 hours walk).

Day 4: Wiñaywayna to Machupicchu
Get up at 4.00 am climb to the Intipunku, or The Sun Gate, to see sunrise over Machupicchu. Descend to Machupicchu for complete guided tour of the Inca citadel and free time around. Meet in Aguas Calientes, visit to hot springs if possible. Train back to Cusco. (2 hours walk).

Details: US$440 per person
Students with ISIC card and teenagers up to 15: US$35 discount
Children up to 10 years old: US$70 discount

Tour 5: Salkantay Trek to Machupicchu 7d/6n
This amazing trek runs beneath the sacred Salkantay mountain (6.271m/20569ft), one of the highest and most stunning in the Peruvian Andes, passing through Quechua communities and lesser-known Inca ruins, to finally join the 4-day Inca Trail to Machupicchu.

Day 1: Cusco to Cruzpata
Drive to Mollepata with a stop in Limatambo, visit ruins of Tarawasi. Arrive at Mollepata, start ascending along with horses and horsemen. Great views of Apurimac River, flora and fauna. First camp in Cruzpata.

Day 2: Cruzpata to Soraypampa
Head to Soraypampa with spectacular views of Humantay snow peak. After six hour walking, arrive at campsite in Soraypampa (3500m/11480ft), from where you can appreciate the Apu Salcantay. Second campsite.

Day 3: Soraypampa to Pampacahuana
Four hour steep climb to Incachiriasca pass (4850m/15908ft). Descend to lunch spot at Sisaypampa. After lunch continue to Pampacahuana community for third camp.

Day 4: Pampacahuana to Llulluchapampa
After breakfast start downhill walk to Wayllabamba community (3000m/9840ft). Visit Incaracay ruins on the way. After four hours arrive at Waillabamba for lunch. In the afternoon way up to Warmihuañusca mountain pass (Dead Woman’s pass) through steep ascent for 9km, though you only go halfaway up the pass and stop at Llulluchapampa for fourth camp.

Day 5: Llulluchapampa to Chaquicocha
Continue hike up the highest point in the Inca trail, reach Warmihuañusca (4200m/13776ft) after 2 hours. Descend to Pacaymayo valley and continue to the second pass, Runkurakay (3970m/13022ft), where you can visit the ruins with the same name. Descend to Yanacocha (black lagoon) and enter cloudforest to arrive at Sayacmarca complex. Campsite 20 minutes away at Chaquicocha.

Day 6: Chaquicocha to Wiñaywayna
Early breakfast, arrive at third pass -Abra de Phuyupatamarca (3700m/12136ft)- from where we can observe a sacred complex made up of water fountains. Descend to Wiñaywayna (2650m/8692ft), Inca complex made up of an agricultural center, a religious and an urban sector, close to campsite with a lodge, bar, bathrooms with hot shower facilities.

Day 7: Wiñaywayna to Machupicchu
Get up at 4.00 am climb to the Intipunku, or The Sun Gate, to see sunrise over Machupicchu. Descend to Machupicchu for complete guided tour of the Inca citadel and free time around. Meet in Aguas Calientes, visit to hot springs if possible. Train back to Cusco.

Details: US$695 per person
Students with ISIC card and teenagers up to 15: US$35 discount
Children up to 10 years old: US$70 discount

Tour 6: Choquequirao 4d/3n
A spectacular 60 km trek that will lead you to the enigmatic last refuge of the Incas. Choquequirao (3.103m/10178ft) is a huge archaeological complex still under cleaning and restoration process located in the surroundings of the Salkantay sacred mountain (6.271m/20569ft) and the Apurimac River canyon. You will enjoy amazing mountain scenery as well as lots of Andean flora and fauna.

Day 1: Cusco to Chiquisca
Drive to Cachora (5 hours from Cusco). Stop in Tarawasi to visit ruins of an Usno (ceremonial place for mother earth). Second stop at Saywite two hours later to visit an Inca rock believed to be the construction plan for the Tawantinsuyo Empire. From Saywite, 30 minute drive to Cachora for box lunch. After lunch, start hike for 3 hours to Abra Capuliyoc (2750m/9020ft). Descend to Chiquisca (first campsite).

Day 2: Chiquisca to Choquequirao
Leave Chiquisca to go down to Rosalina Beach (1 hour walk). Cross Apurimac river towards Santa Rosa, zigzaging up a steep slope (2 hours). Half hour break and continue to climb for three hours to Marampata for lunch. After lunch, walk two hours to archaeological complex of Choquequirao (3103m/10178ft), where you`ll camp and have time to explore the area.

Day 3: Choquequirao to Rosalina Beach
Complete guided tour of Choquequirao in the morning. Walk back to Santa Rosa after the tour for lunch. Continue descending for 2 hours to Rosalina Beach, for a refreshing dip in the Apurimac River. Camping and dinner here.

Day 4: Rosalina Beach to Cachora
Leave camp after breakfast and start the 3 hour climb to Chiquisca, back to Abra Capuliyoc for lunch. After lunch, continue for two hours up to Cachora. Transportation back to Cusco. Estimated time of arrival is 9pm.

Detals: US$330 per person

Tour 7: Lares Valley Trek 4d/3n
This lesser-known hike departs from the Sacred Valley of the Incas to enter a route where amazing mountain scenery, glacier lagoons, valley cloud-forest and authentic textile Quechua communities are combined to finally reach the village of Lares, where you can end the trek by relaxing in its famous hot springs. A unique hike to get in touch with Andean people and learn about their traditions and life-style.

Day 1: Cusco to Cancha Cancha
Depart Cusco at 7.00am and drive for 2h towards Huarán, the starting point of the trek. Walk uphill aproximmately 5 hours (lunch stop on the way) up to the first campsite in Cancha Cancha, a small farming community in the middle of a spectacular mountain scenery.

Day 2: Cancha Cancha to Quiswarani
After breakfast you`ll start walking along an ascending path towards the mountain pass Abra Pachacutec(4400m/14432ft/3h. Along the hike, you`ll have spectacular views of the snow-capped mountains in the area, such as Colquecruz, Minas and Sirijuani. Lunch after the pass, to then descend to Quiswarani, a small peasant and textile community. Second campsite.

Day 3: Quiswarani to Cuncani
Leave Quiswarani following an uphill path that passes along the beautiful Queuñaqocha lagoon. Continue hike towards the second mountain pass, the Abra Willkiccasa (4100m/13448ft/2h). Lunch and continue until Cuncani 3 hours later. Third campsite and dinner.

Day 4: Cuncani to Lares and back to Cusco
Leave Cuncani and start walking down a fertile valley with more vegetation, crops and agricultural communities. After an approximated 2 hours walk we arrive in Lares, a large village with hot springs. After lunch, return to Cusco, arriving at about 8pm.

Details: US$310 per person