Llama trekking: Tumbaya – Tilcara, four days – three nights

Difficulty: demanding.
Highest altitude: 4000 a.s.l..
Full trip duration: Four days, three nights. (Distance walked: 50 kilometres / 30 miles)
Departure hour: First day: 10:00 AM.
Arrival hour: Third day: 6:00 PM.
Departure location: Tumbaya.
Arrival location: Tilcara Llama yard: Calle Corte and Viltipoco (see map in last page).
Time of the year: it can be done any month of the year.

Day 1: Tumbaya / rural School

We start our journey in Tumbaya, 50 km (30 miles) from Tilcara, at 2000 meters a.s.l. travelling northeast. At midday we have lunch in Don Aldo Chañi´s home, member of the local community, and there we obtain supplies, like homemade bread, for the rest of the trip. In the afternoon we arrive to our day destination, a shelter located in an old school, currently not functioning, and we have dinner with people from the local community

Night in altitude refuge.
- Full services / Trekking: 6 to 8 hours.
- Transfer to Tumbaya from Tilcara included.

Day 2: Rural School / Punta Corral

We have breakfast in the school, and continue our journey in the morning. Halfway up we have lunch and we arrive to Punta Corral in the afternoon (4000 meters a.s.l). There we find an altitude sanctuary, designated to worship Copacabana´s virgin since 1880. We are welcomed by Julian´s family with a delicious dinner and at night we sleep in the sanctuary shelters.

Night in altitude refuge.
- Full services / Trekking: 6 to 8 hours.

Day 3: Punta Corral / Abra de Punta Corral

We have breakfast and lunch in Punta Corral. In the morning we can go to the western edge of the mountain to enjoy a panoramic view of Purmamarca´s town, and/or we can climb to the highest mountain pick at 4900 meters a.s.l. If we are tired, (considering that the two previous days were demanding), we can stay in camp and share different rural activities with Julian´s family: goat milking; cheese elaboration; cattle pasture; etc. After lunch, we prepare the llamas with our cargo to continue the journey northward, reaching the border between Tumbaya and Tilcara. We arrive to Abra de Punta Corral, another altitude sanctuary located at 4200 meters a.s.l, and there we sleep in special shelters prepared to host the 5.000 Tilcara pilgrims that arrive every eastern. This is the highest night in our trip.

Night in altitude refuge.
- Full services / Trekking: 4 to 6 hours.

Day 4: Abra de Punta Corral / Paleta del Pintor / Maimará / Tilcara

We return taking an alternative trail, down through the Paleta del Pintor hill, enjoying the arid and colourful scenery of La Quebrada de Humahuaca. After 3 hs of trekking we arrive to an altitude pastoral place, where we can visit a local family. Later we return to the path that leads to the same place where we started our journey, arriving to Tilcara in the afternoon.

- Breakfast and lunch included
- Trekking:5 to 7 hours.
- End of services

Fee per person (shared services): $ 2500 (U$S 500)
For a minimum of: two guests (for private services contact us).
It includes: Guide and helper (one every four guests). All meals and refreshments during the trip. Camping gear, cooking equipment and first aid kit. Transfer to Tumbaya from Tilcara to begin the trip.
It does not include: Sleeping bag.
We recommend bringing hat, jacket, trekking shoes, extra pair of shoes, and sun block.

We advise to book the tours with some anticipation to guarantee a place, and for that we ask an advance payment of half the cost of the trip through a bank deposit.

Download Tumbaya – Tilcara 4D – 3N in PDF