Cusco Region For Connoisseurs

Day of leisure in Cusco. It is important to acclimatize to the altitude before beginning the more strenuous parts of the tour. Today you will visit the ruins of Saqsaywaman, the museum of Koricancha, and other notable parts of the historical city center, where you can see a mixture of colonial and Inca architecture.

On this day we will start the city tour at 9:00 am and will finish all the activities around 5 pm.

Max altitude: 11811 ft (3600 m) above sea level
Overnight stay in Cusco

The Sacred Valley, also known as the Valley of Urubamba, is a unique and very diverse area sure to grant you a sense of wonder. Not only does it offer breathtaking landscapes, but Peruvians believe it to be full of a special, positive energy. Here you can find ruins from the Inca Empire, which are viewed as some of the most intriguing in the entire country. You can spend many days discovering a variety of wonders in this part of the Cusco region, but for this tour we have selected to explore one of most important and beautiful towns in the Sacred Valley, Ollantaytambo.

Today the tour begins early in the morning at 6:30 am. A private car will drive you to Ollantaytambo. After a 1 hour and 45 minute drive, we will arrive at this lovely town where we will visit  the Inca ruins located just outside of the town.

After visiting Ollantaytambo, a private car will drive us for approx. 45 minutes to Patacancha Valley where you will meet with local communities living in the high Andes and share a typical Andean lunch with them.

In the afternoon we will trek for about 3 hours along a scenic trail from the pre-Inca ruins at Pumamarca in Patacancha Valley back to Ollantaytambo.

From there, we meet the 7:00 pm train to the town of Aguas Calientes – also known as Machu Picchu Pueblo. The train trip will take us around 2 hours. You will arrive in Aguas Calientes around 9:00 pm.

Max altitude: 12140 ft (3700 m) above sea level
Overnight stay in Aguas Calientes

During this day you will have the chance to explore Machu Picchu from many different points. Inside the ruins there are many options available to you. You can hike one of the two small peaks, Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain, or walk to the Sun Gate (Inti Punku) and/or Inca bridge.

You will start the tour from Aguas Calientes where, early in the morning, you will take a bus to the site´s entrance or you will walk there (around 1-1,5 hour). In the ruins you will have a 2 hour guided tour, giving you an overview of the history and culture of the Inca Empire, as well as the spiritual, political and educational importance of Machu Picchu. After the tour you will have time to explore the site on your own until about 5:00 pm (you also have the option to leave earlier if you wish).

After visiting the ruins you will make your own way back to Aguas Calientes via bus (with this option, an additional fee for the bus ticket is required) or on foot (around a 1 – 1.5 hour trek), from where you will take a train to Ollantaytambo. You will arrive in Ollantaytambo at 8:20 pm.

Max altitude: 10334 ft (3150 m) above sea level
Overnight stay in Ollantaytambo

The fourth day is an awesome and unforgettable immersion into the local culture of the Sacred Valley! Today you will explore Inca archeological sites, a traditional Inca salt mine, and mystical agricultural terraces. You will also participate in a textile lesson, meeting members of the local community. You will be amazed at just how many things there are to do and explore in one day! Take advantage of the day to really experience and enrich your knowledge of local Andean traditions, crafts and customs.

The day starts with breakfast at 7:00 am. Afterwards, at 7:40 am, we will drive approx. 50 minutes to the first spot we will visit today, the archaeological spot of Moray. We will walk through the ruins for about 45 minutes and then we will drive for about 20 minutes to the next destination, Maras.

We will take a short pause in this small town and learn about the production of the popular Andean beverage,´chicha de jora´ (corn beer). We will also have the chance to walk around and explore the town’s quaint and beautiful streets!

After Maras, we will visit a salt mine in Salineras de Maras, that has been in use since Inca times. We will go there on foot following an easy and relaxing trail for approx. 1 hour. Along the way we will be able to enjoy some spectacular views of the Cordillera Uubamba! Once we arrive at the salt mine, you will have a chance to walk through more than 3000 salt ponds and learn about the methods used to process and produce the salt – methods which have been used since the time of the Inca Empire.

From Salineras, we will drive for about 45 minutes to the last destination of the day, the lovely town of Chinchero. Here we will participate in an interesting lesson about the local textiles of the region.

After a full day of different activities, we will reach Cusco at around 4:00 pm – leaving you plenty of time to discover the restaurants and nightlife of this beautiful city!

Max altitude: 12417 ft (3785 m) above sea level
Overnight stay in Cusco 

Day 5

DEPARTURE FROM CUSCO CITY