From here, you will head to Cusco's Plaza de Armas, where you will visit the famous cathedral. Then, you will continue on foot along an ancient street built by the Incas from Plaza de Armas to Q’oricancha, the Temple of the Sun. At Q’oricancha, you will be able to compare and contrast the construction methods of Inca culture and Catholicism.
From Q’oricancha, your group will walk along Avenida El Sol, where you will take a bus 25 minutes from the city. It will take you to the majestic Inca site of Sacsayhuaman, with its enigmatic 200-ton monoliths. You will listen to your guide and then have time to explore on your own.
From Sacsayhuaman, you will take a five-minute bus ride to the Inca site of Q’enqo to see its fascinating Inca altars. Then, you will drive another five minutes to Puca Pucara, a small circular Inca site. The last stop of our tour is Tambomachay, a water temple with impressive fountains, believed to have been used by the Incas for bathing.
Your guide will pick you up in the lobby of your hotel in Cusco at 7 a.m. You will be taken along a winding road through the mountains north of Cusco. The Sacred Valley was one of the main areas where the Incas settled. There is an unusual abundance of fertile plains in this high-altitude region of the Andes. You will also witness the vast contour terraces and irrigation channels left by the Incas.
Later on, we will drive towards the ruins of Pisac. Here, you will witness and learn about Inca culture. You will see amazing works of stone art and impressive agricultural terraces. After exploring, we will drive back to the lower town of Pisac to stop at a bustling handicraft market. After you spend some time walking around the market bargain hunting, we will visit Chinchero where we will meet locals working on textile production and learn about the old textile-making traditions of the Incas.
We will then head to Maras, a picturesque town surrounded by beautiful landscapes and giving its name to the salt mines that surround it. We will go to a viewpoint to see these impressive salt quarries and discover their history for an hour. They have been in use since the Inca era and have transformed the local landscape!
For lunch, we will head to Urubamba where native and traditional food awaits you. After lunch, we will drive along the Urubamba River towards the town of Ollantaytambo. Once we arrive in Ollantaytambo, we will visit the ruins, an important Inca construction area built during the peak of the Incas. This is an extraordinary Inca site because you can find rock formations that represent the Inca god, Wiracocha.
Then, you will board your train for a two-hour journey to Aguas Calientes. During your impressive train ride, you will see glaciers, snow-capped peaks, lush green valleys, terraces, and Inca agricultural ruins. Before arriving in Aguas Calientes (2000 m/6000 feet above sea level), you will enter subtropical areas with bromeliads and ferns. Our representative will greet you outside the train station and take you to your hotel.
Once at Machu Picchu, you will have a private guided tour for two hours, followed by time to explore on your own. If you decide to book a permit to climb Huayna Picchu (or Machu Picchu Mountain), that will be your next adventure. The one-hour hike to the Sun Gate is also available and is free for everyone. The usual train departure to Ollantaytambo is in the afternoon, followed by our vehicle to your hotel in Cusco.
Typical breakfast and transfer to Cusco airport at the designated time to take the flight to Lima. If you are not flying on day 4, please inform us of the exact date so we can arrange your transfer on the included day.
