Sacred Valley & Machu Picchu Trek Tour

Bienvenidos! Welcome to Lima, Peru’s largest city and central metropolitan hub, and home to one-third of the country’s population.
Located at the site of a pre-Columbian indigenous Ychsma settlement, which was conquered by the Inca empire in the 15th century and later by the Spanish conquistadores.
Lima has a fascinating history and a diverse mix of cultures. Amerindian, European, Afro-Peruvian, and Asian—especially Chinese and Japanese—influences make Lima a dynamic and exciting city to explore.
Settle into your hotel before sitting down to a delicious meal. With some of the worlds’ top restaurants and an eclectic mix of culinary styles, there is no shortage of delightful and exciting dining options.

🏚️ Accommodation: Lima, Miraflores, or Barranco.

Head to the Lima airport for your transfer flight to Cusco. This ancient city is the former capital of the Inca empire, which reigned from the 13th to 16th centuries after conquering the Killke settlement in the same location. Remember: you will be at 12,000 feet (c.3,500 m) above sea level, so take it easy and remember to drink lots of water.
Since Cusco was designed by the Incas as a city for walking, start your exploration of the narrow stone alleyways on foot. Take a walk through the plaza — if the weather is beautiful, it’s a perfect place to sit on a balcony and have a cup of coca tea while adjusting to the elevation. Suggested activities include:

• Visit the Coricancha, also known as “The Temple of the Sun.” The temple was built by the Incan Emperor Pachacutec (1438 1572), and after the arrival of the Spaniards became the basis for the construction of the Santo Domingo Convent.
• See the Cathedral, the most imposing monument in the central Plaza de Armas and a repository for Cusco’s colonial art. Its construction lasted for almost 100 years, beginning in 1560 and ending in 1654.
• Walk to Sacsayhuamán and next-door Quenqo, both archaeological complexes used mostly for religious and agricultural rituals, located 2.5 miles (4 km) from the city of Cusco. Built by the Killke people, Sacsayhuamán is a marvel of ancient architecture, a monolithic fortress built from giant blocks of stone, the origins and assembly of which remain a mystery.
• Discover the elaborate Puca Pucara ruins—an architectural complex of alleged military use with multiple plazas, baths, aqueducts, walls, and towers. It is believed that the entourage of the Incan emperor used it while he stayed at Tambomachay, the elaborate estate and baths nearby.
• Explore San Blas, an old bohemian quarter famous for its picturesque white walls, blue doors, and creative artisan community.
• Experience the legendary Mercado Central de San Pedro, a large and diverse market famous for its mouth-watering fruit juices, home-style meals, medicinal herb stalls, and rows of various meats, bread, vegetables, and other necessities.
• Eat lunch at a local Peruvian restaurant and sample local flavors and cooking techniques—crackling pork, pickled vegetables, seasonal flavors, bread baked in earthen ovens, roasted vegetables, and sweet donuts make for a delicious and filling meal.

🏚️ Accommodation: Cusco – El Balcon or similar.

You’ll leave our hotel in Cusco around 8:30 am for our drive into the Sacred Valley en route to Pisac, a village known for its traditional market and immense Inca fortress. During our visit, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to stop for photos as you pass terraces, irrigation canals, and picturesque mountain views.
In the afternoon, you’ll depart for the town of Ollantaytambo, which contains some of the best-preserved Inca architecture in the entire Sacred Valley. Roam the winding alleys and vast plazas and gaze upon a marvelous llama-shaped ruin before heading to a local hotel for the night.

🏚️ Accommodation: Ollantaytambo, El Albergue, or similar.

This morning, you’ll depart from your hotel in Ollantaytambo for your journey to Moray. Along the way, you will see the snow-capped peaks of the Andes, lush yellow fields of wheat, and some villages. Upon arrival in moray, you’ll see the three famous amphitheater-like terraces made by the Incas. These terraces are carved deep into the earth in the shape of a bowl. It is believed that the Incas once used these terraces as agricultural laboratories to determine the optimal conditions for growing crops.
When you are done exploring moray, you will head about two miles away, to the salt mines of Maras. This village is known as a former salt-producing center and is thought to date back to pre-Incan times. There are over 3,000 salt pools carved into the mountainside, that are filled daily by a stream of water.
Afterward, you’ll head back to Ollantaytambo in time to catch your train to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu town).

Today, after lunch, we will catch the bus up to Machu Picchu. It is a 25minute bus ride to the sanctuary (2400 m). As other people begin leaving Machu Picchu, we’ll start exploring the ruins and visit some of the most important places in the archeological site. Our guide will lead us in our exploration and discovery of the many corners of this enigmatic citadel.
The guided tour will have an average duration of 2 hours. There will be plenty of time for pictures, after which we take the bus down to Aguas Calientes to catch our train back to Ollantaytambo where our private transportation will be waiting for us to drive us back to Calca. If you feel like an uphill challenge, you have the option to climb the infamous mountain of Huayna Picchu. It is important to know that to climb this mountain, you need to buy a separate ticket in advance.

🏚️ Accommodation: Cusco, Hotel El Balcon, or similar.

Today is your last day in Peru! You will be met at your hotel for a transfer to Cusco Airport, where you will transfer to your homeward-bound flight. It’s never goodbye, only until next time!