The trip begins in Cusco located at 3340 meters above sea level. The capital of the Inca empire, although small enough to be easily manageable, is among the most attractive cities in South America, its historic center made up of colonial-era buildings with Inca foundations, is also full of interesting sites such as museums, churches and pre-Columbian sites.
Upon arrival in Cusco, it is recommended to take it very easy due to the high altitude, drink plenty of water let your body has time to acclimatize. We can also arrange your arrival a day or two days early, to give you more time to adjust to the altitude.
Tonight, we will have a briefing at your hotel lobby, where we will inform you about the details of the tour.
Today we have a guided tour of Cusco and its nearby ruins. This city was once the capital of the extensive Inca Empire, we explore the city and appreciate its magnificent Inca walls, colonial houses, churches and palaces, this also includes a visit to Koricancha, the Temple of the Sun God, after this we take a short ride to visit the monolithic walls of Sacsayhuamán, Qenqo, Puca Pucara and Tambomachay; these sites are spectacularly located above the city.
In the afternoon you can have time to explore some of the central parts of the city and the opportunity to see some of the great varieties of local crafts on sale.
We leave Cusco and head to the plateau of Chinchero, an important town in Inca’s time. There are beautiful views of the Andes Mountain range, with the Cordillera Vilcabamba and the snow-capped peak of Salcantay dominating the western horizon. Chinchero is believed to be the mythical birthplace of the rainbow since in the rainy season you can see up to three rainbows at the same time. then, we visit the mysterious concentric circular terraces of Moray that according to some scholars could have been an agricultural research center, from here we go to the salt mines of Maras, this place is a salt producing center that dates back to Pre – Inca time, there are thousands of salt pools carved into the mountainside, here we will go to a viewpoint from where we will have impressive views.
Today we enjoy one more day in the beautiful Sacred Valley with a tour of Pisac and its beautiful terraces and possessor of the largest Pre-Columbian Cemetery found in this valley, then we will continue to Ollantaytambo where we visit its impressive fortress located on top of a hill above the town. We also explore the picturesque town itself with a fascinating mix of Inca and colonial architecture. Tonight, we have a pre-trek briefing with our trekking guide at your hotel.
You will be picked up early from your hotel in Cusco and then transferred to Ollantaytambo where we will take the tourist train that will take you to Aguas Calientes, also called Machu Picchu town, then we will take a bus to the city of Machu Picchu. Here we will have a guided tour for about two hours where we will get to know this impressive Inca city in detail.
After our tour and having taken the necessary time to enjoy this wonder, we will take the bus back to Aguas Calientes, here you can explore the town, visit its craft market, have lunch and finally we will take the train to Ollantaytambo and from there a bus will take us return to the city of Cusco.
Depending on the train schedules, we may arrive in Cusco at night.
OPTIONAL CLIMBING HUAYNA PICCHU OR CLIMBING MACHU PICCHU MOUNTAIN – For the more adventurous, you can purchase an additional permit for Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain (ask for costs), and waive the guided tour of Machu Picchu, which is non-refundable and non-transferable. . Please note that this is NOT a guided option and it takes a minimum of 3 hours to return. Both climbs are very steep (including many small, narrow steps) and can be slippery and are very exposed with dizzying drops. Before purchasing the permit on your behalf (non-refundable and non-transferable), we require all passengers to sign a waiver form.
Note: there are limited permits for Huayna Picchu and for Machu Picchu Mountain and they sell out quickly, if you are interested in this option or wish to stay an extra day we encourage you to contact us as soon as possible.
After breakfast you will be transferred to the airport where your trip concludes.
INCLUDED
- Transfer from airport to hotel
- 05 Nights in hotel
- 05 Breakfasts
- Tickets to all the attractions offered in the tour package
- Tourist cars for the mentioned activities
- Tickets to Machu Picchu
- Train ticket Ollantaytambo – Aguas Calientes
- Tour guide
- Bus down Machu Picchu – Aguas Calientes
- Train Aguas Calientes – Ollantaytambo
- Transfer Ollantaytambo Cusco
- Transfer from hotel to airport
NOT INCLUDED
- Airfare to/from Cusco
- Travel insurance
- Tips
- Food and tours not mentioned in the program
NOTE
Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure that the information published on our website is correct at the time of publication; however, travel details are subject to change without notice by the providers and operators involved. We update information as soon as possible when changes are brought to our attention, however we cannot take responsibility for such changes made by providers and carriers.
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