Explore Cusco, Machu Picchu & Sacred Valley

At the arranged time, you will be picked up from your hotel to head to the airport where you will be transported to the city of Cusco. A representative will meet you as you arrive and arrange for transport to your hotel, where you will receive itinerary information. At 2:30pm a local guide will pick you up from your hotel to begin the tour of Cusco. Along the way, you will visit the Sacred Temple of Tambomachay, where the Inca king used to perform important rites sacred to the people of the city; Puca Pucara, an archeological center responsible for the monitoring of access to the Imperial City; Quencco, another extraordinary site where many of the other creations from the city may have been built; and finally Sacsayhuaman, a fortress famous for the impressive size of the rocks – some of which weigh over 100 tons – used in its construction. At the height of the Inca civilization, Sacsayhuaman was a cultural center where the citizens would meet for traditions like the “Fiesta al Sol” (Festival of the Sun) where they honored the god of the sun: Tayta Inti. The view from the Imperial City is an incredible panorama, from which you can see the main square and the cathedral among other important landmarks. After contemplating the spectacular vista, it is time to return to the hotel to rest.

At 9:30am, you will leave your hotel for the Ollantaytambo train station just under 2 hours outside the city. From here we will catch the 12:58pm train for a 90 minute journey toward “el Pueblo de Aguas Calientes” (the village of hot water): Machupicchu. When you arrive, a representative will assist you in finding your hotel, where you will receive detailed information about the upcoming events.

At 6:00am, you will leave your hotel to take a short 30 minute bus ride on the dirt roads of Hiram Bingham to the entrance of Machupicchu. From here we will begin a tour of approximately 2 hours through the most famous landmarks of the iconic site: the farming terraces, el Temple del Sol (the temple of the sun), el Temple de las Tres Ventanas (the temple of the three windows), el Temple del Reloj Solar (the temple of the sun clock), Inti Huatana (the sacred rock whose name in the local Quechua language means “the hitching post of the sun”), the industrial areas, and finally el Temple del Cóndor (the temple of the condor). After the guided tour, you will have time to continue exploring this wonder of the world at your own pace. It is important to remember that you will have to take a return bus at a time suggested to you by your guide to be at the train station about 30 minutes before departure in order to have a stress free departure. After the 90 minute train ride back to Ollantaytambo, a representative will assist you in arranging transport back to your hotel in Cusco.

Between 9:00am you will set out from your hotel for a tour of the nearby Valle Sagrado (sacred valley). Throughout your tour we will have a number of brief pauses to take in the spectacular countryside. We will visit the Pisac archeological park, where you will learn about the construction of the terraces, canals, towers, and temples scattered about. All of the painstaking work evident in these structures indicates an innovative level of sophistication in the architects responsible for their creation. We will also bear witness to a number of artifacts in inaccessible areas, famed for their size, location, and longevity. Next, we will visit the picturesque village of Pisac to enjoy its colorful artisan markets. We will continue our journey through the Sacred Valley along the shore of the Vilcanota River, a principal tributary of the Amazon River. Eventually we will arrive at Urubamba where will have a traditional Andean buffet lunch. Finally, we will close out the day with our visit to the Fortress of Ollantaytambo, yet another architectural wonder loaded with intriguing features. After this tour we will return you to your hotel in Cusco.

Have a blast exploring the city of the Inca! Visit museums, check out the marketplaces, today is yours to do or see whatever you would like. If you are still interested in activities outside the city, the south valley is an excellent option to explore some more enchanting archeological sites (some featured attractions: irrigation canals; Andahuaylillas, the Cistine Chapel of South America; and Pikillaccta, a cultural center of the Wari peoples).

At an arranged time, we will arrange for transport from your hotel to the Cuzco airport, where you will depart for Lima. When you arrive, a representative will assist you in making your way to your hotel in Lima where our service will end.