After arriving at the airport in Cusco, we will pick you up and get you to your hotel where you can check in and recover from your flight. Being in Cusco can be tough for even the most athletic individuals as we are now at approximately 3,400 meters/11,155 feet above sea level. Depending on how you feel and what time you arrive, feel free to explore the city of Cusco on your own or rest with some coca tea at the hotel. Get a good night’s sleep tonight as we will start our Peru adventure early the next day.

After a wonderful breakfast, we will pack our day packs and head out for the Cusco City Tour. The Cusco City Tour starts by visiting the Qorikancha or Golden Temple, considered the most important religious center of the Incas. We will also visit the Plaza de Armas and the Cathedral of Cusco, to admire its beautiful architecture and colonial paintings before we go by private transport to that will take us to visit four nearby archaeological centers: Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Puka Pukara, and Tambomachay.

After the tour, you are free to return to the hotel to rest or continue exploring the city of Cusco on your own. You will also have plenty of free time to explore the city as you wish and stock up on some gifts for friends and family back home. Also, be sure to ask our bilingual guide for some stellar restaurant recommendations or for a good place to grab a Pisco Sour. Tonight, we sleep in Cusco.

After breakfast at the hotel in Cusco, we will go by private transport deep into the Sacred Valley. The Sacred Valley is considered one of the most important agricultural regions in all of Peru, and historically, it was the “bread basket” of the Inca Empire. You will know why as soon as we leave Cusco and start to descend into the Valley filled with lush green mountains, fertile soil, and farms for as far as the eye can see.

While in the Sacred Valley, we will visit two famous sites: Moray and Maras. Moray is considered to be an agricultural laboratory that the Incas used to test various crops at different elevations to see what grew best at specific elevations and climate zones. Maras, also known as the Salineras de Maras, is an area made up of more than 3,000 natural salt wells that are fed by a hypersaline underground spring that originated 110 million years ago during the formation of the Andes Mountains. Both Moray and Maras are places that anyone visiting Peru must see.

After leaving Moray and Maras, we continue to the town of Ollantaytambo where we can explore the famous fortress of Ollantaytambo where the Incas made their last stand against the Spanish during the Spanish Inquisition. 

Tonight, we rest and sleep beneath the incredible star-filled skies of the Sacred Valley. If you are into astronomy, make sure you take this opportunity to see the night sky of the southern hemisphere away from all of the lights.

After a restful night’s sleep and a delicious breakfast, today we will go by private transport to the indigenous community of Patacancha high up in the mountains above Ollantaytambo. After a short ride, we will arrive in the community where we will be greeted by several important women who will be our guides while we are in Patacancha. Not to worry, our guide will be there to translate to ensure you don’t miss a thing.

First on the agenda is a llama ceremony. A llama ceremony is a special tradition that not many tourists get to see. The ceremony begins with the decoration of all of the baby llamas with flowers and natural colors. Next, a special type of water is made that is then thrown over the heads of the llamas as prayers are spoken and the people of the community dance around the herd. The ceremony ends by releasing all of the llamas back into the mountains.

After the llama ceremony, we will meet with our guides once againto enjoy a weaving demonstration. They will show us how they take the alpaca wool, color it, and then weave various textiles. After the demonstration, you will have the opportunity to weave your own small bracelet if you wish.

Before it’s time to say goodbye and give thanks to the community, we are invited to sit down for a traditional Pachamanca lunch. Pachamanca is a customary way of cooking food where various types of meat like beef, lamb, chicken, pork, and alpaca are mixed with potatoes, carrots, and other vegetables and then cooked by placing everything over red hot rocks and covering it with vegetation, a tarp, and then dirt. 

After we stuff ourselves to the brim, we return to the comfort of our hotel in the Sacred Valley where you can rest and enjoy some free time for the remainder of the day.

Early morning departure to get to KM104, the start point of the short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. The 1-hour journey takes you through the valley, flanked on each side by dramatic, steep mountains.

Once clearing formalities at the checkpoint, the first ruins visited are Chachabamba at 2170m. Chachabamba is one of the last shelters used by the Incas before reaching Machu Picchu. The trail continues uphill for around another 2-3 hours where we will be surrounded by flora and fauna in the magical cloud forest. Admire the spectacular waterfall before reaching Winay Wayna, named after an orchid and meaning ‘Forever Young’ in the local indigenous language, Quechua. The many terraces of the site were used to grow crops. 

After lunch and some rest at Winay Wayna, the trail continues for around 1.5 hours until you reach Inti Punku (the Sun Gate) at 2720m. Inti Punku offers the first spectacular view of Machu Picchu. From this viewpoint, the immense size of the site will take your breath away. After some time to take some amazing photographs, we will continue downhill to the ancient citadel of Machu Picchu where we will return the next day for a full guided tour. 

After we pass through Machu Picchu, we will continue the hike down the mountain and to the town of Aguas Calientes. Overnight in Aguas Calientes.

After breakfast, it is time to return to Machu Picchu where we can explore the ruins and learn all about the historical and cultural significance of the site. The tour typically lasts around two and a half hours. Once the tour is complete, you may choose to climb Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain, however, please note an extra permit is required (please ask for more details). If you don’t feel like hiking up to Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain (they can be quite difficult) you can return to Aguas Calientes to relax and eat some lunch before we take the train back to Ollantaytambo. When it is time, we will hop abroad the train and head back to Ollantaytambo where we will go by private transport to Cusco.

Tonight will be our last night in Cusco, so go ahead and make the most of it by purchasing some last-minute souvenirs, finding some live music, or hitting up one of the spas located in the city before retiring to the hotel for the night.

Today is the last day of the tour, so if you are planning on returning to your home country today, please let us know when your flight is and we can arrange transportation for you. If you are continuing your travel in Peru, go ahead and ask us about options to continue your adventure in the Amazon Rainforest, Lake Titicaca, or the bustling capital city of Lima. We are here to make your entire Peru journey the trip of a lifetime.