Welcome to Cusco, the capital city of the Incan Empire. As soon as you arrive at the airport, our professional driver and bilingual guide will pick you and your group up from the airport and transfer you immediately to the Sacred Valley. This is done intentionally to help you better acclimate and to reduce your chances of getting altitude sickness. The Sacred Valley (2,800 m) is quite a bit lower in elevation than Cusco (3,339 m) so it makes a great place to unwind after your long flights and get ready for the next few days of adventure. 

Once you arrive at the hotel in the Sacred Valley, feel free to explore the area, sip some coca tea (excellent for fighting altitude sickness), and have a traditional Peruvian dinner before turning in for the night to be fresh for the next day.

After a delicious breakfast at the hotel, we are off to the ancient citadel of Machu Picchu. We go by private transport from the hotel to the train station in Ollantaytambo. The train ride from Ollantaytambo is filled with incredible views of the Urubamba River Valley, lush green mountains, and the impressive Apu Veronica – so make sure you have your camera ready.

Once we arrive at the town of Aguas Calientes, the village that rests below Machu Picchu, we will board a bus and travel up Machu Picchu mountain for approximately 20 minutes. Once at the top, we will enter the ancient citadel of Machu Picchu and listen intently to our bilingual guide as they lead us on a two-and-a-half-hour guided tour of the ruins. Don’t worry, there will be plenty of time to stop along the tour to take photos and learn more about the different sections of the citadel.

After our time in Machu Picchu, we will take the bus back down the mountain to catch a train back to Ollantaytambo. Once we arrive in Ollantaytambo, we will go by private transport back to our hotel and relax for the rest of the evening.

Today is a unique day filled with adventure sports and sightseeing. After we take our breakfast at the hotel, we are off in the van to Laguna Huaypo. Laguna Huaypo is a picturesque lake situated in the high plains between Cusco and the Sacred Valley. Once we arrive at the lake, we will have two hours to navigate the calm waters either by paddleboard or sea kayak. Take your time and enjoy being on the water. Enjoy the incredible views of the ice-capped peaks of Chicon, Capacsaya, and Pumahuanca – Don’t worry, our guide will be able to point out all of these to you. 

Once everyone has returned from their time on the like, it is time to take it up a notch and go to our next destination by ATV (four-wheeler). All of the safety gear and training will be provided before we depart. Once everyone is feeling comfortable, we are off to the salt mines of Maras. 

The salt mines of Maras are an amazing place to visit with its 6,000 different salt ponds. After a little time at the salt mines, we will return to the town of Maras by ATV and have lunch before heading to the archaeological site of Moray. From Moray, we will meet up with our private driver who will then take us to our hotel in the Sacred Valley where we will be free to enjoy the rest of the day on our own.

We hope you got a good rest the night before because today we will be hiking to the ruins of Pumamarca after breakfast. First, we go by private transport to the small community of Mandolidta. From there we will hike for 2.5 hours to the ruins at Pumamarca. We will walk amongst the ruins, take photos, and learn a bit about the history of Pumamarca and its significance to the surrounding area. 

After leaving Pumamarca, we will go again in the van to the indigenous community of Patacancha. After meeting with some of the elders and women of the community, you are in for a real treat. It is here you will get to experience the traditional Inca meal of Pachamanca. 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.

After breakfast at our hotel in the Sacred Valley, it is time to finally head to Cusco to enjoy everything the Incan capital has to offer. We elected to put the Cusco City Tour at the end of your itinerary to make sure you are fully acclimated to the elevation before we spend the entire day walking around the city. The Cusco City Tour includes stops at the cathedral, the temple of Qoricancha, Santo Domingo Convent, Sacsayhuaman, Q’enqo, Puca Pucara, and Tambomachay. This is also an excellent time to pick up any souvenirs you want to bring home.

After the Cusco City Tour, it is time to say goodbye to your guides and catch a flight to Lima to return home.