After arriving at the airport, it is time to check into the hotel and explore one of the most famous cities in the world, Cusco, Peru. From the airport, we will go to the hotel by private transport. After check-in, you can drop off your belongings and pack a light bag before we head out on the Cusco City Tour. We will be taking it slow today so you can properly acclimate to the elevation (3400m/11,154ft). Also, be sure to grab a glass of coca tea before we leave the hotel. Coca tea is great for combating the symptoms of altitude sickness.

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 get on the tour bus 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. Ask our bilingual guide for some stellar restaurant recommendations or for a good place to find a great view of the city. Tonight, we sleep in Cusco and then head to the Sacred Valley in the morning.

After a delicious 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 “breadbasket” 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 before heading to the fortress of Ollantaytambo. 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 our time at Moray and Maras, we will head to the town of Ollantaytambo, one of the last holdouts for the Incas during the Spanish Inquisition. The town is cute and full of history. 

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.

Today will be a long one, so hopefully you got some good rest before we head to starting our trek. After breakfast, we will head to KM 104, the unofficial start of the abbreviated Inca Trail Trek. 

The initial hike takes around 2-3 hours along a trail consisting of Inca stone steps where your guide will point out endemic flora and fauna. Just before arriving at Winay Wayna, the trail passes a beautiful waterfall. Winay Wayna ruins are named after an orchid, which in the native Quechua language means ‘Forever Young’. At the summit of these ruins, enjoy lunch with a dramatic view over the Sacred Valley.

The trail continues for a further 1-1.5 hours to the Sun Gate (Inti Punku) where you will experience the magical view of Machu Picchu for the first time – absolutely breathtaking! 

Descend into the citadel before taking the bus to nearby Aguas Calientes, where you will stay overnight.

Today, we finally get to see Machu Picchu and all of its glory. After breakfast, we will gather our things and walk to where the buses pick people up to take them up the mountain and to the gates of Machu Picchu. After approximately 20 minutes on the bus, we will have arrived at the entrance to one of the most iconic places in the world. Follow your bilingual guide through the ruins as they explain to you everything they know about the history, culture, religion, and everyday life of the 500 or so inhabitants that once lived in the ancient citadel. 

After approximately two and half hours, it will be time to take the bus back down the mountain to catch the train back to Ollantaytambo. After we arrive in Ollantaytambo, we will travel by private transport back to Cusco where we will relax and spend the night.

After waking up in Cusco, it is time to say goodbye and either head to the airport to return to your home country or continue traveling in Peru on your own. We highly recommend that you spend some more time in Peru if you can because there is so much to see and do.