DAY 01 – WELCOME TO LIMA, PERU
Upon arrival in Lima, you will be met by our representative and driver at Jorge Chavez International Airport, who’s will be transferring you to your hotel in Miraflores, Lima.
Our representative will assist you with check-in procedures and provide you with a detailed itinerary, vouchers covering all the services included in your tour, and additional information on the organization of your Peru trip.
Meals Included: None
DAY 02 – LIMA COLONIAL CITY TOUR, LARCO MUSEUM & DINNER SHOW
Get ready for a busy morning, starting with a guided sightseeing tour to the most attractive and important sites in Lima, the “City of Kings”. The tour includes Lima’s Historical Center, Casa Aliaga, passing by Plaza San Martin, Plaza Mayor, the Government Palace, the City Hall, the Cathedral and its Religious Art Museum, as well as San Francisco Monastery and its famous underground crypts are known as the Catacombs.
We continue to the Museo Larco a housed in an exquisite 18th century vice-royal mansion, built over a 7th century pre-Columbian pyramid and surrounded by beautiful gardens. The museum’s galleries exhibit the finest and most magnificent gold and jewelry treasures from Ancient Peru and the renowned erotic collection, one of Peru’s most celebrated attractions.
Then, spend a night out at La Dama Juana Restaurant, where you’ll enjoy a tasty Peruvian buffet and folkloric dancing.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 03 – TRANSFER IN CUSCO + ARCHEOLOGICAL CITY TOUR
Upon arrival at Cusco Airport, you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel. Our representative will provide you with a detailed itinerary, entrance tickets covering all the services included in your tour, and additional information on the organization of your Machu Picchu experience.
Half-Day Archeological Cusco City Tour
This afternoon you’ll enjoy a guided sightseeing tour of Cusco, with your guide to the first ruin site (Tambomachay). As you walk to and visit each archaeological site, your guide will explain the history, architecture, and local traditions. The four sites are Tambomachay, Puca Pucara, Q’enko, and Sacsayhuaman. After exploring the last ruin site, you will walk down to the Plaza de Armas in Cusco City. With examples of Inca history and architecture. Visit the city’s most important historical monuments that reveal the influence of different cultures: The Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral dating from Spanish vice-royalty times, built with great slabs of red granite renaissance style in contrast with the baroque style silverwork of its interior and, the Santo Domingo church built upon the foundations of the Inca temple Qorikancha, dedicated to worship the Sun God.
Meals Included: Breakfast
DAY 04 – CUSCO – OLLANTAYTAMBO – MALAGA PASS – CHAULLAY – VILCABAMBA (HUANCACALLE)
Our journey starts early in the morning by bus. First, we will head towards the northwest of Cusco and pass the ancestral towns of Chinchero (3760m/12336f) and Ollantaytambo (2850m/9350f), situated in one of the most fertile regions to cultivate maize. Thereafter the road leads us to the highest point of the trip: the Malaga Pass (4315m/14157f). While descending through the valley of Amaybamba we will enjoy the exceptional view of snow-capped mountains and cloudy forests. Then we will pass Chaullay (1200m/3937f) and head for Huancacalle (3000m/9843f). Here we will spend the night in a domestic hotel or camping.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 05 – VILCABAMBA (HUANCACALLE) – VITCOS ROSASPATA – PUMACHACA PASS – AZUTINA PASS – INKA WASI – RACACHACA
On this day we will visit the archaeological sites of Vitcos Rosaspata (3080m/10105f) and Ñustahispana (3050m/10007f). Furthermore, our trek leads us through beautiful vegetation to the mountain pass of Azutina (3900m/12795f) and Pumachaca (4000m/13123f). Our campsite will be in the community of Racachaca (3700m/12139f).
- Climate: mild, cold climate and mosquitoes
- Hiking time: 8 hours
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 06 – RACACHACA – HATÚN PAMPA – MOJON PASS – LACCOCOCHA
During this day some curious Andean people will welcome us cordially and will tell us about its customs and traditions. Thereafter we will cross three passes (highest points) known as Yanacocha (4420m/14501f), Tullu Tacana (4500m/14436f) and Mojon (4500m/14763f), where you would get an exceptional view of the snow-capped Salkantay (6264m/20551f). After lunch, we will descent towards Laccococha (3600m/11811f), the place where will spend the night in our tents.
- Climate: cold
- Hiking time: 7 hours
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 07 – LACCOCOCHA – MUTUY PATA – YANATILE – HYDROELECTRIC STATION – AGUAS CALIENTES
Our day starts early in the morning with a nice breakfast and an exceptional view of the mountains. While passing the forest of Mutuypata (3250m/10663f) we will enjoy the region’s rich flora consisting of a variety of orchids and other beautiful plants. Moreover, we will see coffee- and fruit plantations. In the little village Yanatile (2000m/6562f) we will take transport and head for the hydroelectric station, where we will take the train to Aguas Calientes.
- Overnight in a hotel of Aguas Calientes town.
- Climate: cold and warm with mosquitoes
- Hiking time: 7 hours
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 08 – SUNRISE MACHU PICCHU EXCURSION
We will leave our hotel after breakfast at 5:30 am and head for Machu Picchu (2400m/7874f) by tourist bus. We will arrive at the citadel around 6:00 am. After a guided tour around the archaeological site, including information about the life and culture of the Incas, you will have enough time to enjoy Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu (2750m/9022f) on your own. We will leave Aguas Calientes by train around 18hrs 20. Until then you will have time to have lunch in one of the nice restaurants. Moreover, you can visit the hot springs in Aguas Calientes to relax a little bit.
- Climate: moderate warm
- Hiking time: 2 hours
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
OPTIONAL
HIKE UP TO HUAYNA PICCHU, the mountain behind Machu Picchu. This hike is strenuous and recommended only for travelers comfortable with heights and who have a good fitness level.
A fair amount of climbing is required. Get fabulous views of Machu Picchu from the top. Total time for this excursion is 2.5 hours. You may want to extend your hike and go to the Moon Temple as well, which is close to Huayna Picchu. This adds an extra hour total to this excursion. Total time for the Huayna Picchu visit, including the Moon Temple, is 3.5 hours. (This hike requires advanced reservations.
DAY 09 – MARAS MORAY TOUR & TRANSFER OUT CUSCO AND FLIGHT BACK HOME
Today you will set off in the direction of the Sacred Valley to the town of Chinchero, an authentic Andean village with lots of character, where we will find the colonial church that houses a large collection of painting from the Cusqueñan School of Art.
Next, continue to the salt fields of Maras and its seemingly never-ending terraces, where salt extracted from springs is stored. The use of Maras Salt dates back thousands of years and is inherited from generation to generation and managed communally.
Continue your excursion to admire the Moray terraces, believed to be a former gigantic agricultural laboratory, an astronomical observatory or a place of worship, or maybe all three. It is thought that Moray was used for plant adaptation to new climatic environments thanks to its circular terraces in immense cone-shaped depressions of 47 to 84 m that resemble giant fingerprints or contour lines.
At the scheduled time you will be shuttled from the hotel to the airport to board your flight back to Lima. Our representative will assist you with check-in procedures and then to your connecting flight back home.
Meals Included: Breakfast
