Cusco, Sacred Valley & Machu Picchu
5 DAYS / 4 Nights

DAY 1 - IQUITOS or LIMA / CUSCO
Upon arrival to Cusco, over 11,000 meters above sea level, you will be met at the airport and board transportation to your hotel. You will need a few hours at leisure to acclimatize to the altitude in Cusco. In the afternoon*, you will go on a city tour, visiting the Cathedral of Cusco, Qoricancha (place of the gold) and archaeological sites near the city: Sacsayhuaman, an amazing Inca fortress made from huge stones that fit together like puzzle pieces without mortar and where it is impossible to squeeze even a knife blade between the stones. After visiting Sacsayhuaman you will continue to Qenqo, a temple dedicated to Mother Earth with complex tunnels and stone carved figures passing Puca Pucara, an Inca road checkpoint. At the ceremonial sites of Tambomachay, known as the “Inca’s Baths”, you will observe crafted canals and aqueducts which highlight the Inca’s extraordinary architectural talents and knowledge of hydraulics. At the end of this tour you will return to the hotel. Ask your guide about suggested dining places for dinner.

Private transport for airport transfers and collective bus for the afternoon tour
English speaking assistance and guide
Accommodation at selected hotel in Cuzco

DAY 2 - FULL DAY TOUR TO THE SACRED VALLEY
After a buffet breakfast at the hotel you will take a bus to the Sacred Valley of the Incas, going to the archeological site and village of Pisac where you will walk through their colorful Indian market. From Pisac, you will drive through the beautiful scenery of the Sacred Valley travelling to the North with a stop in the town of Urubamba for a buffet lunch. After lunch you will continue to the village of Ollantaytambo a strategic military, agricultural and religious center for the Incas. Your last stop will be in the town of Chinchero where there are several open demonstrations of traditional fabric arts. At the ______ Center you will learn how handmade textiles are produced; each piece requiring physical stamina, time, dedication and skill. You will also learn about the Andean culture where the principal language in rural areas is Quechua and where clothing, hats and hairstyles are used to distinguish members from different villages and even marital status. Ollantaytambo and Chinchero have been continuously occupied since the 1400’s. In the afternoon you will return to Cusco and your hotel.
Breakfast, Lunch
Collective bus for the Sacred Valley tour
English speaking guide
Accommodation at selected hotel in Cuzco

DAY 3 - CUSCO / MACHU PICCHU
After a buffet breakfast at the hotel you will take a bus to the Ollantaytambo train station (1:40 hrs) where you will board the Vistadome or Expedition train for a scenic trip through the Urubamba Valley to the town of Aguas Calientes located in a deep gorge below the ruins of Machu Picchu. You will enjoy lunch before taking a bus up to the breathtaking Lost City of the Incas, Machu Picchu, the most famous Inca citadel and one of the New 7 Wonders of the New World. Your guide will take you through the ruins and talk about this awe-inspiring ancient Incan city which was never discovered by the conquering Spaniards. After visiting Machu Picchu, you will return to the town of Aguas Calientes where there will be time in the late afternoon to walk around the town’s labyrinth of cobbled streets with scores of shops and restaurants and railroad tracks running through the center of town.

Breakfast, Lunch
Private transport for the Ollantaytambo train station transfer, collective bus transfers between Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu
Local English speaking guide.
Accommodation at selected hotel in Aguas Calientes

DAY 4 - HUAYNA PICCHU or MACHU PICCHU / CUSCO**
After a buffet breakfast, you will return by bus to the entrance to Machu Picchu and continue on by foot to Huayna Picchu, the mountain peak adjacent to Machu Picchu. There is limited access to this ascent of just over 1,000 feet which requires no technical skills but offers an extraordinary bird’s eye view of the Citadel, more than worth the effort of getting there. You will return to Aguas Calientes for lunch and take the train back to Cusco again passing through the beautiful Urubamba Valley. From the Ollantaytambo train station, you will be transferred by bus to your hotel in Cusco.

Breakfast, Lunch
Collective bus transfers between Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu, Private transport from the
Ollantaytambo train station to Cusco
Local English speaking guide.
Accommodation at selected hotel in Cuzco.

**For this itinerary including Huayna Picchu, daily entrances are limited and space must be reserved 6 months prior to arrival. Guests confirming less than 6 months prior to arrival may not be able to include Huayna Picchu in their itinerary. In this case your program will include a 2nd entrance into Machu Picchu.

DAY 5 CUSCO / LIMA
If your arrival was late on Day 1 and if your flight time allows, you will visit the archaeological site of Sacsayhuaman this morning. If you arrived early on Day 1, you can depart Cusco this morning, explore the city center on your own or add a walking tour to the neighborhood of San Blas (see below). Your transfer to the airport is included and you will be picked up from the hotel at the appropriate time for your flight.

Breakfast
Private transport for the airport transfer
English speaking assistance and guide.