Cusco Valley 8D/7N

Day 1 — Arrival and City Tour in Cusco

When you arrive at the airport in the city of Cusco, our staff will be waiting to take you to your hotel in the city. When you reach the hotel you will have a few hours to acclimatize to the altitude.

In the afternoon we start the Cusco City Tour. We pick you up in our transport and take you to the city center. Our first stop is the Cusco Cathedral, on the main square. After the guided visit through the Cathedral we walk to Qoricancha, or the Temple of the Sun, a place where Inca and Spanish cultures meet.

When the Qoricancha visit ends we leave the city of Cusco. Our first stop is the Sacsayhuamán archaeological site, where our guide will explain the importance of its imposing walls. We then continue a few minutes farther outside Cusco to Qenqo, where you will get to know this mysterious place.

To close the tour we visit Pucapucara and Tambomachay to learn a little more about the Incas. When the route ends we return in our transport to the city of Cusco and take you back to your hotel.

Day 2 — Sacred Valley Tour – Aguas Calientes

You have breakfast at your hotel in Cusco and our transport comes to pick you up. Your hotel must be in the center of the city of Cusco; if it is outside the center, arrange your additional transfer with our travel agency. On the way we stop at the Taray viewpoint for photos of the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

We continue with the visit to the Pisaq archaeological site and then to the Pisaq craft market, where you can buy a few souvenirs. We then go to Urubamba, where you enjoy our buffet lunch.

After lunch we continue to Ollantaytambo to visit its archaeological site. When the tour ends we go to the Ollantaytambo station, where we board the train bound for Aguas Calientes; the ride takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes.

At the Aguas Calientes train station we will be waiting to take you to your hotel, where you will have a briefing with your guide. Hotel night in Aguas Calientes.

Day 3 — Machu Picchu Full Day – Cusco

You have breakfast at your hotel in Aguas Calientes and we transfer you to the bus station. There we board the bus toward the Machu Picchu Sanctuary. After entering the sanctuary we start the tour of Machu Picchu with our guide, for about 2 hours.

When the visit ends we take the return bus from the sanctuary to Aguas Calientes, where we have lunch. To get back to Cusco we go to the Aguas Calientes station and board our train back to Ollantaytambo.

In Ollantaytambo our transport will be waiting to return to the city of Cusco, where we take you to your hotel.

Day 4 — Cusco South Valley Tour

You have breakfast at your hotel in Cusco and our South Valley tour starts by picking you up at your hotel. We board our transport and head south of the city of Cusco. Our first stop is the Tipón archaeological site, where we take a guided walk to see its streets and its beautifully built water channels.

We then board our transport toward Pikillaqta, where we also have a guided visit to see what its ancient streets are like. When the Pikillaqta visit ends we go to Andahuaylillas to visit its church, known as the Sistine Chapel of the Americas.

When the tour ends we board our transport and return to the city of Cusco.

Day 5 — Humantay Lake Tour

Today you do not have breakfast at the hotel because we leave very early for Humantay Lake. We board our transport bound for Mollepata, where we have breakfast. We then continue in our transport until we reach Soraypampa, where we start the hike.

The hike from Soraypampa to Humantay Lake takes about 1 hour, and along the way our guide will show you the beautiful places on the route. When you reach Humantay Lake you can take photographs and hear our guide’s explanation.

After a reasonable time we return to Soraypampa, where we have lunch. After lunch we board our transport back to the city of Cusco and take you back to your hotel.

Day 6 — Maras Moray half-day tour

You have breakfast at your hotel and our Maras, Moray, and salt mines tour starts by picking you up at your hotel in Cusco. We board our transport bound for the Sacred Valley of the Incas and make a first stop in Chinchero, where you have a guided visit to a place where animal wool is dyed and hundreds of garments are woven with those same materials.

We then board our transport again to Moray and walk its archaeological site, a set of circular terraces that in their time were used for agricultural experiments with climate. After visiting Moray and taking remarkable photos, we go to Maras to see the salt mines.

We walk the Maras salt mines, natural salt ponds from which a mineral (salt) is obtained and used for medicinal purposes. When the visit ends we board our transport to return to the city of Cusco, take you back to your hotel, and you have the rest of the day free for activities that are not guided.

Day 7 — Rainbow Mountain Full-Day Tour

Today you leave the hotel without breakfast because we start the tour before dawn. We board our transport bound for Cusipata, south of the city of Cusco; the drive takes about 2 hours. When we reach Cusipata we have breakfast and, when we finish, we board the transport again for one more hour until we reach the start of our hike.

We start the hike toward Rainbow Mountain, lasting about 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes. When we reach our final point you can take in Rainbow Mountain, take photos, and enjoy the setting.

At the right time we start the return trip to Cusipata, where we have lunch. When lunch ends we set off back to the city of Cusco and take you back to your hotel.

Day 8 — End of the trip

You have breakfast at your hotel and have the day free for activities that are not guided.

At the right time, our travel agency comes to pick you up and take you to the airport, where we say goodbye.