Trip Overview
Classic Machupicchu 7-day Tour
DAY 1
Welcome to Cusco!
Capital of the Inca Empire
We will greet you outside the Cusco airport and take you to your hotel. We recommend that you take it easy this day because you will need time to acclimate to the altitude. Lima sits at sea-level whereas Cusco sits at just over 11,000ft. We will show you around the main areas of the city and help you buy water, exchange money, and recommend some good restaurants. Cusco is absolutely stunning and is a vibrant city full of both Inca and Spanish architecture.
DAY 2
Historical Immersion
We will meet you in the morning in your hotel lobby and introduce you to your guide. Your guide will be with you for your Cusco City Tour as well as your Sacred Valley Tour on Day 3.
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The Cusco City Tour includes tours of:
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Cathedral Basilica
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Qorikancha
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Saqsayhuaman
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The White Christ (Cristo Blanco)
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Q’enko
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Puca Pucara Fortress (If there is time)
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Tambomachay (If there is time)
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Local Textile Shop (If there is time)
The tour takes about 4 to 5 hours. After the tour you will have free time. Please ask the us or the guide for any recommendations on places to eat Otherwise, explore and enjoy!
DAY 3
Explore the Sacred Valley of the Inca
The Sacred Valley Tour includes tours of:
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The Llama Farm (feed llamas and alpacas!)
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Viewpoint above the Sacred Valley
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Pisaq Market
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Pisaq ruins
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Ollantaytambo Fortress
Today you will be traveling from Cusco to Aguas Calientes (The town below Machupicchu) via the Sacred Valley of the Inca. You will visit an alpaca-farm and have a chance to feed the animals as well as learn a bit about the process of dying the wools. You will also visit the famous Pisaq outdoor market where you can buy beautiful keepsakes and goods. You will also visit the Pisaq archelogical site and the Ollantaytambo Inca fortress.
After visiting Ollantaytambo the guide will lead you to the nearby train station and make sure you are all checked in. Aguas Calientes is only accessible by train. The train ride is about 1.5 – 2 hours. You’ll notice the climate change during the journey. Machu Picchu lies deep within the Urubamba Valley which is a high-jungle climate. It is more humid, warm, and green.
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Once you arrive at Aguas Calientes we will take you to your hotel. If you have the time, take a walk around the town of Aguas Calientes. There are lots of shops and restaurants around. It’s a warm and glowing little town that seems like it’s right out of a movie or a novel.
DAY 4
Machupicchu
"The Lost City of the Inca"
Today you will wake up early and your guide will meet you in the lobby of the hotel. You will take a winding bus ride up the mountain to the entrance of Machupicchu, "The Lost City of the Inca." Your guide will escort you through the and explain the history and mysteries of the city. With breathtaking views, and perfect photo-ops, you are sure to fall in love with Machupicchu. You will later take the bus down and then take the train back to Ollantaytambo. We will great you outside the train station and drive you back to your original hotel in Cusco.
DAY 5
Cultural Immersion
In the morning you will begin your tour of Maras, Moray, and Chincheros. Maras is a collection of thousands of pre-Inca salt pools. They are still in use today producing salt. Next you will visit Moray, a collection of circular terraces used by the Inca to acclimate crops to different climates and altitudes. You will also stop in Chincheros, a town where some of the best weavers in the world live. You will learn about the traditional methods for making yarns and dyes that has been used for millennia in the Andes.
DAY 6
Free Day
Relax, explore the beautiful city of Cusco, and shop! We would be happy to take you to the local San Pedro Market in the morning. Just let us know.
There are some great museums you can visit, restaurants to try, and sites to see.
DAY 7
Relaxation and Head Home
Feel free to walk the city some more before your flight. We will meet you at your hotel and take you to the Cusco airport with plenty of time to get checked-in and through security.
Think back on all your amazing experiences on your trip to Peru.
We hope you will stay in touch with us!