The window to the heart of the Andes

The Essence of Cusco

(5 day trip to Cusco)

A trip into the heart of the Inca Empire, visiting the Sacred Valley and the magnificent ruins of Machu Picchu, as well as experiencing the colonial splendor left by the Spanish invasion which transformed the continent of South America in the 16th century.

Cusco – Sacred Valley of the Incas (Urubamba) – Machupicchu - Cusco

Day 1: Arrival in Lima – Flight to Cusco

On arrival you will be met by our representative at the airport and transferred to the Hotel Monasterio in Cusco, where we will help you with check in and leave you plenty of time to rest and relax before your afternoon tour of the city of Cusco. After lunch you will be accompanied by an expert guide as you visit the best of the city’s many attractions, which include: the Inca Temple of the Sun (Qorikancha), with its remarkably fine stonework; the cathedral with its many paintings and other treasures of colonial-era art; the Saqsayhuaman Archeological Park, which includes visits to the immense fortress temple itself, the fertility temple of Qenqo, the water shrine of Tambomachay and the Puca Pucara fort.

Day 2: Explore the Sacred Valley of the Incas – Urubamba

We will have an entire day to enjoy the Sacred Valley of the Incas, visiting its many archaeological sites, old colonial-style villages and colorful local markets in the company of an expert guide. Our first stop will be the village of Pisaq, with its traditional market where locals trade their goods and offer visitors their handcrafts.

(Lunch in the valley)

In the afternoon we will drive through the Sacred Valley as far as the Inca village of Ollantaytambo, where you will have time to walk along the original narrow Inca original streets and visit the imposing Inca archaeological site of the same name above the village.

(Overnight at Casa Andina Private Collection Hotel in the Urubamba valley)

Day 3: Machupicchu

Today we make the short drive from our valley hotel to Ollantaytambo train station to take the Vistadome train to Machupicchu; the spectacular route will take us through cloud forest vegetation as far as the village below the ruins of the ancient city. Upon arrival in the village of Aguas Calientes we take a 25 minute bus journey to Machupicchu and there our guide will give you a complete tour of this new wonder of the world, which remained hidden in the dense forest until its discovery by the American scholar and explorer Hiram Bingham in 1911.

(Overnight at the Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel)

Day 4: Machupicchu – Cusco

Led by our guide, today you will have another chance to explore the city of Machu Picchu, as well as the mountain which rises behind the ruins (Huayna Picchu), or the Inca drawbridge which is just a 30-minute walk away. Another option is to take the trail to the Sun Gate above Machu Picchu, from where there are fine panoramic views of the Inca city. In the afternoon we will take the Vistadome train back to Ollantaytambo station, where you will be met by our representative and driven back through the Sacred Valley to the Hotel Monasterio in Cusco.

Day 5: Cusco – Lima

Today you will have the morning free to walk or shop in Cusco’s historic center, with its beautiful churches, Inca palaces, fountains, plazas, stores, restaurants and cafes.

In the afternoon we will drive you to the airport for your flight to Lima.