This six days and five nights trip has been created to visit the unmissable region of Cusco and its most significant places or highlights .....
You will be able to visit the beautiful archaeological sites surrounding the city of Cusco named as 4 Ruins. In addition, you will have the opportunity to visit the complex of Pisac and its colorful traditional market, stop at the fortress of Ollantaytambo, visit the salt mines of Maras and the ancestral laboratory of Moray.
Of course, we could not miss the expedition to discover the majestic citadel of Machupicchu, still shrouded in wonder and mystery.
Also, if you are interested in a short hike, this program is for you, as we will take you to visit the famous Rainbow Mountain, known for its beautiful red colors and then the spectacular Humantay Lagoon with an impressive and imposing view of the Salkantay Glacier.
Upon arrival at the airport or bus station in Cusco, a private driver will meet you and take you to your hotel located in the center of Cusco. Free time to adjust to the altitude and explore the city center.
In the early afternoon, a vehicle (private or shared depending on what you have selected) will be ready to take us to the archaeological site of Tambomachay.
From there, everyone descends on foot to PucaPucara, Kenko and Sacsayhuaman. The latter is a fortress, and was built on a hill, overlooking the city of Cusco. It is characterized by its giant blocks of stones nested to the nearest millimeter, some of which exceed 9 meters (29.5 feet) in height and weigh more than 550 tons.
After visiting these 4 ruins, we will continue our descent to the Plaza de Armas, the center of the Inca capital. We will start with the cathedral, an impressive building that has many paintings of the Cusquenian School (Cusco School) as well as real treasures of gold and silver work. We will continue our discovery in Santo Domingo and the Koricancha Monastery, ancient temple of the Sun.
Rest of the day at leisure and overnight in Cusco.
Chinchero is a town that seems to have been frozen in time; there we will find magnificent Inca sites, we will be able to see the incredible traditional market where there are all kinds of souvenirs and traditional Andean clothing.
Then, we will continue to the archaeological site of Moray that, according to historians, the place has constructions that were part of an agricultural research in the Inca Empire.
The next stop will be the viewpoint of Las Salineras de Maras, where you will see hundreds of artisanal ponds exploited since pre-Columbian times. The water comes from a salt source. Once evaporated, a thin layer of salt is deposited there to be harvested immediately.
We will continue our descent into the Sacred Valley to the town of Ollantaytambo, we will visit the imposing archaeological fortress. Finally we will walk to the train station in the same town and take the train to Aguas Calientes, a small town located at the foot of the famous Machupicchu.
Arrival and installation at the hotel. Overnight in Aguas Calientes.
* In order to guarantee a safe and punctual service, the national train company Perurail requests passengers going to Machupicchu to carry only a small backpack of 5kg and 157cm (height + width + length) maximum or a cabin/carry on type bag. Please note that the company has become very strict about these restrictions. Large suitcases and travel bags will not be accepted on the train.
You will leave your luggage at the hotel in Cusco prior to the excursion. After the Machupicchu excursion, you will return to the hotel in Cusco.
Early in the morning, you will take the shared bus to climb the most famous Inca site in the country: Machupicchu, "old summit" in Quechua.
During your guided tour (about 2 h), you will discover, still shrouded in the morning mist, this architectural complex built on a narrow ridge bordered by cliffs. A breathtaking view that improves with the progression of the sun.
Then you will walk through the alleys of the citadel, its neighborhoods, its squares, its royal houses, its agricultural areas, its trails and its observatories.
After the guided tour, we descend in the afternoon to Aguas Calientes to take the train to Poroy (the closest train stop to the city of Cusco).
Arrival in Poroy and transfer to your hotel. Overnight in Cusco (No assistance on arrival).
Additional activities to do on site: (not included in the package and booked in advance).
Very early in the morning, our transportation will pick us up from the hotel and drive us to Vinincunca or the so-called Colored Mountain, known for its beautiful red colors.
After approximately 2 hours, we will stop for breakfast in the village of Cusipata - Paucarpata and then continue to our final destination. We will follow the route for another 1 hour until we reach the starting point of the hike.
The ascent to the viewpoint is about 2h; meanwhile we will see a large number of llamas and alpacas that are at the mercy of shepherds with beautiful and colorful costumes typical of the place. We will pass through beautiful ravines in the direction of the highest parts, surrounded by snow-capped mountains (Nevado Ausangate).
Upon reaching this point, our guide will explain about the orography, ecosystem and color of the mountain, while we witness wonderful views, take pictures and breathe the purest air of all.
The descent will be through the Red Valley, where we will be able to see for the last time the Vinincunca mountain and start our way back to Cusco, with a stop for lunch.
Arrival in Cusco and overnight.
Remember that travelers making the trip to Rainbow Mountain must be in good physical condition and adapted to the high altitude.
