Magic Cusco

Upon arrival, you are welcomed by your friendly host who will drives you to your hotel. On route, your host are going to give you a briefing about Cusco and your complete itinerary.

The same day in the afternoon we will visit the main attractions around the Plaza de Armas: The Cathedral that is the most imposing monument in the Main Square with its magnificently carved woodwork, ornate altar and many hundreds of canvases from the 17th-century Cusco Painting School. The Inca Museum that has the best and complete resuming of our history. Finally, we will visit the Temple of the Sun (Koricancha) inside the Santo Domingo church that was the principal place for the worship to the sun god. After that, we will get away from the crowds to visit Sacsayhuaman, an impressive fortress full of colossal structures surrounded by beautiful landscapes in complete communion with nature.
At the end of the tour through the city, we will end at your hotel.

Overnight in Cusco.

We depart early from your Hotel to the Sacred Valley of the Incas where we will visit Chinchero village and market, which are former agricultural center, composed of 12 ayllus (tribes) or indigenous communities. Its inhabitants are dedicated to agriculture. On Sunday there is a fair where local people meet to sell their products. From the Chinchero plateau we begin our descent into the Sacred Valley, with beautiful landscapes and the backdrop of snow-capped peaks. Then we will continue to Maras. About 7 Km (4.3 mi) away southwest from Maras is Moray, a very unique archaeological site, where enormous natural depressions or hollows in the ground surface where used for constructing irrigated farming terraces. What is surprising is that the difference of average annual temperature between the top and the bottom reaches even about 15˚C (59˚F) in the main depression that is about 30 m (100 ft.) deep. In these natural formations, nature has created an environment or microclimates that in modern times people create in greenhouses or hothouses.
Towards the northwest of the Maras Village are the famous “salt pans”, where considerable volume of solid salt is obtained; about 10 cm (4 inches) high from the floor. That solid salt is beaten granulated, then packed in sacks and sent to the region’s markets. Today that salt is being treated with iodine, thus its consumption is benign. In the neighborhood of these sites, we will have lunch with beautiful views if the surrounding landscapes.
In the afternoon, we’ll visit the impressive Ollantaytambo fortress, one of the few places where the Spanish were defeated in a battle during their conquest and on route we will visit a traditional house (Chicheria). At Ollantaytambo we can see Inca canchas, enclosures of multi-family living quarters that share just one exit to the street, ingenious stonework, cobbled streets and an extensive communal water system that survives to this day. We will visit the Inca site known as a fortress due to its hilltop domination of the surrounding valley and magnificent shore-world.

At the end of our experience we will leave you at your selected hotel or at the train station to catch the train to Machupicchu Pueblo.

Overnight in the Sacred Valley or Machupicchu Town (Aguas Calientes)
breakfast/lunch

Early transfer from your Hotel to Ollantaytambo train station where we board our train to the town of Aguas Calientes (also called Machu Picchu Pueblo), at the base of Machu Picchu Mountain. Our breathtaking train journey takes us along the Urubamba River, winding through a narrow valley, where we begin to note the landscape changing to lush forests and steep cliffs indicative of the cloud forest surrounding this mythical site. Upon arriving in Aguas Calientes, our guide will offer several options to best plan your visit based on your timing and interests.

We may take the bus to Machu Picchu and begin our exploration of these amazing Inka Site. Our guide will introduce us to this mesmerizing site, and following lunch at the Sanctuary Lodge, there will be time for you to explore the lost city on your own. For those who are feeling more adventurous, you can venture up to Intipunku (the Sun Gate), Inca Bridge, or you may simply choose to find a quiet spot from which to soak in the splendor.

Upon concluding our excursion to Machu Picchu, we travel back to Cusco in style aboard the Hiram Bingham Luxury Train (or the train of your preference). This is a highlight of our journey, as we unwind over a delicious gourmet meal and listen to lively Peruvian musicians. 
Once in Cusco, we will transfer to your hotel.

*This day, depending on availability and in case we had arrived at Machu Picchu the night before, we will have the option of visiting Huaynapicchu or Machupicchu Mountain.

Overnight in Cusco.
breakfast/lunch

At the proper time, we will pick you up from your hotel to transfer to the airport for the flight to your next destination.