We pick you up from the airport (if you arrive in the morning better) and Head out on foot with your local guide today to the backstreets of Cusco along the cobblestone alleyways and plazas. Take in the sights and smells of the sprawling San Pedro market and try out a glass of fresh fruit juice from one of the stalls. Head up through the oldest part of the city to the temples and aqueduct of Sapantiana with a cascading waterfall tumbling over the stone steps. Carry on to the San Blas neighborhood for awesome views over the city and to eat a delicious lunch at a local restaurant.

Accommodations: Rumi Punku (or similar)
Meals Included: None
Entrance Tickets: Included

At 1 p.m., we will meet you at your hotel lobby to begin your tour. From here, you will head to Cusco’s Plaza de Armas, where you will visit the famous cathedral. Following, you will continue on foot through an ancient Inca-built street from the Plaza de Armas to the Q’oricancha, the Temple of the Sun. At the Q’oricancha you will be able to compare and contrast the building methods of the Incan culture and Catholicism. This was the key spiritual center of the Incas, which leads to all four quarters of the Inca Empire. There is also a bronze, high altar to be seen.

From Qoricancha, your group will walk down Avenida El Sol, where you will take your 25-minute bus outside of the city. You will arrive at the majestic Inca site, Sacsayhuaman, where your tour guide will show you around.

From Sacsayhuaman, you will take a short bus to the Quenqo Inca site to observe some altars from Incan times. Following, you will drive to Puca Pucara, a small circular Inca site, finished by a visit to Tambomachay, the temple of water. You will be driven back to Cusco and dropped off at your hotel.

Accommodations: Rumi Punku (or similar)
Meals Included: None
Entrance Tickets: Included

Your Sacred Valley Tour begins at 8 a.m. when your guide will pick you up from your hotel lobby. You will be taken on a road that winds around the mountains north of Cusco. On the way, we will stop at a famous point known as El Mirador (Lookout Point). From there, we will be able to see the Sacred Valley and gain some insight into the Inca history. The Sacred Valley was one of the main areas the Incas settled. There is an unusual abundance of fertile plains in this high area of the Andes. You will also witness vast contour terracing and irrigation channels left behind by the Incas.

Later on, we will drive towards the ruins of Pisac. Here, you will witness and learn about the Inca culture. You will see amazing works of stone art and impressive agricultural terraces. After exploring, we will drive back to the lower town of Pisac to stop at a bustling handicraft market. After you spend some time walking around the market bargain hunting, we will meet for lunch at a local Andean restaurant.

After lunch, we will drive along the Urubamba River towards the town of Ollantaytambo. Once we reach Ollantaytambo, we will visit the ruins, an important area of Incan construction, built during the Inca’s heydays. This is an extraordinary Inca site because you can find rock formations representing the Inca god, Wiracocha. Afterwards, we will return to Cusco and drop you off at your hotel.

You will be picked up for your short Inca trail hike from your hotel at 4 a.m. Following, we will go to the train station and leave on the 6:10 a.m. train from Ollantaytambo. Being one of the most magnificent trains to ride in the world, with its phenomenal views of the rough-and-tumble Urubamba River, the soaring snow-capped mountain peaks, and cornfield farms. As we descend, you will see the micro-climate changes, from the mountains and cornfields to green jungle valleys with ferns, bromeliads, and orchids, as the temperature starts to get warmer. This train ride is one hour and 45 minutes to Km 104, where we’ll disembark to meet your trekking chef and porters. You will also enjoy breakfast before starting your trek. Be sure you bring your original passport since this is the very first checkpoint along the Inca Trail. After breakfast, you will have some time to prepare before beginning the hike. Soon after, we will get to explore the first Inca site, Chachabamaba. Chachabamaba was the first ancient Incan checkpoint for entering to the Inca trail. Your tour guide will give you some background history on this ruin, followed by the three-hour climb up to the most famous Inca site along the trail, Wiñay Wayna. You will see amazing views of Machu Picchu Valley and the Urubamba River along the trail, as well as the flora/fauna native to the area. There are also waterfalls and spectacular views of Machu Picchu Mountain. The trail itself has some flat areas, as well as some short uphill and downhill hikes. It also has steps arranged in sections that can be narrow in some areas, but not dangerous. Once you arrive at the Wiñay Wayna Inca site, you will have time for a tour by your tour guide. He will also provide time for exploring the Inca site, temples, waterfalls, gardens, storehouses, watchtowers, and farming terraces. Only a short walk to the lunch spot where you will enjoy it your pack lunch. After lunch, there will be time for a short nap. Then, it will be a one hour gradual up and downhill hike to get to the Sun Gate. There you will have spectacular views of Machu Picchu, Huayna Picchu, and the surrounding valleys. The Sun Gate was used by Incas to observe the sunrise from Machu Picchu during the summer solstice. From here, it is another hour hike to the Machu Picchu ruins. Once in Machu Picchu, you can explore the watchtower area where you can get charming pictures of Machu Picchu (without crowds). We’ll then take the 30-minute bus ride to Aguas Calientes, where you will have a nice hotel and hot shower waiting for you. Later in the evening, you will have a delicious dinner in one of the nice restaurants

Highlight: Trekking the Inca Trail, enjoying the views from the Sun Gate, sunset views from Machu Picchu

Walking Distance: 15 km / 8 miles
Meals: Included
Elevations: Trek starting point 2,000 m, the highest point is Sun Gate 2,720 m, the camp is at 1,900 m
Weather: Hot and humid

We encourage you to wake up early in the morning to get to the bus station for one of the first shuttle-style buses, starting at 5.30 a.m. This bus will take about 25 minutes to get to Machu Picchu. As soon as you arrive at the complex, we will take you to the best spot overlooking all the ruins. There will be a rendezvous to observe the sunrise and see a spectacular view of the Lost City of the Incas. You will then have a two-hour, guided tour around Machu Picchu, followed by time to explore on your own. If you have tickets to climb one of the mountains of Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu, your guide will then direct you to those trails. Due to popularity, be sure this is arranged at least two months in advance. Once you are finished exploring Machu Picchu, you will take a bus down to Aguas Calientes for lunch, followed by an afternoon train back to Ollantaytambo. We will have Peru Hikers van transportation back to Cusco, where we will drop you off at your hotel.

Highlight: Arrive early to Machu Picchu to enjoy the sunrise
Temperature: Warm and humid
Meals: Breakfast Only
Train: Expedition tourist class

We will pick you up at 4:00 – 4:30 am from any hotel, Airbnb, or hostel in Cusco. It will be a 2½ hour drive to the trailhead – we will arrive at around 7 am. Here at the trailhead, our chef will make a delicious breakfast, including coffee, hot chocolate, teas, bread, fruit salad, eggs, and hot drinks. Cusco’s elevation is 3300m / 11,300ft, and the trailhead called Phulawasipata is at 4200m/ 14,300ft. Cusco’s weather is usually quite cold, and the trailhead is even colder, so early in the morning. Be sure to bring a warm jacket, scarf, hat, and gloves. After breakfast, we’ll hike about 2 hours uphill to the Rainbow Mountain range. At a slower pace, it could be 2¾ hours, or if you are really fit quick and acclimatized well, some people can do in 1½ hours. The hike up includes some short breaks where the guide will explain some important information about the mountains and the geography of the area. Perhaps you’ll have a chance to catch sight of some of the locals, including llamas and alpacas that frequent this area. The trail itself is quite wide and helpful for those with vertigo or fear of heights. The trek is best during the dry season as the trails are not paved. The trail can be a bit dusty, and in the rainy season, it can be slippery since it may be wet. However, with good waterproof hiking shoes and trekking poles, it will be just fine.

Upon your arrival to the top of Rainbow Mountain, around 9-10:00am, you will have about 1 hour to explore the spectacular views of the surrounding areas – valleys, mountains and to view the highest glacial mountain in Cusco – Ausangate, whose summit is at an elevation of 6,384m / 20,944ft, making it one of the tallest mountains in Peru. After giving you a bit of time to take some treasured photos, your guide will tell you some intriguing facts about this fascinating place – like why the colors?! – and he will also share some detail about the Incan history. A few last photos of this spectacular mountain and we will begin our descent. We do this a little differently than other groups. Instead of hiking the same route as they do, we hike to a lookout point to see the Red Valley and continue with our hike. This valley is the icing on the cake, and many of our hikers say that it is even nicer than Rainbow Mountain! It is about 2½ hours mostly downhill from Rainbow Mountain, to the end of the trail, which is near where we started the hike. Here you will enjoy a fresh meal prepared by your chef, which includes cold drinks, appetizers, soup, and the main course. After lunch, it will be another 2½ hour drive to Cusco, where we will drop you off at your hotel at around 5:30 – 6:00 pm.

Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Entry fees: included
Accommodations: book on your own