Day 1: Airport – Cusco
Our staff will be for you at the Cusco Airport, to take you to your hotel, just waiting let us know your exact arrival time and flight number. Here, you will be welcomed with a hot cup of the famous coca tea. You will have a free afternoon to acclimatize, as the city of Cusco is at an altitude of 3,399 m (11,151 feet).
NOTE: If your arrival time is earlier than the check-in time, you can use the hotel’s common areas while you wait.
IMPORTANT ADVICE ON ARRIVAL TO CUSCO
Please be prepared for the fact that the high elevation, will make you feel more tired than normal on your arrival, so we recommend that you take the afternoon easy. If you are feeling fine, then have a cup of coca tea, which will help you acclimatize quicker. It is recommended to take a light walk, maybe to see The Plaza De Armas, to see the incredible colonial buildings, built on top of Inca foundations. It is important to drink a lot of water at high elevation, which will help you with the process of acclimatization. For the first few days at high elevation, it is also important toe at light meals as your digestion will be slower and later on you will have the opportunity to try the famous Guinea pig, a dish which was revered by the Incas and is still a national dish of The Andes and is eaten on special occasions and celebrations. One thing you must not miss on one of your free days is a visit to the “Centro QOSQO” of native art a show which demonstrates traditional dances, costume and music of the region.
The show begins at 6pm, but we recommend that you arrive 40 minutes earlier and wait in line, as many people want to go to the see this unique spectacular. If you have the “boleta turistica” included in your package, you will have free access to this incredible show.
IMPORTANT ADVICE
Drink the coca tea on offer and each morning to help you acclimatize. Remember that it has a similar effect to caffeine so don´t drink it too late in the evening or you sleep will be affected. Bring a decent and comfortable pair of walking shoes. We suggest a visit to the Plaza de Armas with its colonial and Inca temples, The Regional History Museum, The Contemporary Art Museum, the Museum of The Qoricancha, and the Museum of popular art. These places will make your trip an even more unforgettable experience and give you the perfect insight into local culture.
Overnight: Hotel in Cusco
Check in: 12:00 check out : 9:00 am
Meals: none
Day 2: Cusco City Tour (The Cathedral, The Qoricancha, Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Puka Pukara and Tambomachay) – 5 hr tour
This day you will know the best places in Cusco and the surrounding area.
We will start with the Cathedral , located in the Plaza de Armas, it is the main church of the imperial city, it was built on the palace of the Inca Wiracocha. The Cathedral has more than 300 paintings from the Cusco art school.
Then we will visit the Qoricancha , in the Quechua language means “temple of gold”, it was the first temple built by the Incas, it was formerly covered with large amounts of gold and silver.
We will leave the city of Cusco and arrive at the Saqsayhuaman complex , famous for its huge lithic blocks of more than 150 tons. In the Inca era the temple was considered to lightning, “the god Illapa”.
Next, we will visit the temple of Q’enqo , a place dedicated to the Pacha Mama (Mother Earth) where you can appreciate carved stone constructions.
Then we will arrive at the impressive Inca fort Puka Pukara , in the Quechua language it means Red Fortress.
Finally, we will arrive at Tambomachay , where we will see the sacred temple dedicated to the cult of water that probably also had a purification bath function for the Inca rulers.
At the end of the afternoon we will return to Cusco, where we will leave you at your hotel or if you prefer in the Plaza de Armas (main square)
IMPORTANT ADVICE
The City Tour will begin in the afternoon. You will have a free morning to acclimatize and drink a coca tea with your breakfast. Wear comfortable walking shoes/boots. We suggest that you visit the Plaza de Armas with its colonial and Inca temples, The Regional History Museum, The Contemporary Art Museum, the Museum of The Qoricancha, and the Museum of popular art. These places will make your trip an even more unforgettable experience and give you the perfect insight into local culture.
Overnight : Hotel in Cusco
Meals: breakfast
Day 3: The Sacred Valley of the Incas – Aguas Calientes (Awanacancha, Pisaq, Urubamba and Ollantaytambo) – 8 hr tour
On this day, you will explore the marvelous Sacred Valley of the Incas, also known as the Valley of Vilcanota. We’ll start the day by visiting the archaeological complex of Pisac, situated high up on a mountain. This wonderful place is comprised of groups of terraces and architectural structures scattered across its slopes and at the top of the mountain, offering a marvelous blend of landscape and constructions. Next, we’ll head to the craft market where you can admire a wide variety of artworks dating back to ancient times. We’ll pass through Urubamba, where we’ll pause for lunch. Here, we’ll sample typical Peruvian cuisine with a variety of dishes including salads, soups, hot dishes, the famous ceviche, and delicious desserts. After lunch, we’ll visit the architectural complex of Ollantaytambo, a living village built to guard the entrance of this part of the valley and protect it against potential invaders. We’ll have the opportunity to walk through its streets and gain a clearer idea of what this military, religious, and cultural center was like during the Inca Empire. Following the visit, we’ll board the train bound for Aguas Calientes. Upon arrival, a hotel representative will be waiting to take you to your hotel.
IMPORTANT ADVICE
After a hearty breakfast and the recommended coca tea, we suggest that you just take an overnight bag /daypack to spend the night in Aguas Calientes. (Include money, light clothing, travel documents, camera, repellent, sunhat, sunscreen and personal hygiene products). Your trip will be more comfortable for doing so. The rest of your baggage can remain at your Cusco hotel as you will be returning there tomorrow.
Overnight: Hotel in Aguas Calientes
Meals: Breakfast, lunch
Day 4: Machu Picchu – Cusco – 2:30hr tour
In the morning, according to the scheduled time, our guide will pick you up at your hotel to go to the bus station where you will climb 400m along a winding path for 20min to reach the incredible wonder of the world “The Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu”, also known as “The Lost City of the Incas”. Upon arriving at the Machu Picchu citadel with our guide, we will pass through the entrance and begin the tour of the entire citadel. For around 2h30m we will visit the main places in Machu Picchu.
We return to the town of Aguas Calientes in the afternoon, where you will have free time to enjoy lunch in one of the many restaurants (lunch not included). After lunch, we will take the train to Ollantaytambo (depending on train departure time availability). The return will follow the same route as the departure. Upon arrival in Ollantaytambo, the train representative will be waiting to take you to the bus heading to your hotel in Cusco.
IMPORTANT
From the 1st of January 2019, the rules changed with regards to the Machu Picchu. The visit to the archaeological site will all be in one direction, which means that once you have passed by a certain site, you are not allowed to return. There is no re-entrance to the site, if we leave the site for any reason, we are not allowed to re-enter. The only exception to this new rule is, if you have an entrance ticket to either Machu Picchu Mountain or Huayna Picchu mountain. Also, if you wish to climb one of these mountains, the guided tour of the main citadel will be reduced to coincide with the mountain entrance time. In the case of Machu Picchu Mountain, your guided tour will be for one hour to allow time for you to climb the mountain; In the case of Huayna Pichu, the tour of the main citadel will be for 2 hours.
IMPORTANT ADVICE
Before you go up to Machu Picchu, we recommend that you leave your overnight bag /daypack at the hotel in Aguas Calientes and only take water, (please remember that Machu Picchu is a plastic free zone so plastic water bottles will be confiscated on entry). passport, cash, entrance ticket, sunhat sunscreen and insect repellent. When you head back down to Aguas calientes, you can collect your overnight bag from the hotel. If time allows, we recommend a visit to the Chávez Ballón Museum, the museum of Machu Picchu. There is a free entrance after midday and you simply need to show your passport. We should also take into account that there is usually a queue for the shuttle bus, to and from Machu Picchu. There is also usually a queue for the train back to Ollantaytambo also, so we will need to allow plenty of time in each case. Your guide will be there to orientate you in the best possible manner.
Overnight : Hotel in Cusco
Meals: breakfast
Day 5: Hotel – Cusco Airport
Depending on the time of your flight, we will collect you from your hotel and take you to the Cusco airport. This marks the end of our services.
Check in: 12:00 check out : 9:00 am
Meals: Breakfast
NOTE: If your return time is later than your check-out time, you can use the hotel’s common areas while you wait.
FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS
At the moment you depart for any of the tours, it is important to remember to safe all of the entrance tickets that have been given to you by our staff on the briefing. (BTG, BTP, Ticket Qoricancha, Consetur shuttle bus, etc.). This will help avoid the repeat purchase of any of the tickets. If you lose any of these tickets, you must buy a new one by yourself. Also please be careful with your belongings and check hotel rooms and transport for any personal items you may have left behind.
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