Exploring the Treasures of Cusco - 5D/4N Tour

DAY 1: CUSCO : CITY TOUR + 4 ARCHAEOLOGICAL COMPLEXES

Upon arrival in Cusco, you will be met by our staff, who will provide you with assistance and accompany you to the hotel. The rest of the morning will be dedicated to rest and acclimatization, to ensure that you adapt comfortably to the altitude and are ready to enjoy the wonders of the city.

(12:00 PM) Scheduled time we will start with the pick up from your respective hotels to start with our first point of visit, the Qoricancha, legendary Temple of the Sun and main ceremonial place of the Inca Empire, which, together with the Convent of Santo Domingo, look a fascinating combination of Inca and colonial architectures. Then we climb to the heights of the city, to the impressive archaeological complex of Sacsayhuaman, one of the greatest works of the Incas, where we find gigantic walls of megalithic stones perfectly placed, and appreciate the best views of the city of Cusco. From there we visit Qenqo, an ancient site of ceremonies and sacrifices, followed by the Inca military post of Puka Pukara (or red stone), which had specifically military purposes; it was the control point for the entrance to Cusco and also served as a resting place. We end at Tambomachay, a centre of water worship and adoration. The Incas prayed to the gods that the rains would come for their crops and that they would be fertile. Return to Cusco.

DAY 2: SACRED VALLEY OF THE INCAS CONNECTION

Breakfast at the hotel. On this complete tour, we will take you to explore the best of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. We will start picking you up at your hotel between 06:30 and 07:00 am, and then depart to Chinchero, an ancestral Inca village. There you will see the impressive Hacienda Real del Inca Tupac Yupanqui, the main square and its colonial temple. We will continue to Moray, where we will visit the Inca agricultural research centre with its impressive circular terraces. We will then head to the ancient salt mines of Maras, a visually unique place. We will descend into the beautiful Sacred Valley and enjoy a buffet lunch in a restaurant in the town of Urubamba. Our tour will continue following the course of the homonymous river, until we reach the ancient citadel of Ollantaytambo, with its great walls and ancient canals, considered one of the few villages continuously inhabited since the time of the Incas. There you can explore the enormous fortress, once the site of legendary battles and ancient religious ceremonies. Continuing our tour, we will board the tourist train to the magical town of Aguas Calientes, where you will be assisted and transferred to the hotel (buffet lunch included).

DAY 3: EXC. FD HISTORIC SANCTUARY OF MACHUPICCHU

Breakfast at the hotel. At scheduled time, our staff will be waiting for you to accompany you to the bus station, where we will have a short bus ride to the archaeological complex of Machupicchu, one of the 7 wonders of the modern world. As you walk around the complex, you will admire the impressive architecture, while our private guide shares interesting theories about the history and importance of Machupicchu to the Incas.

The grandiose views and the magic of the place are incomparable. After a two-hour tour, you will have free time to explore or rest and recharge your batteries at this majestic site. At the coordinated time, we go down by bus to the town of Aguas Calientes to enjoy a delicious lunch. Finally, we take the train back to Cusco, where our private transportation will be waiting to take you to your hotel.

(Includes three course executive lunch)

DAY 4: HUMANTAY LAKE

A real mountain excursion. The tour starts leaving your hotel between 4:00 and 4:30 am. We travel to the tranquil village of Mollepata, located northwest of Cusco, where we stop for breakfast and then continue on to the Soraypampa Valley. After a short rest, we begin the 7 km hike (round trip) to the famous lagoon, enjoying great views of the majestic Nevado Humantay (4,200 m.a.s.l.) on the way. We arrive at the enchanting Humantay Lagoon in an hour and a half to two hours, depending on the pace of the hike. On the shores of the lagoon, the tranquility of its waters and the breathtaking views of the snow-capped mountains lend themselves to an extraordinary experience. We will also see the well-known Nevado Salkantay at the bottom of the valley, both on the way there and on the way back. Finally, we will return to Mollepata for lunch, some rest and plenty of photos before returning to Cusco at the end of a beautiful day of trekking in the Andes. Arrival in Cusco around 18:00 hours.

(Breakfast and buffet lunch included)

DAY 5: 7 COLOURS MOUNTAIN

One of the most spectacular geological formations in the world, the famous Vinicunca Mountain, also known as the Mountain of Seven Colours or the Rainbow Mountain, displays a combination of magical colours that delight the eye and enchant the traveller. We start early in the morning with pick up from your hotel between 4:00 and 4:30 am. We then head south towards the village of Cusipata (approximately 2 hours drive), where we will recharge our batteries with a delicious breakfast.

After about 40 minutes more of walking, we will arrive at the starting point of the trek (4,600 m.a.s.l.). Approximately two hours of trekking will take us to the beautiful Rainbow Mountain, located at 5,020 masl. Once there, you will be able to appreciate the wonderful combination of colours and geological soils, with time to photograph the incredible scenery and take a break. The return to the car is two hours, and we will have lunch before returning to Cusco, arriving around 17:00 hrs.

(Breakfast and buffet lunch included)

At the coordinated time, you will be picked up and transferred to the Velasco Astete International Airport, where you will board your flight back to your city of origin.