We will pick you up at the Cusco airport and take you to your hotel. You will have some time to settle in, and then we will return at 1:00 pm to start the Cusco City Tour. We will begin the tour at the most important temple of the Inca Empire, the Sun Temple, known as the Qoricancha. Here, you can observe detailed and intact architecture, and within the temple you will see smaller temples dedicated to the moon, rainbow, stars, lightning and thunder, among others. Today, the Santo Domingo church stands on top of the temple. From there, we will go to an important religious site called Sacsayhuamán which features immense stones. Although the site was religious, the Spanish considered it a military fortress because of its location and the way it was built. Next, we will visit Qenqo, a site built in a natural rock formation which was created to represent the Andean constellations and the concept of the three worlds, each one representing sacred animals: the condor, puma, and snake. After that we will travel to Puka Pukara, which was a shelter for travelers coming to Cusco from the Amazon. It was also a military center and used to protect the nearby temple located at Tambomachay. Our last stop is Tambomachay, known as the Temple of Water, where the Incas practiced religious traditions tied to water in order to rejuvenate the land. This tradition is known as the fountain of eternal youth. From there, we will return to the city and drop you off at your hotel at around 6:00 pm.

We will pick you up at your hotel in Cusco at 8:00 am. In our private vehicle, we will drive to one of the most important archaeological sites in the region, called Pisac, to see Inca burial grounds, ancient irrigation systems and astronomical centers. We will visit the ruins and terraces for about an hour, and after our tour here will then go down to the town of Pisac located at the bottom of the valley. In this town we will first stop by a local silver factory and will see a demonstration of how they process and form beautiful jewelry. Next, we will walk through the cobble-stoned street to the plaza to see locals selling produce and souvenirs in their stands. You will have some free time to browse and do some shopping here as well. After finishing our visit in Pisac, we will drive to the town of Urubamba to have a buffet lunch which includes both delicious Peruvian and Western cuisine. From there, we will head to Ollantaytambo where we will visit the ruins built up on terraces that features massive stones at the top. This site was an important religious and astronomical center, and was also used as a military fortress in one of the biggest battles the Incas had against the Spanish. After this, we will take you to your hotel in the Sacred Valley where you will arrive about 5:00 pm.

We will pick you up from your Sacred Valley hotel early in the morning (about 5:30 am) and then will drive to the train station in Ollantaytambo and take the train to Km 104 which takes about 1.5 hours. At Km 104 we will get off the train and pass the Inca Trail checkpoint where we will see our first archaeological center called Chachabamba, at 2,170 m or 7,170 ft. These ruins were one of the last shelters that the Incas used before they reached Machu Picchu. This site was also used as a religious and administrative center, and features several buildings. Then, we will gradually ascend for about 2-3 hours climbing Inca stone steps while our guide points out different flora and fauna along the trail. We will then pass a tall waterfall before arriving at the archaeological site called Wiñaywayna at 2,650 m or 8,700 ft, which is named after an orchid and means “Forever Young” in Quechua. We will climb to the top of the ruins and enjoy lunch with an incredible view of Wiñaywayna and the Sacred Valley. This large site sits on a mountainside and features experimental terraces that the Incas used to grow different crops. We will visit an important temple with 7 windows that was dedicated to the rainbow as well as observe the amazing engineering of water channels that still function today. Once we finish our tour here, we will continue our hike for about 1 and a half hours on a part of the Inca Trail which is relatively flat, with small ascents and descents along the way. At about 4:00 pm we will then reach the Sun Gate at 2,720 m or 8,920 ft which is called Intipunku in Quechua. This is where we will have our first view of Machu Picchu and from there we will head down to the ruins to take the bus down to Aguas Calientes. We will check into our hotel where you will have some time to rest or you can visit the hot springs which is about 10 minutes away. Afterwards, we will meet for dinner and plan for the following day.

After having an early breakfast at your hotel, you will meet your guide and take the 25-minute bus ride up to Machu Picchu. You will have a 3-hour tour with your guide where you will see and learn about the most important sites including the Inca Palace, Temple of the Sun, main plaza, Intiwatana, and other important temples. After your tour, you will take the bus back down to Aguas Calientes, and in the afternoon you will take the train back to Cusco where we will pick you up from the train station and drop you off at your hotel.

We will pick you up from your hotel in Cusco and take you to the airport for your departure flight.