Cuzco, Sacred Valley & Machu Picchu

Day 1 : Cuzco > Sacred Valley

Arrive Cuzco airport you will be met by a guide and transfer by private car to the Sacred Valley of the Incas via the colourful Pisac Market. On the way, stop and learn about the Andean members of the camelid family – llamas, alpacas and vicunas, and hand feed them if you wish. After some time at the market, continue to your hotel located in the heart of the beautiful Sacred Valley, home for the next two nights. This area is some 600 metres lower than Cuzco and spending your first nights here significantly aids acclimatization to altitude. Dinner is included at your hotel this evening.

Day 2 : Sacred Valley

Today’s private tour includes several great highlights of the area. The first stop will be Maras, an amazing collection of over 3,000 salt ponds where the local Indians have been extracting this precious commodity since well before Inca times. Continue to the intriguing Inca agricultural experiment at Moray, famous for its impressive circular terracing, a marvel of engineering. A visit will also be made to the weavers village of Chincheros. Here you will learn about weaving techniques that date back to Inca times. After lunch visit the impressive fortress of Ollantaytambo, scene of one of the last great battles between the Inca and the Spanish conquistadors. Return late afternoon to your Sacred Valley hotel.

Day 3 : Sacred Valley > Machu Picchu

Transfer by private car to Ollantaytambo. Take a scenic Vistadome train journey to Machu Picchu. On arrival enjoy a buffet lunch in the hotel at the entrance to the ruins before joining a small group guided tour of Machu Picchu. It was here that the Inca royalty fled after the Spanish invasion and were never discovered by the conquistadors. Your guide will explain all about this magnificent historical gem as you walk through this incredible site. Later, return to the nearby town of Aguas Calientes for the night with dinner included at your hotel.

Day 4 : Machu Picchu > Cuzco

There is time this morning for a second entry to Machu Picchu (at additional cost) or to explore the markets of Aguas Calientes. Return by rail and private car to Cuzco and stay for two nights in a hotel located close to the heart of the old city.

Day 5 : Cuzco

Enjoy a small group Cuzco sightseeing tour that includes a visit to the iconic local San Juan market, followed by a tour to see the most exquisite examples of Inca stonework found at Koricancha, in Inca times known as the Temple of the Sun. Cuzco’s Cathedral, full of priceless art treasures and beautiful altars of silver and precious stones, is one of the most important churches in all of Latin America. Continue to the impressive Inca fortress of Sacsayhuaman where enormous shaped stones weighing up to 130 tons fit together so neatly you can’t get a knife blade in-between them. Enjoy great views over Cuzco and learn about Inti Raymi, the ancient Inca Festival of the Sun that is held here every winter solstice. In the evening perhaps try one of the excellent restaurants on the main Plaza de Armas, a short walk from your hotel.

Day 6 : Cuzco

Transfer by private car to the airport.