MACHU PICCHU-SACRED VALLEY TOUR

You will be picked up at 8:30 by private driver at your hotel in the morning. From Cusco or the Sacred Valley, there is a 45 minute drive through beautiful mountains and farmlands to the town of Chinchero in order to visit the women’s weaving cooperative where we will watch a demonstration of local weavers who are using Inca techniques for dyeing fabric and for weaving traditional patterns. Here you will have time to browse the shop which sells Inca style purses, tablecloths, wall hangings, and many other colorful and exquisitely patterned artisanal goods. Then, we will visit Maras, a collection of salt mines that have been used since pre-Inca times to evaporate salt from an underground stream followed by a visit to Moray where will look down below to contemplate the concentric circles that made up an Incan agricultural laboratory. Hike down into the archaeological site with a private guided tour of the ruins that served as one of the main amphitheaters for the Incas where they performed rituals and ceremonies. Lunch will be at a restaurant in Urubamba.

We will have dinner in Ollantaytambo before boarding the train for a 2-hour journey to the town of Aguas Calientes, which is the base for visiting Machu Picchu. The train ride allows for spectacular views of the countryside. Arrive in Aguas Calientes and be accompanied by your guide to your hotel

Today we will have a very early start so that we can arrive at Machu Picchu in time for the majestic sunrise–a once in a lifetime opportunity. You will have breakfast at your hotel and your guide will pick you up and walk with you to the bus station where we will catch the bus that takes us to the entrance to Machu Picchu.

After stopping to take photos, your guide will give a 2-3 hour guided tour of Machu Picchu. We will then take a break to rest and have snacks. There is an option to hike up to the Inka Bridge or to Inti Punku, the sun gate, which used to be the main entrance to Machu Picchu and offers phenomenal views of the entire site.

You will then have two hours of free time to explore on your own before taking the bus back down to the town of Aguas Calientes where we will have lunch and then take a mid-afternoon train back to Ollantaytambo or Poroy and you will then have private transport back to your hotel in the Sacred Valley or Cusco.

After breakfast at your hotel, we will visit the Inca ruins at Ollantaytambo, which was the lodging of the Inca emperor Pachacutec and later served as a military checkpoint for the Incas trying to protect the roads to Machu Picchu from the invading Spaniards. Enjoy a guided tour of the terraced ruins, fountains and aqueducts and see storage houses that were used by the Incas to maximize winds to keep crops cool and preserved. We will then have time to wander the streets of one of the oldest towns in Peru, where many 15th century Inca buildings still stand today.

We will then drive 20 minutes to the town of Yanahuara where we will visit to a farm in the sacred valley, where we will tour the farm lands, cut alfalfa to feed the guinea pigs, and see first hand how chicha is made. This will be followed by a picnic lunch, which will be eaten outside overlooking the Sacred Valley. After lunch, we will go to the local authentic non-tourist market in Urubamba. Here we will see local families selling things such as fruits, vegetables, flowers and natural medicinal plants. Your guide will give your a tour of the market and you can taste Peruvian fruits and foods such as passion fruit, lucuma, and chirimoya. We will also learn about the ingredients needed to make chicha, a corn beer that has been an important part of Peruvian culture since Inca times.

Then we will drive one hour to the majestic ruins at Pisac where we will visit terraced Inca ruins that are situated high on a mountain. From here, we will climb to the top of the ruins and take in amazing views of the Sacred Valley Your guide will teach you about the religious, astronomical and military functions of the site and see the terraces that allowed the Incas to grow food above 11,000 feet. After visiting the Inca ruins, there will be a chance to hike on a little known, seldom used original Inca trail and through a tunnel that was build by the Incas. One of the largest Inca cemeteries is also located in the ruins at Pisac and we can tour this part of the site as well.

We will conclude the tour with a trip to Pisac handicraft market in the town to browse such things such as ceramics, jewelry, and weaving. Return to your hotel in Cusco private transport.

This tour will take you to local sites not included in most other city tours. You will be met by your guide at your hotel and we will walk to the bustling San Pedro market, where many Cusqueños start their day. We will stop to have coffee or tea and take a tour of the stands that sell everything from fruits and vegetables, meats and medicinal plants. You will then be led on a tour of the most important historical sites of Cusco including the Plaza de Armas and the main cathedral. Inside the cathedral, you can see a massive silver altar and a painting of the last supper where they are eating guinea pig. We will also will give you a tour of Coricancha, which was the most sacred Inca temple dedicated to Inti, the sun God. When the Spaniards arrived to Cusco, they demolished the temple, using the existing foundation on which to build a colonial church. We will then have lunch in a local restaurant where you can taste cuy (guinea pig).

After lunch, we will drive 30 minutes to Tambomachay which was the Inca temple of the water, and then visit Pukapucara which was a ceremonial place of the Incas. Then we will visit the the Unesco world heritage site of Sacsayhuaman. Located on a steep outcropping overlooking Cusco, this Inca site is composed of massive boulders held together without mortar. It was an important site for military and ceremonial purposes. You will be given a private tour of the site and we will go to a vista where there are great views overlooking the city of Cusco and we can enjoy the sunset. We will also visit some other amazing Inca sites nearby such as Return by private transport to your hotel in Cusco. Another option for this tour is to start at Tambomachay and hike down to visit the other Inca sites, then walk from Sacsayhuaman to Cusco (about 2.5 hours total of walking) and finish the afternoon in the city of Cusco after having lunch in the main square