Machu Picchu and the Highlights of Cusco

After the arrival to Cusco, you will be transferred to your hotel. Today you will also have a welcome meeting for a quick briefing of your upcoming days, which will be organized by your guide.

Your busy day starts with a tour of Maras, Moray, and Ollantaytambo when you’ll be picked up from your hotel in Cusco at around 08h00. First, you’ll head to magnificent Moray, the Inca agricultural laboratory. It takes about 1.5 hours to get there, but you’ll be driving through spectacular Andean scenery, passing by yellow wheat fields, picturesque traditional villages, and snow-capped mountains.

After exploring Moray you’ll head on to Maras, which is just two miles away. Here we’ll see the amazing salt evaporation ponds, which were used by the Incas and quite possibly by pre-Inca civilizations. After lunch in a restaurant, you’ll reach the wonderful Inca town and the archaeological site of Ollantaytambo.

You’ll see the extent of the water system when you return to the town, where fast-flowing water channels built by the Incas are still in use today. Walking to the town square, you’ll have great views of the ruins above us, as well as Inca granaries and storehouses built on the sides of the surrounding mountains. Here you can also watch the daily life of Ollantaytambo, where many of the locals still wear traditional dress.

After Ollantaytambo, which is the last destination on our Sacred Valley tour, so now it will be time to head back to Cusco, where you’ll drop off at your hotel.

Your full-day trip to Machu Picchu begins early in the morning when you’ll pick you up from your hotel in Cusco, from where you’ll travel to Aguas Calientes.

From Aguas Calientes, a short bus ride awaits and you’ll arrive at the gates of Machu Picchu. You and your highly knowledgeable guide will enter the Inca citadel, and you’ll set off on your three-hour guided tour. You’ll see all the most famous and spectacular parts of the extensive archaeological complex. These include the House of the Guardian, the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun, the Sacred Plaza, and other key locations. And as you walk around, you’ll have spectacular views of the agricultural terraces of Machu Picchu and across to the surrounding mountains and plunging gorges.

After the guided tour, you’ll have more time to explore Machu Picchu on your own.

Later, in the afternoon, you will leave Machu Picchu and take the bus back down to Aguas Calientes, where you can have lunch in one of the many restaurants (not included). Then you will board the train back to Ollantaytambo. When you arrive in Ollantaytambo, you’ll be there to pick you up and take you back to your hotel in Cusco.

In the afternoon, you’ll have a full Cusco city tour, when you’ll visit numerous significant objects, such as Koricancha, Cusco Cathedral, Inca fortress of Sacsayhuaman, Tambomachay Archeological Complex.

In the evening, enjoy the eclectic restaurant options available and try some traditional or fusion dishes.

After breakfast enjoy your last day at leisure before transferring to the airport for your return flight home via Lima.