Peru - Exploring The Inca Trail

Have a morning at leisure to rest or explore on your own.  This afternoon you will embark on a city tour beginning with a visit to the Plaza Mayor, official center of the city and the original site upon which Lima was founded.  You will visit the historic Cathedral, built in 1534 and an architectural masterpiece.  From the Cathedral, you will walk past the Presidential Palace where the soldiers guarding the palace offer an excellent photo opportunity, and on to the Church of San Francisco with its library and collection of fine paintings and frescoes.

After your trip to the historic center, you will be driven across modern Lima for a visit to the fascinating Archaeological Museum, showcasing the progression of Peru’s various early civilizations – from the Chavin in 1200 BC to the Incas. B, L, D Jose Antonio Lima (4-star)

This morning transfer to the airport for your flight to Cusco.  Upon arrival in Cusco, you will be met and transferred directly to Urubamba in the Sacred Valley. Have some time free to relax and acclimatize, as you are now at an altitude of 8500 feet. We recommend minimal activity and the local remedy of coca tea (which is in plentiful supply) for those who are susceptible.

Later visit the Pisac Incan Ruins, located on a hilltop above the village.  The steep farming terraces and dramatic architecture are the elements of an impressive scene at this one-time fortress city whose many features include ritual baths fed by aqueducts and one of the largest known Inca cemeteries.  B, L, D Casa Andina Private Collection - Sacred Valley Hotel (4-star)

This morning you will be taken to the put-in point for rafting on the Urubamba River. A safety and familiarization briefing will be followed by a half-day float on this stretch of the river. A lunch box meal is included.  After lunch, continue on to the massive fortress of Ollantaytambo for a guided tour.  The Fortress of Ollantaytambo, a formidable stone structure that climbs massive terraces to the top of a peak, was the valley’s main defence against the Antis and was the site of the Incas’ greatest victory against the Spanish during the wars of conquest.  Constructed of rose-colored granite, this huge installation was once a thriving complex of baths, temples and military barracks.  Below the fortress lies a complete Incan town, also called Ollantaytambo, still inhabited and with its original architecture and layout preserved.

In the evening have dinner with a local family.  B, L, D Casa Andina Private Collection - Sacred Valley Hotel (4-star)

This morning have a tour of the town of Ollantaytambo before boarding the train to travel to Machu Picchu. After check out (you might choose to leave your large piece of luggage and travel with just an overnight bag today), you board the autorailcar bound for Machu Picchu with a late morning arrival. After lunch in Aguas Calientes, drive up to the area where you will begin your explorations of this breathtaking Incan citadel.  Accompanied by your guide, explore the city's ruins, and feel its pulse as you visualize the lives of the priests, craftsmen, and servants who inhabited this seemingly uninhabitable citadel.  Excavations at the site have revealed skeletons, artifacts and woolen clothing, but no gold.  The same precision of assembled stones exists here as in other Incan sites. 

Overlooking the raging Urubamba River and discovered in a hidden tangle of vines and trees atop the mountain, the city of Machu Picchu will forever hold its secret of its destruction - the Incas left no written record.

Descend back to Aguas Calientes where you will spend the night. B, L, D Machu Picchu Pueblo (4-star)

Have time to re-explore the ruins and the town. It is said that Machu Picchu is a place of great spirituality, and the ultimate spiritual moment of the day happens at sunrise. This morning, therefore, there is an option to rise early and view the world’s most spectacularly situated ruins at sunrise.  Then you will have the opportunity to take one of two hikes. The first possibility is to the Inti Punku, or famous Sun Gate, which is the entry point to Machu Picchu on the Inca Trail and offers excellent views of the ruins, (approx 2 hours). The second is the chance to hike up the Huayna Picchu – the highest mountain which is actually part of the ruins, from where you are afforded excellent views of the surrounding area, as well as a unique view of the famous ‘lost city,’ (approx 2.5 hours).  Or if you prefer you can just relax and continue exploring this magnificent citadel with your guide. 

Return by auto-rail to Urubamba and from there you will be transferred to Cusco, visiting Chinchero town on the way.  B, L, D Jose Antonio Cusco (4-star)

Enjoy a morning walking tour of the city including the Cathedral and the Santo Domingo, a Dominican church and convent built upon the foundations of the Koricancha, or the ‘place of gold’, the Incas’ principal religious building, dedicated to the worship of the sun. Have lunch in a Polleria.  Afternoon at leisure to explore the town further on your own. B, L, D Jose Antonio Cusco (4-star)

This morning, your will take you to the ruins of Sacsayhuaman, a true testimonial to Incan architectural skills.  Compiled of massive stones (one weighs 125 tons!) you are challenged to try to slip a piece of paper through the cracks in between these blocks, cut and fitted together with incredible precision without a single drop of mortar to hold them in place. This ancient fortress (where the greatest battle between the Spanish and Incas took place) overlooks the red-tiled roofs of Cusco and the breathtaking countryside surrounding the city.  Also visit Qenqo (“The Labyrinth”), an Incan shrine dedicated to Pachamama (‘Mother Earth’); followed by a ritual ceremony by a local shaman.  Visit some local craft shops to see alpaca, jewelry etc. or explore on your own.  In the evening enjoy a dinner and folklore show. B, L, D Jose Antonio Cusco (4-star)