Day 1 Cusco City Tour

Upon your arrival to Cusco, you will be greeted by our representative and transferred to your hotel. There you will receive a short briefing and have the remainder of the morning to acclimatize. In the afternoon, we will introduce you to the Imperial City of Cusco, a living example of the mix of Andean and Spanish culture.

Continuing your journey, you will visit the Santo Domingo Convent built over the Koricancha, as well as the ancient Inca Palace and the main worship center of the Sun God. Our tour continues to the unmatched and mesmerizing archaeological site of Sacsayhuaman and its military Inca architecture, which dominates the city. Finally, we explore the archaeological sites of Qenqo, Pucapucara and Tambomachay, located in the north east of the city. We will head back to your hotel in Cusco by early evening.

Day 2 Aguas Calientes

CUSCO – PISAC – MORAY – SALT MINE – OLLANTAYTAMBO – AGUAS CALIENTES

We will pick you up at your hotel at 7:30am, with our private van and head towards the Sacred Valley of the Incas, taking the direct route to Pisac. We stop first at the Mirador of Taray to enjoy a classic view of the Urubamba valley and its traditional farming villages. You will see how the agriculture in the Sacred Valley has changed little in the past five hundred years. Onward, we drive to the archaeological site of Pisac, where you can see the biggest Inca cemetery with more than 2,000 tombs. There, we can admire the incredible farming terraces carved into the mountain, explore the Inca tunnel and the religious area of this important citadel. Here, we will spend about 2 hours, exploring the Inca city.

Then, we head down to the colorful market of Pisac, spend about 20 minutes visiting it and then drive to Urubamba for lunch. With timeless charm, we visit the archeological site of Moray also known as “The Greenhouse of the Incas” a deep bowl of architectural wonder. Levels of terraces are carved into a huge bowl, which was excavated by the Incas. The terraces have varied microclimates depending on how deep into the bowl they are placed. Archeologists believe that they were used by the Incas to discover the optimal growing conditions for their crops. Continuing on our journey to the colonial town of Maras, we look down onto the pre-Inca salt mine.

Thousands of saltpans have been passed down through countless generations and used for salt extraction since before Inca times. A hot spring at the top of the valley discharges a small stream of heavily salt laden water, which is diverted into saltpans and evaporated to produce salt. This is one of the few places in the world where you can find naturally pink salt! Finally, we drive to Ollantaytambo, having time to explore the age old and bustling Inca village and the massive Inca Ruins, with a tour provided by our guide.

Visit the ruins of the Sun Temple at the top of the formidable terraces and learn about the importance of this site for the Inca during the beginning of the Spanish conquest. Here you spend the night at your hotel in Ollantaytambo, ready to start the Inca Trail the next day.

Day 3 Machupicchu

AGUAS CALIENTES – MACHU PICCHU – CUSCO

Bursting out with excitement on your final surreal day, we take the bus to Machu Picchu archeological site. With our 2 hour tour we make sure to explore every nook and cranny of this New 7 Wonder of the World and UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, the majestic Machu Picchu Citadel. What an unforgettable experience. Your guide will expertly direct you through the energetic ruins and its diverse main streets.

Then on your own, you can wander around the town squares of the world’s spiritual center of esoteric wisdom, as well as climb the intricately carved stairways made of stone. If you wish to indulge in a few of the following activities on your own, you can: (not included in the price) Climb Huayna Picchu – appreciate the beauty and magnificence of Machu Picchu from there. (additional fee) Climb Machu Picchu Mountain – appreciate the beauty and magnificence of Machu Picchu from there. (additional fee) You will be given some time to walk to the Sun Gate or Inti Punku. ( No additional fee) Other optional activities in Aguas Calientes include a visit to the new local museum or to the hot springs. (entrance fee) Train to Cusco: You will descend to Aguas Calientes, eat a leisurely lunch and at 4:22pm board the Expedition train for the return trip to Cusco.

Upon reaching Ollantaytambo train station, you will transfer to a private van for your return to Cusco, arriving at your hotel at 8pm.

Day 4 Cerro Colorado Vinicunca

CUSCO – RAINBOW MOUNTAIN – CUSCO

We will pick you up from your hotel at 4am, and begin with our amazing Rainbow Mountain Trek Adventure. We set out on our drive for 3 hours through the South Valley; ending up at the trailhead at Llacto (4,638m / 15,216 ft). Along the way, there are amazing views of farming Inca terraces, traditional villages, valleys and high Andean peaks.

The herds of alpacas and llamas near your breakfast place will entertain you in the early morning. Once we reach the trailhead, we start on our hike following a lovely stream. As you start your hike, you will have views of the Ausangate Mountain and glaciers. You can interact with the local people, who are still keeping traditional Quechua culture alive. Learn about their traditional clothes and the significance of the different hats worn by the men. Ask your guide to teach you a few words of Quechua! After a total hike of 1.5 hours, we finally reach our destination….the Rainbow Mountain (5,020m /16,466ft).

After admiring the unique beauty, you will have time to explore the area. You can take pictures or just soak up the view. We will spend approximately 30 minutes at the top. Afterwards, there is an optional hike across to the top of the Red Valley. This walk takes about 45 minutes longer to get back to the trailhead. At this point, we hike back down the way we came.

The hike takes 1 hour, then we enjoy our lunch which will prepare by our cook. We will embark on the 3-hour drive back to Cusco and drop you off at your Cusco hotel, arriving around 6:00pm.