Dawn at the Inca Valley

Arrival in Lima, where you’ll be greeted and transferred to your hotel. In the afternoon, your visit of Lima starts at Historical Center: Plaza Mayor, location of the Government Palace, City Hall, Cathedral and Archbishops’ Palace. You’ll visit the Convent and Saint Francis Church, the largest monumental group in Colonial Art found in America and classified as Humanity’s Cultural and Historic Heritage. The tour includes a visit to the Basiclic, that offers 21 altars, cloisters, Capitular and Clementine Halls, choir and a monks library, the museum that exhibits 11 paintings of the Rubens school, the Sacristy displaying paintings by Surbaran and Ribera, the inside patio decorated with 16th century Seville tiles, Moorish arches and catacombs. Then, continue to the elegant residential districts, such as San Isidro and Miraflores, from where you’ll enjoy an excellent view of the Pacific Ocean. Return to the hotel for overnight.

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before your transfer t the airport for your flight to Cusco. Upon arrival you’ll be met and transferred to your hotel in Cusco. In the afternoon, start a tour of Cusco visiting the Plaza Mayor, Cathedral and Temple of the Sun or KoriKancha. Continue to the city suburbs to visit the Inca complexes of Kenko, Tambomachay, Puca Pucara and the impressive Sacsayhuaman Fortress, strategically built on a hill dominating Cusco, famous for the huge stones of its external walls, cut and assembled with stunning precision. Some of these stones are more than 30 feet tall and weigh over 700,000 pounds. Return to Cusco for overnight at the hotel. Meals: Breakfast.

Take your breakfast at the hotel before leaving for the Sacred Valley of the Inca. On the way stop at the Awanacancha complex for the chance of feeding Andean Camelids such as Llamas and Alpacas and meet local people who will show their techniques for the dying and weaving of their local fabrics. The visit will include the typical Pisaq Market where you have the opportunity to shop for local artifacts and try the traditional local costumes. Enjoy a buffet lunch at a regional restaurant. In the afternoon you’ll visit the Ollantaytambo Fortress, composed by a series of overlapped terraces and built to stop the invasion of attackers coming from the jumgle through this part of the valley. You’ll have the opportunity to walk the narrow streets of the village and get a first hand feeling of this military, religious and cultural center of the Inca Empire. Overnight at the Sacred Valley. Meals: Breakfast & Lunch.

Enjoy early breakfast at the hotel before your transfer to the railroad station to start a short trip to the Machu Picchu Citadel, also known as the “Lost city of the Inca” and considered one of the new Wonders of the World. Exit the train at the Aguas Calientes station to take the bus for a 30 minute drive along a meandering path leading to the marvelous citadel. As soon as you disembark you’ll start your guided tour of the site, visiting the Main Plaza, Circular Tower, Sacred Solar Clock, royal apartments, Temple of the 3 Windows and the cemeteries. Free time to allow you to walk around and enjoy the mystic energy and natural beauty of the site before returning to Aguas Calientes for buffet lunch. Free time to complete the visit the village. Overnight at Aguas Calientes. Meals: Breakfast & Lunch.

Today you have the opportunity to enjoy an early breakfast at the hotel and watch the sun rise below the mountains. This will energize you to complete the visit of Agua Calientes and its thermal source. For the rest of the day we propose one of the following optional activities (not included in the price):
1. Visit the Machu Picchu Citadel for a second time;
2. Or, for the more adventurous, we recommend going up to Huayna Picchu (unless it’s raining) from where you have an impressive eagle’s view of Machu Picchu and can appreciate its real size.
Walking up to the top takes about 2 1/2 hours and can only be done before 1:00 pm. You have to registrate at the guardian’s hut, at the bottom of the trail before starting the climb. It’s an emotional adventure for those who want to see the contrast between the wild natural vegetation and the carved stone emerging from the gound as a geological miracle. Walk down in the afternoon to be transferred to Cusco for overnight at the hotel. Meals: Breakfast.

After breakfast at the hotel, you’ll be transferred to the airport for your return flight to Lima. Upon arrival you’ll be met and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to complete your visit of the city, or the most prestigious museums such as Museum Larco Herrera. Overnight at your hotel. Meals: Breakfast.

Breakfast will be at your hotel. Depending on your program you may be transferred to the airport or continue your stay in Lima. Meals: Breakfast.