Magic Cusco (5 Days/ 4 Nights)

Overview

Day 1: Welcome to Cusco and City Tour.
Day 2: Sacred Valley Tour and Trip to Machu Picchu.
Day 3: Machupicchu Guided tour & back to Cusco.
Day 4: Moray and Maras Salt Mines Tour (half day)
Day 5: Departure transfer.

Itinerary

Day 1: Welcome to Cusco and City Tour.

Upon your arrival at the Alejandro Velazco Astete Airport, in the Imperial City of Cusco (3,350 m.a.s.l.), Info Machupicchu´s staff will be waiting for you, to transfer you to the hotel of your choice. Once at the hotel, you´ll have the opportunity to enjoy a famous coca leaf tea, as that plant possesses properties that will help your organism overcome altitude sickness. Afterwards, you´ll get a chance to rest and get a bit acclimatized, at the hotel.

Around 1:30 p.m., we´ll pick you up at your hotel, to start the city´s tour with the visit of Cusco´s Cathedral, located on the city´s Main Square. Then, we´ll go to the ‘Qoricancha’, or Temple of the Sun, that was the Incas´ maximum expression of architecture and engineering, where the Santo Domingo Monastery is presently erected.

Then, we´ll board a tourism bus, to head towards the 4 archaeological complexes located on the city´s outskirts, which are Saqsayhuaman, famous for its huge cut stones, some of which are 9 meters high, and weigh over 350 tons. Then, we´ll visit Qenqo, which means ‘Maze’ or ‘Zigzag’, and fulfilled clearly religious functions. Afterwards, we´ll go over to Puca Pucara which is considered to have served as a watch post and, finally, we´ll visit Tambomach’ay that was destined to the Cult to Water.

Between 6:00 and 6:30 p.m., you´ll return to the city of Cusco, to have dinner (not included) and spend the night at your hotel.

Day 2: Sacred Valley Tour and Trip to Machu Picchu.

After breakfast, at your hotel, our tourism bus will pick you up between 8:00 and 8:30. Then, the tour will start at 9:00 a.m., with the guided visit of Pisac´s Incan Architectural Complex which is one of the most important and visit, in the Incas´ Sacred Valley. Afterwards, we´ll visit Pisac´s Native Handicraft Market, where we´ll have the opportunity to observe its inhabitants´ customs, from up close. Then, we´ll go to the town of Urubamba, where we´ll enjoy a delicious buffet-lunch.

In the afternoon, we´ll travel along the Vilcanota River´s banks, to the village and Incan Architectural Complex of Ollantaytambo, to visit it. Afterwards, we´ll take you to the local train station, to board a tourism train bound to Machupicchu Pueblo (ex Aguas Calientes), where Info Machupicchu´s staff will be waiting, to welcome and help you get to your hotel. Once there, they will inform you on the following day´s guided visit.

Overnight stay at your hotel, in Machupicchu Pueblo (ex Aguas Calientes).

Day 3: Machupicchu Guided tour & back to Cusco.

Very early in the morning, after breakfast, our guide will pick you up at your hotel, to take you to the bus station, and ride up to the Incan City of Machu Picchu.

Once in the archaeological complex, you´ll enjoy a 2-hour guided visit, to discover Machu Picchu´s most outstanding architectural compounds. Then at the indicated time, in accordance with your train´s departure schedule, you´ll board a bus back down to Machupicchu Pueblo, to go to the railway station, and be there 30 minutes before your return train´s departure time. The trip back follows the same itinerary as that to Machupicchu Pueblo and, upon your arrival at Poroy´s railroad station, our staff will be waiting to take you to your hotel, in the city of Cusco.

Day 4: Moray and Maras Salt Mines Tour (half day)

After breakfast, at your hotel, Info Machupicchu´s staff will pick you up, in the lobby, between 8:00 and 8:30 a.m., to start the tour with a first stopover in the colorful village of Chinchero, where we´ll visit Inca Tupac Yupanqui´s Royal House, with its still well-conserved original Incan walls. Then, we´ll also have the opportunity to get to know Chinchero´s women, dressed in their beautiful traditional clothes, at the local market.

After that stopover, we´ll head towards the village of Maras, where we´ll visit typical streets, and will savor the famous local Chicha which is traditional a fermented corn drink that, since Incan times, and up to present days, is used in special ceremonies.

Then, we´ll travel on to Moray´s Incan Archaeological Complex that originally was one of the most important agricultural laboratory and research center, where experiments were performed with crops, at different altitudinal levels.

After that important visit, we´ll go to our next stopover, to visit Maras´ famous Salt Mines, or Salineras, where mountain mineral salt is being extracted, in a traditional way, from over 3,000 shallow pools that have been exploited since Incan times, as salt was considered as an economic exchange product, by the Incas.

In the early afternoon, we´ll return to the city of Cusco, to get there around 2:30 p.m.

Day 5: Departure transfer.

Breakfast at the hotel and, at the indicated time, Info Machupicchu´s staff will pick you up, to take you to the airport.

END OF OUR SERVICES.

Includes

Included:

Transfers: Airport – Hotel – Airport
Cusco´s City Tour
Sacred Valley Tour
Tour Maras & Moray
Guided excursion in Machu Picchu
Entrance tickets to all tourist attractions to be visited
Tourism transportation for all programed tours
Professional tour guide, in the language you prefer (English or Spanish)
Transfers: Railway station – Hotel
Two-way Expedition Train tickets: Ollantaytambo – Machupicchu Pueblo – Poroy.
Two-way bus ticket in Machu Picchu Pueblo (Up and back down)
Entrance tickets to the Incan City of Machu Picchu.
3 nights at the hotel you´ve chosen, in Cusco
1 hostal night, in Machupicchu Pueblo (ex Aguas Calientes)
4 breakfasts at the hotel.
1 buffet-lunch in the Sacred Valley
1 buffet-lunch in Machupicchu Pueblo.
Daily orientation and assistance, on the part of our professional tourism staff.