Cusco Highland Adventure

Transfer Hotel / Lima International Airport (private)

After breakfast, our representative will meet you at the hotel lobby and transfer you to the Lima International Airport to board your next flight. Once you arrive in Cusco, you will be transferred to your hotel to begin your tour of the Sacred Valley.

Pisac Ruins en route (private)

On the way to the Sacred Valley, we’ll visit the town of Pisac, famous for its ruins lying on top of a hill at the entrance to the valley, which are separated along the ridge into four groups: P’isaqa, Inti Watana, Q’allaqasa, and Kinchiraqay.  You will visit the Inti Watana group, which includes the Temple of the Sun, baths, altars, water fountains, a ceremonial platform, and an inti watana —a volcanic ritual stone used as an astronomic clock, or Inca calendar, to determine the seasonal changes.

Overnight in Sacred Valley.

Half Day ATV Adventure in Maras & Moray (private)

After breakfast, the adventure begins at a base in Maras, about 40 minutes from the center of Cusco. We hop on an ATV and take a journey through some of the Sacred Valley’s more notorious and beautiful sites: Moray—Inca agricultural terraces, and Maras Salt Pans—an artisanal salt mine where the residents make salt fine, coarse, flavored, or for beauty treatments.

Overnight in the Sacred Valley.

Half-day Sacred Valley Via-Ferrata & Zip Line (private)

Today you will be part of an amazing Mountain Adventure that doesn’t require previous experience. Via-Ferrata is a path with a permanently installed safety system used to climb a mountain. The climber is permanently tied to a steel cable that runs through the entire route. Usually, this does not require any climbing rope. Metal ladders, bridges, and similar props are used. This helps maintain the physical difficulty of climbing and mix beginner skills while providing access to very high, extreme vertical sections of a mountain that would otherwise only be accessible to experienced rock climbers. Arrival, equipment and safety talk will take 30 minutes.

After you climb the climb 400 meters of via ferrata, at the top, another adventure awaits! Zip-line to the bottom of the mountain using 6 zip wires (150 meters to 700 meters).

Box Lunch will be provided. Later, we return to the hotel.

Overnight in the Sacred Valley.

We pick you up from your hotel early morning and take you to Ollantaytambo station, to board a train ride to Chachabamba, the starting point of your hike.

We pass through the Chachabamba archeological remains. The style of buildings and stonework suggest that this used to be an important religious site, as well as having the secondary function of a gate house, guarding the entrance to Machu Picchu. Enjoy the view of the majestic Urubamba valley.

After a few hours of walking through the ancient Inca steps, we arrive at Wiñayhuayna at lunch time. This is an archeological complex which consists of two constructions united by stairways, from where we see some of the terraces used for agriculture activities. This is one of the most fascinating Inca constructions found in Cusco. After lunch, we continue our hike to Intipunku or Sun Gate.

Inti Punku is one of the most important archeological sites in Machu Picchu. It was once the main entrance to the citadel, connecting the then capital city of Cusco to the southeast. Inti Punku is dedicated to the cult of the Inti, the Sun god. Because of its location on a ridge southeast of Machu Picchu, the rising sun would pass through the Sun Gate each year on the summer solstice. From this point we have an amazing view of the citadel and time for resting and taking photos.

After the Inti Punku, we hike down to the Machu Picchu entrance where we take the bus to Aguas Calientes and rest.

Dinner a la carte and overnight in Aguas Calientes.

We pick you up from your hotel in the morning and take you to the bus station, where we take the bus up to Machu Picchu.

The lost city of the Incas is spectacularly nestled 2430m above sea level in the Andean mountain range. It is generally thought that the ancient city was probably built around 1450, at the height of the Inca Empire. No one knows what the real purpose of Machu Picchu was —some speculate it was a prison and some say it was a defensive retreat—, but the most common belief is that the city was the estate of an Inca emperor.

Much of the wonder of Machu Picchu is how the massive stones could have been hauled the great distances to the site and then be cut with such precision that they fitted together without need for cement, then remain standing for so long.

After the visit, lunch will be served at Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel

You’ll get the afternoon free to visit the town of Aguas Calientes.

PM: Return to Cusco (private)

In the afternoon, at the appropriate time, take the shuttle bus to Aguas Calientes and then board your return train to Ollantaytambo and the back to Cusco.  Upon arrival at the train station, you will be met by our representative and private driver, who will transfer you to the hotel.

Overnight in Cusco.

Cultural trekking (private)

Today we will embark on a different tour of Cusco City’s surrounding archaeological sites.

An early pick up from your Cusco hotel takes you to Plaza de Armas, or the Main Square of Cusco. From here, we take a short walk to the San Cristóbal viewpoint, overlooking the city of Cusco from a privileged spot.

Next, we walk to the Sacsayhuaman Fortress archaeological site, a ceremonial compound and magnificent example of Inca military power, also offering a panoramic view of the City.

Then, we walk to the Qenqo Amphitheater, a ritualistic site with subterranean galleries that form an underground maze. From this point, we head to the district of San Blas, with its winding streets and whitewashed houses with blue balconies. This bohemian neighborhood is full of artisan workshops where you can find everything from ceramics to sculptures, to textiles. If we’re lucky, we’ll even find the artists themselves working on new creations.

The excursion ends by descending to the Plaza de Armas, strolling through cobblestone streets, stopping at Hatunrumiyoc Street to admire the 12-angled stone, perhaps the most famous example of the Incas’ exquisite ability for cutting stones to fit together like jigsaw-puzzle pieces without mortar.

After the tour, you can return to the hotel or stay to pace the town on our own.

Overnight in Cusco.

Transfer Cusco / Puno (private)

Today, we leave early  for the City of Puno. On the way there, we’ll see the lovely Wacarpay Lake, offering spectacular views of the mountains reflected in its calm waters. When we reach the beautiful town of Andahuaylillas, we’ll stop to visit the Church of San Pedro de Andahuaylillas, better known as the Sistine Chapel of the Americas, due to its decorated polychrome ceiling.

Back on the road, we’ll go through La Raya Ranch, where you will be able to see herds of vicuñas and llamas. We’ll drive along the High Plateau of Collao, passing through the Town of Ayaviri, an important livestock and textile Centre, to visit the impressive Temple of Kalasaya, ruins from the ancient Pucara Culture.

Lunch will be served at a quiet countryside restaurant, where you will enjoy the delightful culinary art of the region.

We then continue the journey to Puno, arriving in the afternoon to your hotel.

Overnight in Puno.

Full day visit to Llachon Village, kayaking, Taquile and Uros Islands (private)

Today, we head to the western shores of Lake Titicaca to visit the Village of Llachon, located on the Capachica Peninsula, a place where time has stopped, where we appreciate the customs and experiences of the local community.

Enjoy kayaking along the banks of the lake (for, approximately, 1 hour) contemplating the authentic villages, farms and tutelary hills of the peninsula and nearby islands.

We continue our motorboat trip to Taquile Island, inhabited by Quechua-speaking natives who have developed efficient and unique social systems, as well as fine hand weaving techniques, passed down through generations.

Upon arrival at the Town of Taquile, we have lunch. Afterward, we go on a walk through the various hills and archaeological sites of this 6 km-long Island.

Lastly, we visit the unique “Floating Islands” of the Uros.  These ancient inhabitants of the lake, known as the Water Tribe, have built their own islands by periodically adding new layers of a vegetable fiber of the Papyrus family called “Totora” (Scirpus totora), which is unique to the area.

Transfer back to the hotel. Overnight in Puno.

Transfer Lake Hotels / Juliaca Airport with Sillustani on route (private)

At the appropriate time, our representative will meet you at the hotel lobby and transfer you to the Juliaca Airport, so you can catch your next flight. They will assist you with the corresponding check-in procedures and all departure formalities.

On the way to the Airport, you will visit the famous Chullpas of Sillustani: stone cylinder burial chambers used by the Aymaras to bury their important leaders. Lake Umayo, located in front of the Chullpas, adds further beauty to the place.