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Immerse yourself in myths, legends and history of the Incas on our 8 day “Machu Picchu Explorer” trip. We begin in Cusco, the southern capital of the Inca empire and without a doubt the most beautiful town in Peru. Here we embrace the local culture as we tour local cathedrals, ruins, marketplaces and marvel at the intricate Incan stonemasonry. Our next stop is in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, a lovely fertile valley north of Cusco, lined with picturesque Andean markets, impressive churches and remarkable Inca ruins. Here, we will bargain with local craftsmen in Andean textile markets and visit the archaeological complexes of Pisaq, Ollantaytambo and Chinchero, the agricultural terraces of Moray and the Inca salt mines of Maras. We will then travel by train along the Urubamba River through spectacular scenery called "the eyebrow of the rainforest" until we near the fabled lost citadel of Machu Picchu. We will spend 4-5 hours exploring the ruins of Wiñay Wayna and hiking into Machu Picchu via the Inti Punku (Gate of the Sun). We will marvel at the perfectly preserved Inca citadel of Machu Picchu that was lost in the dense jungle for hundreds of years. Don’t miss this chance to visit the magical country of Peru, full of mystery, intrigue and the rich ancient culture of the Incas.
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No experience is required to participate in this trip. For those who are not interested in hiking 4-5 hours into Machu Picchu, alternative arrangements to travel to Machu Picchu completely by train can be arranged.
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Upon arrival in Lima (150 meters, 500 feet), we will be met at the Lima International Airport and transferred to our hotel for the evening.
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| Cusco at night. (Cusco, Peru) |
In the morning, we will transfer to the Lima Airport to catch our flight to Cusco (3,400 meters, 11,500 feet). Upon arrival, we will be met by our Cusco guide and transferred to our hotel. Cusco is without a doubt the most beautiful town in Peru. It was considered the navel of the earth, the southern capital of the Inca Empire, an empire that at its peak stretched north to the south of Colombia, South to northern Chile and Argentina, and West across the Andes to the Amazon basin. The Incas were outstanding stonemasons and town planners. In Cusco we will be able to observe the skill and exquisiteness of this work on the many walls that serve as foundations to colonial buildings. The colonial buildings themselves are among the finest in the Americas. The thin air, the surrounding mountains and the Andean sky provide the perfect backdrop to Cusco’s cobbled narrow streets, its lovely buildings and plazas, its many hidden treasures and churches. It is not only culturally fascinating and beautiful to look at, but also extremely pleasant to wander around and be in the city itself. In the afternoon, we will enjoy a guided visit to the main sites of the city.
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This church is built over what once was the most magnificent temple in the Americas, Coricancha or Temple of the Sun. Its courtyards were filled with life-sized gold and silver representations of all the flora and fauna of the empire. Pizarro’s men looted the temple as part of the royal ransom of Inca Atahualpa, who was held prisoner in Cajamarca by the Spaniards and later killed. An earthquake destroyed the Santo Domingo church in 1950 revealing the Inca walls that were hidden or plastered over. These walls of the Temple of the Sun are the finest example of Inca stonework in existence.
The cathedral, built in 1550 and located in the northeast side of the Plaza de Armas contains over 400 12th century paintings done by the members of the renowned Cusco School. The “Lord of the Earthquakes” altar weights over 52 pounds and is made of solid gold and studded with precious stones. The main altar is covered with sheets of silver.
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| La Catedral in the Plaza de Armas. (Cusco, Peru) |
The Plaza de Armas is called Huacaypata by the Quechuas, which means cry or moan. This name originated in the expressions of reverence and submission with which the religious or military ceremonies were carried out in this place. Colonial arcades and the remains of ancient Inca temples and churches surround the plaza.
Located two kilometers from the city of Cusco, the immense walls of the Sacsayhuaman archaeological complex are made up of huge stones distributed in a zigzag pattern in three platforms with an average of 1,181ft in length. These platforms are connected by flights of stairs and doorways made of stone. One of these is 29 feet tall and 15 feet wide and weighs more than 100 tons. The largest stone block found in Sacsayhuaman stands 27.88 feet high and weighs 361 tons. Inca Pachacuti employed 20,000 men for the construction of this complex which took approximately 50 years to complete.
Other nearby ruins we may visit include: Qenko, Tambo Machay and Puca Pucara. Qenko is a rock sanctuary whose main attraction is a monolithic altar representing a puma. Tambo Machay is a small ruin comprised of a beautifully wrought ceremonial stone bath and is therefore popularly called “El Baño del Inca”. Puca Pucara is a red fort.
In the evening, we will enjoy a welcome dinner with a typical Peruvian folk show before retiring to our colonial hotel. (B, L, D)
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| Shopping in the local market. (Pisaq, Peru) |
Today we will spend a full day visiting the Sacred Valley of the Incas (2,900 meters or 9,500 feet), a lovely fertile valley that lies north of Cusco on the way to Machu Picchu. The Sacred Valley, which owes its name to the beauty and fertility of its land, is lined with picturesque Andean markets, impressive churches and remarkable Inca ruins.
Today we will start with a visit to the ruins of Pisac, one of the most important archaeological complexes set high above the valley with stunning terracing following the hill contours. Here we will explore the fortress city built by the Incas, marveling at their impressive masonry work. The Pisaq archaeological ruins are located on the top of a mountain 2 1/2 miles away from town, surrounded by some of the most impressive agricultural terraces in Peru, still in use today. Our tour of the Pisaq complex will take approximately 2 hours and the paths are narrow in some spots, good eye-foot coordination is required here! We will then head into the bustling marketplace below and spend a bit of time shopping in one of the best textile markets in the Andes. If we are energized enough, we might even walk down from the ruins to the town below as it is a beautiful way to approach the town and its famous market.
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| Corn, the local diet staple. (Peru) |
After lunch in a local restaurant, we will tour the archaeological site of Ollantaytambo. Here there are several structures of importance to the Inca. At the top of the sixteen massive terraces are the ever impressive ruins of Ollantaytambo Fortress where the Inca fought some of their strongest battles. Huge and precisely carved stones were transported somehow by hundreds of men down one mountain range to Ollantaytambo and fitted perfectly to support this strategic fortress that has bared the test of time. There are “silos” or grain mills directly across from the fortress that housed thousands of pounds of grain for the Incas. The village of Ollantaytambo retains the same street plan of the original Inca town, making it the only surviving example of Inca urban planning. We will also marvel at the clever irrigation system devised by the Incas as well. We will spend the evening at our Ollantaytambo hotel, set right at the foot of the ruins. (B, L)
Today we will spend the morning visiting the ruins and town of Chinchero. En route, we will see the magnificent snow capped peaks of the Cordillera Vilcabamba. This is by far the most scenically impressive route in all of the Sacred Valley.
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| Agricultural terraces. (Moray, Peru) |
After lunch, we will visit the agricultural terraces of Moray that were used by the Incas as open-air crop laboratories or greenhouses. Each terrace level is believed to have a different microclimate, enabling the growth of a wide variety of plants in the same area. We will finish our tour with a visit to the pre-Columbian salt mines of Maras that are still active today. These white salt terraces on overhanging cliffs are a true paradise and a must for photography.
Before dinner, we can arrange an optional visit to the ceramic atelier of Pablo Seminario, one of the country's premier artists. Along with his contemporary works, he and his artisans produce ceramics with the same techniques used in Incan times. Pablo, or an associate, will describe these and we can watch the artisans at work. He also has a small shop where we can purchase a variety of attractive and well-designed items. As the day draws to a close we will return to Ollantaytambo for one more night in the Sacred Valley. (B, L)
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| Group at the ruins. (Machu Picchu, Peru) |
In the morning, we will transfer to the Ollantaytambo train station where we will board the 8:00 am train for the 1 ½ hour train ride to Machu Picchu. As soon as our train journey starts, the valley becomes a canyon, the cloud forest beings to appear with a strong vegetation change as we reach the Machu Picchu Sanctuary. The tracks follow the mighty Urubamba River through spectacular scenery called "the eyebrow of the rainforest". The train passes through several small villages where local Indian farmers tend their crops and reside as they have for hundreds of years.
At kilometer 104, approximately 1 hour after our departure, we will get off the train and begin our 4-5 hour hike into Machu Picchu. We will cross a hanging bridge, then approach the small, but interesting Inca archaeological complex of Cachabamba. After a brief visit to this site we will begin a 3-4 hour ascent to the ruins of Wiñay Wayna, an important Inca spiritual site and one of the loveliest of all Inca ruins. At this point the trail joins with the main Inca Trail. From here you will be walking on Inca pavement. Here the Inca Trail cuts across the ridge above Machu Picchu (2,576 meters or 8,500 feet). We will enter the Machu Picchu archaeological complex through the Inti Punku (Gate of the Sun) and then follow the trail downhill to the lost citadel located right above the Urubamba River. When we arrive, we will stare in amazement, mouths agape, at this wonder of the ancient world.
"I suddenly found myself in a maze of beautiful granite houses! They were covered with trees and mosses and the growth of centuries, but in the dense shadow, hiding in bamboo thickets and tangled vines, could be seen, here and there, walls of white granite ashlars most carefully cut and exquisitely fitted together."
Hiram Bingham, upon his discovery of Machu Picchu, 24 July 1911
Machu Picchu is a perfectly preserved Inca city that was lost in the dense jungle for hundreds of years. Machu Picchu, whose name means "ancient peak," is perhaps the most famous and awe-inspiring of all of the ruins discovered during the 20th century. Machu Picchu was so well-hidden by the towering jungle-covered ramparts of the Cordillera Vilcabamba that it was never discovered by the Spaniards. Constructed on a high mountain overlooking the Urubamba river, Machu Picchu and Wayna Picchu were lost in time and the dense forest until they were brought to the attention of the outside world in July 1911 by the American historian and explorer Hiram Bingham. There are many speculations, but its origins and purpose remain lost in time. After a brief visit to the ruins, we will transfer to our hotel in the village of Aguas Calientes, carefully set in a high tropical cloud forest. (B, L)
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| Overlooking the ruins. (Machu Picchu, Peru) |
Today, we will start early and watch the sun rise over Machu Picchu. Our guide will escort us through the ruins, discussing the construction and probable usage of the buildings, reflecting on life in this spectacular setting. Later, we can hike to the top of Huayna Picchu, walk through the lush cloud forest to the Temple of the Moon or take more photographs of the area. We will enjoy a wonderful buffet lunch today at the famous Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge. After lunch, we will transfer by bus to Aguas Calientes at the base of Machu Picchu. Here we will retrace our route through the Urubamba Valley and return to Cusco on the 3:00pm train. Upon arrival back in Cusco, we will check into our hotel for the evening. (B, L)
Today we will spend one last free day exploring the delights on Cusco life. If we are still energized we might decide to spend the day whitewater rafting, horseback riding or mountain biking. Or, then again we might just decide to wander the busy streets and shop for a last few items in the bustling marketplaces. Overnight at our Cusco hotel. (B)
In the morning, we will transfer to the Puerto Maldonado airport and fly back to Lima. We will have the afternoon free to explore colonial Lima on our own. We may choose to visit a few of the following Lima highlights before boarding our flights home that evening. (B)
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The main square is the site of Spanish foundation by Francisco Pizarro.
The Cathedral was built in 1625 in the Spanish baroque style.
The Government Palace has a traditional and colorful changing of the presidential guard, not to be missed.
San Francisco Church and Catacombs is Lima’s largest religious complex with a convent, museum of colonial art, cloisters and catacombs.
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| Local girl. (Cuso, Peru) |
Once the best collection tracing the prehistory of Peru chronology, the museum highlights examples from the earliest archaeological sites to the arrival of the Spaniards. Here you can see original pieces from and scale models of Machu Picchu and Chavin.
This private museum has one of the most incredible ceramic collections in the world. It is said to include 55,000 pots.
We can also arrange a special visit to the Private Collection Polli for those who may be interested.
The residential areas of San Isidro and Miraflores are worth exploring to admire the colonial architecture that pervades Lima’s urban living.
Enjoy a magnificent view of the Pacific from the coast.
In the evening, we will enjoy a welcome dinner with a typical Peruvian folk show before retiring to our colonial hotel. (B, L, D)
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