Huchuy Qosqo - Trekking Tour, Peru

Upon arrival into Lima International Airport, you will be met by our representative and private driver and will be transferred to your hotel. Our representative will assist you with check-in procedures and provide you with a detailed itinerary, vouchers covering all the services included in your tour and additional information on the organization of your Peru trip. You will also receive a contact information sheet with all the hotel details as well as our offices contact information for each city and a 24-hour emergency number. Meals Included: None

Get ready for a busy morning, starting with a guided sightseeing tour to the most attractive and important sites in Lima, the “City of Kings”. The tour includes Lima’s Historical Center, passing by Plaza San Martin, Plaza Mayor, the Government Palace, the City Hall, the Cathedral and its Religious Art Museum (closed on Sunday and Saturday pm, Santo Domingo Convent is provided instead on these days) as well as San Francisco Monastery and its famous underground crypts known as the Catacombs. Finally, visit the residential Districts of San Isidro and Miraflores, passing by the Huaca Pucllana, a Ceremonial and Administrative Center of the Lima Culture built in the II Century A.C. that the Incas considered as “Ñaupallaqta” or Sacred Town. Also visit El Olive Grove Park with olive trees brought from Spain in the XV Century, the Central Park of Miraflores and El Parque del Amor, or Peruvian Love Park. The Love Park, located on the cliffs of Miraflores overlooking the Pacific Ocean, is a beautiful natural lookout, where you can see the waves of the Pacific rolling in towards the coast below and the Morro Solar in Chorrillos at a distance, with the coast extending further along the bay until the port of Callao. This is also the perfect spot for a romantic view of the setting sun in the late afternoon, right in front of you. Meals Included: Breakfast

Start your day with breakfast it’s a big day ahead. The National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology, and History of Peru is the country’s first and largest state museum. The assembly of a national collection of artifacts began in the second quarter of the 19th century, though it lacked a permanent home. Much of it was plundered during the War of the Pacific. In 1905 the National History Museum was housed in Lima’s Exhibition Palace. The National Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology was established in 1945, and in 1992 the National Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology merged with the National History Museum to form The National Museum of Anthropology, Archaeology, and History of Peru. The museum offers a comprehensive overview of Peru’s cultural history, from prehistoric times to the present day. The permanent collection includes tens of thousands of ceramic, textile, stone, metal, and wood objects, tools, and technologies. It also contains more than 2,000 musical instruments and the remains of ancient humans. Meals Included: Breakfast

Your local tour guide will meet you at the hotel lobby at a pre-determined time and transfer you to the Lima Airport to board your flight to Cusco. Our representative will assist you with check -in procedures and all departure formalities. Flight Lima – Cusco: Many tout this flight path as one of the most spectacular scenic flights to be experienced anywhere in the world. During the course of the flight the major glaciated peaks of the Cordillera Vilcabamba and Vilcanota ranges can be seen, surrounded by an agricultural patchwork quilt of tranquil Andean fields and small hamlets (some of which we will explore in the coming days). The approach to Cusco Airport is unique in that it requires the pilot to make a sweeping 180-degree turn to enter the valley, providing a staggering panorama of the Inca city center. Meals Included: Breakfast

An English speaking guide to start your exploration on the way to the Sacred Valley. The Sacred Valley of the Urubamba is located one hour from Cusco and is significantly lower in elevation, which aids the acclimatization process by allowing our bodies to adjust to the altitude more gradually. Today you will have the opportunity to visit Awanacancha, an Andean textile center whose key objective is to maintain the wealth of Incan textile art and keep their traditions alive. Awanacancha means “the palace of weaving” and as its name announces, it is all about textile production. Here we will learn about the dyeing techniques and instruments used for hundreds of years in the weaving of these famous textiles. You will walk along a thatched roof path and will watch and learn about the four different kinds of South American camelids: Huanaco, Llama, Alpaca and Vicuña. At the end of the path you will find weavers from over 12 communities from southern Peru who alternate exhibitions of threading, dying and weaving traditional Andean textiles, thus avoiding their identity loss. Then head to the town of Pisac, famous for its ruins which lie atop a hill at the entrance the valley and separated along the ridge into four groups: Pisac, Inti Watana, Q’allaqasa, and Kinchiraqay. 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 define the change seasons. The Incas constructed agricultural terraces on the steep hillside by hauling richer topsoil by hand from the lower lands, enabling the production of surplus food, more than would normally be possible at altitudes as high as 11,000 feet. The narrow rows of terraces beneath the citadel are thought to represent the wing of a partridge (Pisac), from which the village and ruins get their name. Continue to the Pisac Markets, which was the place of reunion for all artisans of the region to get together and exchange or buy and sell their products. Originally held only on Sundays, but due to the increase of tourism in the area during the XX centu ry it became increasingly popular to the point that now it is held daily. It is a favorite destination for visitors from all over the world who don’t want to miss the opportunity of enjoying the colorful ambiance in this marketplace. This is an excellent chance to share the peasants’ customs closely with plenty of time to explore and even barter all the goods and crafts typical of the areas around Cusco. Leisurely roam through the textiles and souvenir sections of the market. A buffet lunch will be served in a country restaurant. After lunch we head to the Ollantaytambo Fortress to continue enjoying this spectacular building that in the time of the Incas. The end of the tour you can enjoy the town of Ollantaytambo while waiting to board your train that will take you to hot springs. At the indicated time one of our attendants will take you to the station to help you with your Check in. Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch Huchuy Qosqo Trek to Machu Picchu (2 days – 1 night) This trek is ideal for those passengers who really want to be far in the middle of nowhere with only nature surrounding them. Huchuy Qosqo (small Cusco) is situated above the Valley of Urubamba and offers very spectacular views over the mountain range Cordillera de Vilcanota. Information:  Altitude: 2050 - 4050 m. / 6725 - 13287 f.  Duration: 2 days / 1 night  Distance: 14 km  Level of difficulty: Normal to Moderate

You will start driving from your hotel to the small Village of Tauca (3750m). The beginning of your trek will be on level terrain and the landscape will be that of typical Andean valleys rich in corn, potatoes, barley, quinoa and other Andean tubers. As you ascend towards your pass at 4050m the landscape begins to change dramatically in that of high Andean savannah or Puna with scant vegetation, mainly “ichu” or high altitude grass. The views of the Cordillera Vilcabamba peaks are spectacular: Veronica, Pitusiray, Chicon and San Juan snow peaks. Soon after the pass you will start your descent towards the Huchuy Qosqo plains hiking along a path that leads to the Ccauca ravine, where you will be able to see archaeological remains and wild crops, such as tarwi and a large quantity of cacti. You will walk downhill towards the Leon Punku ravine, where you will find remains of an Inca bridge and trail. This canyon boasts geological formations surrounded by majestic rocks and boulders that direct the river to Huchuy Qosqo at 3650m. Huchuy Qosqo (“Little Cuzco”) is a noteworthy Inca complex. It boasts very fine stonework in a large Kallanka (rectangular Hall), some residential and defensive quarters and interesting two-story buildings in stone and adobe. Huchuy Qosqo is located on a plateau, surrounded by Inca agricultural terracing and commanding superb views of the Vilcabamba range. Afterwards we’ll go downhill to Lamay at 2900m where we’ll catch our transport driving to Ollantaytambo. Ollantaytambo is t he place where we’ll continue by train to Aguas Calientes town. You will pass the night in an hotel in Aguas Calientes. Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 07 - AGUAS CALIENTES - MACHU PICCHU - CUSCO Early in the morning we’ll go up in the first bus to visit Machu Picchu (2450m) at your own pace with your guide. After your free time descent to the village of Aguas Calientes at 2050m, where we’ll catch the train coming back to Ollantaytambo, where your vehicle will be expecting you to take you to your hotel in Cusco 3350m. Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

After enjoying breakfast at your hotel. At the scheduled time you will be shuttled from the hotel to the airport to board your flight back to Lima. Our representative will assist you with check -in procedures and then to your connecting flight back home. We hope that you have enjoyed you stay with us and the fond memories of Peru. Meals Included: Breakfast