Short Inca Trail - Trek - Sightseeing 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 Francis co 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 Museo Larco is housed in an exquisite 18th century vice-royal mansion, built over a 7th century pre-Columbian pyramid and surrounded by beautiful gardens. The museum’s galleries exhibit the finest and most magnificent gold and jewelry treasures from Ancient Peru and the renowned erotic collection, one of Peru’s most celebrated attractions. Founded in 1926 and located in Lima, the Museo Larco holds the largest and most important archaeological collection of Ancient Peru in the world. Peru is known worldwide thanks to the legendary Inca Empire on the Andes Mountains; however, few are aware that this society existed only for the last 100 years before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors. The Museo Larco portrays to the visitor an en gaging narrative, recounting 5000 years in the development of Peru’s pre-Columbian history; thus becoming the ideal means to understand and enjoy Ancient Peru. On the Museum’s terraces overlooking its vibrant and stunning gardens, find Museo Larco ́s Cafe r estaurant, where one can savor the best of Peruvian and International cuisine. All in all, it’s accurate to say that to become fascinated by Peruvian history, the journey begins at Museo Larco!

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. Half Day Arqueological Cusco City Tour This afternoon you’ll enjoy a guided sightseeing tour of Cusco, with your guide to the first ruin site (Tambomachay). As you walk to and visit each archaeological site, your guide will explain the history, architecture, and local traditions. The four sites are Tambomachay, Puca Pucara, Q’enko, and Sacsayhuaman. After exploring the last ruin site you will walk down to the Plaza de Armas in Cusco City. With examples of Inca history and architecture. Visit the city’s most important historical monuments that reveal the influence of different cultures: The Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral dating from Spanish vice-royalty times, built with great slabs of red granite renaissance style in contrast with the baroque style silver work of its interior and, the Santo Domingo church built upon the foundations of the Inca temple Qorikancha, dedicated to worship the Sun God.

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 century it became increasingly popular to the point that now it is held daily. It is a favorite destina tion 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 t his 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 statio n to help you with your Check in.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Our journey starts early in the morning. After our arrival at KM 104 by train, the Royal Inca Trail begins with a hike to Chachabamba (2270m/7448f), where our guide will in-form us about the previous function of this archaeological site. Thereafter, we will reach Wiñayhuayna (2650m/8694f), the most important archaeological site besides Machu Picchu. After that our trail continues towards the Sun Gate “Inti Punku”, a nice view-point from which we can enjoy the nightfall on Machu Picchu (2400m/7874f). Since we have to continue our walk to our hotel in Aguas Calientes, we will only spend little time in the sanctuary of Machu Picchu on the first day.  Level of difficulty: Moderate  Hiking time: 06 hours  Total distance: 12 km

We will leave our hotel towards Machu Picchu after breakfast at about 5:30am by bus. We are leaving that early because at this time the site is less crowded and the morning is a good time to enjoy the calmness and the ancient spirit of the best-known archaeological site on the continent. After our arrival at the citadel around 6:00am, our guide will giv e us detailed information about Machu Picchu and the history and culture of the Inca. Thereafter, you will have enough free time to enjoy and explore the site on your own (f.ex. go to the Inca Bridge, explore the variety of buildings or climb Huayna Picchu for an amazing panorama picture). A bus takes you down to Aguas Calientes. Here you have the possibility to join the town’s hot springs (S/ 10.00 Nuevos soles). We will leave Aguas Calientes in the afternoon.

 Level of difficulty: normal  Hiking time: 2 hours  Total distance: 4 km

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