Cusco, Sacred Valley & Short Inca Trail Package 5 Days

Cusco & Machu Picchu Package 5 Days

Duration: 5 Days / 4 Nights

Max Size: Min 2

Physical rating: Moderate

Overview

Cusco & Machu Picchu Package 5 Days – Embark on this 5 day journey through the heart of the Inca Empire. Delight in the exploration of Spanish colonial architecture, ancient ruins, local markets, One Day Inca Trail, Rainbow Mountain and winding cobblestone streets. Be greeted by picturesque Andean landscapes, and exhilarate your senses with the tastes and smells of regional cuisine. This unforgettable experience concludes with the wind blowing through your hair at the legendary citadel of Machu Picchu.

Machu Picchu Package 5 Days Highlights

  • Sacred Valley Tour
  • Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
  • Rainbow Mountain Hike
  • Profesional Tour Guides
  • Reach History of Peru
  • Machu Picchu Site
  • Flora and Fauna
  • Memories for less

Cusco & Machu Picchu Package 5 Days: Overview

  • Day 1: Airport pick up
  • Day 2: Extended Sacred Valley Tour
  • Day 3: Ollantaytambo – Km 104 – Wiñay Huayna – Sun Gate – Machu Picchu
  • Day 4: Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – Cusco
  • Day 5: Cusco – Rainbow Mountain of Vinicunca – Cusco

Itinerary

Upon your arrival to Cusco, we will take you to the hotel and then join your guide for a briefing about the wonderful tour that awaits you. Today, begin the day with a tour of Cusco enjoy the sights of Cusco´s (the capital of the Incas). The indigenous and colonial heritages then spend the remainder of the day at leisure “by exploring Cusco’s nightlife or sampling some of its many typical restaurants.

We will pick you from your Cusco hotel at 7:30am, with our private van and head towards the Sacred Valley of the Incas, taking the direct route to Pisac. We stop first at the Mirador of Taray to enjoy a classic view of the Urubamba valley and its traditional farming villages. You will see how the agriculture in the Sacred Valley has changed little in the past five hundred years. Onward, we drive to the archeological site of Pisac, where you can see the biggest Inca cemetery with more than 2,000 tombs. There, we can admire the incredible farming terraces carved into the mountain, explore the Inca tunnel and the religious area of this important citadel. We will spend about 2 hours here, exploring the Inca city. Then, we head down to the colorful market of Pisac, spend about 20 minutes visiting it and then drive to Urubamba for lunch. There are many restaurants to choose from. Just tell your guide what you’re in the mood for! (Lunch is not included).

With timeless charm, we visit the archeological site of Moray also known as “The Greenhouse of the Incas,” a deep bowl of architectural wonder. Levels of terraces are carved into a huge basin, which was excavated by the Incas. The terraces have varied microclimates depending on how deep into the bowl they are placed. Archeologists believe that they were used by the Incas experiment with hybridization and to discover the optimal growing conditions for their crops.

Continuing on our journey to the colonial town of Maras, we look down onto the pre-Inca salt mines. Thousands of saltpans have been passed down through countless generations and used for salt extraction since before Inca times. A hot spring at the top of the valley discharges a small stream of heavily salt laden water, which is diverted into saltpans and evaporated to produce salt. This is one of the few places in the world where you can find naturally pink salt!

Finally, we drive to Ollantaytambo. Here you spend the night at Veronica View Hotel in Ollantaytambo, ready to start the Inca Trail the next day!

Accommodation: 3*** Hotel
Meals: Not included

With a compacted 2 days of excitement ahead, we depart our hotel from ollantaytambo at 5:30am, and them we walk to the train station nearby. You will have an hour and 20-minute ride by Expedition train to KM 104 (2,100m/6,927ft), where you will begin your trek and show your passport at the first checkpoint. Afterwards, we initiate a moderate climb for three hours to the remote archeological site of Wiñay Wayna (2,650m/8747ft). Admire the fountains that have been flowing for hundreds of years and gaze down the spectacular, sheer mountainside, plunging down to the Urubamba River. After enjoying the architectural wonder of this ancient Inca site, we merge onto the traditional four day Inca Trail. We have lunch at the Wiñay Wayna campground, then continue onward towards the Sun Gate (2,730m/9,007ft). Following the ancient remote footpath, we finally get our first spectacular view of Machu Picchu in all its brilliance and majesty. As we move closer to the Citadel of Machu Picchu, you will enjoy views of the enigmatic ruins the whole length of the trail. After some time to take photos of the citadel from above, we take our bus to Aguas Calientes, where we spend the night in our hotel.

Meals included:
Breakfast, picnic lunch & dinner in a restaurant in Aguas Calientes
3* Accommodations: Hotel
Difficulty: moderate

This is the day you’ve been waiting for! We take the first bus at 5:30am to Machu Picchu archeological site, making sure we tour every nook and cranny of this New 7 Wonder of the World and UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. The Citadel of the Incas, Machu Picchu, what a magical experience! Your guide will walk you through the rediscovery of these enigmatic ruins. You will see the Temple of the Sun, Temple of the Condor, Temple of Three Windows, Sun Dial, Quarry, the House of the Inca, the urban areas, agricultural terraces and many different types of architecture. After the tour, take some time to stay still and find the peace within as you admire your unforgettable surroundings.

When you are ready, you will descend to Aguas Calientes, have a leisurely lunch on your own, and later on board the train at 14:55 for the return trip with the Expedition train to the Ollantaytambo train station where you will catch our private van back to your Cusco hotel. You will arrive in Cusco by 8pm.

Meal included: Breakfast

THE HIKE TO RAINBOW MOUNTAIN

Starts in Cusco where you are picked up from your hotel at 2:15am for a 3.5 hour drive to the start of the trail. You will be given a local Peruvian style breakfast prepared by our chef and fuel up for the hike ahead of you.

The hike to the rainbow mountain will take around 2 hours and is a distance of 4 kilometers (2.5 miles). Throughout your journey you will pass through a vibrant green valley with the snow capped peak of Apu Ausangate towering in the distance. You will see hundreds of roaming alpaca, and have the chance to truly see how Quechua people live. As you get closer to the Rainbow Mountain you will begin to see the first signs of the colored minerals that formed the painted hills. Your guide will explain what makes up the existence of the Rainbow Mountain and how it was formed, and finally with one last push you will hike up to a vantage point that gives you a 360 degree view of the beautiful landscape that makes up the sacred land.

We will have snacks on top and take a relaxing break to soak up the vistas, where you can enjoy the beauty that surrounds you. At this time you can also enjoy some coca tea that the locals prepare for visitors. After about an hour we will continue on to the red valley, another awe inspiring area not to be missed by trekkers but seldom visited. From here, we continue our hike back to the trailhead (1 hour). Shortly after you will have a gourmet lunch prepared by our chef in a traditional mud-house and depart back to Cusco, arriving around 4pm.

Included/Excluded

Included

  • All transfers in/out to the airport
  • Round trip train tickets to Machu Picchu with Inca Rail Company
  • Round trip bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu
  • 4 nights’ accommodations 3 star hotels
  • 4 breakfasts at the hotel
  • Private guided tour in Machu Picchu
  • Entrance fee to Machu Picchu
  • Short inca trail+ entrance fee
  • Sacred valley tour + entrance fee
  • Rainbow Mountain Hike fee

Excluded

  • Single supplement fee
  • International and local airfares
  • Entrance fee to the hot springs in Machu Picchu (US$5).
  • Meals where not otherwise stated
  • Optional: Climb up the Wayna Picchu Mountain at Machu Picchu (75$ per person)
  • Lunch Day 1, Day 2, Day4, Day 5
  • Dinner
  • Gratuity
$ 0.00

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WHY BOOK WITH US?

EXPERT GUIDES

Our local bilingual tour guides are fully trained and experienced in many different hikes to Machu Picchu. They are among the best in the industry!

SMALL GROUPS & BIG ADVENTURES

Travelling with us will always feel like being with friends - we ensure our passengers leave with lifelong unforgettable memories of exciting experiences!

OUR EXPERIENCE

With over fifteen years experience in a range of tours to Machu Picchu, our team knows how to deliver a successful expedition that’s right for you.

FANTASTIC MEALS

We cater for all diets (eg. Vegetarian, gluten free etc.) and provide nutritious and balanced food on the trail that leaves you satisfied and ready to hike.

CAMPING EQUIPMENT

We use top quality equipment from well known brands that specialize in hiking and mountain expeditions for your comfort to facilitate enjoyable hiking and good sleep.

SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

We are a sustainable tour operator that protects our land and environment to preserve it for future generations. In addition, we work with the local communities on various social projects.