Machu Picchu * Sacred Valley * Cusco

WHAT TO EXPECT

 

DAY 1. - Our professional driver will pick you up at your downtown hotel in the City of Cusco between 7:45 and 8:00 am. You will be offered a 'mate de coca', coca leaf tea to help you adjust to the altitude of Cusco. We will travel the Chinchero plateaus (45 min) where you will be able to experience mesmerizing views of snowed cap mountains, the revered Sacred Apus of the Incas. We will visit the weavers, their alpacas and llamas to have an experience of their daily life. Right after that, we will head to Moray to experience one of the Inca marvels, Moray concentric circles served as a sophisticated way to domesticate the rainforest plants to make them suitable for the Andean dry weather. By creating microclimates at different hight levels they were able to acclimate the plants for the Andes. After Moray, we continue to Maras for a short visit of the salt beds followed by a delicious lunch in downtown Urubamba. From there we visit the Ceramic Shop of Pablo Seminario in Urubamba, and then after we go to the Village of Pisac to have dinner. That night we stay at a Local Pisac Hotel.

 

DAY 2. - Early breakfast at 7 am and then after, we visit the sacred site of Pisac. Pisac is perhaps best known for its Inca ruins, known as Inca Písac, which lie atop a hill at the entrance to the valley. The ruins are separated along the ridge into four groups: P'isaqa, Inti Watana, Qalla Q'asa, and Kinchiraqay. Inti Watana group includes the Temple of the Sun, baths, altars, water fountains, a ceremonial platform, and an Inti Watana, a volcanic outcrop carved into a "hitching post for the Sun", Inti. The angles of its base suggest that it served to define the changes of the seasons. Qalla Q'asa, which is built onto a natural spur and overlooks the valley, is known as the Citadel. After a 3 hour visit to the sacred site, we will come down to the village for lunch and in the afternoon we will visit the Pisac market which is famous for their fine art crafts, textiles, and unique gifts. Be ready to purchase some precious gifts for your family and friends. This is the best art craft market in the region of Cusco and you want to walk at your leisure. Dinner and stay at a local Pisac Hotel.

 

DAY 3. -  Early breakfast at 7 am and then after we will visit our Waldorf inspired school, Kusi Kawsay we have supported since its founding in 2004. Get ready to meet the amazing children of the Pisac's farmers, bright, inspiring, creative, well-rounded kids. The Waldorf education has been adapted to the Andean life, the Inca, and the Ñusta as well as to the different change of seasons. We encourage visitors to leave a donation to keep supporting this amazing project. After our visit, we will go the Kusi Ñan Organic Farm to learn what the Ex-Alumni of Kusi Kawsay are doing when it comes to farming. Get ready to get your hands dirty as we help them with their daily farm tasks. Late lunch in at the Village. If time permits we will visit the local zoo and have a close encounter with condors and jaguars. After that, we will transfer, to Ollantaytambo Village where we will stay for the night. Our hotel is Doña Julia's Retreat Center.

 

Day 4. -  Early breakfast at the retreat center. Visit of the Citadel of Ollantaytambo. During the Inca Empire Ollantaytambo was the royal estate of Emperor Pachacuti who conquered the region and built the town and a ceremonial center. At the time of the Spanish conquest of Perú, it served as a stronghold for Manco Inca Yupanqui, leader of the Inca resistance. Built strategically to stop any invaders, it's the last fortress that protected Machu Picchu. Guided tour of the sacred site. Afternoon lunch at Orishas Restaurant, one of the best meals in town. Afternoon at your leisure, Ollantaytambo Village is one of the most quaint villages you will find, it is as the time has stopped for over 200 years. Stay at Doña Julia's Retreat Center.

 

DAY 5. -  Early visit of the grounds. Today is a day to connect with Pachamama, to meditate and reflect in the flower garden. At 8:00 am please come to the cafeteria for delicious fruits and continental breakfast. At 9:00 am we will have our Inca Priest/Priestess  'despacho' ceremony, a beautiful prayer mandala offering to mother Earth. Please prepare your intentions and be ready to connect deeply as the priest will do a clearing on you and later a blessing bestowing on you an energetic transmission or spiritual activation to connect you to the Earth and the Cosmos. Our Inca priests are renowned worldwide, they are a real ancestral Inca gift to humanity. Expect the unexpected and surrender to this wonderful mystical experience. By 11:30 you will participate in a typical Inca meal called Pachamanca. The Inca cooked their meats and vegetables inside the earth by heating up lava rocks and placing the meats on top of them and then covering everything with banana leaves prior to burying it with soil. This way of cooking allows the meats and vegetables to slow simmer and retain it's moist. An Incan delicatessen indeed. After lunch, you will be transferred to the railroad station to take the train to 'Aguas Calientes', the Machu Picchu Village. You will stay at Gringo Bills or similar hotel. Gringo Bills is a quaint hotel with lots of history behind. Recommendations for your dinner at the village: El Indio Feliz, a 5-star French Peruvian cuisine restaurant. Free night, it can be used to go to the hot springs or to visit the market or local shops. 

 

 

DAY 6. -  Early departure to the Citadel of Machu Picchu (5 am). Together we will take the bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu that lasts 25 minutes.

Upon arriving at Machu Picchu, you will enter the site (please have your passport stamped!) and your guide will give you a tour of the citadel for 2-3 hours. After the guided tour, there will be free time to explore, take pictures, or hike as the Puerta del Sol (Inti Punku). If you are interested in climbing the Huayna Picchu mountain we need 3 months in advance to buy this ticket as it sells out fast. Upon return to the village, you can have lunch at any restaurant you please, look for the ones that have live entertainment. We will take back the train to Ollantaytambo late afternoon and stay at Doña Julia's Retreat Center and dinner at the Village.

 

 

DAY 7. -  At 8:00 am we will pick you up at your hotel. We will do a tour of the City of Cusco including a local market tour, main square, the Catholic Cathedral; the Coricancha - Royal Palace of the Inca located inside the Santo Domingo Convent (temple of the sun). For our lunch, we will stop at a delicious rotisserie chicken restaurant, and then after we will drive half an hour to Tambomachay, the Inca temple of the water, and then Pukapucara, a special ceremonial place for the Incas. Right after that, we will finish our tour with the visit of the Unesco world heritage site of Sacsayhuaman. Transfer to your hotel in Cusco and goodbyes.

 

Inclusions

• Overnight accommodation in Pisac Day 1 & 2, Ollantaytambo   on day 3,  4 & 6 Aguas Calientes on days 5.

• Entrance fees to Machu Picchu

• Private transport, train to and from Aguas Calientes, bus tickets to and from Machu Picchu, entrance fees to Machu Picchu, a private guided tour of the site, hotel in Aguas Calientes (Gringo Bills or similar caliber--upgrades possible if desired), private transport to the hotel upon return, coca tea

• Local guide

• Local, professional English speaking guide

• Hotel pickup and drop-off

• Inca priest Ceremony

• Pachamanca lunch 5th day

• Round-trip private transfer

• 6 nights accommodation (price based on double occupancy)

• All breakfasts

 

 

Exclusions

• RT Flight ticket from Lima to Cusco

• Food and drinks at lunch and dinners, alcoholic beverages except for Pachamanca  lunch on day 5

• Boleto Turistico for entrance into Ollantaytambo  (130 soles-$37  covers the entrance to Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero, Moray, multiple museums in Cusco, and Sacsayhuaman or 70 soles--$23 which covers only some of these sites),

• Gratuities (recommended)

 

 

Additional Info

• Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability

• Passport name, number, expiration date, and country are required at the time of booking for all travelers. Email picture of passport at guasabo@yahoo.com

• A current valid passport is required on the day of travel

• Peru Rail only allows for a small daypack on the train to Aguas Calientes

 

 

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, please cancel at least 3 months in advance of the start date of the tour. After the 3 months, only 50% will be refunded. No refunds 2 months before the tour.