DISCRIPTION:

Cusco was the political, religious and cultural heart of the Inca Empire, which made it a city of great strategic importance. From Cusco, the Incas planned their military campaigns to conquer new territories and ensured the control of their possessions. In addition, the city was the center of pilgrimage for thousands of people who came to pay homage to the Sun God in the qoricancha and to participate in important festivals and religious ceremonies. For the Incas, the founding of Cusco was a sacred and transcendental event. According to legend, the Sun God Inti chose the place where the capital of the empire was to be established. The city was designed in the shape of a puma, one of the sacred animals of the Incas, with the Plaza de Armas as the heart of the city and the Temple of the Sun, the famous qoricancha, as its main religious center.

The Sacred Valley of the Incas is an incomparably beautiful stretch of small villages and ancient ruins stretching along a broad plain and steep mountain slopes northwest of Cusco. The Sacred Valley is the main valley of Cusco, the capital of the Inca Empire.

The valley was of great value to the Incas because of its special geographical location and ideal climate. It was the best place for corn production in Peru, as well as a great source of natural wealth.

Machu Picchu is considered, at the same time, a masterpiece of architecture and engineering. Its peculiar architectural and landscape characteristics, and the veil of mystery that has been woven around it in much of the literature published about the site, have made it one of the most famous tourist destinations on the planet, as well as one of the seven wonders of the modern world.

 Vinicunca, also called the mountain of seven colors (the locals call it Cerro Colorado), is a mountain in Peru with an altitude of 5,200 meters above sea level. In the middle of the decade of 2010 began a process of tourist massification attracted by its series of stripes of various colors, this due to its mineralogical composition present on the slopes and summits. According to the investigation of the Cultural Landscape Office of the Decentralization of the City of Cusco, the colorations of the mountain of the 7 Colors are due to the mineralogical composition.

The Humantay LAKE: takes its name from the nearby snow-capped mountain (Humantay, 5,473 m) and is considered one of the most beautiful and sacred lagoons in Cusco. Its turquoise waters adorned with Salkantay snow-capped peaks whisper directly to you why it is so popular.

DETAILS OF THE TRIP:

• Duration: 6 days / 5nights
• Location:CUSCO
• Difficulty: EASY,Moderate,Challenging
• Type of tour: trekking, cultural, adventure and history

PLACES TO VISIT:

• Cusco city tour
• Sacred valley
• Machupicchu
• Humantay like
• Rinbow Mountain

Day 1: Cusco city – Qoricancha-sacsaywaman:

At one o’clock in the afternoon you will be picked up from your hotel to begin your tour. From here, you will head to Cusco’s Plaza de Armas, where you will visit the famous qoricancha the temple of the sun where you can compare and contrast the construction methods of the Inca culture and Catholicism. This was the key spiritual center of the Incas, leading to the four parts of the Inca Empire. You can also see a bronze high altar.

From Q’oricancha you will take our private bus 20 minutes to the majestic Inca site, Sacsayhuaman, with its enigmatic 200-ton monoliths, listen to your guide and then explore on your own.

From Sacsayhuaman, you will take a five-minute bus ride to the Inca site of Q’enqo to see its fascinating Inca altars. Next, it will take another five-minute drive to Puca Pucara, a small circular Inca site. The last stop on our tour is Tambomachay, a water temple with impressive water fountains, believed to have been used by the Incas for bathing. We will then drive back to your hotel.

Day 2: Cusco- chinchero- Moray- ollantaytambo- machupicchu:

For your tour we will pick you up at your hotel around 7 am and head to chinchero to see the first Inca ruins of the tour. In chinchero you can see the Inca sites and the colonial temple.

Our guided tour of Chinchero lasts approximately 1 hour. Then we will visit the local market. After our visit to the market we drive to Moray for another guided tour where we will go out to explore the terraces of Moray, which are believed to be an ancient Inca agricultural experiment. Next, we will head to Salineras de Maras, where we will witness firsthand the salt extraction method employed since Inca times.

Our next destination is Urubamba. We will arrive there around 12 pm. In this impressive town, you will have the opportunity to enjoy a delicious lunch. From Urubamba it is a 30-minute drive to reach the last Inca ruins of our tour, known as Ollantaytambo (Inca palace). This ruin was built with pink granite rocks and is another impressive example of Inca craftsmanship.

Here you can observe the second largest rock of the Inca period (90 tons) that was used as part of the Temple of the Sun. We will have a guided tour of the site. Afterwards we will go to the train station, which is a 15-minute walk away. We will take the train to Aguas Calientes.  Upon arrival in Aguas Calientes you will check in.

Day 3: Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – Cusco:

Today will be wonderful to visit Machu Picchu: have an early breakfast before taking one of the first buses to Machu Picchu (starting at 5:30 am). You will only need to carry your backpack with everything you need to Machu Picchu. The hotel will store your bags while you are in Machu Picchu. The bus ride from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu takes approximately 30 minutes. We take the first buses up to Machu Picchu to see the sunrise. Once in Machu Picchu, your guide will take you directly to the best place to watch the sunrise and take pictures. Your local guide will show you the main sectors of the citadel for a total of 3 hours. During this guided tour you will learn more about the history and culture of the Inca Empire, we recommend you to return to Aguas Calientes no later than 2 hours before the departure of your train. The return train ride from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo will take approximately 2 hours. In Ollantaytambo our staff will be waiting to take you back to Cusco by bus. The bus ride to Cusco will take approximately 2 hours and you will be dropped off at your hotel in Cusco.

DAY 4:RAINBOW MOUNTAIN – RED VALLEY:

In the morning, we will pick you up from your hotel at 4:00 am. m. and then we will drive for 3 hours to the trailhead. Upon arrival, the Ali Perú treks chef will prepare a delicious buffet breakfast for you while you enjoy the view of the mountains. After breakfast, we prepare for our tracking. The hike is mostly flat with a gradual, steep slope in the final part; It is 3 km/ 1.86 miles. During the tour we will be able to observe snow-capped peaks of wild birds called alpacas. As we approach the top, the views become more impressive with every meter we climb. At the top of Rainbow Mountain, your guide will explain the formation of the painted hills; You will also be able to see the snowy Ausangate up close. After enjoying the beautiful views, we will take a 30-minute walk to the Red Valley, another impressive and spectacular place with landscapes that will make your trip more attractive. After the tour of the red valley, we return to enjoy our lunch prepared by our chef and then return to Cusco, arriving around 5:00 pm.

DAY5: humantay lake:

The first thing we will do within the Humantay lagoon service will be pick you up directly from your hotel at 4:30 AM; We will drive 3 hours to the point of the walk. Before starting the walk you will enjoy a delicious breakfast (Soraypampa) after breakfast you will begin with a constant uphill walk of 1.5 hours to the famous Humantay lake (4200 meters above sea level. Upon reaching the lake you will have plenty of time to explore the crystal clear waters. of Humantay you will have the opportunity to see the wild birds of the place and the varieties of flora, all of which you will explore together with your guide, then you will have an ancestral ceremony in tribute to the pacha mama and the Apus. Then we prepare to return downhill to Soraypampa, place After our lunch the chef of Ali Perú treks will wait for us ready with the buffet lunch prepared with local ingredients and then we will take our private bus back to Cusco, arriving at your hotel around 6:00: pm.

WHAT IS INCLUDED:

• Pick up from your hotel for the excursion.
• All transport during the tour.
• Professional guides (English-Spanish)
• train
• Return to your hotel
• Oxigen bottles
• Train tickets from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes
• Entrance ticket to Machupicchu
• Entrance to the humantay lake
• Entrance to the rainbow mountain
• Entrance ticket to the Maras salt mines
• Partial tourist ticket
• A breakfast in aguas calientes (machupicchu)
• A dinner in Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu)
• One night accommodation in Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu)
• Expedition tourist train – inca rail
• Transportation for each day of the tour
• lunch in valle sagrado
• breakfast and lunch on tour of the humantay lake
• breakfast and lunch on tour of the rainbow mountain
• First aid kit

   

NOT INCLUDED:

• Lunch last day after the Machu Picchu Tour
• Huayna Picchu Mountain (optional)
• hotels
• Breakfast (not mentioned)
• Lunch (not mentioned)
• Dinner (not mentioned)
• hotels

• Flights (international and domestic

   

   

• Original passport (no copy)
• Clothes for trekking
• Hiking shoes
• Hiking equipment
• Hat
• Camera
• Sun protection
• Rain gear
• Student card(IF YOU BOOKED AS A STUDENT)
• Insect repellent

• You should bring your own backpack (25 L maximum). As you will be carrying it on your own, make sure you don’t carry anything too big or heavy.