ESSENCE OF THE INCA WORLD 05 Days / 04 Nights Sacred Valley (2 nights); Machu Picchu (1 night); Cusco (1 night) Summary: SACRED VALLEY Day 1 Private transfer from Cusco airport to your hotel in the Sacred Valley Excursion to Pisac Market and Archaeological Site Lunch at Hacienda Huayoccari Dinner and overnight at Urubamba Villas SACRED VALLEY Day 2 Private excursion to Chinchero, including a visit to Callañaupa textile centre Gourmet outdoor lunch in the Sacred Valley Private excursion to Maras salt mines and Moray archaeological site Dinner and overnight at Urubamba Villas SACRED VALLEY / MACHU PICCHU Day 3 Private excursion to Ollantaytambo, including a visit to Catcco Museum Vistadome train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes Lunch, dinner and overnight at Inkaterra Machu Picchu MACHU PICCHU / CUSCO Day 4 Private guided excursion to Machu Picchu Buffet lunch at Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge Vistadome train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo Private transfer from Ollantaytambo Station to Cusco Dinner at MAP Café Overnight at Hotel Monasterio CUSCO Day 5 City sightseeing, including a visit to San Blas neighborhood Private transfer to Cusco airport Detailed experience: DAY 01 CUSCO / SACRED VALLEY OF THE INCAS (9000 ft. 2735 m.a.s.l.)
Suggested arrival time in Cusco: 9:00 AM. Upon arrival at Cusco Airport, you will be welcomed by our Guest Services Representative who will provide your welcoming kit, containing a detailed itinerary, maps, general recommendations for each destination, bag tags as well as a mobile phone so that you may contact our Experiences Concierge 24/7 during your trip. We strive to provide flexible itineraries; that is you may choose between a list of excursions per destination with duration of ¼ day, ½ day or one day according to your preferences. The Sacred Valley is a good starting point for your journey, with its moderate altitude, pleasant climate, beautiful scenery, picturesque villages, and friendly local people. It offers a great opportunity to explore Inca sites, local artisan markets, and if you choose, to do some adventure hiking or rafting. Excursion to Pisac Market and Ruins. (Alternatives available: Pisac Ruins, Pisac Market, Chinchero or Ollantaytambo.) Transfer to the town of Pisac in the Sacred Valley (Approximate time of travel: 1hour, 20minutes) Visit the mountaintop complex including overlooks, terraces and the main temple, next to the town of Pisac. It is known for its small, polished stones that fit perfectly together. In the main ruins, which are reached by a two-hour, uphill hike, you will find temples of the sun, moon, rain, rainbow, and stars, as well as a few Inca crosses rising from the ground. Among the most important buildings in the area are Pisaca, which is a fine curving wall, the Intihuatana group of temples and the military area, called Q Allaqasa. Then, you will visit Pisac village and its traditional market. The small Main Square is filled wall-to-wall with stalls selling the full range of Peruvian handicrafts: alpaca sweaters and mittens, carved gourds or mates burilados, ceramics, felt hats, musical instruments, paintings, antiques, a huge variety of trinkets, and, most of all, weavings and jewelry. Even if you are not buying, the café balconies overlooking the square offer you a superb peoplewatching. Traditionally, people of the highlands come down to exchange their produce such as
vegetables, weavings and pottery, for essentials such as salt, sugar and rice in a trade called trueque. You may visit the church and a small interesting museum. Enjoy lunch at Hacienda Huayocari; a beautiful ranch built in the fifties by one of the most prestigious families in Cusco. It provides beautiful surroundings, amazing garden and views, antiques and folk art throughout and delicious food. Arrival to Urubamba Villas. Each villa offers spacious terrace, open plan living room & dining room with fireplace and fully equipped kitchen. Services include a personalized welcome and 24/7 housekeeper service as well as private dining. Enjoy dinner and a bottle of wine next to the fireplace. Overnight at your Villa. DAY 02 SACRED VALLEY OF THE INCAS Excursion to Chinchero, Nilda and Maras & Moray (Alternatives available: Chinchero and Nilda, Pisac Ruins, Pisac Market, Pisac Ruins & Market, Ollantaytambo, Maras & Moray, Pisac Market & Ollantaytambo, Pisac Ruins & Ollantaytambo, Chinchero & Ollantaytambo, Pisac Ruins & Market & Ollantaytambo, Full day River Rafting or Half Day Mountain Bike). After breakfast, visit Chinchero, a small Andean village, located high-up on the windswept plains of Anta (12342.52 ft. 3751.53 m.a.s.l.), about 18 miles from Cusco. (Approximate time of travel: 45 minutes). Surrounded by gorgeous views overlooking the Sacred Valley of the Incas, the Cordillera Vilcabamba and the snow-capped peak of Salkantay dominating the western horizon, the village of Chinchero (12130 ft. 3,687 m.a.s.l.) can be found. Chinchero means the birthplace of the rainbow in Quechua. This excursion combines Inca ruins with a typical Andean village, a colonial church, some wonderful mountain views, and a colorful traditional market. Afterwards, visit Nilda Callañaupa Textile Center, famous for the hand made textiles, and appreciate a live demonstration in the ancient art of weaving. Enjoy a gourmet outdoor lunch. Continue your excursion through the sites of Maras and Moray. (Approximate time of travel: 30 minutes). En route, witness some of the best sites of the valley. First, stop at the ancient salt mines, nearby the town of Maras, which may be glanced from an old chapel just above it. And second, visit the huge circular agricultural terraces at Moray, built by the Incas in natural sinkholes on a limestone plateau overlooking the Urubamba Valley. It has been suggested that they have a cosmological meaning; however, the Incas are thought to have used them as a kind of crop laboratory to determine the optimal conditions of each species.
Dine and overnight at Urubamba Villas. DAY 03 SACRED VALLEY OF THE INCAS / MACHU PICCHU (8000 ft. 2432 m.a.s.l.) After breakfast at the Villas, you will be transferred to Ollantaytambo Train Station. (Approximate time of travel: 30 minutes). En route, you will visit Ollantaytambo (8800 ft. 2675 m.a.s.l.), the oldest continuously occupied settlement in the Americas, which shows the best surviving example of Inca city planning. Its fortress, with its extremely well built walls, was both a temple and a fortress to the Incas. The spectacular steep terraces that guard the Inca complex mark one of the few places where the Conquerors lost a major battle. The temple area is at the top of steep terracing, which helped to provide excellent defenses. The stones for Ollantaytambo were taken from a nearby quarry on the mountainside on the opposite bank of the river - an incredible feat involving the efforts of thousands of workers. The complex was still under construction by the time of the conquest and was never completed. Located nearby the gates to the fortress, CATCCO Museum and Cultural Center of Ollantaytambo promotes traditional culture and technology within the district of Ollantaytambo. It has a Museum Shop with textile and ceramic products from the surrounding communities. Board the train to Aguas Calientes (6693 ft. 2034 m.a.s.l.). The Vistadome service includes carriages provided with panoramic windows enhancing scenic views and photographic moments. During the journey a snack is supplied. (Approximate time of travel by train: 1 hour, 30 minutes). Reception at the train station by the hotel s representatives followed by a short walk and assistance to Inkaterra Machu Picchu.
Lunch at Café Inkaterra Evening at leisure to relax or enjoy some of the hotel s most charming attractions that include the reading room, the wall in the main dining room displaying scores of pre- Columbian artifacts, the lounge s crackling fireplaces, and the Andean sauna, an igloo made from indigenous bamboo and fresh eucalyptus leaves, in the UNU Spa (Prices for services at the UNU Spa are available at the front desk of the Hotel). Suggested Excursions: Bird-watching walk, Nature trail, Twilight walk, Orchid Tour, Organic Tea Processing and Evening Nature Shows. Dinner a la carte at the Main Restaurant; This restaurant, brags adjacent terraces which were built as a large glass house with an exceptional view of the Urubamba River and the surrounding green mountains. Overnight at Inkaterra Machu Picchu DAY 04 MACHU PICCHU / CUSCO (10900 ft. 3313 m.a.s.l) Machu Picchu Citadel Excursion. (Options available: Machu Picchu & Huayna Picchu, Mandor Waterfalls or Putukusi Mountain). Buffet breakfast at the hotel followed by a short walk from the hotel; take a 30-minute bus ride to Machu Picchu Citadel. (8000 ft. 2432 m.a.s.l.) In ancient days, Machu Picchu served as the favored country retreat for the royal family and Inca nobility. The surrounding mountains, the natural beauty of its cloud forest, and its significantly lower altitude than Cusco, inspired the Incas to build Machu Picchu Citadel, today a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Explore the enigmatic citadel of Machu Picchu accompanied with your guide for three hours. Your expert guide will lead you through the site, providing archaeological and historical
information on key areas of interest, including Intihuatana (the Sun Dial), the Sacred Plaza and the Temple of the Sun. This is an opportunity to revel in the energy and atmosphere of one of the most significant and spectacular archaeological sites on the planet, surrounded by the cloud forest, Wayna Picchu and Inti Punku (the Sun Gate), the entrance to the Machu Picchu Inca trail. After the excursion, enjoy lunch at Tinkuy Restaurant at the Sanctuary Lodge and afterwards take some leisure time before returning by bus to Aguas Calientes and to the train station where you will board the Vistadome Train back. (Approximate time of travel by train: 1 hour, 30 minutes). Upon arriving to your final destination you will be contacted by our Guest Services Representative and transferred to your hotel in Cusco. Dinner at Map Café placed at Casa Cabrera, now the beautifully designed Pre-Columbian Art Museum. Overnight at the Monasterio Hotel DAY 05 CUSCO / LIMA Breakfast at the hotel. Cusco was the ancient capital and spiritual heart of the Inca Empire, as well as an important colonial centre. Strolling through its cobblestone streets, you will spot both, marvelous Incan architecture and Andean Baroque structures from the Colonial Period. Cusco today is also
known for its extraordinary handicrafts, and is home to some of Peru s most talented textile and ceramic artists, as well as to superb restaurants and lively nightlife. Excursion of Cusco City and San Blas Neighborhood. (Options available: Visit to the Four Ruins, excursion of Cusco City & Four Ruins or Excursion of Cusco City & Sacsayhuaman.) During the morning, experience a private guided sightseeing through the city of Cusco with its Inca walls, colorful costumes and legendary streets. Stroll with your guide around the Main Square or Plaza de Armas. Framed by the Andes and lined by arcades and carved wooden balconies, this is the main attraction and focal point of Cusco. This is the perfect spot to film or take pictures of the wonderful architectural delights flanking the square. Enjoy the beauty and attractiveness of San Blas neighborhood, one of the most picturesque communities in Cusco. It is characterized by its narrow and steep streets that zigzag among old colonial houses constructed with walls of Inca stone. You will have the opportunity to visit one of Cusco s art classic workshops where you will see various religious sculptures of important value. Afterwards, our Guest Services Representative will accompany you to the airport and assist you prior your flight to Lima. He will collect your mobile phone and ask you to fill out a review referral form to provide valuable feedback of our services. END OF OUR SERVICES
Itinerary Includes: Hotels as indicated in the itinerary Meals as indicated in the itinerary Transfers, visits and excursions in private transportation Train Tickets (Vistadome Service) Bus tickets to and from Machu Picchu Citadel Entrance tickets to Machu Picchu Citadel Excursions and visits with local English speaking guide Tips for hotel and airport staff Boleto Turistico Cusco Local airport taxes Booking Fee Itinerary Does Not Include: Hotels and meals not described in the itinerary Personal expenses Tickets to ruins or other unspecified Parks Local airfare International airfare
International airport taxes - Lima: US$ 31.00 Local taxes (19% V.A.T. is applicable only to Peruvian and foreign resident of Peru, in order to be exempted you will need to show your passport and Andean Immigration Card).