Cusco to Machu Picchu & Rainbow Mountain

Cusco to Machu Picchu & Rainbow Mountain

DAY 1: CUSCO CITY TOUR

Upon your arrival to Cusco, you will be greeted by our representative and transferred to your hotel. There you will receive a short briefing and have the remainder of the morning to rest and acclimatize.  In the afternoon, we will introduce you to the Imperial City of Cusco, a living example of the mix of Andean and Spanish culture. Continuing your journey, you will visit the Santo Domingo Convent built over the Koricancha, as well as the ancient Inca Palace and the main worship center of the Sun God. Our tour continues to the truly impressive archaeological site of Sacsayhuaman and its military Inca architecture, which dominates the city below. Finally, we explore the archaeological sites of Qenqo, Puca Pucará and Tambomachay, located in the north east of the city. We will head back to your hotel in Cusco by early evening.

• 3* Accommodation: Waman Qorikancha or Maytaq Wasin Hotel
• 4* Accommodation: Costa del Sol Ramada, Casa Andina or Novotel
• Meals: Not Included.

DAY 2: CUSCO – PISAC – MORAY – MARAS – OLLANTAYTAMBO – AGUAS CALIENTES

We start this beautiful day at 7:30am, when the guide picks you up at your Cusco hotel in our private van. Our route to the Sacred Valley of the Incas leads us towards Pisac. We stop first at the Mirador of Taray to enjoy an expansive 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 an impressive Inca cemetery with more than 2,000 tombs. There, we can admire the carefully engineered farming terraces carved into the mountain, explore the Inca tunnel and the religious area of this important citadel. Here, we will spend about 2 hours, exploring the Inca city. Then, we head down to the colorful market of Pisac, spend about 20 minutes visiting and then drive to Urubamba for lunch (Not included).

Our next stop is the fascinating archeological site of Moray also known as “The Greenhouse of the Incas” a deep basin of architectural wonder. Levels of terraces are carved into a huge bowl, which was carefully engineered 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 to discover the optimal growing conditions for their crops and experiment in hybridization.

Continuing on our journey to the colonial town of Maras, we look down onto the pre-Inca salt “mines,” called salineras in Spanish. Thousands of salt pans 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 salt pans 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, taking the time to explore the Inca village that has remained intact since Inca times and the massive Inca Ruins, with a tour provided by our guide. Visit the massive architecture of the Sun Temple at the top of the formidable terraces and learn about the importance of this site for the Inca during the beginning of the Spanish conquest. After some time for dinner, you will take your train to Aguas Calientes to spend the night in your hotel. The train departs at 7:04pm and arrives at 8:45pm.

• 3* Accommodations: Ferre´ Hotel Machu Picchu
• 4* Accommodations: El Mapi or Tierra Viva Superior
• Meals: Breakfast at your hotel and Dinner.

DAY 3: AGUAS CALIENTES – MACHU PICCHU – CUSCO

This is the day you’ve been waiting for! After an early breakfast at your hotel, take one of the first buses up to Machu Picchu, to witness the sunrise. It is a truly extraordinary site and not something you’ll want to miss! The guide will give you a tour, which takes about two hours. You will see most of the important parts of Machu Picchu Citadel. Learn about how Machu Picchu is divided into three sectors: agricultural, residential and religious.

When you have had your fill of the exceptional views of Machu Picchu, you will take the bus back down to Aguas Calientes for lunch (not included). Depending on your train departure time, you may also have time for some shopping, sightseeing or a visit to the museum or hot springs.

DAY 4: CUSCO – RAINBOW MOUNTAIN – CUSCO

We will pick you up from your hotel at 4am, and begin with our amazing Rainbow Mountain Trek Adventure. We set out on our drive for 3 hours through the South Valley; ending at the trailhead at Llacto (4,638m / 15,216 ft).  Along the way, there are amazing views of farming Inca terraces, traditional villages, valleys and high Andean peaks.

The herds of alpacas and llamas near your breakfast spot will entertain you in the early morning. Once we reach the trailhead, we start on our hike following a lovely stream. As you start your hike, you will have views of the Ausangate Mountain and glaciers. You can interact with the local people, who are still keeping traditional Quechua culture alive. Learn about their traditional clothes and the significance of the different hats worn by the men. Ask your guide to teach you a few words of Quechua!

After a total hike of 1.5 hours, we finally reach our destination Rainbow Mountain (5,020m /16,466ft). After admiring the unique beauty, you will have time to explore the area. You can take pictures or just soak up the view. We will spend approximately 30 minutes at the top. Afterwards, there is an optional hike across to the top of the Red Valley.  This walk takes about 45 minutes longer to get back to the trailhead.