Duration:
7 days / 6 nights
Locations:
Cusco Machu Picchu
Rating:
★★★★★
Category:
Adventure
Difficulty:
Easy – Moderate
Minimun Required:
02 Passengers
Overview
A specially designed tour for the people who love adventure and action. Walk around the fabulous Inca City of Cusco that has a blend of Inca and Colonial architecture. Enjoy a thrilling day, river rafting in Cusipata with high rapids and zipling down the river feeling an adrenaline rush. The following day enjoy the thrill of canyoning down the Limatambo waterfalls. Experience a day of culture by watching a colorful weaving demonstration at a local´s home in Chinchero and then horseback riding on the Peruvian Paso horse for a smooth ride to the Moray Agricultural terraces and down to the Maras Inca Salt mines. Finally, tour one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Machu Picchu.
Day 1 Arriva in Cusco – Walking Tour
Arrive in the Cusco airport (3300mt/10827ft) and reception by our staff. Transfer to your hotel where you will relax and have a light early lunch before the tour. We will meet you in the afternoon to start your privately guided walking tour of Cusco. Our first visit will take us to the large lively San Pedro Market where all the locals shop. Here you will see the preparation of a fruit juice, Andean cheeses, take a bite of an exotic fruit such as the chirimoya or passion fruit, walk and see the different meats, Andean grains, fresh vegetables, and healing medicinal stands and more. We walk towards the Plaza de Armas the heart of Cusco from the time of the Incas, passing through the lovely Arch of Santa Clara. Stop by the fountain surrounded by beautiful flowers and benches in the Plaza de Armas. Walk through Calle Triunfo to the grand stone of twelve angles that is considered one of the most unique in the world. We will stroll to the Bohemian district of San Blas that has many artists´ studios, artisan workshops, sculptors, small bars, restaurants, hotels and the small Temple of San Blas. After an exciting time return to your hotel.
Overnight in Cusco
No meals
Optional extra cost: Add the Cathedral, Qoricancha and the ruins of Sacsayhauman and Qenko.
Day 2 Full Day Rafting – Cusco
We will meet at your hotel in the morning and drive for about 1.5 hours through the Sacred Valley of the Incas to Cusipata. Along the way take in gorgeous views of the surrounding mountains until reaching the shores of the Upper Urubamba River, to the Cusipata River Camp, our private campground. Here we will leave our baggage. Our professional rafting guides will give you a safety talk and provide you with all the proper equipment such as helmet, wet suit, spray jacket, paddle and self-bailing raft. Then start the adventure floating for 2.5 hours in the fast rapids feeling the thrill and the rush of the mighty river. After a fabulous time we will return to our campsite to enjoy a delicious lunch and the facilities. We will depart for Cusco, arriving around 5:00pm at your hotel.
Overnight in Cusco
Breakfast and lunch included
Day 3 Biking through the Sacred Valley
Today is a favorite for those in search of a rich cultural and active experience. We start the day with a visit to the Pisac archaeological site where we will admire the Sun Temple, many terraces and beautiful valley below. After our exploration of the ruins, we’ll set off on a 1 hour hike to Pisac town. We’ll wander through the local market of handicrafts in Pisac and then have lunch in town. Afterwards, we’ll drive to the community of Taray where we’ll trade hiking boots for bicycles and cycle alongside the Urubamba River through an agricultural region. We’ll ride past crops of potato, quinoa and more. After 18km/11mi we’ll reach the village of Huycho where our driver and vehicle will be awaiting to transfer us to our hotel.
Overnight in the Sacred Valley
Breakfast and lunch included
Day 4 Chinchero Weaving – Paso Horseback riding Moray Maras – Ollantaytambo Ruins
After breakfast, your guide will meet you around 8:00am and drive towards Chinchero (3762mt/12343ft) 35 minutes from Cusco. Visit a local family´s home to watch a colorful traditional weaving demonstration using ancient techniques. They will show you the entire process of dying using natural dyes made from plants, flowers and insects, spinning it into yarn and weaving it on their looms. They produce wonderful works such as shawls (mantas), belts (watanas), and caps (chullos), among other things. After this incredible experience we drive to the town of Maras where we will meet the Chalan and Paso horses. The Peruvian Paso horse is carefully bred for a light pleasure saddle horse known for its smooth ride. It is distinguished by a natural, four-beat, lateral gait called the Paso llano. Start trotting on this gorgeous Paso horse up to Moray located on a high plateau at about 3500mt/11500ft) and just west of the village of Maras located below. After a 1.5 hour smooth ride visit the stunning agricultural circles which are in a large bowl depression with many terraces. This archeological site is believed (in theory) to have been used by the Incas as an agricultural experiment center. The vast temperature difference created micro climates, similar to what is achieved in greenhouses in modern times that was possibly used by the Inca to study the effects of different climatic conditions on crops. Enjoy a box lunch in the open air in nature with spectacular views. After lunch we mount our horses and ride down the dirt road to the old colonial town of Maras (3380mt/11090ft) for another 1.5 hours. Here we leave our horses and continue by private transport driving up the narrow dirt road to the Maras Salt Pans. The small salt pans are built on steep terraces along one side of a narrow valley which is nourished by the salt spring waters that surface from a subterranean stream in the mountain. There are about 3000 wells which are left to evaporate and are gathered by hand without any machinery. Taste the salty waters and enjoy the serenity and peaceful walk through the ponds. Finally, after a glorious time we will drive to Urubamba to have lunch and relax. We continue to the Inca town of Ollantaytambo for a visit of the ruins. Return to your hotel.
Overnight in the Sacred Valley
Breakfast and lunch included
Day 5 Short Inca Trail – Machu Picchu – Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Town)
Early morning train from Ollantaytambo to the trailhead at km 104 at Chachabamba (2100m/6888ft) to start the hike. This moderate walk takes us to Wiñaywayna (2740m/8990ft) for a visit of the Incan ruins. Then continue to Sungate (IntiPunku) to catch the first spectacular views of Machu Picchu below. After a few pictures we will walk down to take the bus to Machu Picchu village for an overnight in a comfortable hotel of your choice.
Overnight in Aguas Calientes
Breakfast and lunch included
Day 6 Machu Picchu Tour – Huayna Picchu if available or Machu Picchu Mountain Peak – Cusco
This morning your guide will meet you in your hotel to walk to the bus stop to take the early bus up to the magnificent Machupicchu to see the sunrise weather permitting. You will be there before the crowds arrive by train into the village. Delight in a privately guided walking tour of one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Walk to the extraordinary Temple of the Sun with exceptionally carved stones, Temple of the Three Windows features huge trapezoidal windows, Intihuatana the solar clock which translates to the, Hitching Post of the Sun, Funerary Rock Hut believed to be a place where the Inca nobility were mummified, and the many temples, terraces, and corridors. After a glorious visit with your guide enjoy some time at leisure to further explore the mysterious grounds feeling the positive energy that abounds the area which has withstood time. Later on you will feast on a delicious lunch at the Tinquy Restaurant in the Sanctuary Lodge. Later take the bus down to Aguas Calientes to board the train to Poroy, where our staff will be waiting to transfer you to your hotel in Cusco.
Overnight in Cusco
Breakfast and lunch included
Day 7 Cusco – Lima
Bid farewell to Cusco with a transfer from your hotel to the airport.
Breakfast included
Optional extra cost: Add the Lima City tour and transfers.
End of Services
Services Included:
- Transfer IN/OUT
- Briefing in your hotel
- Bilingual English/Spanish Guide
- Hotel in Cusco – 3 nights
- Hotel in the Sacred Valley – 2 nights
- Hotel in Aguas Calientes – 1 night
- Transportation from your hotel to starting point and return to your hotel
- Short Inca Trail permit with entrance to Machupiccu
- All tours mentioned in itinerary
- Meals as per itinerary
- Entrance tickets to all archeological sites on itinerary
- Full equipment for rafting, biking and horseback riding
- Train round trip tourist train Ollantaytambo to Agaus Calientes and Aguas Calientes to Poroy station
- Round trip bus Machu Picchu Town/Machu Picchu Sanctuary
Services NOT Included:
- Domestic airfare (we can book for you)
- Entrance to Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain Peak
- Alcoholic drinks or anything not mentioned in program
- Travel Insurance
- Tips