A transportation service will pick you up from the airport at the scheduled time to transfer you to your hotel in Lima. The Peruvian capital is a modern metropolis full of history, currently undergoing an exciting process of cultural and economic changes.

Optional activity: Magical Water Circuit.

Wake up to have breakfast in the hotel before hitting the streets of Lima's old town; a UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site packed with fascinating historical buildings. Start with the Larco Museum, located in the traditional Pueblo Libre district, which is housed in a beautifully restored viceregal mansion built on a pre- Columbian pyramid. The museum boasts the world's most complete pre-Hispanic collection of gold and silver objects, as well as pieces of erotic art. Then visit Casa Aliaga, a colonial mansion granted in 1535 by chief conquistador Francisco Pizarro to Jeronimo de Aliaga, one of his captains. This is the only house from that time that to this day has always been owned by the same family. Continue to a scenic tour in the colonial downtown, which originates and spreads out from the Main Square. Here you can appreciate the grandiose architecture of the Spanish Empire and be amazed by Lima's Cathedral. Established in the 16th century, this building took more than 80 years to complete. After the tour, you'll be transferred back to the hotel.

Optional activity: Boardwalk in Barranco + gastronomic experience.

 

You will be transferred to the airport to take the flight to Cusco (it is suggested to book a flight arriving before 11hrs).

At arrival in the city you will be taken to your hotel. In the afternoon, enjoy a guided tour of the former capital of the Inca Empire. The tour starts with a visit to Santo Domingo Convent, a large Renaissance-baroque complex, which was built over the Inca Coricancha temple. It was one of the most important temples dedicated to worshipping the sun, and its foundations are still prominent at the base of the convent. Ancient chronicles say the temple was covered in gold leaf and filled with golden representations of nature.

  

Then, visit the Cathedral, the most imposing monument of the Main Square. Head to the hills above Cusco to visit the remains of the fortress of Sacsayhuaman, whose impressive ramparts offer a stunning panoramic view of Cusco, and the ruins of the temple and amphitheater of Qenqo, where it is believed the Incas practiced agricultural rituals. Admire Qenqo and then finally visit Puka Pukara ('Red fortress'in Quechua) an Inca military complex located on a prominent hill. Its dwellings, squares, bathrooms, aqueducts, walls, and towers can still be appreciated. Afterwards, return to your hotel.

    

After breakfast at the hotel, depart heading along the Sacred Valley towards the archaeological site of Moray, approximately an hour and a half away. As with many Inca remains, its exact function is a mystery though the design of ever-wider concentric circular terraces means each level had a different microclimate. Continue to Maras, where the salt ponds create a dazzling scene. The thousands of small ponds give work to and help feed many local families. During Inca times, the salt deposits were an important economic centre and of great value to the imperial economy. After the tour, transfer back to your hotel. 

Note: During December to March (rainy season), Chinchero, the town of Maras and chicherias, is visited instead of the salt mines. In these months, you have the option of replacing this tour with a visit to South Valley.

Optional activity: Visit to the planetarium.

    

During the morning, you are picked up from your hotel to visit the town of Chinchero, a traditional Cusco urban centre located at an elevated point with a beautiful view of the valley. The inhabitants of this area preserve the artisan traditions and the inherited knowledge of the Incas and display them in their clothes and customs. In Chinchero there are also archaeological remains and a beautiful seventeenth-century church, one of the first Catholic buildings in Peru. Then, you are transferred to the Living Museum of Yucay, an Andean traditions interpretation centre with demonstrations of the production of textile work, adobe, pottery and silverware, following the techniques used by the ancestors. Also, residents of the museum include llamas, sheep and alpacas, and they can be fed!

  

 

Visit the town of Ollantaytambo upon your arrival - inhabited uninterruptedly since Inca times - and have a superior Andean gastronomy experience in a restaurant. Feel the true spirit of the Sacred Valley, transmitted in a cozy atmosphere! Later, climb the iconic fortress, built next to a mountain and then you are transferred back to your hotel. 

*On Sundays, also visit the local market.

  

  

A transportation service will pick you up from your hotel and transfer you to the Ollantaytambo Station to board the train to Aguas Calientes, the nearest town to Machu Picchu. Take the train to Aguas Calientes, travel observing the Andean landscapes during a journey of an hour and a half. Our guide will be waiting for you and will accompany you until the departure point of the bus. Afterwards, take a bus for the 25-minute journey up to Machu Picchu, known as the "Lost city of the Incas". It is believed that this archaeological site was built in 1450 by the Inca Pachacutec as his holiday home. However, a century later, the city was abandoned after the Spanish conquest, escaping the destruction that azotó other Incas settlements. Along with the guided tour, you will have the opportunity to learn about the origins of this impressive city and explore its most outstanding monuments. After completing the tour, you will take the bus to Aguas Calientes, where you will enjoy lunch at your selected

restaurant.

Notes:

- Lunch time could vary depending on the entrance to the citadel.

- Due to the citadel's limited capacity we recommend that you confirm your booking as soon as possible to proceed with the tickets purchase. Tickets are subject to availability.

  

  

Today, you can optionally return to Machu Picchu. You may discover the views from Huayna Picchu, which is about 360 metres above Machu Picchu with an underground temple complex; and from Inti Punku, which offers even better views from about 390 metres above the citadel. Another option is the Inca Bridge, a secret military trail, which controls access to the citadel. In the afternoon, transfer to the Aguas Calientes station and take the train back to Ollantaytambo station. From here you will be transferred to your hotel in Cusco.

Note: Kindly remind to purchase your tickets before your trip due to the limited capacity of the citadel. Entrances are subject to availability.

 

After breakfast at the hotel, a transportation service will take you to Cusco's airport for your departure from the city.