Join our tour and try the seafood of Lima, defeat the ancient Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, one of the new seven wonders of the world and best known treks in the world. We discover classic Andean culture on the four day hike to the top of "The Lost City" and pass by Inca ruins on the way. We also explore the Sacred Valley, stop by the Traditional Pisac Market and traverse the remarkable town of Cusco. This tour is a spellbinding combination of archaeological and educational gems. Retrace the footsteps and feel the same sense of wonder that Hiram Bingham did, when in 1911 he first laid eyes on the Lost City of the Incas. As present day explorers, we will trail dense Peruvian routes on the Classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, one of the world´s tremendous archaeological gems.
Day 1: Join tour in Lima: Arrive at any time
Day 2: Transfer to Cusco:Day of leisure for shopping and discovering the city. Recommended: city tour
Day 3: Transfer to the Sacred Valley and visit Pisac, Urubamba and Ollantaytambo
Guided tour of the Sacred Valley and Ollantaytambo ruins
Day 4 - 7: Inca Trail to Machu Picchu: 4 day guided Inca Trail trek culminating in a visit to Machu Picchu and return to Cusco
Day 8: In Cusco: Free day to explore Cusco
Day 9: Cusco – Lima:Fly back to Lima
Arrive at any time. There are no activities planned for today. Check in to your hotel and admire the city of Lima. Peru is commonly known as the `Land of the Incas´. The Incas made the most important empire on the continent and left behind cryptic place´s, like Machu Picchu. Still, we should remember that the Incas were just one of the many Peruvian cultures that stretched over several thousand years. You can also visit the remnants of pre Inca ruins. Peru is comprised of three principle topographical regions: the Andes, the Amazon and the desert coastal region. This journey takes place mostly in the area of the Andes and the old Inca capital, Cusco. Referred to as the City of Kings, the capital city of Peru, Lima was founded by Francisco Pizarro on the day of the three kings (Epiphany) in 1535. The Main Square is the essence of old Lima and it is here you can find the Cathedral, the Government Palace and the Archbishops Place. The Cathedral was constructed in the 1700s and there abodes the body of conquistador, Pizarro. To experience colonial Lima, you should take a taxi to the Main Square, where you can watch the changing of the guard in the afternoon. The streets around Jiron de la Union are very good examples of Spanish colonial style architecture, where you can get a feel for modern day life in a large South American city. You can take a city tour to visit the city’s various significant places and monuments.There is a variety of superior museums in and around the city, such as the Museo Rafael Larco Herrera, which contains a remarkable collection of ceramics, mummies and fabrics from the Paracas and Nazca civilizations. The richer areas of Miraflores, Barranco and San Isidro, on the coast provide excellent nightlife and cafes. The inhabitants of Lima are warm. There are high quality restaurants, if you like seafood you should definitely try Lima’s most famous dish, ceviche.
Transfer to the airport for the flight to Cusco where you are met by a representative and transferred to your hotel. Day at leisure to rest and discover the charming city of Cusco. Cusco is South America’s oldest unceasingly populated city and is at the center of the continent’s tourist web. The city draws in tourists that want to go and see a one of a kind place and to get the feel of a very old culture, completely dissimilar to their 21st century way of living. A week is easily spent in and around Cusco. Inca constructed stone walls line many streets and valuable Inca ruins are nearby. The Spanish style city with its charming pink tiled roofs and arched plazas and steep bending alleyways is immersed in antiquity, culture and fable. Cusco is regarded as the center of Peru. This charming colonial town has ruins close-by, museums brimming with relics and antiques of folk long gone. You can feel the great importance of the city’s colonial past in its churches and galleries, or you can take a trip to the age-old Inca center and visit the marvelous remnants of Qoricancha. Among the more daring optional activities in Cusco are: horseback riding around archaeological sites, such as Sacsayhuaman, Tambomachay and Puca Pucara, white water on the Urubamba River and mountain biking down to the Sacred Valley, perhaps mountain biking in the Sacred Valley with plenty of Inca ruins en route. Cusco is regarded as the center of Peru.
Today we go on a full day tour of the Urubamba Valley the magical "Sacred Valley of the Incas". We depart from the ancient Inca capital and drive to the exquisite location of the Sacred Valley and head to the market town of Pisac, situated at the top part of the Urubamba Valley. We visit the extraordinarily well-kept Pisac ruins, on a quick trek as we investigate the sites numerous constructions and terraces before eading down to Pisac Town and it’s full of life artisanal market (only on market days). We have a buffet lunch in Urubamba and then continue to traverse through the Sacred Valley, past Incan terraces and fields of corn, wheat, barley and quinoa, eventually reaching Ollantaytambo, whose street lay-out is still the same as the Incas made it. After Cusco was beaten by the conquistadores, Manco Inca and his army of about 30,000 escaped to Ollantaytambo and were successful here against the armed forces of the Spanish commander Hernando Pizarro in the battle of Ollantaytambo. After a guided walking tour, we relocate to our traditional hotel in the Sacred Valley, where we have dinner.
Hiking Inca Trail on this 4-day trek is physically challenging, but worthwhile! Its difficulty is within the ability of the most reasonably fit. This 44-km (27 mile) Machu Picchu hike is often steep including 3 high passes to be crossed, one of which reaches an elevation of 4,200 m (13,776 ft). Temperature at nights may fall below zero so it is important to be prepared for that! It also sometimes rains, even during the dry season! Today, we start the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu Tour by a morning trip to Km 82 - the initial hiking point. It is very important to not forget your passport with you because it is checked at the entrance and you get a stamp of the Inca Trail on it! Our porters and tour guide are a guarantee that the Machu Picchu hiking Package goes without any worries, so you can enjoy the awesome Incan ruins (Llactapata, Runkuraqay, Sayacmarca, Phuyupatamarka, Wiñay Wayna) and spectacular mountain scenery. The Inca Trail hike finishes with climbing the ancient Inka steps to Inti Punku (Sun Gate) to watch the Sunrise above the long-awaited citadel of Machu Picchu! Then you can enjoy a 2 and a half hour guided visit of the so called "Lost City of the Incas"! In the afternoon, you descend to the town of Aguas Calientes. You can have a wander around and lunch. Later, we take the train to Ollantaytabo, where a driver will be waiting to take us back to Cusco.
Today is a leisure day to explore the fascinating capital of the Incas, visit its markets, do some shopping or optional activities as well as get ready for the last night in the city!
Transfer to Cusco airport to take your flight to Lima.
Climate at Inca Trail:
The climate in the area of the Inca Trail is, in general, temperate throughout the year.The best time to go trekking during the dry season (between April and October). June is the coldest month and August offers a more temperate and stable climate. From November to March, the rains are frequent and the road can become a dangerous and slippery quagmire. During the walk, it is dry in the first two days and wet in the third and fourth. And during the night the first two camps are usually cold, but the third camp is temperate.
Pre-Inca cultures
The Incas took advantage of the existing road network of previous cultures, improving and expanding them; especially of the Huari culture (800-1200 AD) which dominated much of pre-Columbian Peru.
Norms established for the Inca Trail
The Peruvian state has strictly limited the number of people allowed on the Inca Trail during 2010 to expeditions of 200 people and 300 porters, in order to conserve the flora and fauna of the place. It is recommended to make travel reservations several months in advance.