TRADITIONAL HOLIDAYS IN CUSCO
Cusco - Urubamba
4 Days / 3 Nights
Difficulty: Moderate
Private Service
Cusco has become the destination of choice for most travelers to Peru and South America. The ancient capital of the Inca culture and its surroundings has a combination of history, mysticism and authenticity that is not matched by any other city on the continent. This magical touch has attracted the interest of artists, photographers, intellectuals and thousands of travelers increasingly attracted by a multicultural magnetism.
Cusco is a city of millenary culture with high contrasts of popular art, imposing architectural monuments, streets and corners that keep secrets waiting to be unveiled by the traveler’s own eye; faces marked by history, sunrises and sunsets of exceptional beauty, light, color and mystery.
So, thinking in the comfort of our clients, we have designed a tour according to the expectations generated by the imposing attractions within the city of Cusco, the Sacred Valley of the Incas and culminating with the majestic Machupicchu; all integrated in a private and personalized service.
Highlights:
- Archaelogy
- Sacred Valley of the Incas
- Traditional Market
- Machupicchu
Day 1: City tour
Reception at the airport, transfer to the hotel where you will have free time to acclimatize and mitigate altitude sickness. We will start with a visit to the Main Square (the largest in Pre-Columbian America) and the Cusco Cathedral, beauty of colonial art and architecture (one of the most important museums of colonial art in Latin America). Then we will go to the archaeological sites around Cusco, such as Tambomachay, Puca Pucara, Q’enqo, to finally visit the megalithic construction of Sacsayhuaman, the most important Andean temple erected in Cusco in the 14th century. At the end of our tour, we will have the possibility to visit exhibition centers of the finest and most exclusive contemporary and traditional art in silver, gold and alpaca.
Day 2: Sacred Valley of the Incas
In the morning we will pick you up from your hotel in our private van to head to the town of Pisac, where we will visit the archaeological complex of the same name. After our visit in the area, we will have time to spend some time in the traditional market of Pisac, famous for its great variety of textiles, pottery and others. After that, we will head to the town of Urubamba where we will have our lunch in a typical restaurant enjoying a buffet. After lunch in the afternoon, we will visit the impressive archaeological complex of Ollantaytambo “Living Inca City and Royal House of the Sun”. At the end of our tour, we will head to the Ollantaytambo train station to reach the town of Aguas Calientes, where we will spend the night in a comfortable hotel.
Day 3: Machupicchu – Cusco
After an early wake up and breakfast, we will take the bus to Machu Picchu, where we will tour the amazing architecture and mysterious temples left by the Andean masters and specialized stone masons. A professional guide will help us to understand the sophisticated technology of this advanced culture. Once the official visit is over, we will have enough time to explore the Sanctuary on your own before returning to Cusco by train through Ollantaytambo in the afternoon.
Day 4: Cusco – Chinchero – Moray – Salt Mines of Maras – Cusco
In the morning we will pick you up at your hotel to head to the Chinchero district (Tupac Inca Yupanki Palace), current area of large-scale production of the famous Andean tuber «potato».
We will visit a handicraft production and exhibition center, where the finest textile art is practiced with ancient techniques, revaluing the technique and iconography of the most remote times, which has earned it worldwide recognition. Then we will go to the Moray Archaeological Complex «Andean Agricultural Laboratory», where we will be able to analyze and understand the amazing scientific knowledge, grouped in a set of 03 systems with a functional structure that are imposed on the fertile surface of the earth; the same that were used for the adaptation of various species of plants of high importance in Inca times. After our guided tour, we will have lunch optionally in a restaurant on the route.
At the end of our lunch, we will head for the Salt Mines of Maras, located 7 km from Moray, and northwest of the town of San Pedro de Maras, where we will find the famous salt mines composed of more than 5,000 small wells with an average area of 5 m² each.
At the end of our activities, we will return to the city of Cusco.
Includes:
- All transportation
- Buffet lunch in Sacred Valley
- Lunch in Aguas Calientes
- Round trip bus to Machupicchu
- Round trip train tickets Ollantaytambo – Aguas Calientes – Ollantaytambo
- Ozonated water (you must carry your own canteen)
- Accommodation in Aguas Calientes
- All entrance fees
- Professional bilingual guide and photographer
Not Included:
- Accommodations in Cusco
- Lunch on the first day
- Dinner in Aguas Calientes on second day
- Tips for staff
- Services not mentioned
To enjoy our tour, don’t forget to bring:
- Passport or ISIC card OBLIGATORY
- Photographic camera
- Sun block SPF 45 – 90
- Small backpack (canteen, snacks, etc.)
- Extra clothes
- Hat or cap for the sun and sunglasses
- Repellent
- Raincoats or rain ponchos (all year)
- Slippers or tennis shoes
- Extra cash in (soles and dollars, optional).
Frequently Asked Questions
The Sacred Valley has a warmer and milder climate than Cusco, with average temperatures between 19°C and 22°C.
Yes, this tour is recommended for all ages because it has a moderate difficulty level due to the stairs at some of the attractions visited.
Most activities are easy to moderate, but Machu Picchu and Maras Moray require some walking. We recommend being in good physical condition and acclimatizing to Cusco’s altitude.
The best time is during the dry season (April to October) when the weather is more stable. The rainy season (November to March) can make some trails slippery but is also less crowded.