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Cusco Adventures in the Altitude and Machu Picchu 8 Days/ 7 Nights
This tour is a combination of the Cusco City Tour, the Sacred Valley Tour and the adventure hiking of Salkantay to Machu Picchu in 5 days/ 4 nights. This tour gives you the opportunity to enjoy the enigmatic city of Cusco and the Sacred Valley, as well as a little bit of adventure in the altitude over the highest mountains of Cusco. Observe all the beautiful landscapes of the Andes and the exuberant tropics of the Cusquenian jungle close to Machu Picchu.
Combined with the charms of 3 nights in the Amaru Group Hostels (upgrade your hotel if you like), it is a perfect way to see Cusco as you are in the safe tourist area from where you can explore the most beautiful combination of the Inca and Colonial architecture with a perfect location to reach everything you might need as souvenir shop and museums.
Itinerary
Day 1 | Cusco Excursion – City TourWe will recept you at the airport in Cusco airport and then transfer you to the Amaru Group Hostels. We recommend you get an early flight so you can spend the morning relaxing and acclimatising to the altitude (in case you are arriving from sea level)! The Cusco City Tour will give you the opportunity to discover the enigma of this marvellous city and the surrounding archaeological sites! We will pick you up at 1:15 pm from your hotel and bring you to the main Plaza de Armas at 1:30 pm, where you will meet you travel mates (in case of shared service). We start our adventurous tour by visiting the Main Cathedral of Cusco. Here you can observe the colonial architecture and the amazing paintings of the Cusqueña School (well known for its religious iconography painted by Cusqueños). Afterwards, we will take you to the Qoricancha (golden palace) and Santo Domingo Convent, which is a perfect example for the fusion of the Inca and Christian culture. After your city tour, we will take the bus and drive to the impressive Inca Fortress of Saqsaywoman. You will be amazed by the rocks used for construction, some of them weigh more than 300 tons! Accommodation: Amaru Group Hostels |
Day 2 | Sacred Valley of the IncasThe Sacred Valley tour starts at 08:00 am from Cusco. We pick you up from your hotel and bring you to our tourist bus, where you will meet your tour guide and your travel mates (shared service). We leave Cusco around 08:30 am in direction of Pisaq, descending to the sacred river Urubamba. With a few stops at various lookout points along the way, we will arrive at Pisaq where you can enjoy checking out the traditional handicraft market with plenty of time for local souvenir shopping. Afterwards, we drive up the mountain where we will find Pisaqs ruins. Our tour guide will take you around the temples, terraces and tunnels of this complex, including the famous Intihuatana (sun clock), while constantly enjoying the majestic view of the sacred river. Then we drive along the river Urubamba, passing by a colourful little town where you can observe the descendants of the Quechua people wearing colorful ponchos. We stop in the town Urubamba for lunch (we recommend a lunch buffet of Peruvian food). After a short rest we keep going until we reach Ollantaytambo, one of the last living Inca towns. You will be amazed by the impressive Temple of the Sun with its intricate stone worked details, the terraces which are constructed to sustain the mountain and finally the temple in shape of a llama. You will have a short time to explore this amazing complex with its beautiful water fountains by yourself. After exploring this magnificent complex, we take the road back to Urubamba and leave the river to go uphill to the beautiful fields of Chinchero. Here we will discover another amazing Spanish Inca complex and afterwards visit a weaving family who still uses natural minerals and organic ink to colour the wool. We will return to Cusco around 07:00 pm and leave you at beautiful plaza Regocijo.
Accommodation: Amaru Group Hostels |
Day 3 | SALKANTAY TREK to Machu PicchuCome and hike Salkantay (‘the savage one’). Reach Machu Picchu in a different and spectacular way; trekking through valleys, grasslands, snowcarpets, cloud forests and steamy jungles!! The famous Salkantay Trek, recently named among one of the best treks in the world by National Geographic Adventure Travel Magazine, is a trek connecting the city of Cusco with Machu Picchu. The Trail Salkantay runs approximately 20 miles (32 kilometers) through high Andean peaks, cloud forest and steamy jungle. Cusco – Mollepata – SoraypampaWe will leave from Cusco approximately between 4:30 am and 5:00 am by bus which will take us to the town of Mollepata (2900 meters above sea level) where we will arrive approximately at 8:15 in the morning to have breakfast. During the trip we will have panoramic views of the majestic Salkantay Mountain, other snow capped Mountains and the Valley of Apurimac River. We will meet with our support staff who will load the equipment on horses and mules. Around 9:00 am, we will begin our walk toward Sayllapata (3200 meters above sea level). About 1:00 pm, we will have a Peruvian lunch and after lunch we will continue hiking toward the Soraypampa villages (3850 meters above sea level). Around 5:30 in the afternoon we will arrive to our camp where the tents will be ready for you as well as your dinner. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
Day 4 | Soraypampa – Salkantay Pass – Huayracpunku – ChaullayToday, our adventure trek will take us through great changes of environment. We will see landscapes from dry sceneries to snowy peaks and tropical areas. After breakfast, around 07:00 am, we will start the most difficult part of the trek to a place called Pampas Salkantay. We then follow the left side of the snowy peaks of Umantay, located next to the Apu Salkantay. At midday, we will reach the highest point (4600 m.a.s.l.). From here, we will appreciate spectacular views of the mountains and the imposing snowy peaks of the Salkantay (6264 m.a.s.l.), which is the second highest mountain of the Cusco region. Around 01:00 pm we will have our lunch in an area called Huayracmachay. Then, we will trek for approximately 3 hours and finally arrive at our camp in Challway (2920 m.a.s.l.). Around 07:00 pm, we will recuperate from the trek and have dinner. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
Day 5 | Chaullay – Collpapampa – La Playa – Santa TeresaAround 07:00 am, we will start our daily trek and hike for about 6 hours towards the Playa Sahuayaco. During our trek, we will visit a small town called Collpabamba and the Forest Cloudy Brow where we can discover waterfalls, thermal hot springs, fruit-bearing trees, a varied flora and many species of birds. If we are lucky, we will even be able to observe the famous Peruvian national bird called the Cock of the Rocks. From the Playa Sahuayaco, we will head to the campsite located at the hot springs of Santa Teresa. Here, we will have dinner and enjoy the hot baths (we recommend you to bring a bathing suit!). Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
Day 6 | Santa Teresa – Hidroelectria – Aguas CalientesAround 08:30 am, after of our delicious breakfast, we are starting our trek to the village Colpani, following the rising trail from which we will see coffee, banana and passion fruit plantations and ss well enjoy a lovely view of the Santa Teresa Valley. We hike along the riverside of the Vilcanota River until we arrive to the Oroya (canopy brich). From here, we have the option to hike to Hidroelectrica or to catch a small car which will take us to the small town (25 minutes). Upon our arrival in Hidroelectrica, we will have lunch with all our staff and take a moment to observe the back of the Machu Picchu Sanctuary. We then continue walking until we arrive to Aguas Calientes around 04:30 pm, and then stay in a hostal for the last night. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
Day 7 | Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – Aguas Calientes – Ollantaytambo – CuscoWe will take our breakfast very early in the morning. Then we start our last day, climbing up to the entrance of the famous Inca Citadel Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas. Avoiding the crowds, you will be one of the first visitors of the day. Your bilingual tour guide will take you around the vast ruins for about 3 hours, comprehensively explaining its historical significance during the Inca Empire. It will be an unforgettable experience, visiting the Main Square, the Royal Quarters, the Temple of the Three Windows, the Circular Towers, the Sacred Sun Dial and the Burial Grounds! After this, you will have some free time to walk around and explore the Inca Citadel on your own. Optional, you can do unguided walks to the Inti Punku (duration 1 hour) or the Sun Gate, the traditional end of the Inca Trail, which will take you 45 minutes. Otherwise simply relax and take in the inspiring atmosphere. After your free time, you walk down to Aguas Calientes to have a late lunch or a dip in the hot springs (not included). In the afternoon at 18:20 pm or 19:00 pm, you take the train back to Ollantaytambo and then get the tourist bus to Cusco. Meals: Breakfast |
Day 8 | Free day in CuscoAccording to your flight or bus schedule, we will give you a free walking tour around the city of Cusco, to discover the enigma of this city and at the same time to do some souvenir shopping. Then, we transfer you to the airport or bus station from where you continue to your next destination.
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Please note:
*Times cited in this itinerary are aproximate. Walking times depend on the group, the guide can change the lunch and camping spots depending on the group’s progress. The guide can have its own preference about which route to take and this might not correspond exactly to the described route.
*An extra night in Aguas Calientes can be easily arranged if you let us know in advance, so we can change the date of your train ticket for the following day.
*The cost of the hotel will be dependent according to your request.
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Tips: Please note that our agency staff is well paid, so please feel free to tip or not as you prefer!
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Price US$ 650 per person
Price based on 4 people.
Single person pays +$40.00 for a single accommodation
Upgrade hotel in Cusco up to your needs!
Exclusive international transaction fees: The amount of the extra transaction fees depends on how the payment is made and on your bank. For further information please don’t hesitate to ask.
Upon request, with each booked tour with Green Peru Adventures, you will receive a free walking tour of the mysterious and historic city of Cusco. You will be guided by one of our multilingual, professional guides.
We are looking forward to create an unforgettable experience for you.
