Sacred Valley and Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

Today, we’ll explore the ancient city of Cusco, the capital of the Inca Empire, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. We’ll visit and explore the impressive Inca fortress-temples of Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Pukapucara, and Tambomachay.

Around midday, we’ll have lunch at one of our favorite restaurants and continue exploring the ancient streets of Cusco. Then, we’ll visit the Coricancha Temple, a sacred site covered with sheets of solid gold. The Coricancha Temple was one of the most important religious sites of the Inca Empire. Afterward, we’ll visit the local market of San Pedro, where we’ll taste chuta bread made from wheat, fruits, vegetables, handicrafts, and traditional Cusco food stalls. Finally, we’ll head back to our respective hotels.

At 7:00 am, we’ll pick you up from your hotel and head to the first archaeological complex of Pisac. Once there, we’ll observe impressive agricultural terraces covering the mountain slopes.

These terraces were cultivated throughout the year with a hydraulic engineering system and irrigation aqueducts. We’ll also visit the Pisac handicraft market, a blend of tradition and color, where you’ll have free time to interact with local artisans and buy handmade souvenirs. Then, we’ll head to the town of Urubamba for lunch.

Afterward, we’ll visit the archaeological complex of Moray, an agricultural research center where our ancestors adapted different plant varieties. Later, we’ll visit the Maras salt mines, where salt has been harvested since Inca times. Finally, we’ll explore the living Inca town of Ollantaytambo, an iconic and historic site of the Incas.

At 5:30 am, we’ll pick you up from the hotel and head to the train station to take the 6:10 am train to km 104. Once there, the guide will be waiting for you, and we’ll proceed to the checkpoint for registration (you must have your original passport with you). We’ll then walk for a few minutes to reach the first archaeological complex of Chachabamba, where we’ll have a guided tour.

Then, we’ll gradually ascend, enjoying spectacular landscapes, until we reach the Wiñay Wayna Inca Temple. After visiting Wiñay Wayna, we’ll have lunch near the Wiñay Wayna control point. Later, we’ll walk for about 2 hours to reach the stone city of Machu Picchu, entering this wonder of the world through the Sun Gate, where we’ll have the first views of the famous Inca city. We’ll have lunch at the Winay Wayna control point.

Then, we’ll continue walking to Machu Picchu for another two hours, entering this wonder of the world through the Sun Gate, where we’ll have the first views of the famous Inca city. Once in Machu Picchu, we’ll take our time to enjoy it, as there are usually fewer people in the afternoon.

Finally, we’ll take the bus to Machu Picchu town (Aguas Calientes), where we’ll spend the night.