Custom Cusco & Inca Trail Tour Package 6 Days

Day 1: Arrival in Cusco + City Tour

We will pick you up from the airport and transfer you to your hotel to get settled. You will receive a short briefing at your hotel to help you prepare for the adventure ahead and have the remainder of the morning to rest and acclimatize.  In the afternoon, we will introduce you to the Imperial City of Cusco, a living example of the mix of Andean and Spanish culture. Continuing your journey, you will visit the Santo Domingo Convent built over the Koricancha, as well as the ancient Inca Palace and the main worship center of the Sun Inti. Our tour continues to the truly impressive archaeological site of Sacsayhuaman and its military Inca architecture, which dominates the city below. Finally, we explore the archaeological sites of Qenqo, Puca Pucará and Tambomachay, located in the north east of the city. We will head back to your hotel in Cusco by early evening.

Day 2: Sacred Valley Tour (Pisac + Moray + Salt mines and Ollantaytambo included)

We start this beautiful day at 7:30am, when your guide picks you up at your Cusco hotel in our private van. Our route to the Sacred Valley of the Incas leads us towards Pisac. We stop first at the Mirador of Taray to enjoy an expansive view of the Urubamba valley and its traditional farming villages. You will see how the agriculture in the Sacred Valley has changed little in the past five hundred years. Onward, we drive to the archeological site of Pisac, where you can see an impressive Inca cemetery with more than 2,000 tombs. There, we can admire the carefully engineered farming terraces carved into the mountain, explore the Inca tunnel and the religious area of this important citadel. Here, we will spend about 2 hours, exploring the Inca city. Then, we head down to the colorful market of Pisac, spend about 20 minutes visiting it and then drive to Urubamba for lunch.

Our next stop is the fascinating archeological site of Moray also known as “The Greenhouse of the Incas” a deep basin of architectural wonder. Levels of terraces are carved into a huge bowl, which was carefully engineered by the Incas. The terraces have varied microclimates depending on how deep into the bowl they are placed.  Archeologists believe that they were used by the Incas to discover the optimal growing conditions for their crops and experiment in hybridization.

Continuing on our journey to the colonial town of Maras, we look down onto the pre-Inca salt “mines,” called salineras in Spanish. Thousands of salt pans have been passed down through countless generations and used for salt extraction since before Inca times. A hot spring at the top of the valley discharges a small stream of heavily salt laden water, which is diverted into salt pans and evaporated to produce salt. This is one of the few places in the world where you can find naturally pink salt!

Finally, we drive to Ollantaytambo, taking the time to explore the Inca village that has remained intact since Inca times and the massive Inca Ruins, with a tour provided by our guide. Visit the massive architecture of the Sun Temple at the top of the formidable terraces and learn about the importance of this site for the Inca during the beginning of the Spanish conquest. Ready for a relaxing evening, we will return to Cusco, dropping you off at your hotel around 6:30pm.

Day 3: Inca Trail – Km. 104 to Sun Gate.

After a hearty breakfast, board the train in Ollantaytambo. Disembark at the trailhead at KM 104 where your hiking journey begins. Pass archeological sites and admire the stunning Andean landscapes all the way to the majestic Sun Gate which leads into Machu Picchu.

Enjoy your first views of the Inca citadel before taking the short bus ride to your Aguas Calientes hotel for the night.

Day 4: Machu Picchu Tour

An early morning will reward you with another momentous day of exploring the “Lost City of the Incas”. Your tour guide will take you through the iconic ruins of Machu Picchu, discussing the mystery and skill of its construction as you absorb the magical landscape that surrounds this important ruin.

Take in the final views of the Sacred Valley while you travel back. Your driver will be waiting at the station to take you back to your hotel in Cusco for some much-deserved rest.

Upgrade options: Climb Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain for bird’s-eye views of the ruins or add an extra day in Machu Picchu.

Day 5: Visit the Rainbow Mountain

Enjoy a final early start to your day and head to Vinicunca, also known as the Rainbow Mountain. On the way, you can appreciate the Andes Mountains as you pass by beautiful snow-capped mountains and unique landscapes.

Watch alpacas and llamas frolic along the trail as you walk to the sacred mountain. Learn about the reasons why the Incas and Andean people worship the Pachamama or Mother Earth on this incredible tour of Rainbow Mountain that includes lunch.