Tour 4D/3N City Tour Cusco, Sacred Valley & Short Inca Trail

Day 1: Welcome to Cusco + Cusco City Tour

Welcome to the Imperial City of Cusco! Our friendly representatives will welcome you at the Cusco airport and transfer you to your accommodation in Cusco. Please keep in mind that landing at 3,300 m.a.s.l. can have its toll on the body. Do not feel concern if upon arrival you experience some shortness of breath or a small headache. This will all go on time. For this reason, it is highly recommended that you take it easy upon arrival and let your body ease into the altitude by staying hydrated.

Your Cusco City Tour will begin at 13:00 hrs, when we will come to pick you up meet at your hotel lobby.  To begin, we will visit the famous cathedral. Following, you will continue on foot through an ancient Inca-built street from the Plaza de Armas to the Q’oricancha, the Temple of the Sun. At the Q’oricancha you will be able to compare and contrast the building methods of the Incan culture and Catholicism. This was the key spiritual center of the Incas, which leads to all four quarters of the Inca Empire. There is also a bronze, high altar to be seen.

From Q’oricancha, your group will walk down Avenida El Sol, where you will take your bus 25 minutes outside of the city. You will be taken to the majestic Inca site, Sacsayhuaman, with its enigmatic, 200 ton monoliths, you will be able to hear from your guide and then, explore on your own.

From Sacsayhuaman, you will take a five minute bus ride to the Q’enqo Inca site to see its fascinating Incan altars. Following, you will take another five minute drive to Puca Pucara, a small, circular Inca site. The final stop on our tour is Tambomachay, a water temple with impressive water fountains, thought to be used by the Inca for bathing. We’ll then drive back down to Cusco where the tour ends in the main square, unless you are taking a private tour, in which case, we will return you to your hotel.

Accommodation: 3-star hotel
Meals: not included
Tickets: Included

Day 2: Super Sacred Valley

Today´s tour will begin with an early morning pick up, at approximately 07:30 hrs, from your accommodation in Cusco. This tour will be a full day tour in which you will have the opportunity to visit the most important and beautiful sites of the Sacred Valley, including the town of Pisac, Moray, Maras and Ollantaytambo.

From Cusco, we will head to the first stop of the tour, the town of Pisac. This will be approximately a 45-minute car drive. On the way, we will stop at some of the most beautiful lookout points from where to see the Sacred Valley. Once in Pisac, we will arrive at the town´s traditional market for a brief exposure to all local artisans and their colorful merchandise. This stop will be the perfect opportunity for some souvenir shopping. Still in Pisac, we will continue to the town´s main archaeological site, where you will be first introduced to the day´s learnings about the powerful Inca Empire.

After the guided tour in Pisac, we will continue with your tour by heading on a 1-hour car drive to the next town of Urubamba for lunch. Here, you will have the option to choose where to grab a bite to eat.

Continuing on, we will make our way to Moray after lunch. Moray is an archaeological site located in the Sacred Valley and known for its unusual ruins. The site is composed of deep, circular terraces thought to have been agricultural terraces during the Inca Empire. At this site, you will have the opportunity to contemplate the grandeur of such site and will be amazed by the perfection of such construction.

From Moray, the tour will continue to the next stop at the town of Maras. It is here where you will be mesmerized by the naturally occurring salt mines still cultivated to date. This site will be sure to impress you by the thousands of small salt-evaporating on ponds. Be sure to check the small shop offering some of the most soothing baths slats made from the extracted salt in Maras.

To finish off, we will head to the last stop of the tour – the town of Ollantaytambo. Once here, you will explore the town´s archaeological fortress along with one of the most important Sun Temples of the region.

Your tour will end after your guided tour in Ollantaytambo. We will make sure to drop you off at your accommodation here.

Accommodation: 3-star hotel
Meals: Breakfast (at the hotel)
entrance Tickets: Included

Day 3: Inca Trail – 2D/1N

Your day will begin with an early morning pick up from your accommodation in Ollantaytambo – at approximately 05:30 hrs. From here, we will head to the train station to catch the 06:10 hrs train headed to Aguas Calientes town. The train tracks follow the Urubamba River and will give you spectacular views of the nearby farmlands, snow-capped mountains and the mighty Urubamba River itself. The train ride will be approximately 45 minutes, and will take us directly to the trek´s trail head, commonly known as KM 104 located at 2,000 m.a.s.l.

Once at the trailhead, we will have some time to get ready for the day´s hike. Here you will meet your trekking chef and porters and will also enjoy breakfast before starting your trek. Be sure you bring your original passport, since this is the very first checkpoint along the Inca Trail. After breakfast, you will visit the first Inca site on this trail, Chachabamba – the first ancient Incan checkpoint for entering to the Inca trail, and will have a brief guided tour to understand its importance. It is also here, where we will take a moment to take group photo for the books!

The hike will begin from KM 104 on a gently uphill trail towards the Classic Inca Trail. If the weather is clear, we will have tremendous views of Machu Picchu, the Urubamba River and other surrounding Inca Sites. There will also be waterfalls to be seen. The trail itself has some flat areas, as well as some short uphill and downhill hikes. It also has steps, arranged in sections that can be narrow in some areas, but not dangerous. After hiking for approximately 3 hours, we will reach the most beautiful Incan site on the Inca Trail, Wiñay Wayna (Forever Young) at 2,600 m.a.s.l. Here you will visit and learn about the sites impressive and water fountains, temples and agricultural terraces. The backdrop of Wiñay Wayna will also be sure to impress you, dropping off a cliff, with beautiful mountains surrounding the area.

From Wiñay Wayna, we will continue trekking to the Sun Gate, from where we will see the picturesque landscape of Machu Picchu. At this location, we will take enough time to breathe in the beauty of the surrounding sights before continuing on with our descent to Machu Picchu and Aguas Calientes town. A big advantage of this hike, is that by the time we reach Machu Picchu, most of the day travelers will have returned home. This will leave the sights of Machu Picchu to be almost empty.

From Machu Picchu, we will take the bus down to Aguas Calientes and head to your hotel. For dinner, we will head as a group to restaurant. After dinner, we recommend going to bed early to make the most of the next day.

Accommodation: 3-star hotel
Meals:  Breakfast (at the hotel), lunch (packed) & Dinner
Tickets: Included

Day 4: Visit to Machupicchu

Today will be the most important day of your journey. To make the most of the day, we encourage all groups to have an early breakfast before taking one of the first buses to Machu Picchu (starting at 5:30 a.m.). The hotel will keep your bags while you are in Machu Picchu. In this way, you will only be asked to bring your personal backpack with all the essential elements to Machu Picchu. The bus trip from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu will take approximately 30 minutes.

Once in Machu Picchu, your guide will introduce you to the beauty of Machu Picchu. You will go directly to a well-sought place from where you can watch the sunrise and take pictures. Then, your guide will guide you through the main sectors of the citadel, for a total of 2.5 hours. During this guided tour, you will learn a little more about the history and culture of the Inca Empire.

For your return from Machu Picchu, we recommend you to return to the city of Aguas Calientes no later than 2 hours before the departure of your train. Your guide will inform you of the schedules of your train before your return. The return of the train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo will take approximately 2 hours. In Ollantytambo, our staff will be waiting on your right at the exit door of the station, ready to take you back to Cusco by car. The trip by car to Cusco will be about 2 hours and we will leave it at your hotel in Cusco. Accommodation: 3-star hotel
Meals: Breakfast (at the hotel)

Includes

• Pick up from your hotel
• Professional English Speaking Tour Guide
• Assistant Tour Guide for groups of 9 or more trekkers
• Chef, porters
• Private Transportation
• 3 star hotel
• Tickets
• Train tickets

Does Not Include

• Huayna Picchu: Huayna Picchu is the mountain that stands next to Machu Picchu. It is a 45 minute hike to the top. Going back down is quite steep, if you are scared of heights. This is done without your tour guide, after your tour of Machu Picchu. The cost is $35 per person. Arrangements need to be made at least one month in advance, due to popularity. Please understand that weather is out of our control.
• Flights
• Gratuities
• Travel Insurance: This is not required, but always recommended. For those of you who live at sea-level, landing in Cusco will take an adjustment period. Most people need one or two days to adjust. In case you have a hard time adjusting to the altitude, it is suggested to have protection for missed tours.

What you need to take

• Original Passport
• ISIC card (if you are a student and want to qualify for the discount)
• Day pack
• Sleeping bag( you can rent from Quinoa Expeditions )
• Walking boots
• Waterproof jacket Warm jacket
• Warm clothes: layers for variable temperatures, especially at night. Thermals:Hat, gloves.
• wool socks and wool hat for cold nights
• T-shirts for the intire trek
• Comfortable Trousers
• Sun hat
• Sunscreen (factor 35 or higher)
• Insect repellant
• Toiletries : poilet paper, toothbrush, toothpaste, wipes and hand sanitizer
• Personal medical kit
• Camera and film
• Torch with spare batteries
• Camel bag or wáter bottle
• Extra money for drinks,tips and souvinirs. Etc( soles  or  dollars). At least 300 extra soles.
• Bathing suits for the hot springs( optional) recommended for those who stay an extra night in Aguas Calientes)

2 pax min, max 10 pax

$ 1105 per person

STUDENT DISCOUNT:

$30 per student

Student discounts apply to anyone who has a valid UNIVERSITY STUDENT CARD at the time of the trek or who is 17-years-old or younger. For those using an university student card to receive the discount, we need to see a copy of the card at booking. For those booking children 17-years-old or younger, we need a copy of their passport at booking time. Please send all to info@quinoaexpeditionsperu.com

Equipment Rental:

Walking Pole US$10(pair)

Optional Extras/Not Included (Need to book in Advance):

• Machu Picchu Mountain climbing:  USD 75.00 (Need to book in advance).
• Huayna Picchu Mountain climbing: USD 75.00 (Need to book in advance).
• Vistadome Train Aguas Calientes-Ollantaytambo: USD50.00 (Need to book in advance).
• Extra Night in Aguas Calientes: Depends on the type of Hotel desired (Need to book in advance).

ABSOLUTE ESSENTIALS FOR THE TREK:

• Valid, original Passport (a copy will not be accepted)
• Valid, Student Card (if you booked as a student)
• Trekking boots (light, comfortable and broken in)
• A good quality daypack (light, small and comfortable)
• Water storage for at least 2 liters; either a camel bag or water bottle(s)

FOR YOUR DAYPACKS:

Below is a list of items that we highly recommend you keep with you at all times in your personal backpack. Remember you will be carrying this with you everyday of the trek so we recommend you bring a good quality daypack which is both light and comfortable. It is important to note that due to local regulations, your backpack should not exceed 25L. All larger backpacks can not be taken into Machu Picchu and will need to be stored outside the gates.

• Hat and sunglasses
• Rain gear
• Warm layers (fleece / long sleeved tops)
• Sun cream, bug spray
• Hand sanitizer
• Toilet paper
• Personal medication
• Band-aids, moleskin
• Camera, extra batteries
• Head Torch
• Extra snacks, power bars, chocolate
• Extra money for souvenirs, drinks & tips (small change is useful for paying to use the villagers’ toilets on the first day)

ADDITIONAL ITEMS FOR YOUR DUFFEL BAGS:

During the trek will provide you with a duffel bag in which you can pack any items that you won’t need to keep with you during the day. Our porters will carry this bag for you throughout the trek. Please note this bag should weigh a maximum of 7 kg including the weight of your sleeping bag and air mattress (if you bring/rent one). When rented from us these two items weigh approximately 3 kg. During the Inca Trek, you will travel through different temperatures as you climb/descend, it can also be cold at night when at the campsite. Therefore layers work best!

• Sleeping bag for Inca trail (can be rented from us)
• Air mattress for Inca trail (can be rented from us)
• Some light, comfortable shoes for the camp
• Warm jacket, hat and gloves for Inca trail
• 2-3 t-shirts (wicking t-shirts are best)
• 1-2 hiking pants/trousers
• 4 sets of undergarments
• 4 sets of hiking socks
• 1 Fleece
• 1 Warm, down jacket for the coldest nights
• Quick-dry towel
• Soap
• Wet wipes
• Toothbrush and paste
• Face moisturizer
• Power pack / battery charger
• Plastic bags to keep wet or muddy clothes separate