Sacred Valley & Inca Trail Highlights

The trip starts in Cuzco (3400m) today. The group flights usually arrive late
morning. The Inca capital - though small enough to be easily manageable - is
among the most attractive cities in South America, with much of the centre
comprising colonial-era buildings with Inca foundations, and it is full of
interesting museums, churches and pre-Columbian sites. We will have a short
walking tour of the city including a visit to the Qoricancha Sun Temple.
It is recommended to take it easy upon arrival into Cuzco and to drink plenty
of water to allow your body time to acclimatise to the altitude.
There will be a welcome briefing in the hotel lobby this evening.

*Accommodation: Hotel Koyllur (or similar)*

Day 2

The hills above Cuzco city are dotted with some of the most interesting Inca
ruins. We drive to the highest, Tambomachay, and return on foot to Cuzco via
Puca Pucara, Qenco and Sacsayhuaman: an easy acclimatisation walk to get used
to the altitude. An open-air picnic lunch is included during the hike near
the spectacular ruins.

*Walk Profile: approx. 6.5km / 5-6hrs walking (inclusive of the time for
visiting the sites)*

*Accommodation: Hotel Koyllur (or similar)*

Day 3

Today has been left free for exploring Cuzco, one of South America's most
beautiful cities. The Plaza de Armas is a fantastic spot for people-watching,
and Qorikancha – the Sun Temple, located in the Santo Domingo Church and
monastery, are worth a visit. The Mercado San Pedro is the place to try some
local produce and there are many handicraft markets to shop for souvenirs
such as alpaca jumpers and scarves.

If you fancy something more active then there are an array of other optional
activities available from Cuzco including paddle-boarding on a lake, mountain
biking, or a combination of via ferrata and zip-lining in the Sacred Valley.

*Accommodation: Hotel Koyllur (or similar)*

Day 4

Today we drive from Cuzco to Ollantaytambo (approximately 2 hrs drive) and
then on to the Pumamarca ruins (approx. 30 minutes). These ruins are the
remains of a hillside fortress and are built on a steep slope overlooking the
Sacred Valley.  Pumamarca ruins are less visited than others in the area so
our time here should be relatively uninterrupted.  After we finish exploring
the Pamamarca ruins, we’ll walk back through the valley to Ollantaytambo,
with views of the terraced countryside along the way.  The walk should take
about 3 hours.

*Walk Profile: approx. 3.7km / 3 hrs walking*

*Accommodation: Tunupa Lodge (or similar)*

Day 5

Today we have a day walk along a section of the Inca Trail, starting early
with a train from Ollantaytambo.  After showing our passports at the check
point, we will pass by the archaeological site of Chachabamba and start our
trek. The trail has impressive views of the valley and the Urubamba river,
with orchids and begonias along the way and the sight of magnificent
mountains all around. The trail passes the ruins of Wiñay Wayna where we
will stop to explore and have our packed lunch. After visiting the attractive
ruins of Wiñay Wayna, we have an undulating walk through cloud forest high
above the river to Inti Punku, the Sun Gate. From here we get our first full
sight of Machu Picchu itself, with Huayna Picchu rising behind.

*Walk Profile: approx. 11km / 6-7hrs walking*

*Accommodation: Intipunku El Tambo (or similar)*

Day 6

In order to beat the day-trippers arriving from Cuzco and reach the ruins as
early as possible, a very early start is required to queue for Machu Picchu;
only government-registered buses can make the 30-minute drive up the winding
road to the site entrance, and during high season (May-October) queues can be
hours long. 

Machu Picchu is one of the architectural and engineering marvels of the
ancient world and what makes it all the more dramatic is its mountain
backdrop of staggering immensity. The Spaniards never found it; the Incas
left no records of it, and so Machu Picchu remained a great enigma, a city
lost for centuries in the jungle until it was rediscovered in 1911 by the
American historian Hiram Bingham. 

New regulations for visiting Machu Picchu are now fully enforced; of the
three possible visiting slots, we will purchase the morning slot from 06:00
until 12:00 (unless unavailable), you will be limited to a maximum of four
hours within the site and must be accompanied by a guide. There will also be
three set routes to follow around Machu Picchu; we select the most
comprehensive route. 

We catch an afternoon train back to Ollantaytambo (1hr 30 mins) and continue
by private bus to Cuzco (2hrs 30 mins).

*Accommodation: Hotel Koyllur (or similar)**
*

Day 7

Our adventure ends in Cuzco after breakfast today.