Chinchero

Home to renowned Andean textile weavers, here we will begin our visit with a short stop at a local weaving center. You will witness the extraction of wool from Llamas and Alpacas and then how they process the wool to knit their renowned handicrafts. After witnessing this, we will be giving you a guided tour of the Inca site here where a whitewashed church stands today. During the Inca civilization, Pachacutec the Inca emperor, built his summer palace here which was torn down on Spanish conquest and the church that stands today, was built on its remains. Among all sites in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, Chinchero has the most fertile soil. You will also get an insight into the Incas innovative farming methods here.

Maras Moray Tours

Our next stop on this tour will be in a nearby village of Moray. Home to the circular farming terraces dug in the ground. These terraces have different levels and each level has different temperatures. The Incas used this as an agricultural laboratory to determine the best weather condition needed to grow a crop.

Maras

Continuing our Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu tour, we will be visiting the renowned and the most photographed Salt mines. These geometric pools are built on a slope of a hill and have been existing since the Pre Inca times. Salt farmers here continue the traditional Solar Evaporation method. They let in natural spring water from the neighboring hot springs into these pools and wait for it to evaporate. When it does, it leaves behind crystals of salt which are manually scrapped out. Salt here is pinkish in color and has a distinct taste.

Urubamba

Once you have had the fill of these alluring sites, we will be driving to Urubamba. Here, we will be stopping at a local restaurant to relish a buffet lunch. Restaurants here are owned and managed by local farmers so you can be assured to relish a farm fresh meal for lunch.

Ollantaytambo

After lunch, we will be driving you to Ollantaytambo, former administrative capital of the Incas. This beautiful town is snuggled between two hills, each home to an Inca ruin. We will be visiting the temple of the Incas here. This architecturally stunning place was sacred to the Incas. We will be visiting the remains of the main plaza and some ceremonial sites here. This was the very place where the infamous battle of Ollantaytambo was fought between Manco Inca and Hernando Pizarro the Spanish conquistador in 1531. Although the Incas won the battle, fearing for a much stronger attack they abandoned this place and seek asylum in Vilcabamba, jungle in Peru.

Aguas Calientes

After the Sacred Valley tour, we will be driving you to Ollantaytambo train station. Here you will be boarding the tourist train to Aguas Calientes. The one and a half hour ride offers staggering views of snow capped peaks as the train would snake down through the remote villages to Aguas Calientes in the Amazon. Once in Aguas Calientes, our representative will meet you on arrival and will accommodate you in an unsuited hotel room for the night. The one and a half hour ride offers staggering views of snow capped peaks as the train would snake down through the remote villages to Aguas Calientes in the Amazon. Once in Aguas Calientes, our representative will meet you on arrival and will accommodate you in an ensuite hotel room for the night.

Aguas Calientes

We will begin the second day of the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu tour early in the morning. After having breakfast at your hotel, you will be boarding the 40-minute bus up the hill to the entrance of Machu Picchu. Our tour guide will meet you here and will assist you in entering the citadel. Your Machu Picchu ticket will be verified here against your original passport here by the local authorities.

Machu Picchu

Once inside, you will witness the rays of the rising sun shimmering on the Inca walls here. Our two hours guided tour to Machu Picchu would begin with a brief Introduction to the citadel. We will be visiting the remains of the main square, ceremonial sites, temples, royal quarters, sundial clock and more. After this immersive guided tour, you will have some free time to explore the citadel or simply sit and soak in the views. If you have booked to climb Huayna Picchu or a journey to Machu Picchu mountain, our tour guide will be directing you to the respective trail head. Alternatively, you can hike to the Sun gate. You won’t need any permit and it’s free of cost. This is the point of entrance to the citadel for those hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. You will get a panoramic view of the citadel snuggled between Machu Picchu Huayna Picchu peaks.

Ollantaytambo

After the tour, we will be taking the bus back down to Aguas Calientes. Here we will have some free time so you can soak in the waters of the natural hot springs here or have lunch at one of the local restaurants. At 04:00 PM, we will be taking the tourist train back to Ollantaytambo.

Cusco

Our representative will meet you upon arrival in Ollantaytambo and transfer you back to your hotel in Cusco. We expect to arrive in Cusco at around **9:00 p.m.**