If you have chosen the Machu Picchu Trip, then you have chosen the highlight of all the Peru and the South America as well. When you see Machu Picchu, you understand why it is impossible to not be fascinated by the spirit of this Incan sanctuary. These mysterious archaeological remains have lots of power to attract people. Since being discovered for the world until today, this extraordinary heritage of the Inca´s culture keep enchanting visitors from all around the globe.
Although the word “ecology” was unknown in then time, the Incas paid special attention to conservation as they kept perfect harmony between architectural concept of their buildings and natural landscapes.
During these Machu Picchu holidays, you can enjoy guided touring of Cusco City, admire natural and Incan monuments of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, appreciate changeable nature when continuing to Machu Picchu by train (a quick way when the Inca Trail hike is fully booked), overnight in Aguas Calientes (a town just below the Inka´s city) and visit thermal baths there before finally enjoying a guided tour of the Inca´s architectonic jewel – Machu Picchu. Then you can continue climbing Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain. In the end of the day, you take a transport between Machu Picchu – Cusco to finish at your hotel and rest. The Machu Picchu holidays end with a transport back to the airport at Cusco.
One of trips to Machu Picchu that we can offer you is the Machu Picchu Trip that includes attainment of Machu Picchu by train, a quick alternative when the beaten Inca Trail hike is sold out! This Machu Picchu vacation starts with a day of acclimatization in your Cusco´s hotel to be able touring the most impressive monuments of the Cusco City on the following day! Another day, you continue to the Sacred Valley of the Incas to admire natural beauties of this warm and fertile valley perfectly combinad with architectonic treasures of the Incas. Then we board a train and continue to the small town of Aguas Calientes located in a subtropical area just below Machu Picchu. We can visit famous local hot springs there before we get to our hotel to overnight. On the fourth day, a visit of the Incan jewel Machu Picchu awaits us. There, you have a chance to ask your Tour Guide during a 2 and half an hour guided tour about everything you like to know about Machu Picchu before climbing either Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain. Then you are transported between Machu Picchu – Cusco and taken back to your hotel. The last day you are taken to the Cusco´s airport where your Machu Picchu holidays finish.
Sustainable Tourism: At Tierras Vivas, we are happy to promote and practice sustainable tourism by being eco-friendly and supporting local communities
Service Level: Comfortable accommodations, meals, private transport, comfortable tourist-class, activities and professional guided tour English or Spanish.
Physical Rating: Moderate walking and hiking suitable for most fitness levels. Not too challenging
Age requirement: 2+ / All travellers under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Type of Trip: Independent trips are either entire trips you take privately to a group tour. Local staff are available on 24/7
Machu Picchu Operator: Tierras Vivas Travel
Crew: Tierras Vivas representative at Cusco and professional Tour Guides for the Cusco City, Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu tour.
Accommodation: 5 nights in a 3* hotel.
Meals: 5x breakfast, 1x buffet lunch (Please allow USD 30 – 50 for meals not included).
Transportation: Private transportation by van, tourist bus, a train round trip (Expedition Class).
Day 01: Arrival to Cusco
Day 02: City Tour of Cusco
Day 03: Sacred Valley tour
Day 04: Guided tour of Machu Picchu
Day 05: Rainbow Mountain day tour
Day 06: Departure Day
Site to Visit: Cusco | Sacsayhuaman | Quenqo | Pukapukara | Tambomachay | Pisac Market | Pisac | Ollantaytambo | Aguas Calientes town | Machu Picchu | Rainbow Mountain Peru
Thank you for choosing Tierras Vivas for your trip. Responsible Travel
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Your Machu Picchu vacation begins with an arrival to Cusco´s airport. A Tierras Vivas Representative awaits you in front of the Cusco´s airport arrival hall holding a sheet with your name so please leave the hall. Then he/she transfers you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to give you some time to acclimatize. So you can relax, have some coca tea (a natural tea of coca leaves and the best tool against altitude sickness!) or just walk around the city´s centre and visit some Colonial churches and see many Incan walls.
The Cusco City is the oldest continuously inhabited city of this continent as well as a hub of the South American travel network. The city attracts people from all around the world, who arrive not only to visit a unique destination, but also to experience an antique culture that differs a lot from the occidental 21st century´s way of life. One could easily spend a week just in and around this site. Inca-built stone walls line most of the central streets and it is not necessary to go far to see other major Inca ruins! This is a city steeped in history, traditions and legends!
Every year, Cusco is visited by thousands of travelers, who come to delve into its noble, but tragic past. It is a perfect base for optional explorations around the city´s surroundings as well as for a range of outdoor activities.
In the morning, your Tour Guide picks you up from your hotel and takes you onto the tour of Cusco City starting with a visit of the Cathedral located on the main square (Plaza de Armas). Its construction started in 1559 and it took 100 years to finish!! The Cathedral can pride on the biggest depository of Colonial art of the city. A vault containing remains of the famous Incan historian – Garcilaso de la Vega is just past the entrance.
Then, you visit Qoricancha – the golden temple of the Incas that was once the most significant temple of the Incan Empire! The temple was dedicated to the god of the Sun.
After that, we continue by our bus outside of the city visiting the huge Incan fortress of Sacsayhuaman. There are some magnificent Inca´s walls made up of huge and impressive stones weighing up to 130 tons. The stones fit together with an absolute peferction! Three of these walls run parallel to over 360 m. There are 21 bastions in the fortress.
Later on, you continue to a nearby Incan labyrinth and a ceremonial site – Qenqo. After our Tour Guide has explained us about this enigmatic site, we board our bus to continue to the red fortress of Puca Pucara. Our last stop is in Tambomachay – a water temple of the Incas.
Finally, you are taken back to our hotel in Cusco to relax.
Today, we cover the distance of Cusco to Machu Picchu, but before we do so, our Tour Guide takes us into the Sacred Valley of the Incas that was once an important source of food for the Incas. The Sacred Valley is a lush agricultural region that keeps supplying the Cusco City with lots of its production. We visit the majestic ruins of Pisaq as well as its current famous handicraft market. Then, we stop in Urubamba, considered to be the capital of the valley, to have a buffet lunch offering Andean cuisine. Afterwards, we continue to the picturesque town of Ollantaytambo where we enjoy a guided tour of its Incan fortress. The town and fortress of Ollantaytambo are strategically situated overlooking the beautiful Urubamba River Valley. Then, we board a train taking us to the town of Aguas Calientes (just below Machu Picchu), a perfect alternative on how to reach Machu Picchu when the Inca Trail hike is fully booked. There, we overnight in a comfortable hotel
Today we will visit the highlight of the Machu Picchu trip. So we get up early and take the bus to the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu. Once you arrive, you will start the guided tour, our guide will then take you through Inca City and explain the history and purpose of each place during a 2-hour 30 min. After, you will have the opportunity to climb Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu mountain (If you added it to your Machu Picchu holidays tour). Climb up and down in 2 hrs to the peak of the mountain and take some panoramic photos of this city up close. On the other side, there is the Temple of the Moon which can also be visited.
Once you finish visiting the mountain, you will walk to Machu Picchu gate, you can’t explore Inca city, there are new Machu Picchu rules, then you can take a bus back to Aguas Calientes.
The Aguas Calientes town offers varied restaurants and a handicraft market. You can visit one of the many very good restaurants offering both traditional Andean and international cuisine. At the end of our trip to Machu Picchu, we will return the train to Ollantaytambo. From there we will drive back to your hotel in Cusco by private vehicle.
Early, at agreed time (04:30 am approx.) You will be picked up from your hotel in Cusco, to make our beautiful trip to the South Valley of Cusco, located in the southern part of the ancient capital of the Incas (Cusco Peru), the trip will take a duration of 3 hours approximately.
Our first stop will be in the beautiful village of Cusipata where we will have a short break to enjoy our breakfast and after a brief explanation, we will start our trek towards the mountain Vinicunca or mountain of seven colors. We will start with our walk at the foot of the Ausangate, an approximately 2 hour climb, during this trip we will have the opportunity to see the different varieties of South American camelids and the beautiful reflection of the landscape is impressive. When we get to the mountain of colors we will have enough time to take pictures of this enigmatic and amazing place, later we will return walking until arriving to Pampachiri, where we will take our transport to go to Cusipata and enjoy the delicious lunch. Upon return we will make a stop to visit the beautiful colonial bridge of Checacupe. Finally, between 17:00 hours we will be in the imperial city.
Transfer to the Cusco´s airport. End of the tour, or alternatively, a good time to extend your trip!
Please note: a return flight to Lima can be arranged upon request.
All Tierras Vivas adventurous group tours are accompanied by a Tierras Vivas Tour Guide, a Representative or an expedition team. The aim of our Tour Guides is to take a hassle out of our customers’ trips and to help them to have the best trip possible. The Tour Guides provide information on places visited, offer suggestions of what to see and to do, recommend a good place to eat and introduce to his/her colleagues. The Guides have a broad general knowledge of each country visited during a tour, including historical, cultural, religious and social aspects. We also use local Tour Guides where we think that more specific knowledge could add more enjoyment to visited places.
These following hotels are used to accommodate you during your tour:
Accommodation in Cusco:
Address: Calle Matara N 394, Cusco
Tel: (+51) 84 224466
During the tour, we request our hotels to get ready your rooms for time of your arrival, especially, if you arrive prior to standard check-in time. Nevertheless, this is not always possible. In this case, you just store your luggage in that hotel storage room and you can explore around your new destination in between.
Please note! If you have purchased pre or post trip accommodation, you might be asked to change your room during your trip.
A kind of luggage you need to take with depends on a kind of tour you plan to undertake, a part of the country you like to visit, a year season and a length of your trip. In general, you should pack as lightly as possible because you carry your own luggage during most of our tours (however, there are not long walking distances – up to 30 minutes). We recommend you to keep weight of your luggage under 10 kg (22 lb.).
Most of travelers use a suitcase. However, a big backpack would be more suitable. In any case, please do not forget a small rucksack that you will need for daily travels (to carry your bottled water, camera, snacks, etc.). It is better to avoid a wheeled luggage and use luggage with shoulder straps.
Cusco is the former capital of Tahuaninsuyo, the center of the empire of the four regions and the “navel of the world”. From this city unfolded one of the most remarkable empires in the history of mankind. The Incas expanded their northern borders from Quito in Ecuador to the far south of Chili in less than a hundred years. In the eastern direction they reached Argentina. Although the Incas are not well known in the western world, they were one of the greatest known ancient cultures.
Machu Picchu is the most important place that the Spanish never discovered. American professor Hiram Bingham officially found this magical place in 1911. The sacred city and the Incas became very famous ever since, the Taj Majal of Latin America and probably one of the most beautiful places in the world. Archaeologists found out that the city was a religious place of pilgrimage, built in the fifteenth and first half of the 16th century and probably never finished. It could be that his work was interrupted by the Spanish invasion or civil war just before the conquest between Atahualpa and Huascar. Magic of Cusco
