Cusco Tours and Rainbow Mountain 5 Days / 4 Nights

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival to Cusco – City Tour – Qoricancha – Sacsayhuaman – Qenqo – Pucapucara – Tambomachay.

Upon your arrival to Cusco, we will take you to the hotel and then join your guide for a tour briefing about the wonderful tour that awaits you. Today, begin the tour with a trip around Cusco to enjoy the sights of the Inca Capital. We’ll see both Cusco’s indigenous and colonial heritage then you’re free to spend the evening at leisure by exploring Cusco’s nightlife or sampling some of its many typical restaurants.

At 12:30 PM, your tour guide will meet you at your hotel to begin exploring the city of Cusco, the capital of the great Inca Empire.

Highlights of the tour include Plaza de Armas, where the most important buildings are located, such as the Cathedral of Cusco, notable streets and neighborhoods, Loreto Street, and the Qoricancha. From there, we’ll drive to visit iconic sites such as Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Puca Pucara, Tambomachay, and Cristo Blanco. The tour is expected to conclude around 6:00 PM, when we’ll return to the city.

• Accommodations: Hotel in Cusco.
• Meals Included: None
• Entrance Tickets: Included

Day 2: Sacred Valley – – Mirador de Taray – Pisac – Ollantaytambo- Aguas Calientes.

Begin your journey through the Inca heartland with a full day a beautiful Sacred Valley. The Sacred Valley of the Incas, just outside of Cusco, is a gorgeous sprawling span of green farms, lofty terraced mountains along with numerous quaint towns unmoved by time. The Sacred Valley is the center of lively festivals and the best handicrafts in Peru.

Our first stop is the artisanal capital of Peru, the small village of Pisac; it’s famous for its craft market in the main plaza, busiest on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, where local natives come to sell their colorful woven cloth, alpaca wool ponchos and fashions, reproductions of ancient jewelry, engraved gourds and much, much more. Pisac is the best stop in Peru for mementos of your trip to bring home to family and friends.

After a delicious lunch in Pisac, we’ll travel Ollantaytambo, the only Inca town that remains inhabited.  This traditional town is a wonderful example of pre-Colombian architecture. Here we will explore the expansive ruins overlooking the town and discuss their history and traditional beliefs of the people of the Sacred Valley. Later in the afternoon in Ollantaytambo we’ll catch the train to Aguas Calientes to get ready to explore Machu Picchu early the next morning.

• Accommodation: Hotel in Aguas Calientes.
• Meal Include: Breakfast, Buffet Lunch.
• Entrance Ticket: Included.

Day 3: Aguas calientes – Machu Picchu – Ollantaytambo – Cusco

Today is the highlight of any trip to South America – Machu Picchu! This world-famous site is easily the most remarkable pre-Colombian city in the world, partially because of its mysterious beauty and its lofty place among the Andean cloud forest.

A guided tour will help you discover and understand what Machu Picchu shares about the life and customs of the Incas. Surrounded by dramatic terraces cut into the mountain sides, famed for innovatively feeding the empire, this complex city will have you fascinated all day. Narrow roads and steps connect ancient houses, temples, warehouses, and a large central square. Our guide will give you a through history of the ruins and the Incas as well as share with you the possible explanations for Machu Picchu’s function and importance.

You’ll have free time for an optional and very challenging, unguided hike to the top of Huayna Picchu, where you will have the best view of Peru’s World Wonder. This hike is only recommended for people who are in good physical condition and with no fear of heights, but the unparalleled views of Machu Picchu are especially rewarding.

After a long day of exploring this lost city, we’ll hop the bus down the mountain back to Aguas Calientes and catch the train back to Cusco. Upon arrival to Cusco we’ll drop you off at your hotel for a good night’s rest.

• Accommodation: Hotel in Cusco
• Meals Include: Breakfast.
• Entrance Tickets: Included

Day 4: LLactoc – Rainbow Mountain – Llactoc – Cusco.

Our staff will pick you up from your hotel at 4:30am, and then continue in our private van for 2 hours towards the town of Cusipata (3,310 masl), where it will be the first stop for breakfast (rustic restaurant).

After tasting our breakfast we return to the transport, which will take you along a path, passing through several small towns in the heart of the Andes mountain range, the transport will take 1 hour to reach Llactoc (3,887 masl), this is the starting place After the walk, you will be accompanied by our tour guide, who will give you a prior talk about the walk and we will give you a walking stick.

We will begin to walk along a flat path (Andean plain), with few non-steep climbs, the height will make each step a little difficult, however it will be comforting to be surrounded by nature crossing the Andes. This first phase of the walk is 1 hour. On the way you will see the Apachetas, which are small towers built stone upon stone.

After a total hike of 1 hours, we finally reached our destination: Rainbow Mountain! (5,020 m /16,466 ft) After admiring the unique beauty, you will have time to explore the area. You can take pictures or just enjoy the view. We will be at the top for approximately 30 minutes.

After appreciating the rainbow mountain we descend again along the same path for 1 hour. Then, we will take our transportation to Cusipata where we will enjoy our lunch. Afterwards we have a 2-hour trip back to Cusco and we will drop you off at your hotel in Cusco, arriving around 5:00 p.m.

****There is the option to rent a horse from local people right at the starting point of the hike!

• Accommodation: Hotel in Cusco
• Meals Include: Breakfast and Lunch.
• Entrance Tickets: Included

Day 5 : Transfer From your Hotel to the Airport.

After visiting Cusco, it is time to say goodbye to your private guide. At the coordinated time, you will be transferred to the airport to board your domestic flight to Lima, and then home.

There is still time to find the perfect trip in Cusco Tours. Contact Info Machu Picchu and we will help you to personalized your Peru travel experience.

• Accommodation: None.
• Meals Include: Breakfast.