Complete Cusco adventure exploration 10D/11N
10D/11N
Cusco area it has so much to offer for the people who wants to experience history, folk, culture adventure, amazing geography, that is why I create this Itinerary in order to try to see the most important attraction in this area, definitely one of the most important attraction is inka site of Machupicchu, but the way how we reach there also is spectacular trough this one short inka trail. The second most important attraction in Cusco this days is the rainbow mountain, so in between also there are such important places to see, and I turned a bit more active to really enjoyed in our activities of visit the beautiful landscaped, in this Itinerary we are going to do most of our exploration based in Cusco, so the advantage is that we don’t have to pack and repack very often too, only we have two overnights out of Cusco, if you are physically prepared for this trip, Lets GO.
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Trip Details
- Tour Itinerary
Fly to Lima, capital city of Peru, located in Peru’s narrow coastal desert between the Pacific Ocean beaches and the towering Andes mountains. Most of the international flights arrived to Lima in the afternoon or late night, so be host in the airport hotel or nearby hotels.
Hotel: Lima
Early fly from Lima to Cusco, in the morning arrive to Cusco the former capital of the ancient Inkas, Cusco is located at 3340 meters / 10,857 feet above sea level. We transfer you to your hotel. Is important to rest in order to adjust to the altitude, after this rest we star our walking exploration of the city, one of our first places to see is the Cathedral of Cusco which is possible to enjoy all this colonial art which is a big influence of Spain and the catholic religion but also is possible to understand the fusion of the colonial Spanish time with the influence of the pre-Columbian era, which make the mixture of what Peruvians is now days, after this wonderful visit we continue to Koricancha the magnificent ancient inka temple, which the foundations still possible to see the original and most important architecture of flourishing time of inkas, in between this two places is possible to see the magnificent plaza de armas of Cusco (main square), walking through the original inka streets that last till now days, and the vibrant life of this wonderful city, so Cusco is so important of the history not only for Peru also for the world, that is the reason why was declared UNESCO heritage in the 1983.
Spend the night in Cusco
Hotel: Cusco
Pick up time 09:00am
Drive to Pisaq town and visit the huge Inca site above the village, Pisaq is very large monument and very beautiful location so is possible to explore in very slow and gentle way but is an optional hike you can do, so hardly recommend you if you have the conditions to do the hike of 2 and a half hours to the sun temple (inti watana) or even to the town of Pisaq 3 to 4 hours, so is going to be optional, lunch in Pisaq twon and in the afternoon before to return to Cusco explore and enjoy the small local market. Arrived to Cusco at 5pm.
Spend the night in Cusco.
Hotel: Cusco
Pick up time: 8:00am
First drive to Ollantaytambo for approximately 2 hours, along the drive is possible to enjoy and see this magnificent mountains part of the Andean range, one stop along the way in order to appreciate this wonderful landscapes, as soon you arrived to Ollantaytambo, explore the magnificent town, where many buildings display original Inca stone foundations. The adjacent Sun Temple offers some of the finest stone construction with huge boulders of rocks that where brought from almost 8km (5 miles) long. After this exploration we continue to Urubamba in order to enjoy our lunch, and after lunch explore the Maras salt mine where the peasants from the countryside of Maras work making polls of salt and selling their products in the market around the sacred valley and even in Cusco city, after that visit Moray the circular terraces where the Inka culture or the Andean culture domesticate so many plants, continue to Ollantaytambo.
Please tonight must repack an overnight back in order to send buy train in the morning of the following day to Machupicchu pueblo. And for the hike you must have a day pack in where goes rain jacket, box lunch, and personal belonging for the hike day.
Spend the night in Ollantaytambo
Hotel: Cusco
Take a train from Ollantaytambo train station, until kilometer 104, There you will begin your journey in a sub-tropical forest climate. After a three-hour hike, you’ll arrive at the impressive Incan archeological complex of Wiñayhuayna, where you’ll break for lunch. After lunch you’ll continue the trek till the sun gate or “inti punku” from this point is possible to see Machupicchu in the distance, then arrived to Machu Picchu and from top terrace place call the guard house take the most famous pictures, after this stop star to descend to the exit area of the inka site and buy bus descend into the town Machupicchu Pueblo (use to be call Aguas Calientes).
Spend the night in Machupicchu Pueblo
Hotel: Machupicchu Pueblo
In the morning, we climb by bus to Machupicchu to have a tour, for most people the highlight of the trip is the visit the greatest inka site in the world, the lost city of Machu Picchu. This is one of the architectural and engineering marvels of the ancient world, in a mountain setting of staggering immensity. The Spaniards never found it, the Incas left no records about it, so Machu Picchu remains a great enigma, a city lost for centuries in the jungle, then board the train in the afternoon for the ride along the Urubamba River to Ollantaytambo train station and from here transfer buy car to Cusco, spend the night in Cusco
Is possible to do optional hikes in Machupicchu, Huayna Picchu mountain takes approximately 2 hours round trip hike and also is bit a steep hike too specially at the end of the mountain, or Machupicchu mountain takes like 3 a half hours round trip it is longer and bit more challenge than Huaynapicchu and at the end also turns very steep, there is limits of places for those two hikes, so we have to book in advance if you want some of those specially Huaynapicchu mountain. Also, must add another different entrance ticket which the cost is 200 Peruvian soles or (55 US dollars)
Hotel: Cusco
Pick up time 09:00am
In the Morning we tour the Inca monuments outside of the city, visit Saqsayhuaman the enormous fortified temple with its massive ramparts of hewn stone, also the Q´enqo where the inkas carve in the same natural formation of rock the sacrificial table, Puka Pukara the inka fortress, this exploration is taken during the morning, so return to Cusco and free afternoon.
Hotel: Cusco
Pick up time 6:30am
We drive from Cusco along the south Valley after a 30 minutes drive we are going to arrive in to the small and very calm town of Andahuaylillas where is located the colonial time chapel call “San Pedro de Andahuaylillas” it is well known as the sixteen chapel of south America due to, it´s mural paintings and amazing altar makes so impress, so is very beautiful and worth to see and stop, after this visit we drive 2 an a half hours directly to this amazing ancient inka bridge that still now days every year in the month of June the locals as tradition they renewed in 4 entire days, so is very unique and it makes you feel the way how do the ancient Inkas use to leave and travel, and the technology that they used for their ways of transportation. Box lunch is possible to enjoy in this place, After this go to the hotel and on the way drive through the lakes formation known as the 4 lagoons, arrived to the small hotel in the town call Checacupe.
Spend the night in Checacupe town.
Hotel: Checacupe Town
After our breakfast we drive for one hour aprox, in order to arrive to our trail head located at 4700 m.a.s.l. (15463 f.a.s.l.) and star our walking to the rainbow mountain located at 5000 m.a.s.l., so we will take as about one or two hours to reach to the top and see this spectacular natural formation, after our official pictures we descend to the bus station and return to Cusco, is like 3 hours drive back.
Hotel: Cusco
In the morning transfer to the airport and fly to Lima, can wait for your connection or take a trip of city tour in Lima and then connect to your international fly.
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- Official Tourism Guide
- Transportation
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- Recommendations
I recommend always bring a light rain jacket this one can work during the dry season like wind breaker and during the rainy season for the rain and wind breaker too, warm fleece jacket, for winter or high places explorations also I recommend ski hats, gloves and scarf, winter star in May to late august (other ways you can always find those staff in Cusco made of genuine Alpaca wool or synthetic), for Machupicchu is important to bring insect repellents, comfortable pants for walking or hiking pants too, walking shoes or good sturdy shoes (it doesn’t have to be hiking boots but if you prefer can bring too), some comfortable shoes for change and rest after the trips (can be tennis shoes), if you want can bring some short pants too (if you plan to go to Machupicchu with short pants make sure to put mosquitos repellents), sun block (SPF 45 up), sun hat, sun glasses, a day pack for trip explorations, small holdall (you will be ask to pack a smaller overnight bag for the trip to Machupicchu).
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