The Beautiful Inca Empire 7D / 6N

Welcome to Peru! In our country, the international flights arrive at late hours of the night and there are no connecting flights from Lima to other cities in Peru at that time. If your international flight arrives at night, you will stay at one of the best hotels close to the airport and have a peaceful night and rest comfortably for your local flight the next day. If you want an additional day in Lima to explore the city, do not hesitate to communicate with us and we can adjust your itinerary accordingly.

You will travel to the navel of the world and the imperial city and your private guide will welcome you once you arrive. Your private driver will take you to one of the best hotels, previously selected. We will begin in the San Blas neighborhood, the oldest in Cuzco. It is the neighborhood of artists and artisans where the history of imperial Cuzco is revealed. Following this, we will visit the famous 12 angled stone, known for its perfect edges and finish and as an example of Inca architecture. We will later enter the principal plaza of Cuzco and visit the Cathedral, the most important religious monument in the city, where we will find the most famous works of art from the Cuzqueña school. After that, we will visit the Qoricancha, or the Temple of the Sun. It was one of the most adored and respected temples in the Inca Empire. To end the morning, we will guide you to the famous San Pedro market where you will see a large variety of Andean products (potatoes, cheese, corn, fruit, etc.). We will then guide you to one of the best restaurants. After lunch, we will move to explore the city limits (the fortress of the Inca, or Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Pucapukara, and Tambomachay).

ou up and start the first leg of your private tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Your adventure begins on the same route, surrounded by the impressive landscape of the Andean countryside, the imposing sacred mountaintops rise in the distance, while at the entrance of the Sacred Valley, the Vilcanota river greets you. We will arrive at the colonial town of Pisaq and you will walk through the narrow stone streets, the plaza, and the traditional market. After, you will pass through a beautiful native community where the warmth of the locals will make you feel at home. Our hosts will demonstrate how to make Andean textiles and what the manual manufacturing process is like. To continue, they will teach you about the types of Andean potatoes in the area (in Peru, there are more than 5,000 types of native potatoes) and try your selection. We will start with the local cuisine, trying dishes made with products of the earth that our hosts have cultivated. After a short rest, you will go to the archaeological jewel of Pisaq, known for its great view of the andenes, or sets of stepped terraces built on the slopes of the Andes and fantastic Inca structures while listening to the sound of a quena (an indigenous musical instrument), played by a local. Later, you will go to the Inkariy Museum. Its exhibitions are unique and are divided into 8 pavilions, showing you the Prehispanic cultures that gave rise to the largest ancient empire in the Western hemisphere. The cultures include Chavin, Wari, Paracas, Caral, Mochica, Nazca, Lambayeque, Chimú, and Inca. To finish the day, we will let you enjoy one of the best hotels of the valley.

the private tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. We will take you to the Archaeological Park of Chinchero where we will find the old palace. It was once the residence of the Inca Tupac Yupanqui and is now the church of Nuestra Señora de Monserrate due to the process of syncretism. We will guide you to the atrium finely made of pan de oro, where the Virgin of the Nativity rests. You can also see the local market, Andean stairs, Inca walls, beautiful terraces, and a textile center where they make clothing and other goods out of alpaca and llama wool by hand. Afterwards, we will take a special detour where the locals will teach us about their customs. Afterwards, we will take you to Maras, a plateau with an enormous overlook where one can see the beautiful chain of mountains such as La Verónica, Chicón, and others. After that, we will go to Moray, an impressive agricultural experimental site. The stepped levels generate thermal gradients and affect the climate for each level. Now, they go towards the salt mines in Maras where one can see various salt wells that the locals take to sell to the community and to others in Cuzco (it’s recommended on red meat). To finish the day, we will take you to the Inca city of Ollantaytambo.

In the morning, your guide will pick you up from your hotel to guide you to the train station in Ollantaytambo where you will board the train to Aguas Calientes. In this 1.5 hour trip, you can observe a beautiful landscape. Upon arriving at Aguas Calientes, your private guide will take you to one of the transports and will accompany you to the citadel of Machu Picchu, “the Lost City of the Incas”. During your visit to this sacred site of the Incas, you will learn about the history of the citadel and visit the Sun and Condor templates. You will also see the aqueducts and houses while learning about the history behind the sacred terraces of the Inca. After your guided visit, you will have enough time to explore this amazing place on your own. There are many options to walk along short trails, like that of the Puerta del Sol for an impressive view of Machu Picchu, or the trail that leads to the Inca bridge, a secret entrance for the Inca army. In the afternoon, you will return to Aguas Calientes, where you will have the rest of the afternoon to spend as you wish. Don’t miss the opportunity to bathe in the hot springs or have a good dinner in one of our recommended restaurants. To finish the day, we will let you enjoy one of the best hotels in the valley.

to board the return train to the city of Ollantaytambo. After an hour-and-a-half of travel on the train, you will meet your driver to get to the imperial city of Cusco. Here, you can enjoy cooking classes where you can prepare your own food and enjoy Peruvian food with a professional Peruvian chef. The chef will show you how to prepare the most popular and delicious dishes from the Peruvian Andes. The classes include a refreshing beverage, an appetizer, a main dish, a dessert, and of course, the famous pisco sour.

You will arrive in Lima in time for your international flight. We hope that you have a wonderful experience in Peru!