Cusco and Inca Trail to Machu Picchu 6 Days

Day 01: Arrival in Cusco – City Tour

We pick you up at Cusco airport and take you to your hotel. You then have free time for a first look around: the San Blas neighborhood, known for its craft shops and art galleries, and the historic center, with Inca stone walls, narrow streets, colonial buildings, churches and museums. San Blas and the center have many local restaurants and small cafés for a Peruvian lunch.

At around 1:00 p.m. we pick you up at your hotel for a guided tour of Cusco with a local guide. You first visit the cathedral on the main square (Plaza de Armas), then walk along some of Cusco’s oldest Inca streets to Qoricancha, the Temple of the Sun, where the Spanish built their Catholic monastery on top of the Inca temple.

After Qoricancha, a small bus takes you to the archaeological area above the city: Sacsayhuamán, a large complex with huge stone walls; the ceremonial center of Qenqo; the small site of Puka Pukara; and Tambomachay, the water temple. You return to the city center in the late afternoon or early evening.

Day 02: Sacred Valley – Chinchero – Moray – Maras – Ollantaytambo – Pisac

The Sacred Valley lies between Cusco and Machu Picchu, with rural landscapes and small villages. We pick you up at around 8:00 a.m. Our first stop is Chinchero, where we visit the archaeological complex on top of the hill and the colorful market, where people from the valley sell handmade textiles, pottery, paintings, jewelry and food.

Next we visit Moray, an Inca agricultural laboratory, and the Maras salt mines. Then we continue to the town of Urubamba for a buffet lunch.

After lunch we visit Ollantaytambo, known as a living Inca town because it was built on Inca foundations; you often see local people in traditional clothing going about their daily life. Our last stop is Pisac, another Inca site with large farming terraces and buildings used for ceremonies.

We get back to Cusco at around 7:00 p.m. Because of heavy traffic at that hour, we drop you off one block from the main square instead of at your hotel.

Meals: breakfast and lunch.

Day 03: Cusco – Km 104 – Wiñay Wayna – Sun Gate – Machu Picchu

The Short Inca Trail lets you see Machu Picchu twice: first from the Sun Gate at the end of today’s hike, and again on the guided tour the next day.

We pick you up at your hotel at 4:00 a.m. and drive you to the train station in Ollantaytambo. A two-hour train ride takes you to Km 104 (2,100 m / 6,890 ft), where the hike begins.

From Km 104 you climb at a moderate pace for about three hours to the Inca site of Wiñay Wayna (2,650 m / 8,690 ft), with views down into the Urubamba Canyon.

We then follow the Inca path through cloud forest and subtropical vegetation to the Sun Gate (Inti Punku, 2,730 m / 8,960 ft), where you get your first view of Machu Picchu. After walking closer to the citadel, we take the bus down to Aguas Calientes, where you spend the night at the hotel.

Meals: breakfast and lunch.

Day 04: Machu Picchu – Ollantaytambo – Cusco

We take the first bus at 5:30 a.m. up to Machu Picchu; if you get there early, you may see the sunrise over the site. Machu Picchu is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.

Your guide leads you through the site and its main streets. Afterward you have free time to explore on your own, walk around the plazas and climb the carved stone stairways.

When you are ready, go down to Aguas Calientes for lunch (not included). At 4:30 p.m. you board the Expedition train to Ollantaytambo, where our private van picks you up and drives you to your hotel in Cusco, arriving at around 8:00 p.m.

Meals: breakfast.

Day 05: Cusco – Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca) – Cusco

We pick you up at your hotel between 3:30 and 4:00 a.m. and drive south of Cusco toward the Qollasuyu area. After about 1.5 hours we make a 20-minute stop in Cusipata (3,310 m / 10,860 ft) for breakfast at the Tonceca restaurant.

We then drive about one more hour to Fulawasipata (4,660 m / 15,290 ft), at the foot of the sacred mountain Ausangate, where we explain the route and start the hike.

The ascent to Rainbow Mountain, or Vinicunca (5,200 m / 17,060 ft), takes about 2 hours. On the way you can see alpacas, llamas and vicuñas. At the red hill (Colina Roja) you have time to rest and take photos of Vinicunca and its red, pink, turquoise and yellow colors.

On the way back you walk downhill for about one hour to flat ground, then climb again to Fulawasipata, where the hike started. Our transport takes you to the Tonceca restaurant for lunch, and we arrive back in Cusco at around 4:30–5:00 p.m.

Meals: breakfast and lunch.

Day 06: Free Day – Transfer to Cusco Airport

Enjoy your last day in Cusco. We transfer you from your hotel to the airport; the pickup time is confirmed with your travel advisor.

Meals: breakfast.