Machu Picchu and Cusco 5 Days and 4 Nights

Itinerary

DAY 1: AIRPORT PICK-UP – CUSCO CITY TOUR

Upon your arrival in the city of Cusco, the Wayna spirit travel agency team will welcome you with a sign at the airport or bus terminal. We will transfer you to the hotel of your choice, providing all the necessary information so you can fully enjoy your stay, and then we will begin the city tour.

Itinerary:

If you decide to take the Qoricancha circuit, pick-up will be at 8:45 a.m.

At 11:00 a.m. we will pick you up at your accommodation to head to the first point of the tour. You will visit the following attractions:

• Qoricancha: Sacred precinct considered the spiritual and political center of the Tahuantinsuyo.
• Sacsayhuaman: Imposing ceremonial fortress with stone blocks weighing up to 120 tons.
• Qenqo: Labyrinthine ceremonial center dedicated to the worship of Mother Earth.
• Puca pucara: Reddish-toned building that functioned as a military surveillance post.
• Tambomachay: Temple of Water, a space dedicated to the worship of the water element.

The tour will end at approximately 7:00 p.m.

DAY 2: SACRED VALLEY OF THE INCAS – AGUAS CALIENTES (MACHU PICCHU)

At 8:00 a.m. we will pick you up at your hotel to board our vehicle and travel for 1.5 hours to the Pisac archaeological complex, where we will enjoy a restorative breakfast.

Following the route of the Willka mayu river (sacred river), we will arrive at Urubamba, capital of the Sacred Valley, where we will enjoy a buffet lunch featuring the best of local gastronomy.

After lunch, we will travel 30 minutes to the town of Ollantaytambo to explore its archaeological site. We will have a 1-hour guided tour, with special attention to the Temple of the Sun, the Intihuatana, the Princess’s Baths, and the impressive agricultural terraces.

After the visit to Ollantaytambo, we will transfer to the train station to board the service that will take us to Aguas Calientes, where we will spend the night to visit Machu Picchu the next day. In the evening, the guide will come to your hotel to provide all the details about the visit to the citadel.

DAY 3: MACHU PICCHU

After breakfast at the hotel, the guide will pick you up (schedule to be coordinated in advance with the guide). We will board the bus ascending to majestic Machu Picchu. Upon arriving at the entrance of the citadel, we will present our tickets and begin the 2.5-hour guided excursion.

Afterwards, we will return to the town of Aguas Calientes for lunch.

In the afternoon, you will take the train back to Cusco (you must arrive 30 minutes before departure).

The return will follow the same route; upon arriving at the Ollantaytambo station, a vehicle will be waiting to take you to your hotel in Cusco.

DAY 4: MARAS, MORAY AND SALT MINES

At 8:00 a.m. we will pick you up at your hotel. Our first stop will be in Chinchero, where we will learn about the weaving process and learn to distinguish the different materials used.

We will continue towards Maras to visit the salt mines, a visually stunning spectacle. Located on an open hillside above the Urubamba Valley, an underground stream of saltwater emerges to the surface. Since pre-Inca times, the pools have been used to evaporate the water and obtain salt.

The hypersaline water flows from a natural spring. After exploring the salt mines, we will travel a short distance to the ruins of Moray. This complex consists of three large circular depressions with terraces, believed to have been used as agricultural laboratories. The deepest one reaches approximately 30 m / 98 ft. Although their exact function remains uncertain, the orientation and depth generate temperature differences of up to 15 °C between the top and bottom, which would have allowed the Incas to experiment with various crops.

The return to Cusco is scheduled for around 2:00 p.m.

DAY 5: CUSCO – DEPARTURE

Free morning to enjoy some rest and do some last-minute shopping.

In the afternoon, transfer to the airport for your return flight to Lima.