Dawn of the Inca Empire 5 Days - Itinerary Day 1: Travelling To Cusco + City Tour Upon your arrival to the cosmopolitan capital of Cusco, you will be greeted by our representative and transferred to your hotel. There you will receive a short briefing and be given the morning to acclimatize. In the afternoon, You will be picked up from you hotel at approximately 13:00. From here you will head to Cusco’s Plaza de Armas where you will be able to appreciate the important colonial attractions and the wonderful landscape After touring this beautiful place you will continue on foot with your group through an ancient Inca-built street from the Plaza de Armas to Qoricancha, the Temple of the Sun. In Qoricancha you will observe the clash between Inca culture and Catholicism, and you will have the opportunity to see firsthand the difference in building methods. Your guide will explain about the history behind the arrival of the Spanish to Cusco. Continue your City tour.The first stop is Sacsayhuaman, a huge fortified citadel and sacred ritual ground. Marvel at the master Inca stonework and the immense stones used to construct the fortress. From Sacsayhuaman will go by bus to the farthest archaeological site, Tambomachay, a water temple conveying Inca principles of duality and displaying their mastery of hydraulics. Then you will visit Quenqo, small temple site of the Inca, It is a temple which was dedicated to sacrifices and the principle of the world being divided into three realms; Hanan Pacha, the celestial realm in the sky, Cay Pacha, the outer Earth, where people live and Uku Pacha, the inner Earth and the last visit it is Puca Pucara ruins. After finishing the visit of the archaeological sites (as allowed by the daylight) you will return to Cusco by bus, arriving by approximately 18:30. Meals : None Difficulty: Enjoyable Accommodation: Hotel Entrance Tickets: Included Day 2: Sacred Valley Of The Incas (Pisac + Moray + Salt Mines + Ollantaytambo) We will pick you up at your hotel at 8:00 a.m. To take you to the bus station. Then we will begin our journey going through the Sacred Valley of the Incas. In our tour we will descend approx. 500 meters to visit the town of Pisaq where we will visit the craft market and can buy some presents for their families. Then we will head towards the archaeological complex of Pisaq, which offers breathtaking landscapes throughout the valley. In the guided tour we will see the areas that were used as residences, temples and other architecture, etc. After the visit to Pisaq we will continue to Urubamba, where we will stop for lunch. After this short stop we will continue with the sacred valley driving until Moray Archeological center, to have a guided tour, Moray was a crop experimental garden where the terraces have a different microclimate between each other. Our next stop will be Maras that is located 40 minutes from Moray. In Maras have located the salt mines, more than 2000 small pools full of pure salt. Then we will go to Ollantaytambo which is surrounded by spectacular scenery. Here again we will be surprised by the magnificence of the Inca culture, with the amazing temple of the sun with its huge blocks perfectly carved and finished, the water fountains, and the traditional way of dressing of the communities that live around this beautiful place After you have finished visiting this beautiful place we will transfer you to your hostel where you will spend the night. Meals: Breakfast & Lunch Difficulty: Enjoyable Accommodation: Hotels Entrance Tickets: Included Day 3: Ollantaytambo - Aguas Calientes After a delicious breakfast, we will have a guided tour of the archaeological site of Ollantaytambo, and have time to explore attractive village of Ollantaytambo of Inca origin with remarkable channels and stone streets. In its high side, one rises to an impressive ceremonial center for worshiping water and a fortress that guarded the access to the inferior part of the valley. On the other mountainside, we can admire impressive ancient storehouses. After time to explore and enjoy this great sight, we take our train to Aguas Calientes in the afternoon with Vistadome train 13:27, with its great views of the Sacred Valley. This afternoon you will have time to go to the hot springs (10 soles entrance fee). We spend the night in our hotel in Aguas Calientes. Meals: Breakfast Difficulty: Enjoyable Accommodation: Hotels Entrance Tickets: None Day 4: Guiding Tour Of Machu Picchu This is the day you’ve been waiting for! Today is your once in a lifetime visit to the majestic Machu Picchu. We encourage every group to have an early breakfast We take the 7:30am bus to Machu Picchu archeological site, arriving in time for the sunrise, making sure we tour every nook and cranny of this New 7 Wonder of the World and UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. On your 2.5 hours private tour, your guide will expertly direct you through the energetic ruins and its diverse main streets. Then on your own, you can wander around the town squares of the world’s spiritual center of esoteric wisdom as well as climb the intricately carved stairways made of stone until the end of your session time. If you wish to indulge in a few of the following activities on your own, you can (not included in the price) Climb up Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain and appreciate the beauty and magnificence of Machu Picchu (An additional fee) Other optional activities in Aguas Calientes include a visit to the new local museum or to the hot springs. (Entrance fee to enter) After your time to enjoy Machu Picchu, you will descend to Aguas Calientes at 12pm. You can take in a leisurely lunch or explore Aguas Calientes handicraft market and board the Vistadome train by 4:43pm for the return trip to Cusco stopping at the Poroy (Cusco) Train Station and then you will be driven back to your hotel in our private van, arriving around 9pm. (During rainy season, January to May train only runs to Ollantaytambo. Passengers will be transferred by van to Cusco) Meals: Breakfast Difficulty: Enjoyable Accommodation: Hotels Entrance Tickets: Included Day 5: Departure From Cusco Great journey ends here. Airport drop-off is included and it can be done at any time. Today is your last day in Cusco! You will be met at your hotel for a transfer to the Cusco Airport, where you will catch your flight back to Lima and then transfer to your international departure. Alternatively, stay and extend your time in Peru — there's so much to see and explore. ¡Buen viaje!