Cusco, Sacred Valley of the Incas and Inca Jungle Trail to Machu Picchu in 8 Days

Day 1: Arrival Cusco – Transfer to Hotel

We will start your Cusco, Sacred Valley of the Incas and Inca Jungle trek in 8 Days / 7 Nights with your arrival to the city of Cusco. We will pick you up from the airport or bus terminal and bring you to your hotel. Today you'll have time to roam around the city, depending on your arrival time, giving you time to acclimatize to the altitude of Cusco. Overnight in hotel.

Day 2: Cusco City Tour

On the second day that you'll be in Cusco, we'll take a City Tour to visit some of the most interesting Inca Empire. We'll begin our 5 hours tour by visiting Koricancha/Santo Domingo Monastery. Koricancha was the main temple used by the Incas to worship the Sun God. It's believed to have been covered in gold and filled with golden statues. The Spanish conquistadores removed anything made of gold and destroyed a major part of the temple, but you will still be able to see a large part since the Santo Domingo Monastery was built on top of the ruins.

We'll also visit the impressive site of Sacsayhuaman which is a short drive outside of the city. The structures left behind after the Spanish destroyed large parts of the area are still very impressive with some large blocks which weigh more than 100 tons!

The next site archaeological site we'll visit is Quenqomeaning 'labyrinth.'Experts believe this site was used for ceremonial purposes. This is also the beginning of the famous Inti Raymi festival.

PucaPucara was a resting place or control point like many others throughout the Inca Empire, but this was likely a controlled entry point for those wanting to enter the city of Cusco. Our last stop will be Tambomachay which is outside of the city of Cusco. It is believed to be a temple dedicated to the worship of water and likely a very important ceremonial center. Overnight in hotel.

Day 3: Sacred Valley of the Incas Tour

On our Sacred Valley of the Incas Tour we'll visit some highlights along the valley considered to be very important to the Inca Empire. The tour should take about 10 hours, so is a full day tour. We will leave Cusco and travel first to Pisac.

Here we'll visit the now famous Pisac Market for its many souvenirs, handicrafts, and other items typical of the area. You can buy your souvenirs here, or roam around the market watching the artisans trying to sell their handmade textiles, pottery, jewelry and more. We'll also visit the P'isaq Archaeological Park before we reach Urubamba where we'll have a delicious buffet lunch.

After our filling lunch we'll continue our tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas by visiting Ollantaytambo. Ollantaytambomay have been an Inca fortress since it has a great strategic location, large walls and guard houses. You'll have the chance to see what is still left from the Inca architecture as you walk around the town.

After Ollantaytambo we'll drive to Chinchero which also means 'Rainbow City' which has a great view of the area around it. The people living there still hold on to traditions generations old. People also come to see their church with its painted murals and traditional market. From Chinchero, we'll return to Cusco around 7:00. Overnight in hotel.

Day 4: Inca Jungle Trail to Machu Picchu (1st Day)

Cusco – Abra Malaga – Santa Maria
On our first day of our Inca Jungle Trail we'll start buy picking everyone from their hotels at around 7:00 in the morning and leaving Cusco for Abra Malaga at 4350 meters altitude.

We'll start the Inca Jungle Trail 5 minutes down from Abra Malaga, stepping on our bikes and going downhill for 3 to 4 hours, passing by coffee plantations and fruit trees filled with oranges and mangos, with changing climates as you descend. We'll end our ride in Huamanmarca and take our transportation to Santa Maria at 1250 meters, about 15 minutes away.

We'll have lunch in Santa Maria in a local restaurant. In the afternoon we'll take a ride to the Vilcanota River where we'll go rafting! This part is a lower level rafting experience so everyone will be able to do this, but definitely one of the most exciting parts of our Inca Jungle Trail! We'll return later in the afternoon for dinner at a local restaurant and stay overnight in a small local family lodging.

Day 5: Inca Jungle Trail to Machu Picchu (2nd Day)

Santa Maria – Qellomayo – Cocalmayo – Santa Teresa
Today we'll start our day with breakfast at around 7:00am before hiking the Inca Jungle Trail. This will likely be one of your harder days along the Inca Jungle Trail since we'll be hiking for 7 to 8 hours today!

We'll start our hike by leaving Santa Maria which is at 1250 meters and hiking along a part which is along the local road then an hour up an original Inca trail which is at 1750 meters, giving us great views of the area.

We'll pass by parts of the jungle, coffee and coca leaf plantations and around 4 to 4 ½ hours into our trek, we'll arrive in the small community of Qellomayo where we'll have lunch. After lunch we'll continue our hike, walking along the river at an easy uphill slope for about 2 ½ to 3 hours until we reach the hot springs of Cocalmayo. We'll spend some time soaking in the hot water baths and relaxing after our long hike along the Inca Jungle Trail today.

After 1 to 2 hours in Cocalmayo, we'll take local car/bus to Santa Teresa which is at 1500 meters and only about 20 minutes away. Here we'll have dinner together at a local restaurant and stay the night at a local family lodging.

Day 6: Inca Jungle Trail to Machu Picchu (3rd Day)

Santa Teresa – Hidroelectrica – Aguas Calientes
On our third day of the Inca Jungle Trail, after an early breakfast, we'll take a car/bus to a zip line camp of “Cola de Mono” about 20 minutes away. We'll be able to zipline for about 2 hours across the valley, crossing it from mountain to mountain for a thrilling adventure!

After this exciting thrill ride part of our Inca Jungle Trail experience, we'll take a ride to Hidroelectrica where we'll enjoy a lunch made with local foods. After lunch we'll hike along the railroad tracks from Hidroelectrica to Aguas Calientes which is at 2000 meters and also known as Machu Picchu Town. This part of the trek is only about 10 KM and along a relatively flat terrain.

When we arrive in Aguas Calientes we'll go to our hotel to relax a little before our dinner. We'll stay overnight in a hotel, enjoying a hot shower after our trek today and to get a good night's sleep for our visit to Machu Picchu tomorrow!

Day 7: Machu Picchu Sunrise Tour – Return Cusco

Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – Ollantaytambo - Cusco
Today we will be visiting Machu Picchu! We'll wake up very early and have our breakfast at around 4:30am before we hike up the switchback trail to Machu Picchu. The hike up will take about 1 ½ hours. Remember to bring your passport which matches your Machu Picchu entrance ticket as well as your ISIC (International Student Identification Card) if you booked with a student discount. When we enter, our guide will give us a tour of the main areas of this ancient city which will take about 2 hours.

Afterwards we'll have time to roam around Machu Picchu on our own to discover the enigmatic energy which comes from this Inca city. When you've walked around, taken pictures and enjoyed the view of the surrounding valley and mountains as well, you can take a bus down to Aguas Calientes. If you've given yourself enough time, you can have lunch or buy snacks for your trip back to Cusco. You'll take the Expedition train to Ollantaytambo in the late afternoon and once there, we'll pick you up and drive you back to Cusco.

Note: The time table for the trains may change according to the train company's availability. There will also be changes to your itinerary and price if you decide to change your departure time, or upgrade to the Vistadome Train. If you booked later than most of your group for your Inca Trail Trek to Machu Picchu, you may not be in the same train as the rest of your group. Overnight in hotel.

Day 8: Departure Cusco

We will pick you up from your hotel today and according to your departure schedule we'll bring you to the airport or bus terminal. This will be end of our services.