Classic Cusco 7D/6N
Cusco in depth, with Machu Picchu unhurried

Your week in the Andes begins when you land in Cusco, at 3,399 m. Our team meets you at the airport and takes you to your hotel; we suggest arriving before noon so you have a few hours to rest, drink a coca tea and let your body adjust to the altitude. In the afternoon we head to the Plaza de Armas to see the Cathedral, with its huge collection of colonial paintings, and the Coricancha, the ancient Temple of the Sun whose polished stone walls now support a Dominican convent.

The tour continues in the hills around the city. We visit the fortress of Sacsayhuamán and its colossal blocks, the Q'enqo shrine carved into the rock, the Puca Pucara outpost and the ceremonial baths of Tambomachay, where water still flows through Inca channels. We move without hurry, since several of these sites are above 3,700 m. At the end, we return to the hotel.

Today we explore the Sacred Valley of the Incas from one end to the other. The first stop is Chinchero, a highland village where weavers show the whole wool process, from washing it with roots to dyeing it with cochineal and plants. Then we head down to the Maras Salt Pans, a mosaic of pools shining on the hillside, and to Moray, whose rings of concentric terraces create small, different climates on each level. At midday we have a buffet lunch in Urubamba.

The afternoon takes us to Ollantaytambo, where people still live among walls and streets laid out by the Incas, beneath a fortress of monumental terraces. We finish in Pisac, with its citadel on the mountain and its traditional craft market. Since the valley is lower than Cusco, it's a good day to keep acclimatizing before Machu Picchu. We return to Cusco in the evening.

After breakfast we pick you up at your hotel and cross the Sacred Valley by road to Ollantaytambo station. From there you ride the Vistadome Observatory, a train with a glass roof, panoramic windows and an observatory car, which runs alongside the Urubamba River as the Andean landscape turns into cloud forest. Your destination is Aguas Calientes, the small town at the foot of the citadel.

The afternoon is yours: you can drop your things at the hotel, walk around town or try the local food, and if you want to relax, the hot springs that give the town its name are a few minutes from the center. The big advantage of sleeping here is that tomorrow you'll be among the first to go up to Machu Picchu, with fewer people and the best light of the day.

After an early breakfast you take the bus that winds up the Hiram Bingham road to the entrance of Machu Picchu, at 2,430 m. At that hour the paths are quieter and the soft light highlights the terraces and temples, perfect for photos. With your official guide you explore the citadel's main sectors along one of the current circuits; remember that entry is organized by circuits and subject to availability.

Your guide tells you how the llaqta was built, what each sector was for and why it still amazes the world. When the explanation ends you have time to stay and take in the scenery. Then you ride the bus down to Aguas Calientes, take the Expedition train to Ollantaytambo and our transport brings you back to your hotel in Cusco.

We leave very early heading southeast of Cusco. On the way we stop in Cusipata for breakfast and continue to the trailhead, at about 4,600 m, in the high Andean puna. From there you hike for 1.5 to 2 hours to the Vinicunca viewpoint, at 5,036 m; the climb is demanding because of the altitude, but you do it at your own pace and, if needed, horses are available for much of the way.

At the top awaits one of Peru's most famous postcards: stripes of reddish, green and golden colors formed by minerals, with the snowy Ausangate on the horizon. After photos we head down the same trail and share a buffet lunch before returning to Cusco. Being the fifth day of the trip, you're already acclimatized, and the tour carries trekking poles and oxygen for support.

Another very early start, this time heading northwest of Cusco. We have breakfast on the way and reach Soraypampa, at about 3,900 m, a high mountain valley surrounded by snowy peaks where the trail begins. You climb for 1.5 to 2 hours to Humantay Lake, at about 4,200 m, fed by meltwater from the glacier of the same name, with the mighty Salkantay close by.

The turquoise color of the water and the silence of the place make every step worth it. After plenty of time for photos and rest, you head down to Soraypampa, where a buffet lunch awaits, and return to Cusco in the afternoon. It's a demanding hike because of the altitude, but you have trekking poles, oxygen and the option to ride a horse for much of the way up.

The last day is free for you to enjoy Cusco your own way. Your Tourist Ticket, already included in the package, gives you access at no extra cost to several museums in the city, such as the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Regional History Museum and the Qosqo Center of Native Art. You can also walk up to the San Blas neighborhood, with its artisan workshops and viewpoints, or stroll along Siete Borreguitos Street and other cobbled lanes of the center.

It's the perfect time for shopping: alpaca textiles, ceramics and souvenirs in the markets and shops of the historic center. Depending on your flight time, we pick you up at the hotel and take you to the airport. So ends your Classic Cusco 7D/6N: a week with the Inca city, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu unhurried and two of the most beautiful hikes in the Andes.