Exploring Lima, Cusco and Machu Picchu
( 7 Days / 6 Nights )In seven days you get a taste of Lima, live the Inca experience, explore the impressive sites of Sacsayhuaman and other surrounding sites around the city of Cusco, such as Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley, before reaching Machu Picchu. This itinerary is designed for those people with altitude problems, that is why you will flight to Cusco and go straight to the Sacred Valley, which has a lower altitude than Cusco so that you can easily adjust to the altitude. You will be taken care of from the moment you arrive in Lima to the moment you depart from Peru. This tour is designed to give you a deep understanding of both the Pre-Incan and Incan cultures and to learn more about Peru’s traditions.
Day 1: Arrival to Lima + Overnight in Lima
Day 2: Lima City tour + Lunch + Museum Tour + Overnight in Lima
Day 3: Trip to Cusco + Transfer to the Sacred Valley + Pisac Market + Overnight in Sacred Valley
Day 4: Private Sacred Valley Tour + Train to Aguas Calientes + Overnight in Aguas Calientes
Day 5: Machu Picchu Tour + Back to Cusco + Overnight in Cusco
Day 6: Free Morning + Cusco City tour + Overnight in Cusco
Day 7: Flight to Lima + Flight Back Home
DAY BY DAY ITINERARY Exploring Lima, Cusco and Machu Picchu
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Day 1: Arrival to Lima & Overnight in Lima
Upon your arrival to the city of Lima, one of our representatives will meet you at the airport and take you directly to your hotel in Lima.
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Day 2: Lima City Tour, Museum Visit & Overnight in Lima (B, L)
After breakfast you will be picked-up from your Hotel and you will start a tour of the Peruvian capital city. During the City Tour we will visit Lima’s main square, get a snapshot of the most important sites, and visit a world-class museum to learn about pre-Inca cultures. Sites to be visited are: the Main Square, the Cathedral, the Government Palace, the City Hall, the San Francisco Monastery (including catacombs), old streets with colonial houses, and a great driving tour through the beautiful San Isidro and Miraflores districts. You will have a delicious traditional Peruvian lunch at one of the best restaurants in Lima. After lunch, you will visit the Museum of Anthropology, or Museum Larco, where you will learn about the Peruvian culture from the Pre-Inca societies up to colonial Peru era. * While in Lima, we highly recommend adding culinary activities such as cooking classes and tasting dinners in the best restaurants in Latin America, for more information check out our website: taste-of-peru.com and ask our travel specialists for our culinary activities. **An extra day in Lima can be added upon request.
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Day 3: Fly to Cusco & Transfer to Sacred Valley with a stop at Pisac Market (B)
You will be transferred to the airport for the short domestic flight to Cusco, the ancient capital of the Incas located at 11,100 feet above sea level. You will be met upon arrival by one of our representatives. Our first stop will be a visit to the Pisac market, which has a wide variety of handiecrafts and you will have the chance to see the variety of goods produced in the Sacred Valley. After visiting the market you will be transferred to your hotel in the Sacred Valley and you will have the remainder of the day to rest and freshen up. It is best to take it easy this day to let your body adjust to the altitude. Both lunch and dinner are on your own as there are so many choices available at reasonable price either in or near your hotel. * An extra overnight in the Sacred Valley can be added upon request, as well as additional activities or meals.
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Day 4: Sacred Valley Tour & Overnight in Aguas calientes (B, L, S)
After breakfast we set out into the Urubamba Valley, also known as the Sacred Valley of the Incas. We will start our visit at Pisac Ruins,one of the most beautiful archeological site that combines a beautiful architectural structure with a stunning landscape. Pisac site is located on the highest hill of the city, on a dry and rocky surface. Then we will have some time to have lunch and recover energies to continue with the tour. Finally, we head deeper into the Sacred Valley and visit the Inca town of Ollantaytambo. At the end of the tour you will be transferred to the Ollanta train station to catch the train to the town of Aguas Calientes. According to Peru rail regulations you can only bring a 5 kilos-backpack on the train, so the rest of your luggage will be taken to your Hotel in Cusco. A hotel staff member will be waiting for you at the train station. *An extra overnight at the Sacred Valley can be added upon request, as well as additional activities and meals.
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Day 5: Machu Picchu Tour, Back to Cusco & Overnight in Cusco (B, S)
The day you have been waiting for! We take the early morning bus to the Machu Picchu citadel. This day you will enjoy a full tour of the lost city and have lunch on your own after the tour. In the afternoon we say farewell to Machu Picchu as we take the train to back to Poroy station, where a transportation will be waiting for you to bring you to Cusco. You will arrive at night at your Cusco hotel. * An overnight in Machu Picchu can be added upon request, as well as bus and entrance tickets for a second day at the citadel. Please let us know if you would like to add other activities and meals.
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Day 6: Free morning, Afternoon City Tour & Overnight in Cusco (B)
After breakfast at your hotel you will have the remainder of the morning to explore and enjoy Cusco at your leisure. You will be able to visit the stores and markets that are located within walking distance from your hotel. In the afternoon you will set out on a grand tour of Cusco, the former capital of the once vast Incan Empire. We visit Cusco’s impressive Plaza de Armas and both the Spanish cathedral and Incan temple of the sun, Qoricancha. After the first part of the tour, we visit the archeological site above the city that were considered an essential part of the ancient capital. We start from Sacsayhuaman, where Inti Raymi the Festival of the Sun, is held during the Summer Solstice, Tambomachay, the Temple of the Sacred Waters, which is a marvel of hydraulic engineering and Q´enqo where we will see the remains of a ceremonial site used for fertility rites and for celebrations of the solstice and equinox. * An extra day in Cusco can be added upon request, as well as other additional activities and meals.
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Day 7: Flight to Lima & Flight Back Home (B)
Your journey to Peru comes to an end as you will be transferred to the Cusco airport to catch your flight back to Lima. Flight time will depend on the time of your international flight back home. * Please let us know if you would like to add extra activities or a day-use in a hotel if your flight is late at night.
Based on double occupancy, group tours with private transfers, Vistadome Train and 3-star superior Hotel.
* Private tours, other accommodation and train options available upon request.
As price depends on each passenger choices, please contact us to send you an updated price based on your specific request. Please send us the following information and we will respond within 24 hours with your updated price.
- Number of people in your party
- Level of accommodation (3 Superior,4,5*). Please see options
- Private or Group Tour
- Train choice. Please see options
- Adding options: if you like to add day tours, extra days, meals, etc
- Need domestic or international flights?
- Have a special request (ie: special diet, wheelchair, children, senior, etc)
IMPORTANT NOTES:
About Machu Picchu Entrance Tickets
As the popularity of Machu Picchu has increased in the last few years, and in order to preserve the ancient paths of Machu Picchu, the Peruvian Culture Ministry has restricted the number of people that could enter Machu Picchu to a maximum number of 3,267 people per day. This means that, once all the tickets are sold out, no further entrance tickets will be available. Also, please note that to avoid a secondary market for these tickets, all tickets are issued with the name of the passenger, his/her passport number, nationality and date of birth. Therefore, tickets are non refundable and non transferable. Also the tour to Llaqta or Inka city of Machupicchu should last up to 4 hours, visitors will be divided into 2 turns: from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 12:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. pursuant to Art. 16 of the Regulations.
About Huayna Picchu Tickets
Entrance tickets to Huayna Picchu are no longer free. They are now US$12.00 per person. There are two scheduled visits per day, with a limit of 200 people per visit (total of 400 per day). If you are interested in hiking Huayna Picchu, we will need you to let us know at the same time you book your trip since Huayna Picchu tickets need to be purchased in conjunction with Machu Picchu tickets.
- Vistadome train roundtrip. Other train options available upon request: Expedition or Hiram Bingham.
- Bus to Machu Picchu roundtrip.
- Expert leadership / guides & support personnel for all listed tours
- Accommodations: 2 nights in Lima, 2 nights in the Sacred Valley and 2 nights in Cusco
- Meals as noted (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, S = Snack). We can add any meals upon request.
- Land excursions as noted including entrance fees (Lima Cathedral, San Francisco Catacombs, Lima Museum, BTG, Cusco Cathedral, Qoricancha and Machu Picchu)
- Private transportation: Lima Airport/Lima Hotel, Lima Hotel/Lima Airport, Cusco Airport/Sacred Valley Hotel, Train Station/Cusco Hotel, Cusco Hotel/Cusco Airport
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED?
- Airport taxes: Local ($5-6) and International ($31) departure tax of payable in local currency by each passenger at Lima International Airport upon departure (if applicable)
- International and domestic airfares, usually quoted separately
- Excess baggage charges
- Medical immunizations
- Insurance of any kind: mandatory evacuation insurance; suggested cancellation insurance, interruption, baggage loss, damage and delay
- Tipping & Gratuities (Guides $4 per person per day / Drivers $1 per person per day)
- Items of a personal nature (clothing, sodas, liquor, snacks, laundry, etc.)
- Visas. Please be advised that some citizens other than Canadians and US may need visa to travel to Peru. Please advise us of your nationality to help you or check with the Peruvian Consulate
All of our tours are offered in both Group and Private services; however, as we like to maintain control of the quality of our tours, even our group tours include PRIVATE transfers. This is important, as when you get picked up; you will go directly to your hotel without having to drive around the city to drop off other people in their hotels. Transportation is just for you.
MIXED GROUP/PRIVATE
Destinations Tours: Private Transfers + Group Cultural Tours
Special Interest Tours: Private Transfers + Private Special Interest Activities + Group Cultural Tours
All PRIVATE
Destinations Tours: Private Transfers + Private Cultural Tours
Special Interest Tours: Private Transfers + Private Special interest Activities + Private Cultural Tours
ACCOMMODATIONS
We offer all level of accommodations. When creating an itinerary it would be important to know which your preferred level of accommodation is. Please be sure that at all levels our recommended hotels offer great service and nice comfortable rooms. Our team has personally tried all our recommended hotels.
MODERATE
3-star Superior: These are 3-star that should really be considered has 4-star Hotels. Nice location, great rooms and charming decoration. Excellent service, with restaurant, room service, business centre, laundry, etc. Buffet breakfast. Best value. Perect for someone looking for an inexpensive option and still have some superior services.
4-star Hotels: Good location, very nice rooms, great decoration and excellent service. This hotel includes more services such as room service, business center, laundry, spas, more room features, etc. Some have gourmet restaurants. Buffet breakfast. Perfect for someone looking for some luxury and special services and do not need a 5-star option.
LUXURY
4-star Suites: Some 4-star hotels have suites that offer the same room features of a 5-star option. Perfect for someone looking to upgrade from a 4-star standard room and get more space and features.
5-star Hotel: What you usually imagine a 5-star hotel is. Great location, luxury accommodations and excellent service. Gourmet restaurants, spas, room service, business center, etc. Perfect for someone looking for a 5-star service but do not need the 5-star Deluxe option.
5-star Deluxe: These 5-star deluxe hotels offer ultimate luxury with outstanding service, luxurious rooms with deluxe room features and “you ask-you will get” concierge service. Properties have privileged locations or particular history behind it. Gourmet restaurants and spas. Ideal for the luxurious traveler.
TRAINS
Expedition: The least expensive tourist train, recently renovated offers nice seats and good train service.
Vistadome: A higher category of train service, with panoramic roof windows. It offers a snack and fashion show.
Hiram Bingham: Luxury train which offers lunch, tea-time and dinner service.
Andean Explorer: Train service from Cusco to Puno or Puno to Cusco. Departs only on certain days of the week, depending on the season.
FLIGHTS
LOCAL AIRLINES
Peruvian Airlines: Peruvian owned airline that offer the least expensive prices but has few frequencies. Both Peruvian and Foreigners pay the same.
Star Peru: Peruvian owned airline. It flyes to many destinations and offers good value prices, but has few frequencies. Both Peruvian and Foreigners pay the same.
INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES
Taca Airlines: Central American owned airline that offers great service but few frequencies to Cusco. It is moderately expensive. It offers sale prices for Peruvian Residents ONLY that cannot be purchased by tourists.
Latam Peru: Chilean owned airline. It offers great service and many frequencies to Cusco (almost 13 flights per day). Prices are the highest on the market. It offers sale prices for Peruvian Residents ONLY that cannot be purchased by tourists.
DOMESTIC TICKETS
Lima/Cusco/Lima: From US $ 350.00 per person. This is an example price, since prices depends on the airline, date and time of booking.
DOMESTIC TICKETS (FOR GALAPAGOS TOURS)
Lima/Cusco/Lima: From US $350.00 per person. This is an example price, since prices depend on the airline, date and time of booking.
Quito/Galapagos/Quito: From US $421.00 per person. This is an example price, since prices depend on the airline, date and time of booking.