Cusco Essential + Machu Picchu + Lake Titicaca 7 Days / 6 Nights

On the second day you will Wake up early with a good breakfast.  After breakfast you can go out to enjoy your free time, getting to know the city of Cusco and its beauties. As the ancient capital of the Inca Empire, Cusco is a city that breathes history, art and a spectacular culture.

The tour will begin in the afternoon, starting at 1:15 p.m., so please enjoy a nice lunch or bring snacks as you will be returning to the hotel around 6:30 p.m.

We will visit the beautiful Cathedral of Cusco which is also a museum that shows religious works done by natives in the time of the Spanish rule. This museum shows similarities between the Inca and European culture, from the 16th to the 18th centuries, influenced by the Catholic Church, creating a style of painting called “Cusquenha School”.

After the Cathedral, we will visit the Qoricancha, or Temple of the Sun. Qoricancha means “Golden Surroundings”. The temple of Qoricancha is in the current temple and precinct of Santo Domingo. The Qoricancha was the most important religious and architectural center during the Inca empire. People migrated here to give maximum worship to the sun god. The Qoricancha at that time was considered the center of the Andean universe within the Andean worldview.

After our visit to the Temple of the Sun we will continue to four archaeological sites: Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Pukapukara and Tambomachay.

Sacsayhuaman

Sacsayhuaman means “Head of the Puma”. It is also known as the second house of the Sun, the first being Qoricancha. When the Spaniards arrived in 1533, they were astonished in front of such an immense megalithic monument of stone walls of enormous weight. Sacsayhuaman was built on top of a hill, and even today, those who visit it have a magnificent view of the city of Cusco.

Qenqo

Qenqo means “labyrinth”, the name was given by Spanish settlers. Perhaps they named it ‘’labyrinth’’ because of its channels “zigzagging” or by other smaller corridors that are in its interior. During the Inca period this ruin was a temple for public ceremonies in contemplation to the sun god, the Moon and the Stars.

Pukapukara

Pukapukara means “Red Fortress”, the name is given by the color of the earth where the archaeological group is located. The scholars think that because of its position overlooking the Cusco valley, it was at least used as a military base.

Tambomachay

Tambomachay means place of rest. Tambomachay boasts complex architecture adapted to the natural landscape; consisting of a series of aqueducts, channels and several waterfalls that flow between the stones. Tambomachay was first built for the ‘’God’’ of water and then as the rest home of the Inca Yupanqui.

Finishing second day we will return to Cusco around 06:20 p.m. During our return to the hotel, those who prefer, can go to Plaza de Armas, and enjoy shopping, drinks, people watching and dinner.

• Overnight: CUSCO

Today we will leave for another adventure to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Remember that you will have to check out at the hotel in Cusco, because you will have an overnight stay in the village of Aguas Calientes.

It is recommended that you pack your bags in advance, as we will be leaving the hotel around 07:40 a.m.

For this tour we advise you take only a backpack or a small handbag with the necessary items (change of clothes, toiletries, camera, documents) for your night in Aguas Calientes. The big suitcases will have to stay in the “Guarda-Volumes” of the hotel in Cusco.

We will leave for the city of Pisac, located approximately 33 km from Cusco. Pisac means “Partridge”, the name was given because the base where it is built has the shape of this bird.

The archaeological site is located on top of the mountain, with admirable sets of terraces that surround the mountains.  These terraces were formerly used to cultivate tubers and vegetables.

Pisac has a handicraft market located in the main square of the city, where you can find ceramics, paintings, textiles and silverware all perfect for gifts or souvenirs. After the tour of the ruins of Pisac, you will have free time to get to know the town and also to shop.

Our adventure is just beginning!

After Pisac, we will leave for Urubamba, where we will stop for our lunch (lunch is included in the tour). During the trip to the restaurant we will go through different types of landscapes, each one more spectacular than the last.

After our lunch we will leave for Ollantaytambo. Located at an altitude of 2792 meters above sea level, the name comes from the word “Ollanta”, which was an Inca captain and “Tambo”, which means city that offers lodging and food to travelers. During the Inca empire, Ollantaytambo was a strategic military, agricultural and religious center dedicated to the worship of water.

On the third day, our tour ends at around 04:00 p.m. At 06:30 p.m. you will NEED to be at the train station of Ollantaytambo to travel to Aguas Calientes (also called Machu Picchu Pueblo).

Until your trains boarding time, you will have the time to learn a little more about the city of Ollantaytambo, our team will guide you in the best way with multiple options available.

Arriving at Aguas Calientes, a representative of our team will be waiting to take you to the hotel. When you are in the hotel at last, all the information regarding the long awaited day, “Machu Picchu”, will be passed to you!!!

Enjoy your evening and go out to learn a little about the town of Aguas Calientes. The city is full of hotels, restaurants and also small markets of handicrafts, jewelry etc.

• Overnight: Aguas Calientes

Let’s wake up early today again, for good reason! At the scheduled time our representative will lead you towards the buses that take the short route to the citadel of Machu Picchu.

Do not forget to bring your camera, sunscreen and bottle of water. Also, please be courteous with the trash.

Machu Picchu in Quechua means “Old Mountain” and is at an altitude of 2430 meters above sea level. Considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, Machu Picchu is one of the 7 Wonders of the Modern World.

Upon arriving at the citadel of Machu Picchu you will have a guided tour from 02:00 to 02:30, where you can learn a little more about Inca culture and customs. In Machu Picchu, it is possible to see pyramids on steps, temples, solar calendars and several other constructions in stone and adobe.

After the tour of Machu Picchu you will need to take the bus back to Aguas Calientes, and depending on the time you can have lunch before taking the train back to Ollantaytambo station or Poroy station, depending on what is on your ticket.

Regardless of the return station (Ollantaytambo or Poroy), our representative will be waiting for you to bring you to Cusco.

• Overnight: CUSCO

Around 06:40 a.m you will depart from Cusco to Puno on a tourist bus.

During the trip you can enjoy the landscapes of the South Valley of Cusco. The trip takes approximately 10 hours and during the whole trip we will make some stops:

• The first stop is in the town of Oropesa, where you can taste the “Pão Chuta”. It is a traditional bread from the time of the Spanish colony.
• During our second stop, you will visit the Church of Andahualillas. In a small settlement in the province of Quispicanchi, the Church of San Pedro de Andahualillas, also called the “Sistine Chapel of the Americas”, was built by the Jesuits in the 16th century.
• Continuing on to our next destination, we will arrive at the Raqchi Ruins. Located in the district of San Pedro, in the province of Canchis, Raqchi, also called “Temple of Wiracocha”, was composed of several different areas, each with a specific function. The “Wiracocha Temple” was the most important building built in honor of the Wiracocha God.
• Our next stop will be for our buffet lunch, which will take place in a restaurant in the city of Sicuani.
• After our lunch we continue our trip to La Raya, which is on the border of the regions of Cusco and Puno. It is the highest point of the trip, where they will reach an altitude of 4,338 meters. Here we will stop for photographs and enjoy the Andes Mountains, covered with snow for most of the year.
• Our last tourist attraction is in Pukará. This place stands out for presenting impressive monolithic sculptures, ceramics of multiple colors, anthropomorphic images, and so on.
• Around 5:00 p.m. we will arrive in Puno. The shuttle will be waiting for you and will take you to the hotel. During the ride you will receive information about the city of Puno and also the trip to Lake Titicaca.
• Overnight: PUNO

After breakfast, around 07:00 a.m, our staff will stop at the hotel to pick you up, and then continue to the port of Puno, where you will start the tour of the highest lake in the world, LAKE TITICACA.

We start our tour on the Floating Island of Uros. This Island is built by “Totora”, a species of wild cane (some people call it reed), which grows in the same lake. It is said that these Islands can last up to 30 years, as long as the correct maintenance conditions are established. “El Pueblo del Lago”, as the inhabitants of these Islands are called, also use Totoras to make handicrafts, their rafts and even for medicinal use.

Continuing with our tour, we will go to Taquile Island, which is located in Lake Titicaca. The inhabitants of this Island still maintain elements inherited from the pre-Inca cultures, like, for example, the tradition of “Tecer”. Men and women of all ages still have this custom. It is noteworthy that this tradition of Tecer served for Taquile to be honored by UNESCO as “MASTER WORK OF THE ORAL AND INTANGIBLE HERITAGE OF HUMANITY”. We will have lunch on this same Island (Included with the Tour).

After our tour of the Islands of Uros and Taquile we will return to the port, where we will have our transfer back to the hotel.

• Overnight: PUNO

At the time established by our staff we will be passing by the hotel to pick you up and take you to Juliaca airport.