Machupicchu with Rainbow Mountain 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 01:15 p.m., so please enjoy a nice lunch or bring snacks as you will be returning to the hotel around 06:30 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

Today we will leave the hotel around 08:10 a.m heading towards the village of Maras.  We will shortly arrive at the Maras Salt Mines. After enjoying the views and shops at the salt mines, we will visit the archeological site of Moray boasting large terraces and an interesting history.

Maras is a village located 48 kilometers from Cusco and is situated at an altitude of 3028 meters above sea level. Maras was an important town during the colonization, because it supplied salt to all the southern mountain range.

The Salineira de Maras (Salt Mines) presents thousands of salt pools, from where the natural salt that comes from the mountain “Qaqawiñay” is extracted. The salt of maras is extracted from the Inca epoch to the present day.

Moray is situated at an altitude of 3385 meters above sea level. Moray presents huge circular terraces (called Andenes), which overlap concentrically in the form of an Amphitheater. These terraces had the function of a large agricultural laboratory, where the Incas experimented and obtained incredible improvements in agriculture, which was the main labor activity and the basis of their economic development.

In each of these terraces it is possible to check different microclimates. In the lower parts of the terraces the highest temperatures can be observed and vice-versa, making it na excelente laboratory for perfecting crops.

• Overnight: CUSCO

Today we will wake up early.  Around 04:20 a.m. our staff will pick you up at the hotel and then start our expedition to Rainbow Mountain.

Our drive to the village of Anchipacha (4,100 meters), where we will have our breakfast buffet (included in the tour), will take around 3 and a half hours. We’ll have our coffee and then we’ll have an explanation from the team about the trek and the altitude. After our coffee we will head to the beginning of the trail.

Throughout the trek we will be in contact with nature, we will be able to see llamas and alpacas, various types of birds, and mainly we will have the privilege of being able to view beautiful landscapes.

Our walk will take something around 1 and a half to 2 hours to reach the summit of the Mountain, which is 5,100 meters. During the whole walk we can see Ausangate Mountain, which is always covered with snow and is at an altitude of more than 6,200 meters!

Okay, we’re here! You will have time to enjoy the scenery around the Mountain, take lots of pictures, make videos and get some rest. After we start our walk back to our car. Upon returning to Cusco Region we will stop again in the village of Anchipacha, and we will have our lunch buffet (included in the tour).

We will arrive in Cusco around 06:30 p.m.

• Overnight: CUSCO

Note: Trekking up to Rainbow Mountain is of high difficulty. It is not recommended for people with chronic respiratory problems or cardiac patients, or anyone who doesn’t have an appropriate physical condition. We recommend that for this tour the passenger already has a few days of altitude acclimatization, and that he/she does not choose to do it in their first days.

At the scheduled time, we will pick you up from your hotel and take you to the airport.