Essential South 8-Days: Cusco, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Puno from Lima

Lima

Welcome to the city of Lima, also known as the cultural capital of Peru! Upon your arrival at Lima airport we will be waiting for you with a sign with the name of the lead traveler, we will take you to your hotel to check in, drop off your luggage and freshen up. You will have some time to rest before finding a place for lunch or dinner.

After lunch, and once you are ready, you can choose whether to rest or take a tour of the city.

Lima | City tour

After breakfast we will pick you up to begin the City Tour which will last approximately 2 and a half hours. We begin our tour with a panoramic view of the “Huaca Pucllana ”, a magnificent ceremonial and archaeological center built in the 4th century AD and considered a “Sacred Town” by the Incas.

Cathedral of Lima

We visit the Historic Center of Lima, where you will see more than fifty monuments and colonial buildings, highlighting the Paseo de la República, Plaza San Martín, Plaza Mayor, the Government Palace, the Archbishop's Palace, the Cathedral Basilica, the Municipal Palace, among others. The Viceroyalty of Peru was the most important of the Spanish Empire and Lima was its capital.

Larcomar Museum | Historic Lima

Next, we visit the monumental complex of San Francisco, which is the largest example of colonial religious art in America. The highlight is the visit to its underground crypts known as the “Catacombs”. Finally, we will visit contemporary Lima, we will take a walk through the most traditional residential areas of Lima, El Olivar de San Isidro, Miraflores and Larcomar. After having had a wonderful day, you can choose to end the tour at your hotel or simply continue enjoying Lima on your own.

Flight Lima – Cusco

After breakfast at your hotel in Lima, our private transportation will take you to the Lima airport to take your flight to Cusco. Take the flight from – Lima – Cusco.

Cusco free afternoon

Upon arrival at Cusco airport, our guide will meet you and transfer you to your hotel in our private transportation. After check - in, our guide will brief you and provide you with general information about the city. After check- in at the hotel you have the afternoon free to walk around the city on your own .

Cusco

After breakfast at your hotel in Cusco, we pick you up at 7:45 am and then we will leave to visit part of the beautiful Sacred Valley of the Incas, its beautiful views, its people, the craft markets and the incredible archaeological sites make this tour an unforgettable place.

Chinchero

First we will head to Moray without first making an optional stop in the town of Chinchero, here you will have the opportunity to have contact with the local people, you will see how they live, how they work in textiles. Here they still preserve the Inca culture, they dye clothes with natural colors using plants, insects, etc. You can also buy a gift if you wish.

Moray

Soon we will be on our way again and take our transport to Moray. You will surely be amazed by the unique formation of the place that many compare to an amphitheater or even something extraterrestrial. However, it was actually a gigantic Incan agricultural laboratory. Your guide will tell you about the history of the site and you will have plenty of time to explore and take some photos.

Salt mines

Very close by and often combined with a trip to Moray are the Salineras de Maras. It is only another 3 km away and will surprise you once again with views you have probably never seen before. The place has been producing salt since ancient times and there are more than 3,000 salt pools that are filled daily with underground water. You will have a surreal landscape at your disposal to take the most incredible photographs with the salt mines in the foreground. We will then go further into the sacred valley until we reach Urubamba for our lunch.

Train ride to Aguas Calientes

After our lunch in Urubamba, we will take you to the train station located in Ollantaytambo 20 minutes away, we will board the Vistadome 360° class train that will take us to Aguas Calientes ( Machu Picchu town ). This trip will allow you to see beautiful glaciers and snow-capped peaks, as well as fertile green valleys and Inca agricultural terraces on both sides of the valley. At the end of the train ride in Aguas Calientes at the exit gate of the train station we will be waiting to take you to your hotel where you will spend the night. Settle into your hotel, after check - in you will have free time to relax this afternoon. You can relax in the hot springs of Aguas Calientes or also wander through its small streets of this town.

Aguas Calientes

We will wake you up very early so you can enjoy your leisurely breakfast at 6:00 am. This way, we can board one of the first buses leaving for Machu Picchu. This means you will beat the huge crowds and be able to enjoy the complex in peace as the sun rises and casts a stunning orange glow on the huge stones. (Optional, you will need to get up early to watch the sunrise at Machu Picchu or rest a little longer).

Machu Picchu

Together with your guide, board the bus for a 30-minute ride before arriving at the entrance gate of Machu Picchu. Feel the powerful energy of this fantastic archaeological site as soon as you enter. You will feel the happiness of watching how the golden light of the sun gradually covers every corner of Machu Picchu. Learn all its secrets and mysteries during a guided tour where you will also learn a lot about its history and the local flora and fauna. Our guide will take you for 2 hours through the most significant areas and then you will have some free time to explore Machu Picchu on your own. After having finished visiting Machu Picchu we will descend to Aguas Calientes.

Cusco

In Aguas Calientes you will find a place to have lunch and then board the train to Ollantaytambo. From there, you will travel to Cusco in our private transportation. We will drop you off at the door of your accommodation in Cusco at approximately 6:10 PM.

Cusco | Route of the Sun

In the morning after breakfast at your hotel we will take you to the private bus station which will take you on the famous Route of the Sun towards Puno. This is a special bus trip that will allow us to visit many different places along the way on the Route of the Sun. Several stops will be scheduled for us to visit the following places.

Andahuaylillas

Andahuaylillas; (The Sistine Chapel of America, this temple is one of the best examples of the fusion between the Catholic and Andean religions),

Raqchi

Raqchi ; An Inca temple dedicated to the god Wiracocha , a construction of monumental dimensions, about 100 meters long, 26 meters wide, 14 meters high. This is the only known temple dedicated to the god Wiracocha , creator of the universe.

The Raya

La Raya; The point that will mark the halfway point of our journey, as well as being the highest point of the route -4335m above sea level. The impressive views here will allow us to admire the rugged landscape at this altitude; full of high peaks, many of which are snow-capped, herds of llamas, alpacas and vicuñas. This is the geographical border between 2 cultures, the Quechua of Cusco and the Aymara of Puno.

Puca Pucara

Pucara; This ceremonial center is one of the oldest and most important in the entire highland, well known for its stone structures and tombs.

Puno

Upon arrival in Puno, a FLY CUSCO PERU representative will be waiting for you with a sign with your name on it to take you to your hotel. After check - in, you will have extra time to walk around Puno's square.

Puno | Lake Titicaca

After breakfast at your hotel, enjoy a convenient pickup and transfer to the main port in Puno, then relax during a scenic drive parallel to the sparkling Lake Titicaca. Board a motor boat and set sail for the Uros Islands, man-made floating islands made entirely of reeds. Enjoy a warm welcome from friendly locals, who show you around their rustic homes while your expert guide explains the islands’ fascinating history; originally built as a defense mechanism , the islands were designed with flexible reeds to move easily during attack. Learn about the logistical problems of rotting reed foundations, then return to the boat for the next stage of your journey.

Travel about 30 minutes inland from the lake.

Uros and Taquile floating islands

Disembark on Taquile Island, a place that has avoided the metropolitan development of the modern world; women still wear traditionally woven clothing and artisanal treasures are created using ancient methods. Learn about reversals in gender roles and enjoy a light traditional lunch inspired by regional recipes. After your culturally enriching exploration, return to the boat and venture back to your hotel in Puno.

Option 1

After breakfast, at the indicated time of your flight we will pick you up from your hotel and take you to Juliaca Airport (JUL) (located just one hour by car from the city of Puno) for your return flight to Lima or another destination.

Option 2

We will take you to the bus station to take a bus that will take you back to Cusco.