Sacred Valley Tour + Short Inca Trail & Rainbow Mountain trek Tour Package 4 Days

DAY 1: SACRED VALLEY OF THE INCAS (Pisac + Moray + Maras + Salt mines + Ollantaytambo)

We will pick you up from your hotel at 7:30 am with our private van and head to the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

Our first stop will be the Manos de la Comunidad, which has a variety of Camelids that are native to Peru, including the llama, alpaca, guanacos and the Vicuna that produces very fine wool and can only be shorn every three years.

At the farm you will get to pet, feed and take pictures with these adorable animals. Additionally, we will find local women dressed in traditional clothing, demonstrating the weaving process using the wool from the camelids. As you exit, you will pass through a museum and souvenir shop. The workers are always around to answer any questions, but you never feel pressurized to buy anything.

Then, we will stop at the Mirador of Taray to enjoy a beautiful overhead view of the Urubamba valley, which accents the surrounding mountains.

Next, we will head to the Pisac archaeological site, where you can see the biggest Inca cemetery with more than 2,000 tombs lining the mountain side. We will learn more about the value of this site in terms of Agriculture. Explore the many inca farming terraces, food storage warehouses at the top of the hill and the water channels for irrigation purposes.

Then, we will start driving towards Urubamba for lunch, passing small farming towns like Coya and Calca before stopping at the foot of Urubamba for a delectable buffet lunch. The restaurant has an impressive spread of different foods and is vegan and vegetarian friendly. There is a variety of fresh vegetables, salads, protein dishes, desserts and tea and coffee.

After lunch, we will continue towards the colonial town of Maras, to reach the Pre-Inca salt mines. Enjoy this historical site, that has been mined pre-Inca and continues to be the bread and butter for this small community.

The salt stream above feeds the thousands of salt pans and once the water has evaporated the salt is collected and sold. These salt mines are one of the few left in the world that produce a naturally pink salt and have not adopted any modern techniques for mass salt mining. The locals have full mining rights and all the salt sold on site belongs to the locals. It still supplies Peru with over 90% of its salt. A great place to grab another souvenir.

Next, we will visit Moray, which was an experimental farming site built in the form of an amphitheater.

Each level naturally has a different micro climate and helped optimize the growth of different crops. These levels of terraces were carved before the Incas took control of the Sacred Valley and was subsequently used by the Incas to research optimal growing conditions for their crops. They brought in different soil samples from other regions, to optimize their research. The locals were still using it for growing their crops, until the 1970s when it was preserved and protected for tourism.

Then, we will drive to Ollantaytambo to explore this quaint Inca village and the amazing Inca Ruins on the hilltop above. These ruins are where the Incas fought their last battle with the Spanish conquerors, before they had to retreat and flee into the dense jungle.

Most of the structures were unfortunately incomplete. There is a section with a number of boulders that were carved, but didn’t make it to their destination. Another possibility, is that the battle was so intense, it caused a lot of damage to this massive Inca site.

Finally, at around 5:30pm we will head to our hotel to spend the night and prepare for the early and historical, once in a lifetime hike we are about to embark on.

• 3* Accommodation: Andenes del Inca Hotel Ollantaytambo
• Meals: Lunch
• Boleto Turistico *Allows you entry to many archeological sites along the Sacred Valley of the Incas

DAY 2: OLLANTAYTAMBO – KM104 – WIÑAY HUAYNA – SUN GATE – MACHU PICCHU

Your guide will pick you up from your hotel at 5:30 am to take you to the Ollantaytambo train station, to take the 6:10 am Expedition Train. We will take the train to KM104, the starting point of the Inca Trail.

After crossing the Urubamba River on a picturesque footbridge, you need to show your passport at the checkpoint. There we will visit the first Inca site nearby. At this point, we will begin our 3-hour trek to Wiñay Wayna archaeological site (2,650/8,747ft) also known as Forever Young in Quechua.

The first hour and a half is a light hike upward. Along the way, we will stop at several outlooks where you have an expansive view of the Urubamba River and pass through several microclimates, including a cloud forest. We are then challenged by a slightly steeper uphill trek that ends with a rewarding waterfall.

Upon reaching Wiñay Wayna, we will rest, eat your gourmet box lunch and enjoy the dazzling views of this amazing site. Here, at Wiñay Wayna, we will finally intersect with the Classic Inca Trail. These amazing Inca ruins have a fascinating history and some parts are still hidden by the dense jungle. Be sure to ask your guide to share about its history.

After having our well-deserved rest, we will hike for just another hour before reaching the Sun Gate (2,730m/9,00ft). You will know we are getting close to the Sun Gate, once we are passed our last challenge. A final set of steeps carved directly into the bedrock by the Incas.

Upon passing through the Sun Gate, we will get the first glimpse of the mysterious Machu Picchu Citadel. It is just an hour hike down the flat rock stairs to Machu Picchu. Be sure to have your camera ready to take all of the incredible views of Machu Picchu Citadel along the way.

Once you reach Machu Picchu, you will have time to take more photos from the viewing platforms above the site (Guard House), where you can take the famous postcard pictures of Machu Picchu. You will arrive in the afternoon, as the archeological area starts to empty of tourists, which gives you the opportunity to take beautiful photos in the afternoon light with fewer people in your shots.

Take your time to take in this magical experience before you take the bus down to Aguas Calientes to check into your hotel. Then, choose any restaurant of your liking for dinner with some later to explore this picturesque little town or a visit to the hot springs.

• Meals: Box Lunch & Dinner
• 3* Accommodation: Ferre Hotel
• Difficulty: Moderate

DAY 3: AGUAS CALIENTES – MACHU PICCHU – CUSCO

After an early breakfast at your hotel, we will be ready to get an early bus at 5:30am up to Machu Picchu, just in time to witness the sunrise. It is a truly mystical site out of history and not something you would like to miss!

After enjoying the sunrise your guide will provide a guided tour of Machu Picchu, which takes around two hours. You will see many of the most important parts of Machu Picchu Citadel during your tour.

After the tour, If you booked in advance for the extra hike up Huayna Picchu, you will have time to hike it on your own. When you have had your fill of the incredible views of Machu Picchu, take a bus back to Aguas Calientes. Upon arriving at Aguas Calientes, lunch will be waiting with numerous restaurants to choose from (lunch not included). Depending on your train departure time, there may be some time for shopping, or sightseeing.

The Expedition train will take you back to Ollantaytambo at 2:55pm or 3:20pm, following the spectacular Urubamba River. Close to Aguas Calientes, the canyon is narrow and the river has many beautiful sections of whitewater. Back at Ollantaytambo, your driver will meet you at the exit from the train station to take you back to your hotel in Cusco in our private van. You can expect to arrive at your hotel about 7:00pm.

• 3* Accommodations: Maytaq Wasin or Waman Hotels
• Meals: breakfast

***IMPORTANT:

• On the 2-day Inca Trail, we will be doing the circuit #3 and there is no way to do another circuit unless you buy an additional entrance to Machu Picchu.
• You can upgrade to the Vistadome Train for the same times, 2:55pm or 3:20pm, 4:22pm, or 4:43pm. The cost is $57 USD.
• Early trains can be organized on request and it has to be done at booking.
• The Huayna Picchu Mountain Hike depends on availability, please let us know at booking.

DAY 4: CUSCO – RAINBOW MOUNTAIN – CUSCO

We will pick you up from your hotel at 4 am. We will have a 3 hour drive to the incredible Rainbow Mountain Trek! Enjoy the scenic drive through the South Valley, with views of farming Inca terraces, valleys, and rocky mountains.

Once we get to the trailhead, we will have a hot breakfast before beginning our hike alongside a stream. You will see herds of alpacas and llamas all around you and have views of Ausangate Mountain as we hike through different villages and interact with locals, who still live traditionally.

We will reach our destination – Rainbow Mountain (5,020m /16,466ft), after a 1.5-hour hike, where you will have time to explore the area. You can take pictures and savor the environment as we spend approximately 30 minutes at the top. After, we will hike for another hour back.

As we were hiking, our chef was preparing a hearty and delicious lunch. Our meal and private van will be waiting for us when we return.

We will begin our 3-hour scenic drive back to Cusco and drop you off at your Cusco hotel, arriving around 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm. Schedules are highly dependent on each groups hiking speed and the amount of time they choose to spend at Rainbow Mountain.

• Meals: hot breakfast & lunch