Active Peru Holiday: Cusco, Sacred Valley & Inca Trail

An action-packed holiday to Peru

Your holiday starts and finishes in Lima and includes a guided tour of Peru's capital before heading on to Cusco, the ancient capital. With an afternoon at leisure followed by a thrilling white water rafting excursion you will have the chance to get used to the altitude and acclimatise. You will head off on a private tour of the key sites of the Sacred Valley, including Ollantaytambo and Pisac, as well as visiting a local market. With a guide to yourself for the day, you will be able to spend as much time as you want discovering the sites and getting to grips with Incan history (as well as some time to fit in shopping at the market).

The second part of your trip involves a 4 or 5 day trek in the mountains. The majority of trekkers choose to reach Machu Picchu via the 4 Day Inca Trail, arriving at the Sun Gate on the final day of the trek to watch the sun rising above the citadel. However, with government regulation of the trail reducing the number of daily trekkers and porters to 500, availability is limited. If you miss out on a permit for the Inca trail, two alternatives are on offer; the Salkantay and Lares trails. Both of these offer fantastic hiking, with the added bonus that they are not as popular as the Inca Trail, meaning fewer people around. Both of these treks take you to Aguas Calientes, the gateway town to Machu Picchu where you stay the night before arriving in Machu Picchu the next day by bus.

Whichever trek you decide on, you can't fail to be captivated by the ancient citadel, it's location, hidden deep within the mountains and air of mystery make it irresistible to all who visit. After a guided tour of the ruins, there is plenty of time to explore at your leisure before heading back to Cusco by train and bus and rewarding yourself with a nice hot shower to clean off the mountain dust! Your trip is rounded off with a final day in Cusco, with a guided tour of the city and then an afternoon at leisure, before heading back to Lima the next dat.

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Itinerary / Highlights

There are three different treks to choose from for this holiday. The Inca Trail is the most popular, but sells out months ins advance. The Salkantay and Lares Trails are good alternatives. Please see below for each option:

CUSCO, SACRED VALLEY & INCA TRAIL
Day 1: Arrival in Lima
Welcome to Peru! On arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel.

In the afternoon, once you have had a chance to freshen up, you will be picked up from your hotel for a private city tour This 3-hour sightseeing tour offers the best of colonial and modern Lima. You will have the opportunity to visit one of the most important architectural constructions of the 17th century, Convent of Saint Francis. This complex has a small square, the convent and a church to visit. Its cloisters have beautiful tiles and you can visit the catacombs which are more than 300 years old. You then visit the three most important sites from the colonial era: Plaza Mayor, Plaza San Martin, Palacio de Gobierno (known as the house of Pizarro), and the Municipality, preserving their original architecture. The tour ends with a visit to the modern suburbs of San Isidro and Miraflores, which overlooks the Pacific Ocean.

Day 2: Cusco
You will be transferred to Lima airport for your flight to Cusco. Upon arrival, you will be met from the airport and transferred to your hotel to check in. The rest of the day is at leisure; you will need to take it easy to aid acclimatisation.

Day 3: Rafting
You will be picked up at 9am in the morning and be driven along the road to Cusipata about 1.5 hours drive from Cusco. At the base in Casa Cusi (meaning Happy House in Quechua) you will find hot showers, a sauna and hot pool, which are very welcome after your rafting trip!. You will receive a full safety briefing from the Internationally Qualified Guides before commencing down the Urubamba River. The rapids along this section of the Riverare Class 3-4 and you will raft for approximately 2.5 hours before returning to Casa Cusi for a late lunch. You return by bus back to Cusco after lunch and arrive back in the early evening.

Day 4: Sacred Valley Tour
This morning you will depart on a full day Private Sacred Valley Tour. If you have suffered from the altitude in Cusco, you will be pleased to know that from here on, you will drop well below the 3,300m mark! The first stop is Awanacancha Cultural village where you will see a variety of camelids (llamas, alpacas, vicunas) and women demonstrating traditional weaving techniques. The next stop is the market of Pisac where you can sample delicious fresh bread that this area is known for. The market has many colourful stalls selling a wide variety of locally produced handicrafts. From the market, you are driven up to the stunning Pisac Ruins, which offer an excellent insight into how the Incas cultivated and managed their crops. You will stay here for around 1 1/2 hours, whilst your guide takes you on a tour, explaining Incan farming techniques, as well as showing you the ceremonial centre at the top of the terracing, where mummification, the sacred rituals of preparing the higher classes for the after life, took place. Time for lunch and you head to Urubamba where you will stop at a tourist restaurant for lunch.

After lunch, you will head to the pretty Andean town of Ollantaytambo where you have a guided tour of the spectacular ruins. The terraces here were not for agriculture, but were part of a huge temple complex that was being built to honour the sun, an important Incan deity. The temple was never finished, as building was interrupted by the Spanish invasion. After your tour, you will be dropped off in Ollantaytambo for the night where you will stay in a hotel.

Day 5: Trek
Ollantaytambo – Km82 (2,800m) – Wayllabamba (3,000m)
This morning you will be picked up and driven to the start of the trail (approx. 45mins). Here you enjoy the view of Veronica Snow Mountain (5,720m). You will then start hiking for about 3 hours, stopping to see the Llactaoat Incan ruins along the way. After lunch, you continue trekking through lush farmland and woodlands to the first camp at Wayllabamba.

Day 6: Trek
Wayllabamba – Warmiwañusca (4,200m) – Pacaymayo (3,600m)
After breakfast, you start to walk the toughest part of the trail. After around 3 hours walking and plenty of rest stops, you reach the highest point in the Inca Trail, Warmiwañusca, or more commonly known as Dead Woman’s Pass (4,200m), where you have a beautiful panoramic view of the area. After lunch you continue down to Pacaymayo where the porters will have already set up camp for you. After a rest, you will enjoy dinner.

Day 7: Trek
Pacaymayo – Phuya Patamarka (3,600m) – Wiñay Huayna (2,700m)
Today you ascend towards the second most important pass on the trail which lies at 4,000m. On the way, you pass the Inca Ruins of Runkurakay where your guide will give you a tour. After the pass, you will visit the Inca citadel of Sayacmarca which, again you will explore with your guide. The trek continues to towards Puya Patamarka (Cloud-level ruins), another important archaeological monument, where lunch will be served. After a short break you continue walking to Wiñay Huayna (Forever Young), a beautiful Inca construction. Camp is set up close to the ruins and you can enjoy a well deserved nutritious dinner

Day 8: Trek
Wiñay Huayna – Machupicchu (2,500m)
A very early start after breakfast so that you can arrive in time for sunrise at Machupicchu. You walk for about an hour through the forest before arriving at the Inti Punku (the Sun Gate). Once you have caught breath and taken in the view, you will set off down the path, closer to the ruins. There will be a 2 hour fully guided tour around the ruins, visiting the main sites and monuments. After the tour you will have free time to wander around and explore by yourself. Later that afternoon you will return to Cusco by train and bus back to your hotel and a well deserved shower!

Day 9: Cusco
This morning you have a group guided tour visiting the most important sites of Cusco (The Cathedral, Koricancha "Temple of the Sun", Tambomachay "Temple of the Water", Pukupukara "Red Fort", Qenqo "The Maze" and the very impressive site of Sacsayhuaman.

The afternoon is at leisure, you may decide to visit the famous Inca Museum, or relax with an Inca Kola in one of the many cafes overlooking the Plaza de Armas.

Day 10: Departure Day
This morning you will be transferred to the airport for your flight home. If you want to extend your trip, you might want to consider a visit to the Amazon Jungle, or a trip to Lake Titicaca. Please contact us if you would like to discuss these options.

CUSCO, SACRED VALLEY & SALKANTAY TRAIL
Day 1: Arrival in Lima
Welcome to Peru! On arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel.

In the afternoon, once you have had a chance to freshen up, you will be picked up from your hotel for a private city tour This 3-hour sightseeing tour offers the best of colonial and modern Lima. You will have the opportunity to visit one of the most important architectural constructions of the 17th century, Convent of Saint Francis. This complex has a small square, the convent and a church to visit. Its cloisters have beautiful tiles and you can visit the catacombs which are more than 300 years old. You then visit the three most important sites from the colonial era: Plaza Mayor, Plaza San Martin, Palacio de Gobierno (known as the house of Pizarro), and the Municipality, preserving their original architecture. The tour ends with a visit to the modern suburbs of San Isidro and Miraflores, which overlooks the Pacific Ocean.

Day 2: Cusco
You will be transferred to Lima airport for your flight to Cusco. Upon arrival, you will be met from the airport and transferred to your hotel to check in. The rest of the day is at leisure; you will need to take it easy to aid acclimatisation.

Day 3: Rafting
You will be picked up at 9am in the morning and be driven along the road to Cusipata about 1.5 hours drive from Cusco. At the base in Casa Cusi (meaning Happy House in Quechua) you will find hot showers, a sauna and hot pool, which are very welcome after your rafting trip!. You will receive a full safety briefing from the Internationally Qualified Guides before commencing down the Urubamba River. The rapids along this section of the Riverare Class 3-4 and you will raft for approximately 2.5 hours before returning to Casa Cusi for a late lunch. You return by bus back to Cusco after lunch and arrive back in the early evening.

Day 4: Sacred Valley Tour
This morning you will depart on a full day Private Sacred Valley Tour. If you have suffered from the altitude in Cusco, you will be pleased to know that from here on, you will drop well below the 3,300m mark! The first stop is Awanacancha Cultural village where you will see a variety of camelids (llamas, alpacas, vicunas) and women demonstrating traditional weaving techniques. The next stop is the market of Pisac where you can sample delicious fresh bread that this area is known for. The market has many colourful stalls selling a wide variety of locally produced handicrafts. From the market, you are driven up to the stunning Pisac Ruins, which offer an excellent insight into how the Incas cultivated and managed their crops. You will stay here for around 1 1/2 hours, whilst your guide takes you on a tour, explaining Incan farming techniques, as well as showing you the ceremonial centre at the top of the terracing, where mummification, the sacred rituals of preparing the higher classes for the after life, took place. Time for lunch and you head to Urubamba where you will stop at a tourist restaurant for lunch.

After lunch, you will head to the pretty Andean town of Ollantaytambo where you have a guided tour of the spectacular ruins. The terraces here were not for agriculture, but were part of a huge temple complex that was being built to honour the sun, an important Incan deity. The temple was never finished, as building was interrupted by the Spanish invasion. On the return from your tour, you will stop at Chincheros, before reaching Cusco in the late afternoon.

Day 5: Salkantay Trail
This trip starts early - at five in the morning! You will be driven about four hours to Mollepata with an optional breakfast in a restaurant (cost not included). After another half an hour in the van you will reach Markocasa, where the hiking begins. After about an hour you'll reach Cruzpata where you need to have your camera ready for the amazing views of Humantay, the snow-covered mountain in the distance. Three more hours of trekking over mountain streams will take you to Checchicancha, a beautiful little community where you'll stop to have lunch. The afternoon will consist of another hike of three or four hours until you reach Soraypampa, a picturesque village with views of the gorgeous mountains and friendly locals, where you'll spend the night.

Day 6: Salkantay Trail
Day Two: Another early start on day two as you will have a lot of trail to cover. You will ascend three hours to a high pass (4,800 metres/ 13,780 feet) where you'll be able to see not only Humantay but also another glacier peak called Salkantay. After a rest for photos you'll hike down a bit to Huayracmachay for lunch and a chance to rest your legs. The trek then continues for another three hours until you reach your campsite for the night at Chaullay.

Day 7: Salkantay Trail
After breakfast you'll walk on a narrow trail on the side of a mountain through Colpapampa. This is a gorgeous part of the walk where you will see all kinds of plant life, from multiple orchid species to the corn and fruit fields of the locals. Along the way you'll be rewarded for all your walking by passing by a gorgeous waterfall. After five hours on the trail you will get to La Playa where you will hop in a truck for 45 minutes which will take you to the town of Santa Teresa. After setting up camp you'll have the opportunity to visit the natural, medicinal hot springs which are about 45 minutes away. After an invigorating soak you'll return to the campsite for dinner and a good night's sleep.

Day 8: Salkantay Trail
After breakfast and a one hour bus ride you'll walk for two hours until you reach the Urubamba River and have lunch by the hydro-electric station there. Then you will trek another three hours down the valley to Aguas Calientes. Here is the only time you won't be camping so you will check into the hotel, then it's dinner and a rest before an early start the next day.

Day 9: Machu Picchu
You will have to get up early today as the plan is to see the sunrise over Machu Picchu! You will be happy you did, as that morning will stay with you forever. You will then have a fully guided tour for two hours and have time to explore the ancient city and the surrounding area for a while before you return on a train to Cusco / Ollantaytambo and a transfer back to your hotel.

Day 10: Cusco
This morning you have a group guided tour visiting the most important sites of Cusco (The Cathedral, Koricancha "Temple of the Sun", Tambomachay "Temple of the Water", Pukupukara "Red Fort", Qenqo "The Maze" and the very impressive site of Sacsayhuaman.

The afternoon is at leisure, you may decide to visit the famous Inca Museum, or relax with an Inca Kola in one of the many cafes overlooking the Plaza de Armas.

Day 11: Cusco
This morning you will be transferred to the airport for your flight home. If you want to extend your trip, you might want to consider a visit to the Amazon Jungle, or a trip to Lake Titicaca. Please contact us if you would like to discuss these options.

CUSCO, SACRED VALLEY & LARES TRAIL
Day 1: Arrival in Lima
Welcome to Peru! On arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel.

In the afternoon, once you have had a chance to freshen up, you will be picked up from your hotel for a private city tour This 3-hour sightseeing tour offers the best of colonial and modern Lima. You will have the opportunity to visit one of the most important architectural constructions of the 17th century, Convent of Saint Francis. This complex has a small square, the convent and a church to visit. Its cloisters have beautiful tiles and you can visit the catacombs which are more than 300 years old. You then visit the three most important sites from the colonial era: Plaza Mayor, Plaza San Martin, Palacio de Gobierno (known as the house of Pizarro), and the Municipality, preserving their original architecture. The tour ends with a visit to the modern suburbs of San Isidro and Miraflores, which overlooks the Pacific Ocean.

Day 2: Cusco
You will be transferred to Lima airport for your flight to Cusco. Upon arrival, you will be met from the airport and transferred to your hotel to check in. The rest of the day is at leisure; you will need to take it easy to aid acclimatisation.

Day 3: Rafting
You will be picked up at 9am in the morning and be driven along the road to Cusipata about 1.5 hours drive from Cusco. At the base in Casa Cusi (meaning Happy House in Quechua) you will find hot showers, a sauna and hot pool, which are very welcome after your rafting trip!. You will receive a full safety briefing from the Internationally Qualified Guides before commencing down the Urubamba River. The rapids along this section of the Riverare Class 3-4 and you will raft for approximately 2.5 hours before returning to Casa Cusi for a late lunch. You return by bus back to Cusco after lunch and arrive back in the early evening.

Day 4: Sacred Valley Tour
This morning you will depart on a full day Private Sacred Valley Tour. If you have suffered from the altitude in Cusco, you will be pleased to know that from here on, you will drop well below the 3,300m mark! The first stop is Awanacancha Cultural village where you will see a variety of camelids (llamas, alpacas, vicunas) and women demonstrating traditional weaving techniques. The next stop is the market of Pisac where you can sample delicious fresh bread that this area is known for. The market has many colourful stalls selling a wide variety of locally produced handicrafts. From the market, you are driven up to the stunning Pisac Ruins, which offer an excellent insight into how the Incas cultivated and managed their crops. You will stay here for around 1 1/2 hours, whilst your guide takes you on a tour, explaining Incan farming techniques, as well as showing you the ceremonial centre at the top of the terracing, where mummification, the sacred rituals of preparing the higher classes for the after life, took place. Time for lunch and you head to Urubamba where you will stop at a tourist restaurant for lunch.

After lunch, you will head to the pretty Andean town of Ollantaytambo where you have a guided tour of the spectacular ruins. The terraces here were not for agriculture, but were part of a huge temple complex that was being built to honour the sun, an important Incan deity. The temple was never finished, as building was interrupted by the Spanish invasion. On the return from your tour, you will stop at Chincheros, before reaching Cusco in the late afternoon.

Day 5: Lares Trail
You'll have to wake up early as your guide will meet you in the morning at your hotel with the tour vehicle. You will be driven through the Sacred Valley past the village of Calca and finally to Lares village (about a three hour drive). In town you'll have the chance to visit the hot springs for a relaxing bit of time and lunch. Then you're back on the bus for another 20 minute ride to the start of the trail known as PASCANA. The hike will take you to the town of Quishaurani, where you'll meet up with the horsemen who will be packing the horses with everything you will need on the trek. After about two and a half hours you will arrive at the campsite - already set up! Then you will have some free time to just relax but it is suggested you take advantage of seeing as much as you can in Quishaurani - the local farmers or campesinos and some of the weavers. You'll be able to ask them about their way of life and see how they grow their crops and weave their beautiful textiles. After dinner you'll settle into your sleeping bag for a good night's sleep.

Day 6: Lares Trail
Today begins with another early start as this is the longest day on the trail. Your hike will be seven hours long with a break for lunch. You will first ascend to Pachacutec Pass, the highest point on the trail (4,450 meters/14,599 feet). But once you get to the top you'll realise it was all worth it as you take in the incredible views of Pachacutec Lake with the snow-capped peaks of Pitusiray, Sawasiray and Chicon in the background. Your sore legs will be well worth getting to the top of the pass! Then you will descend for about two and a half hours to the village of Cancha Cancha to the campsite for the night.

Day 7: Lares Trail
You'll be happy to know that after day two, day three is the easy hike! After breakfast you will start to hike downhill and after about five hours you will reach the village of Huaran. Then you will hop on local transportation to Ollantaytambo, a gorgeous Andean mountain town. You may have a bit of time to look around but then you'll board the train for Aguas Calientes where you'll spend the night at a local hotel.

Day 8: Machu Picchu
Another early start on day four is rewarded with an amazing sunrise at Machu Picchu. The bus for the ruins departs at 5.30am then after the sun is up you will have a fully guided two hour tour of the site. At that time you will have the chance to explore on your own before boarding the train back to Poroy/Ollantaytambo and a transfer back to your hotel in Cusco.

Day 9: Cusco
This morning you have a group guided tour visiting the most important sites of Cusco (The Cathedral, Koricancha "Temple of the Sun", Tambomachay "Temple of the Water", Pukupukara "Red Fort", Qenqo "The Maze" and the very impressive site of Sacsayhuaman.

The afternoon is at leisure, you may decide to visit the famous Inca Museum, or relax with an Inca Kola in one of the many cafes overlooking the Plaza de Armas.

Day 10: Cusco
This morning you will be transferred to the airport for your flight home. If you want to extend your trip, you might want to consider a visit to the Amazon Jungle, or a trip to Lake Titicaca. Please contact us if you would like to discuss these options.

Other Details

Accommodation Details

Accommodation used in Cusco & Lima this tour is in comfortable, 3* level hotels and guesthouses. You can expect central locations and comfortable rooms with ensuite facilities. We try to work with smaller hotels with character, rather than the large, more corporate feeling hotels, so cannot always guarantee a specific guesthouse, rather we choose from a 'pool' of favourites. An example of the type and class of hotel is the Los Andenes Al Cileo in Cusco. Accommodation in Cusco & Lima includes breakfast, other meals are at your own expense. Whilst in Cusco, be sure to try local specialities such as al paca and cuy (guinea pig)

Whilst trekking, you will be camping in tents that are provided. All of the camping equipment and luggage (7kgs worth) will be carried from campsite to campsite by your group porters / wranglers. These are local Quetcha people who know the area very well. They will leave each day ahead of you and will pitch the tents at camp ahead of your arrival.

Whilst on the trek, your meals are included and you'll have a cook who will concoct tasty and filling meals that will give you the energy you need to make it to Machu Picchu. Breakfasts typically consist of porridge, scrambled eggs or bread, lunch and dinner start with soup, followed by a main course and a dessert. There will also be snacks available when you arrive at the campsite in the afternoon. Vegetarians can be accommodated for too, please just let us know if you have any specific dietary needs. Water is provided from the second day of the trek - it is boiled up by the porters in the morning so you will need to bring a water bottle with you. On the first day you will need to buy your own water.

Departure Dates, Options & Prices

Cusco, Sacred Valley & Inca Trail (from £1180 per person)

Prices are based on 2 people trekking in a group. If more people opt to join your group, then the price of your trek will be reduced and reimbursed to you. If you wish to keep your trek private, you can do so, but you will need to select this option when booking.

Three person prices are based on triple room accommodation. Four person prices are based on two twin / double rooms.

Travellers should bring

Lima / Sacred Valley / Cusco Bring the usual clothing for sight-seeing - comfortable shoes, clothes and a sun hat. Swimming Costume for the rafting - wet suits are provided
It is customary to tip when on a tour or at a restaurant, so small, local, change is advisable - there are cash machines in all towns and at the airports
Bring some USD with you as a back up currency

Trek A personal porter is included in the trip price for the Inca Trail, on the Lares and Salkantay Treks your belongings will be carried by horses. You will have a luggage allowance of 7kg and will be provided with a duffel bag to pack your belongings into. The rest of your luggage will be stored in Cusco.

In addition, you will need the following: Day Pack
Plastic Bags to pack essentials into in case it rains
T-Shirts
Shorts / Trousers
Fleece and warm clothes - it can get cold at night in the mountains
Gloves
Hat winter & sun
Waterproofs (jacket & trousers in the wet season)
Walking Boots
Sandals / trainers to wear around camp
Socks
Four season Sleeping Bag (you can hire one if you want)
Torch
Water Bottle
Wet Wipes
Sunblock
Insect Repellent
First Aid Kit
Pillows, sleeping bags, walking poles & thermarest mats can all be hired for an additional charge.

Tips
It is customary to tip:
Guideline amounts:
Porters 60 80 soles per porter from the group
Cooks: approx 80 100 soles from group
Guides: 160 200 soles per group

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