Day 1: ARRIVAL AND RECEPTION IN CUSCO

Arrival to Cusco at any time. Reception in Cusco airport and Transfer to MARQUESES Boutique Hotel where they will welcome you with cups of coca leaf tea a traditional drink to minimize the efects of altitude, Relax,rest and acclimatise. We advise you to get an early flight so you can just spend your first 2 hours in Cusco seriously doing nothing but trying to breathe!! If you are not too tired you could go to the Cusco Folk Dances and Music at Cusco Art Center this evening in the main Ave el Sol. which are included on your tourist ticket 6.30pm 10 min slow walk from Hotel Marqueses.

Day 2: CUSCO - CITY TOUR

Free morning to walk into San Blas Area or San Pedro Market or optional to take a Free Cusco walking tour 2-3 hrs. At 13:45 pm A Guided Cusco City Tour, Excursion, visiting Koricancha "The Sun Temple" the golden Inca`s temple that impressed so much to the first spanish conquistadores when they arrived in 1534 Cusco main Cathedral with their exquisite canvas from the Cuzqueña Painting School, chapels, Virgins and Saints , Saqsayhuaman Inca Complex, where every year in June in the winter solstice in this hemisphere the young Cuzqueños perform the old and traditional Feast of the Sun "Inti Raymi" in honor to the Sun, then we visit Tambo Machay, Qenqo and Pucara. Night at Hotel Marqueses. (We rec to purchase the 10 Day Tourist Ticket).

Day 3: CUSCO - SACRED VALLEY - AGUAS CALIENTES

At 8.20am meet at SAS Travel office or transfer from your hotel at earlier time if coordinated. (Bring your Tourist Ticekt). In a tourist bus we travel over the mountains and then we drop 1500 feet to the valley floor of the sacred Urubamba river and the village of Pisac where we will visit a traditional market and you can buy some local souveniers. We then drive up to explore the extensive ruins of Pisac with stunning views over the valley. For those who would prefer to spend more time in the market instead of visiting the ruins, advise your guide so he can organise a time and place to pick you up when they return through the market. We continue on to Urubamba where we stop to enjoy a delicious lunch. A further 30 mins drive takes us to Ollantaytambo surrounded by the sacred mountains, where we will again discover the magnificence of the Incan constructions and the beauty of the local people in their traditional dress.
You will then be scorted to the train station to board the valley train. This is a 2.0 hrs journey to Aguas Calientes where the representative from SAS travel will meet you and settle you into your accommodation. You have free time to visit the hot springs if you like. There are hundreds of restaurants within walking distance of the hotel until then. You will be invited to a short briefing in the evening with others coordinated by the Hostal Viajeros. Night at Hotel Wiracocha Inn.

Day 4: MACHUPICCHU- OLLANTA- CUSCO

After early wake up and breakfast we take the bus at approx 05.30am and arrive at the ruins around 06.20am. Optional for those who would like to walk up earlier from 4.30am, please let us know of your interest. We recommend using the bus up to conserve your energy for your 2 hour group tour exploring Machu Picchu (2,400 m) and optional hikes to follow. Escorted by your experienced tour guide you will have the oportunity to rediscover this fascinating and unique place as Hiram Bingham did in 1911, Machupicchu, the lost city of the Incas, where the last emperors, priests and priestesses took refuge and where the empire survived for 40 years after the arrival of the Spaniards.
Other recommended activities: Climb Huayna Picchu mountain (2,700 m, 90min, steep gradient); if all Huayna Picchu permits have run out then we can include the higher climb with the Machu Picchu Montana permit. if you prefer not to do that option let us know immediately and we can reduce the cost of your tour by $10 and you can do one of the other upguided walks such as these 2 which are already included in the Machu Picchu ticket.
Walk to "Intipunku" the Sun Gate where the classic Inca Trail ends (1.5 hr )
Walk to the Inca bridge located south of Machupicchu ( 1 hr )
All these walks are without a guide, are clearly signed and easy to find.

Lunch will be provided in Aguas Calientes from 1.30pm so most people use their bus ticket to leave Machu Picchu around 1pm.
Your guide will advise you of necessary details for the afternoon train return to Ollantaytambo with private transport on to Cusco, arriving approx 9:00 pm

Meals: Breakfast Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel Marqueses

Day 5: Moray, Maras & Salt mines

Depart Cusco approx 9:00 am for a breathtaking 20 kms drive from Cusco through Chincheros with the beautiful snowcapped Chicon and Veronica mountains in the Cordillera Vilcanota as a backdrop we continue through to Moray. In Moray we visit “ the Inca agricultural greenhouse or laboratory”, consisting of four platforms amphitheater style or. Has a depth of 150 meters, the overlapping concentric circular stone rings widen as they rise. It was an experimental place to study the adaptation of plants to new ecosystems. MARAS/ SALINERAS ( Salt mines ) located 7 miles from Moray at altitude of 3, 380 m is a small village, as a model of a miniature city. Famous for its salt mines, made up of about 3000 small wells with an area average size of about 5 ms ². These were already exploited since Inca times as a means of economic exchange and securities. Very interesting to see Arrival back to Cusco returning approximately 2.40pm. Night at Hotel Marqueses.

Day 6: TIPON – PIKILLACTA and ANDAHUAYLILLAS

We pick you up from your Hotel between 9:00 am to start visiting these incredible places in the southern of Cusco. Entrance fees to sites total approx 30 soles per person. Lunch is not included
TIPON: Tipon is said to be a royal garden commissioned by Wiracocha. It is one of the most elaborate examples of agricultural terracing created by the Incas. These tall terraces which run up the narrow valley are irrigated by an aqueduct from Pachatusan, the mountain above the site. In addition to the terracing there are also some other structures at Tipon, including baths, a temple complex, canals and aqueducts. Tipon is definitely one of the lesser visited sites in the Cusco area but it is equally as impressive as those in the Sacred Valley. The Tipon Archeological Complex is located 24 km southeast of Cusco.
PIKILLAQTA: Pikillacta is the only pre-Inca site in the Cusco area. This adobe complex was built around 700 to 900 years AD by the Huari Culture, in the area, there is a small Inca site just a short walk from Pikillacta, known as Rumicolca, a travel checkpoint for the Incas.
ANDAHUAYLILLAS: Here you find the "Sixtine Chapel of Peru", a church that is home to golden altars, paintings and many colored ceilings. The chapel is simple and unassuming on the outside, but on the inside you'll find masterpiece after masterpiece. Also some paintings from famous “Escuela Cuzqueña” can be appreciated. On the return pass Saylla typical Cuzco where people can enjoy the delicious pork chicharrones, or roasted ginea pig (optional). We returned to Cusco for approximately 14:00 pm. Night at Hotel Marqueses.

Day 7: Adios Cusco. Transfer to the Airport.

Last chance for Souvenir Shopping in Cusco; Optional time to visit the Weaving Center Museum in Sol Avenue Transfer to the Airport - for your flight to Lima or where ever you are going from here.