MULTIACTIVE PERU

DESCRIPTION

Hiking through the Andes Mountains to Machu Picchu is the perfect travel program to enjoy fifteen days exploring a unique combination of natural settings for those who love adventure, moving from the coast to the highlands. Discover the most beautiful places in Lima, Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, staying at the best accommodations with a unique sense of style and distinction.

Discover the city of Kings, Lima, accompanied by our guide who will give you insights about the capital and its beautiful treasures, moving from its fascinating past towards the flourishing present. Fly through the Andes to Cusco and discover the most beautiful sites of the Sacred Valley. Enjoy a unique hike of six days through the spectacular valleys near the Salkantay Mountain to Machu Picchu, marvel your senses with the amazing natural scenery that will surround you and once you reach the lost citadel, explore and admire it with plenty of time. In Cusco, stroll around its colonial streets combined with incredible Inca constructions and let the city fascinate you. This program can be customized according to your interests, needs and travel style. Please, feel free to contact us and personalize your holiday.

ITINERARY

Welcome to the land of the Incas. Your Peru luxury holiday is on the go. As you go through arrivals at the airport in Lima, we will be waiting for you – just look for our sign with your name on it. We will take you to your luxury hotel and assist with the check-in procedure. There is nothing better than a time to freshen up and relax to recover from the long flight, so we will leave you to rest. Overnight in Lima

 

After enjoying breakfast in your hotel, you will have the morning at leisure; you can either enjoy all the comforts of your hotel or explore the vibrant downtown of Miraflores. By noon, we will pick you up from your hotel to take you to Pueblo Libre neighborhood, home for the Larco Herrera Museum. On your arrival to this site, first, you will enjoy a delicious lunch right on the vine-covered terrace of the Museum’s café, after lunch, you are going start exploring the exhibit accompanied by your guide. This is a fascinating place houses the country’s largest and most representative collection of pre-Columbian artifacts (including extensive gold and silver collections, and a very special and peculiar collection of erotic ceramics), here you are going to have a unique open access to their exquisitely catalogued storage area; this museum is the perfect introduction to Peru’s multi-faceted cultural history. We will continue the tour driving to the heart of Peru’s “City of Kings”. Here you are going to see the Plaza Mayor; the square shows beautiful examples of colonial and republican architecture in the surrounding houses. You will see the Government’s palace from the outside and you will visit the Cathedral of Lima. You will continue your tour heading to the Convent of San Francisco; this religious building is interesting because subterranean catacombs are one of the main attractions. We are going to finish the tour visiting the Casa Aliaga, which is the oldest western hemisphere’s mansion; this historic house is still inhabited and under the property of the 17th generation of the Aliaga family. At the end of the tour, we will take you back to your hotel; your guide will provide you some suggestions of places to see and dine within a walking distance from your hotel. Overnight in Lima.

Flight to Cusco and transfer to the valley, en route visit to Awanakancha and Pisac Morning departure to the airport for your flight to Cusco, on your arrival our representative will meet you and transfer you to the sacred valley. En route, you are going to visit the center of South American Camelids of Awanakancha and its Living Museum, where you can marvel yourself seeing weavers at work. They will be sharing the beauty of their textile tradition with you; there will be also a great opportunity to see and feed South American camelids such as llamas, alpacas, vicuñas and other species. Our journey will continue to Pisac where we will stop to visit its market. The market shows its colorful textiles, all kinds of dyes, silverware, ceramics and its vast variety of fresh vegetables; it seems that this place holds something to please everyone. After seeing the market we will head to your hotel where you will have lunch. The rest of the afternoon will be at leisure. Overnight in the Sacred Valley.

 

Full day tour to visit the fortress of Ollantaytambo and the town of weavers, Chinchero. Ollantaytambo is a charming Inca town characterized by its cobblestone streets and beautiful stone houses with big interior courtyards and the unusual trapezoidal doors that retain the traditional Inca urban planning. The streets in this town have water canals running down towards the farming lands and the river. The fortress is located on top of the mountain that overlooks the town; it has a religious area with an impressive stonework. In the lower part, there is a section of wide terraces. We will leave Ollantaytambo to drive towards Wayra restaurant where we will have lunch. After lunch, we will head towards Chinchero town, famous for the extraordinary beauty and quality of its traditional textiles, and for its fair where local people gather wearing their traditional colorful outfits traveling down from their villages to trade their goods. Your guide will take you to the workshop of local weavers to learn more about the efforts of the community to keep alive their textile tradition and iconography passing them to the young generations, especially women. Overnight in the Sacred Valley.

 
 

Tour to the agricultural terraces of Moray and the saltpans of Maras. After breakfast, we will drive towards the enigmatic Inca ruins at Moray. Once we reach the site, we will observe from the upper part, a set of circular terraces that look like an ancient amphitheater, though some experts believe they served as agricultural laboratories where the Incas could experiment with new farming techniques as well as a process of acclimatization of some plants. Of course, this is just one of the various theories, and even after many years of research and dozens of hypotheses, but still the true purpose of Moray remains as a mystery. This day, you are going to inspect the site yourself and have your own theories. Depart from the intriguing Moray and continue to the small town of Maras, home of an old salt mine that dates from the Inca times. This place comprises thousands of milky pools, each set on its own terrace along the hillside, the saltpans are particularly surreal in appearance and incredibly photogenic. Members of the community own the pans and they have been passed down through the local families since pre-Inca times. We will visit the town of Maras where we will enjoy some activities such as knitting in corn leaves, working on ceramics or visiting the hat maker. At the end of the day, we will drive you back to your hotel. Overnight in the Sacred Valley.

 
 
 

Tour to Quillarumiyoc and transfer to Soraypampa. Morning transfer from the sacred valley to Soraypampa, after an early breakfast, your tour guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel in the Sacred Valley. The first stop will be a visit to the Quillarumiyoc archaeological site. Next, you will stop in the mountain village of Mollepata. There you will visit El Pedregal, a beautiful farmhouse where you can learn about local agriculture and livestock. Then, the transfer will take you through a winding mountain road to a site called Challacancha. Here you will begin your hike to Soraypampa along a picturesque path called the “Camino Real” (Royal Path), which is also a good opportunity to acclimate to the higher altitude. As you round the final turn of the Camino Real, the Salkantay Lodge will come into view. Overnight in a Lodge.

 
 
 
 

Humantay Lake. This day presents another opportunity to gauge your altitude-acclimatization with a half-day hike to Lake Humantay. After breakfast, you begin an ascent up the slopes that border the plateau behind the Salkantay Lodge. An hour and a half later, you will be stunned to see the turquoise water of the lake. Here you will have a chance to relax, enjoy a snack, meditate in the tranquility of this magical spot and be part of a traditional offering to “Pachamama” (Mother Earth). After your descent back to the lodge, the staff will be waiting with a hot lunch. The second half of your day will be at leisure. You may opt to soak in our outdoor Jacuzzi, indulge in a relaxing massage or even take a long nap. Overnight in a lodge.

 
 
 
 
 

Salkantay hike to Wayraccmachay This morning we will have an early start, you will hike up the Rio Blanco valley, circling Humantay Peak. As you gradually make your way up these mountain trails, you will encounter expansive plateaus dotted with boulders of varying sizes, the remnants of a valley that was once bisected by a fast-flowing river. The final and most challenging part of your ascent is conquering the mountain switchbacks that take you to the Salkantay Pass, the highest point on the trek, around 15,213 ft. What follows is a dramatic descent through fields of giant boulders, often shrouded in fog. After a welcome hot picnic lunch, you will continue the way down through bucolic rolling hills and marsh-like plateaus as you take your final steps to the Wayra Lodge at Wayraccmachay. Overnight in a lodge.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Hike along Salkantay River to Colpa lodge. After breakfast at the Wayra Lodge, you will continue the descent along the banks of the Salkantay River through increasingly verdant scenery. Today you will see more of the local people as the trail takes you through their simple homes and makeshift fences. At lunchtime, you will arrive at Colpa Lodge, located on a high promontory at the confluence of three rivers. The staff will greet you with a Pachamanca lunch, a traditional Peruvian meal cooked in the earth by using hot stones to create a natural underground oven. After lunch, spend the afternoon lounging in the sun or relaxing in the outdoor Jacuzzi while you take in the panoramic views of the lush green mountains that surround you. Overnight in a lodge.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Santa Teresa river valley hike to Lucma Lodge. This morning, you will hike in the Santa Teresa River valley where you will hop over small streams fed by waterfalls descending from the glaciers and going through fruit orchards. After taking a break for a hot picnic lunch by the river, you will walk for one hour before we meet our vehicle for a short drive to the beginning of the “Llactapata Inca Trail” that leads us to Lucma Lodge. On the way, you will visit an organic coffee plantation, one of many in the area that produces some of the best organic coffee in the world. In Lucmabamba, the hot air and increased humidity signal that you are even closer to the edge of the Amazon Jungle. Overnight in a lodge.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Hike along Aobamba River to Hidroelectrica and train to Aguas Calientes. This morning, after breakfast, we will start a hike for about two to three hours up a path mostly comprised of original Inca steps; you will get a sense of what hiking through the rainforest would be like. Your first milestone today will be the top of the peak, the last one before you reach the Aobamba River valley that connects you to Machu Picchu. When you arrive at the ruins of Llactapata that are located at the Llactapata Pass (2,736 m/8,974 ft.), you will be delighted by the views from the southeast of the “back” of the lost Inca citadel of Machu Picchu. Enjoy your lunch a bit farther down the trail in a meadow with panoramic views. The final descent takes you through lush bamboo forests, until you end the day’s hike at the hydroelectric train station. A one-hour scenic train ride delivers you to your final Stop the town of Aguas Calientes at the base of Machu Picchu. Overnight in Aguas Calientes.

 
 

Guided tour of the Inca citadel. This morning, at dawn, we will take the bus to the Inca citadel. Prepare yourself to be surprised by the imposing and skillful architecture of the Watchtower, the Temple of the Sun, and the Royal Inca residences, among many others that you will see. Accompanied by your guide you will explore the site learning about the history of its construction, the architecture as well as some theories about the reasons of its abandonment. Your imagination will soar as you contemplate the history of Machu Picchu and its mysterious origins. At the end of the tour, we will enjoy lunch at the Belmond Sanctuary Lodge. After lunch, we will take the bus back to Aguas Calientes. Overnight in Aguas Calientes.

 
 

Second day of guided visit to the site On this second day of visit, we will have some options to offer, you may take a light tour of the site with time to enjoy the views and scenery or if you prefer, you may choose a hike to Huayna Picchu, the iconic towering mountain often seen in photographs. After the visit, we will take the bus back to Aguas Calientes where we will have lunch. In the afternoon, we will board the train to Cusco. On your arrival to the train station, our representative will meet you for your transfer back to Cusco. Overnight in Cusco

 
 
 

Full day tour to explore the city and its surroundings Morning tour to visit the nearby ruins of the city, located overlooking the valley of Cusco. We will drive towards the north, to the upper part where we are going to explore Sacsayhuaman, an incredible megalithic construction that in the past was considered as a fortress, but recent excavations proved that it was a religious center. We will continue our explorations visiting Q’enko, a ceremonial place where we will see its labyrinth and a very particular structure similar to an amphitheater. Our last spot will be Puca Pucara, a small structure that used to be a checkpoint for visitors entering the city of Cusco. Lunch in a local restaurant. In the afternoon, accompanied with your guide, you will explore the colonial streets and the squares of Cusco. You will immerse in the fascinating history of the Inca Capital. The first spot to visit will be the Santo Domingo church, a colonial temple that lays on top of the ancient Inca Temple of the Sun (Koricancha); then you will continue the tour heading towards the Cathedral of the city, located right in the main square – this is one of the most impressive exhibits of colonial art. Our walk will continue through the beautiful streets of the traditional neighborhood of San Blas, which is well known for being the house of the most representative Masters of Arts in Cusco city, San Blas is considered the cradle of traditional Cusquenian art. Then you are going to descent towards the hotel, en route you will pass by the famous 12-angled stone, whose image has been taken in many TV commercials. Overnight in Cusco.

 

Flight from Cusco to Lima. At a scheduled time, our representative will meet you in your hotel for your transfer to the airport.

 
 
BOOK NOW

POPULAR TOURS