We will pick you up at your hotel in Cusco at 8:00am, with our private van and head towards the Sacred Valley of the Incas, taking the direct route towards Pisac. We will drive towards the scenic outlook of Taray, to enjoy a classic view of the Urubamba valley with crops extending through the valley like a colorful carpet. Then, we drive towards the archaeological site of Pisac, where you can see the biggest Inca cemetery with more than 2,000 tombs. There, we admire the incredible farming terraces carved into the mountainside, explore the Inca tunnels and the religious area of this important citadel. We will spend more than 2 hours, exploring this Inca citadel. Then, we head back towards the colorful market of Pisac, to spend some time shopping all of its handicrafts and treasures. Afterwards, we drive to Urubamba for lunch (not included within the package).
After lunch,we visit the archeological site of Moray, also known as “The Greenhouses of the Incas”, an evolutionary bowl of ecological terraces. The terraces are carved into a huge bowl, which were excavated by the Incas for agricultural purposes. The terraces have varied microclimates, depending on how deep into the bowl they are placed. It is believed they were used by the Incas to discover the optimal growing conditions for their different crops.
We continue our journey towards the colonial town of Maras, where you will have a short walk downhill to view the pre-Inca salt mines. A hot spring at the top of the valley discharges a small stream of water heavily laden with salt, which is diverted into saltpans and evaporated to produce a high quality salt.
Finally, we drive to Ollantaytambo, having time to explore the age old and bustling Inca village and the massive Inca Ruins, with a tour provided by our guide. Then at 7:00 pm, we will take the train to Aguas Calientes, where we will spend the night in a hotel.
- Hotel Accommodation: 3* Ferre´ Hotel Machu Picchu