5-Day Cusco and Machu Picchu Tour with Sacred Valley and Treks

• Set out in the afternoon to explore the grand Koricancha Temple of the Incas and the Cathedral built by the Europeans near its site
• Explore Plaza de Armas, the main square of the ancient city, and make your way to the Sacsayhuaman. This fortress was strategically built on a hill overlooking Cusco and is famous for its enormous carved stones, some of which stand over 9 m tall and weighing over 350 tons.
• Visit the mystical Inca centre of Qengo and see the military control centre known as Puca Pucara.

• Finally, visit the water temple of Tambomachay.

•  Head out in the morning to visit Pisac, an important Inca site, and make your way to the colourful Andean market and the local church. 

• Head to Urubamba and pass Lamay and Calca on the way. Break for lunch on arrival in Urabamba.

• After lunch, visit Ollantaytambo town, where you will see its typical streets, impressive archaeological constructions, and agricultural terracing, not to mention the splendid views over the sacred valley. 

• Then, head to the picturesque Andean village of Chinchero, where the ruins of the royal estate of Yupanqui lie. You can admire the well preserved Inca wall at the main square. Visit the beautiful colonial temple, built on Inca foundations with interesting paintings.

Overnight stay in Sacred Valley.

• Take a train ride towards the magical citadel of Machu Picchu, located at a distance of 112 kilometres from Cusco. During the journey, you will see the Urubamba canyon, Urubamba river and the snow capped peaks of the Veronica Mountain.

• Arrive in Aguas Calientes and go to Machu Picchu. Visit “The lost city of the Incas”, one of the best-known examples of surviving Inca heritage. 

• After the visit, go back to Aguas Calientes to catch the train back to Cusco.

• Transfer to hotel in Cusco for overnight stay.

• Early morning pick-up from your hotel and transfer to Soraypampa. On the way, pass by the Andean village of Mollepata, where you will stop for a breakfast before starting the climb along a winding road to Marcoccasa.

• Arrive in Soraypampa and walk through the slopes close to the snow-capped mountain to reach the breathtaking Huamantay Lagoon, which is fed by the thawing waters of the mountain. Enjoy a bath in the chilly lagoon water, if you are brave enough.

• Return to Soraypampa for lunch.

• After lunch, proceed back to Cusco for overnight stay.

• Leave from Cusco early in the morning and head towards the Vilcanota Valley, the starting point of our hike.

• Take a short break for breakfast in a local house.

• Trek for about 3 hours going up towards the homes of the inhabitants of the Andes, and witness Alpacas in their natural habitat Cerro Colorado.

• Rest for a short while before beginning the descent.

• Relish a delicious lunch in the area and then return to Cusco.