7-Day Inca Trail and Sacred Valley Tour in Peru with Machu Picchu

• Be greeted at Lima's airport by a representative, who will take you to your comfortable hotel.

• Transfer from your hotel in Lima to the airport.
• On arrival, you will be greeted at Cusco Airport by a representative, who will take you to your comfortable hotel. You are advised to rest for a while to acclimatize to the high altitude, and coca leaf tea will help you. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

• Start your visit at the local market of San Pedro. This market will show you the traditional culture and how people live their day-to-day lives. There are several sections with fruits, vegetables, typical bread, meats, meals, medicinal plants, flowers, souvenirs, and more. Most of the friendly vendors speak Quechua, the language of the Incas, and Spanish. Usually, when you take a picture of them, they expect a tip, and you should be careful with your belongings, as there could be pickpockets in the market.

• Visit the archaeological centres of Sacsayhuamán and Qenqo, followed by Qoricancha, the Inca Golden Palace, and the cathedral in the city.

• Observe the spectacular Andean scenery, with mountains, snow peaks, and Andean villages.

• Your first visit will be Awanacancha, an exhibition centre of the finest textiles.

• At the same time, you can appreciate the four varieties of Andean camelids: vicuñas, guanacos, alpacas, and llamas. Continuing the tour, there will be an optional stop at the local handicraft market of Pisac, where you can purchase jewellery made of silver and other souvenirs.

• The next visit will be the archaeological complex of Pisac. This centre harbours one of the biggest necropoleis in Peru and remarkable groups of terraces.

• The next stop will be at a restaurant in Urubamba for lunch.

• Your last visit is the archaeological complex of Ollantaytambo, where the most fascinating feature is the Inca architecture.

Beside this complex is the town of Ollantaytambo, where you will stay overnight.

• Get picked up from your hotel and transfer to the train station, where you will take the train to kilometre 104.

• Upon arriving at Km. 104, you will begin your hike.

• Arrive at the archaeological site of Chachabamba (6,888 feet / 2,100 meters), then ascend gradually for about 3 hours to the archaeological site of Wiñayhuayna (8,692 feet / 2,650 meters). From this point, the path is mostly flat and passes through a semi-tropical forest.

• Then continue to Inti Punku, the Door of the Sun, from where you will be able to observe your first panoramic view of the Machu Picchu Sanctuary.

• Then go down for 45 more minutes to Machupicchu, where you can take some classic pictures from the upper part.

• To go to Aguas Calientes town, you will catch the bus, which takes 25 minutes.

• In the evening, you can also go to the thermal baths located in the upper part of the town.

Hike distance: 8 miles / 13 km

Hike time: About 6 hours

Gradient: Slightly challenging - moderate

• Very early in the morning, take the first bus up to Machu Picchu for a guided tour of about 2 hours to see the most relevant temples and residences with your Peruvian tour guide. You will also have plenty of time to explore Machupicchu, climb Huayna Picchu Mountain at 2,700 meters, visit the Sungate Inti Punku, and see the Inca Bridge situated on the left-south side of the park.

• In the afternoon, you will take the train back to Cusco, arriving at the train station of Ollantaytambo or Poroy.

• Transfer to the hotel by bus.

• Eat breakfast at the hotel.
• Transfer to the airport for your outbound flight.