10 Day – A Journey through the Best of Peru “Machupicchu, Cusco and Puno”
Easy
These activities are a walk in the park! You will be able to enjoy the scenery, history, and time with loved ones without exhausting yourself. You do not need any special training, gear, or acclimatization for an “Easy” trek or tour. Terrain will be generally flat and comfortable, highly traveled.
Mild
A step up from “Easy,” these tours require a little more physical effort but are still 100% manageable to anyone with or without adventure experience. Again, you do not need special training, gear, or acclimatization for a “Mild” trek or tour. Terrain is generally flat but with possible gentle up- and downhills.
Moderate
Before embarking on a “Moderate” trek or tour, you should be at least partly acclimatized to the high altitude of the Andes as it affects your oxygenation, energy levels, and hydration. These tours are still very manageable without special training as long as you have spent a day or two at high altitude. Terrain often includes moderate up- and downhill walking with possible rough patches or infrequently-traveled sections.
Challenging
“Challenging” treks or tours require that you are acclimated to the Andes’ high altitude before leaving as it affects your oxygenation, energy levels, and hydration. Spending 2-3 days or more at high altitude will help you on the trek. You will need hiking shoes and possibly trekking poles for these treks. You will need to be in good physical shape, and it’s recommended that you train at least some beforehand, possibly with running, biking, or strenuous workout videos. Terrain is often rough, sometimes with steep up- and downhills and often not highly traveled. Generally, these last several hours.
Formidable
These “Formidable” treks are our most difficult treks and require serious effort but are also the most rewarding. It is necessary to be in pristine physical condition. Again, you must be acclimated to the Andes’ high altitude before leaving as it affects your oxygenation, energy levels, and hydration. Spending 4-5 days or more if possible at high altitude will help you on the trek. You will need hiking shoes and possibly trekking poles for these treks. It is important to train physically before these treks so that your body is prepared for the strenuous nature of the trip. Generally, these last at least an entire day in infrequently-traveled areas with rough paths.
Highlights
10 Day – A Journey through the Best of Peru “Machupicchu, Cusco and Puno”
Through Cusco and Puno Tour feel the magic that reverberates in the sacred Inka city of Cusco. Pass through the stunning Sacred Valley of the Inka, interact with the living ancient culture, and arrive to the enigmatic city of Machu Picchu. Navigate Lake Titicaca through the floating inhabited islands of the Uros and the island of Taquile. Discover the magic that enshrouds the Andes and its cultures.
Itinerary
DAY 1: CUSCO – INKA MUSEUM AND KORICANCHA
Shuttle from the airport to hotel. The rest of the morning will be reserved for resting to adapt to the altitude, approximately 3400 meters (11,000 feet). In the afternoon we will visit the Inka Museum, home of thousands of years of Andean culture. Here we will become more familiar with the origens and beginnings of Andean civilizations.
Continuing with the tour we will move onto the temple of Koricancha, the famous Sun Temple of Qosqo, that was and still remains the pinaccle of organization, architecture, and religion of Inka civilization. During its construction they had already achieved the greatest advances of their time, and this temple may have been the exact representation of the center, or “Navel of the World” and therefore the center of the world, as dictated by the pre-hispanic Andean cosmovision.
Lodging: Cusco Tandapata Boutique Hotel *** or similar.
DAY 2: SAQSAYHUAMAN – TEMPLE OF THE MOON – TRANSFER TO AGUAS CALIENTES
We will begin our day with the journey to Saqsayhuaman. This Inka architecture with its magnificient qualities and colossal stones is considered in humanity’s history one of the greatest constructions on the face of the Earth. From here we will continue on to the Temple of the Moon, a place for spiritual connection and encounter with the feminine energy of the Moon Goddess.
In the afternoon we will travel by car to the town of Ollantaytambo where the train station to Machu Picchu awaits our transfer to the town of Machu Picchu (Aguas Calientes).
You will have the option to visit and enjoy the hot springs.
Lodging: Aguas Calientes Golden Sunrise *** or similar.
DAY 3 . MACHU PICCHU
Today we will rise very early for breakfast and ascend to the citadel Inka of Machu Picchu (approx 25 minutes by bus) to appreciate sunrise in this magical place, a famous masterpiece of architecture and engineering, believed to have been a santuary and energetic center. Today Machu Picchu is recognized by UNESCO as one of the seven wonders of the world and a World Heritage site.
Optional: The trek to the peak of Huayna Picchu, a rigorous climb on steep trails with impressive ruins and spectacular views, a round-trip of 2 hours.
Lodging: Aguas Calientes Golden Sunrise *** or similar.
DAY 4: OLLANTAYTAMBO – MORAY
Return to “living” Inka town of Ollantaytambo by train and continue by car to Moray, an ancient construction designed for agricultural investigations and studies of different crops in a range of altitudes. Here the many concentric “rings” of terraces produce a fine gradient of micro-climates; the warmth of the lowest central ring slowly dissapates as the rings ascend outward and upward, creating reductions in temperatures until reaching the ground-level norm.
Lodging: Chinchero Boutique.
DAY 5: CHINCHERO (TEXTILE INTERPRETATION CENTER)
Chinchero: the rainbow village, home of the ruins of the royal palace of the Inka Túpac Inca Yupanqui, a picturesque community located on a high plateau overlooking the many snowcapped peaks of the Cusco region. Here we can admire the well-preserved Inka walls of the main square as well as the many altars. We will also visit the beautiful colonial church, unique for its interior artwork and imagery.
Moving on we will participate in a wonderful introduction and learning experience of the art of Andean textiles; throughout the afternoon we will become acquainted with the wisdom of Andean weavings as maintained since long before Inka times. Traditional food will be prepared for lunch here.
Lodging: Tandapata Boutique Hotel *** or similar.
DAY 6: ANIMAL SANCTUARY – PISAQ – PISAQ MARKET
Travel to the Sacred Valley of the Inkas towards the town of Pisaq. We will stop on the way to visit the animal sanctuary of Cochawasi: here we may observe many of the native Andean species such as the puma, Andean cóndor, alpacas, and many more. Further en route we will stop for at a spectacular viewing location to observe the Urubamba river as it curves like a serpent through the mosaic-like agricultural lands.
As we continue towards the town of Pisaq, we may also observe the construction design of the archaelogical site of Pisaq, which many say portrays the profile of a condor. Pisaq is known mainly for two reasons – for its famous craft market and for its archaelogical site. Here we will have free time for wandering the market to interact with the many local artisans. The ruins of Pisaq, high above the modern town on the mountain, are one of the most important of the Sacred Valley.
Lodging: Cusco Tandapata Boutique Hotel *** or similar.
DAY 7: DEPARTURE TO PUNO (ROUTE OF THE SUN)
In the morning we will depart from the bus terminal and head towards Puno. This is a special journey by bus which allows us to visit the many diverse locations along the way on the route of the sun. There will we planned stops to visit the following:
- Andahuaylillas (the sistine chapel of the Americas; this temple is one of the best examples of the fusion between Catholic and Andean religions)
- Raqchi: A Inka temple dedicated to the god Wiracocha, construction of monumental dimensions, an estimated 100 meters long, 26m wide, 14m high. This is the only known temple dedicated to the God Wiracocha, creator of the Universe.
- La Raya: Midway point on our journey and highest point on the road – 4335 m.s.n.m. The impressive views here allow us to admire the rugged high altitude, full of tall peaks, many of which are snow-capped, and herds of llamas, alpacas and vicuñas. This is the geografic border between two cultures, the Quechua of Cusco and the Aymara of Puno.
- Pucara: This ceremonial center is one of the oldest and most important of the high plains, well known for its lithic structures and tombs.
Lodging: Royal Inn Puno *** or similar.
DAY 8: UROS (FLOATING ISLANDS) – AMANTANI ISLAND
A full day of boat excursion afloat Lake Titicaca. We will visit the ancient culture of the Uros and step foot on their floating islands. The islanders will give us a presentation about their lifestyle upon their man-made islands, built using the totora reed which grows among the shores of the lake. We will learn about their existence on these small islands and how they have adapted to its conditions.
Continuing across the lake we will arrive to the island of Amantani. Here we will meet the Quechua families that will offer us a cosy home-stay style lodging and prepare us traditional food for lunch. After lunch we will make the short ascent to the two hilltops of the island while observing the daily lifestyle of the local people. Atop of the island we will visit two ancient pre-Inka temples, Pachatata and Pachamama (father & mother cosmos). In the evening after dinner the community members will hold a small welcoming party for us.
Lodging: Amantani (HOME STAY)
DAY 9: TAQUILE – PUNO
After breakfast on Amantani we will board the boat again to make the short trip to the neighboring island of Taquile. Here we will ascend the beautiful stone paths to the community, a small and quite shy population, not to mention very hard-working and wise, a culture full of art and tradition. Taquiles’ people are cheerful and proud of their origen and culture, happy to share with us the beautiful atmosphere of island life upon the immense lake Titicaca.
Lodging: Royal Inn Puno *** or similar.
DAY 10: DEPARTURE DATE FROM JULIACA -PUNO
A brief transfer from Puno to the neighboring city of Juliaca. (End the tour)
What´s Included
INCLUDED:
- 08 night’s accommodations: 04 night in 3 stars hotels, 02 nigth in Hotel Lodge, 02 night in 04 stars hotel in Puno (Based in Double ocupation)
- 01 night at Amantani island with a home stay
- 09breakfasts.2 lunches.1 dinners
- All transportation.
- All transfers.
- Bus to Puno.
- Uros,Amantani,Takile tours.
- Turistic bus to Puno.
- Vistadome train to Machu Picchu (Round trip)
- tourist ticket
- Buses to Machu Picchu.
- All entrances in Cusco.
- Private guided tour in Machu Picchu.
- Entrances to Machu Picchu.
- Tour leader during whole trip
NOT INCLUDED:
- International& intra flights.
- Single suplement 400 USD
- Meals where are not stated
- Gratitudes
- Huayna Picchu entrance fee US$35
- Route of the sun entrance fee
- Travel Insurance – you are strongly recommended to take out travel insurance for the duration of your trip.
THINGS TO BRING:
- Original Passport
- Current University Card (if you are a student and want to qualify for the discount)
- Waterproof jacket / rain poncho
- Warm jacket
- T-shirts
- Comfortable Trousers
- Sun hat
- Sun cream (factor 35 or higher)
- Insect repellant
- Personal medication
- Camera and film
Availability
“CONFIRMED DATES FOR 2020”
Why Choose Us
WHY CHOOSE INKAYNI PERU TOURS ?
Inkayni Peru Tours has been working hard to become one of Peru’s most responsible tour operators. with Small Groups not more than 10 person. Since we operate all of our own treks we have complete control over the quality of our service. We want to make sure that you have a great experience on the Inca Trail, and our alternative trek to Machupicchu,
however it is also important that everyone involved in the operation of our treks is well treated and cared for and that the benefits brought by tourism are shared throughout the Peruvian communities. We now employ Local professional Peruvian guides (all bilingual), porters the majority of whom have worked with us for over 02 years. All of our porters are picked from one of three mountain villages: Amaru (in the mountains behind Pisac), Cuper Alto (a small community beside Lake Piuray near Chinchero). Since the beginning all of our porters have been issued with free sleeping bags, rain ponchos, backpacks and suitable shoes. All of our porters sleep in a communal tent which has a waterproof floor and they have access to any first aid equipment if necessary. Since the beginning we have provided free life insurance to ALL of our Inca Trail porters. Obviously we hope that the insurance won’t be needed but it should provide our porters and families with peace of mind. We don’t consider any of these items to be luxuries or anything special, we consider them to be the absolute minimum requirements for treating our porters fairly and like human beings. We cannot promise you that our porters are happy all of the time (they still have to work extremely hard for a living) but we can guarantee that our porters are well treated, fairly paid (in accordance with the Porters Law and requirements set down by the Ministry of Work) and have warm dry accommodation and plenty of nutritious hot meals to eat. Of course many other trekking companies will tell you this, but there are less than a handful of companies that genuinely care for their porters.
GROUP SIZE:
Small Groups from 2 – 12 people (could be 2, 4, 5 as maximum 12 people), a small group will make your experience different with a personalized attention depart of the whole team, where you can also enjoy the route according to its rate hike.
COMMUNITY PROJECTS:
In light of the communities where we were born and that saw us grow, laugh, and learn the wisdom of the Andes, most importantly the meaning of Ayni or “sacred reciprocity”, we appreciate our origins here and through our work we seek to support the communities that have supported us.
Inkayni Peru Tours is dedicated to promoting and organizing community projects within the Cusco region. Although tourism plays an important role in Peru´s economy and provides employment for many people, small communities are often denied the direct financial support of large scale commercial tourism.
Our first objectives within the family of Inkayni Tours through organizing community projects will include the distribution of educational materials for children, given that school systems in smaller communities can always use any extra support for the education of the youth. Another objective is to distribute warm clothing to the distant communities, especially those in high altitudes where winter temperatures can reach -15°C (5°F).
We hope that these ideas and many more projects to come may also be shared by large international tourism operators for the mutual and shared benefit of both locals and visitors.
