08 Day Cusco & Machu Picchu and Puno “Southern Treasures”

• Explore the best of Southern Treasures Peru in 8 days with the cultural heritage that the Incas have left behind and that covers the main touristic attractions of Cusco, and Puno including the Machu Picchu Citadel.
• Enjoy the phenomenal views of the Andes Mountains during the Sacred Valley Tour and visit the most important sites of the Inca civilization, such as Chinchero, Moray, Maras, Pisac, and Ollantaytambo.
• Travel with comfort and safety in a touristic bus from Cusco to Puno through the Route of the Sun, stopping at Andahuaylillas, Raqchi, and Pucara to admire their colonial art and pre-Inca architecture.
• Experience the full-day Lake Titicaca Tour on a speedboat and visit the floating islands of Uros and Taquile, where you can interact with local communities and learn about their traditions and customs.
• Discover the 08 days Cultural Tour of Cusco, Machu Picchu, and Puno “Lake Titicaca“, which combines history, culture, and nature supported with the assistance of a local tour operator with years of experience and expertise in organizing tours in Peru.

ITINERARY 08-DAY SOUTHERN TREASURES CUSCO, MACHU PICCHU AND PUNO

DAY 1: CUSCO “NAVEL OF THE WORLD”

Our 8-Day Cusco and Machu Picchu “Southern Treasures” starts with your arrival to the City of Cusco, where an Inkayni Peru Tours member will be there to greet you and take you to our partner lodge, located in the charming historic neighborhood of San Blas. The lodge is centrally located and only a few minutes walk from the Main Square “Plaza de Armas”, the beautiful and bustling town center. This day will be reserved for resting and acclimatizing to the altitude, approximately 3400 meters (11,000 feet).

Meet your expedition group at 5:00 pm

• Lodging: Ayni Cusco Hotel *** or similar.

DAY 2: SACRED VALLEY  (CHINCHERO – MORAY – SALT MINES)

This day we will begin our adventure up to the high plains, stopping first at Chinchero, an important ancient site for the Inca, known as the birthplace of the rainbow. We will visit the main site with its picturesque colonial church of Chinchero located upon the ancient archaeological site and continue to a local textile center where we will learn about the ancient science of weaving from the very artisans themselves and how they bring to magic these wonderful pieces of art dyed with minerals, plants, and seeds.

Continuing through the rolling hills we will visit the enigmatic circular terraces of Moray where we will learn about how these constructions served as an experimental agricultural center to selectively cultivate the best breeds of Andean staple crops at different temperatures.  Near Moray, we will stop at the town of Maras to then visit the ancient salt mines of Maras, used for thousands of years by local families to supply salt not only to the Incas but still to this day offering us an example of the natural art of salt harvesting straight from the land.

In the afternoon, we will travel to Ollantaytambo and board our train to Aguas Calientes for our visit to Machu Picchu.

• Lodging: Golden Sunrise Hotel *** or similar

DAY 3: MACHU PICCHU

Today we will wake early to have breakfast and board the bus up to Machu Picchu, and, if we are lucky, receive the first rays of the sun as dawn breaks and lights up this magical mountain. Your guide will be with you at every moment to inform you about the site and answer any questions. The guided tour through the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu will last roughly 2 to 3 hours. Later we will begin our return to Aguas Calientes for lunch and rest at your hotel.

• Lodging: Golden Sunrise Hotel *** or similar

DAY 4: RETURN TO PISAQ – AWANANCANCHA

Continuing with our 8-day Southern Treasures trip with Cusco, Machu Picchu and Puno, today in the afternoon we will arrive at Ollantaytambo and continue onwards to the town of Pisaq, offering us a spectacular encounter with the engineering of the Incas demonstrated by mountainsides full of terraces and buildings on steep hillsides and high peaks. As we journey to the top of this mountain the heights will offer us the best views of the Sacred Valley below. Later we will return to the town of Pisaq and visit the local artisan market of craftsmen, complete with products of all kinds, offering you everything from weavings to musical instruments and all sorts of souvenirs.

After completing our visit to the market we will aboard our transportation back to Cusco. Along the way, we will stop at Awanacancha, the weaving center, and also an opportunity to meet the Andean species of camels, such as alpaca, llama, vicuña, and guanaco, as we continue to dive deeper into the science of weaving and appreciate this hand-made art by Andean women.

• Lodging: Ayni Cusco Hotel *** or similar

DAY 5: OPEN DAY AT LEISURE, TIME TO RELAX IN CUSCO CITY

Into our package Southern Treasures Cusco, Machu Picchu, and Puno 8D/7N, this day is yours, you can visit a walk in the city or book day tours with us. Also, you can ask for the following day trips to your tour guide or to Inkayni Peru Tours.

• City Tour
• River Rafting in Vilcanota River
• Horse Riding in Saqsayhuaman Park
• Zip Line in the Sacred Valley
• ATV’s in Killarumiyoc

Lodging: Ayni Cusco Hotel ***  or similar

DAY 6: 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 be planned stops to visit the following:

• Andahuaylillas (Also known as 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 the 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 we will observe herds of llamas, alpacas, and vicuñas. This is the geographic 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: Qalasaya Puno Hotel*** or similar.

DAY 7: UROS (FLOATING ISLANDS) – TAQUILE ISLAND

Between 7:40 am and 8 am we will transfer you from the hotel to the port and by motorboat, we take you to one of the legendary Uros Islands where you can observe the lives of the Uros people who live on floating reed islands, some only 20 meters in length. The islanders will give us a presentation on their lifestyle on these islands made by the hand of man, built with totora reeds that grow on the shores of the lake. We will learn about their existence on these small islands and how they have adapted to these conditions.

After a beautiful 2hr and half boat ride we reach Taquile Island. The people of Taquile are very cooperative and well organized. It is the reason that the Taquileños have demonstrated their high degree of advancement in the Textileria “textiles”, receiving its award by the UNESCO. It should be noted that spinning and weaving are mainly done by men, starting at the age of eight years. Women only make yarns and fabrics. Life in Taquile is still largely unchanged by modernity. The visit will be an average of 2 hours, and 1 hour you will have to taste a delicious typical lunch.

Finally, we will continue to make our way towards the city of Puno, arriving at 17:00 hours.

• Lodging: Qalasaya Puno Hotel*** or similar.

DAY 8: PUNO – JULIACA – FLY TO LIMA

A brief transfer from Puno to the neighboring city of Juliaca to board your flight back to Lima.

(End of tour 8-day Southern Treasures Cusco, Machu Pichu, and Puno).

Our package 8-Day Southern Treasures, includes the following:

• 7 night’s accommodations 3 stars hotels.
• 7 breakfasts, 2 lunches and 2 dinners.
• All transportation.
• All transfers.
• Bus to Puno.
• Uros, Amantani tours.
• Touristic bus to Puno.
• 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 the whole trip

Our package 8-Day Southern Treasures, does not include:

• International flights.
• Intra-flights. (Lima- Cusco / Juliaca- Lima).
• Single Supplement US$300
• Meals where are not stated
• Gratitudes
• Huayna Picchu entrance fee US$85
• 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

PACKING LIST

Sturdy shoes, a good raincoat, and warm layers for the evening are the only essential items. Bring comfortable and modest clothes for the time in Cusco. There is no need to bring a sleeping bag or any gear as you’ll be staying in lodges throughout the expedition.

Documents and Logistics:

• International flights booked and confirmed to Cusco
• Flight information submitted
• Passport valid through the end of the trip (*Passport and entry receipt must be carried at all times during expedition!)
• Medical insurance card
• Cash for tipping guides, buying souvenirs, incidental costs, etc. (*Note: Please bring crisp US bills. Many places will not accept torn, wrinkled, or worn bills)