Cusco Close Up 7 days - Full Itinerary

Day 1
Lima/Cusco
Upon arrival in Cusco you will be transferred to your selected hotel. We suggest taking an early flight, so you can see as much as you can on your first day in Cusco!

Once you have freshened up, your guide will meet you for a three hour City tour that gives you a great orientation to the city of Cusco, so you can get a feel for the principal sites and areas of interest! This is a gentle walking tour, suitable for all fitnesses.

The tour will start with a pickup at your hotel (so the order of visits may vary depend on where your hotel is).  Principal sites to visit are the Coricancha and the Cathedral.  The Coricancha (the golden enclosure) was the most important religious centre in Inca times. Nowadays it is also the Santo Domingo Convent. Your tour will explore both Inca history and the history of the conquest.   From here, we will visit The Cathedral, in which the first stone was placed in 1560. This marvel of the religious art possesses approximately 300 paintings of the Cusqueña School.
Depending on your interests, you will also visit:

• Plaza de Armas of Cusco
• Barrio San  Blas
• Plaza Kusipata and Plaza San Francisco
• San Pedro Market.
• Prominent weaving houses.

As 3 hours is a short period of time it will be unlikely that you will visit all of these sites during your tour. If you wish to visit all of these sites, you should consider a 5 hour tour, or even a full day.
Notes
This tour does not include flights from Lima to Cusco. We can organise these for you on request. Please ask your Apus Peru travel consultant for more information and costs.

Hotel Cusco
Standard: Andenes al Cielo or Andariego
Standard Plus: Casa San Blas or Second Home Cusco
Deluxe: Inkaterra La Casona or Casa Cartagena

Day 2
Sacsayhuaman/Cusco
You will start early, being picked up from your hotel in transferred to the spectacular fortress ruins of Sacsayhuaman above the city. Here you have the choice of mounting up on local horses or continuing by vehicle to TamboMachay, PucaPucara, the Temple of the Moon and then to Q’enqo.  The morning concludes with a guided visit to the impressive Sacsayhuaman with views across Cusco.  Our flexible itinerary allows you to walk down from Sacsayhuaman to Cusco (an interesting walk that helps in acclimatization for trekkers) or take private transport.
Note: 
You have two options on this day - a horseriding tour of the Four Ruins or a tour with vehicles (it’s a very similar tour, however we do recommend the horse riding tour)
This tour finishes around one o'clock, leaving you with the remainder of the day to enjoy Cusco.
Hotel Cusco
Standard: Andenes al Cielo or Andariego
Standard Plus: Casa San Blas or Second Home Cusco
Deluxe: Inkaterra La Casona or Casa Cartagena

Day 3
Cusco/Chinchero/ Maras-Moray/ Ollantaytambo
On this day you are going to travel to Chinchero and then hike down to the Sacred Valley via the awesome circular shapes at Moray, and the colours at Salineras.
Please see the itinerary description here
http://www.apus-peru.com/treks/shapes_past.htm
Once arriving in the Sacred Valley we will continue on to Ollantaytambo, with its' impressive Inca fortress that guarded the entry of this part of the valley and protected it from possible invasion from the lower jungles. The fortress consists of a series of superimposed terraces of carved stones accessed by long staircases. The design of Ollantaytambo village and the majority of its foundations date from the Inca era when it was a strategic military, religious, and agricultural center. We have time to stroll in the quaint streets after settling in at our quaint lodge in this village. In the evening we will might visit a local chicheria.
Hotel Ollantaytambo
Standard: El Albergue, Standard Room   
Standard Plus: El Albergue, Superior room   
Deluxe: Tambo del Inka or Sol y Luna  (both located in Urubamba, not in Ollantaytambo)

Day4:
Ollantaytambo/ Typical Weaving Villages
Today is likely to be one of the most memorable of your tour, as you visit  a remote Weaving Village where Threads of Peru works.
http://www.apus-peru.com/treks/inca_traditions.html
**ALL NEW – working with the people of the village of Rumira Sondormayo, Apus Peru and its partner NGO Threads of Peru, are working with the villagers to develop rustic homestays in this village.  If you are interested in being part of this project, by either donating funds for new sheets or blankets, or being “guinea pigs” (ie trial guests) please let us know. **
Hotel Ollantaytambo
Standard: El Albergue, Standard Room   
Standard Plus: El Albergue, Superior room   
Deluxe: Tambo del Inka or Sol y Luna  (both located in Urubamba, not in Ollantaytambo)

Day 5
Aguas Calientes/ Machu Picchu
Our start is not too early, as we join the train to Machu Picchu in Ollantaytambo, halfway through its' journey to Machu Picchu. After arriving in Aguas Calientes, we take a bus to ascend to the famous "The Lost City of the Incas," rediscovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911. This citadel is considered one of the most extraordinary examples of landscape architecture in the world. It straddles a mountain ridge surrounded by lush tropical forest. We will have a guided tour that includes the Main Square, the Royal Quarters, the Temple of the Three Windows, the Circular Towers, the Sacred Sun Dial and Burial Grounds. In the afternoon you have free time to further explore this ancient city before heading down to Aguas Calientes (either by bus or walking) where we recommend a soak in the hot springs.
Hotel Aguas Calientes
Standard: La Payacha Hostal   
Standard Plus: Gringo Bills, Rupa Wasi or La Cabaña    
Deluxe: Inkaterra Machu Pueblo Hotel, Hotel Sumaq,  Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge (the only hotel with views of Machu Picchu.

Day 6
Machu Picchu/Cusco
You will not have a guide on this day but we recommend an early rise to admire Machu Picchu at sunrise, a truly mystical experience. For hiking enthusiasts, going up the Huayna Picchu peak overlooking the site is suggested. Afternoon rail coach transportation to Cusco.
Upon arrival we will transfer you back to your Cusco hotel.
Hotel Cusco
Standard: Andenes al Cielo or Andariego
Standard Plus: Casa San Blas or Second Home Cusco
Deluxe: Inkaterra La Casona or Casa Cartagena

Day 7
Cusco/Lima
After breakfast, you will have the opportunity for some last minute souvenir shopping or a stroll around Cusco’s atmospheric streets.    At a pre organised time, you will be transferred to Cusco airport and assisted on your departure flight to Lima.

Note:

• If you have an international connection, please make sure you allow enough time between your local flight arriving and your international flights departure.

OPTIONAL ITINERARY ONE
Day 5
Return to Cusco in the evening
Day 6
Unique South Valley Cultural experience
http://www.apus-peru.com/treks/wari_al_fresco.html
(or any of our other very unique one day tours
Day 7
As per original itinerary.

Itinerary notes

• this is an example itinerary only, this can be shortened by one day or altered to meet your needs.
• this itinerary can be extended to include airport pickups and transfers, a city tour and accomodation in Lima, if required. You an also chose to extend your holiday in Peru to visit the Amazon jungle at Puerto Maldonado. Please ask us for more information or ask to see a sample itinerary

Types of tour - description of standards of accomodation.

STANDARD

• Full private service (ie all driven transport and transfers are private.
• Qualified Bilingual guide (English/Spanish)
• 3 star hotels – we choose our hotels for their overall quality but also try to pick places with an attractive local atmosphere, and plenty of charm.
• If trekking, you receive the standard trekking service.
• Meals as described.  These will be general “Menu” style meals – soup, and a main course with a cup of tea.  Any extra beverages are not included.
• Apus Peru’s Standard Service on all tours is a high quality service that provides a good level of comfort.

STANDARD PLUS

• As listed above
• Includes Vistadome Train, instead of Expedition Service
• Includes meals at nicer restaurants, eg.  Indio feliz in Aguas Calientes and also Tinkuy Buffet Restaurant at Machu Picchu
• Accommodation is the other substantial difference, with nicer 3 star hotels that have plenty of charm, and are generally considered top of their class.

Deluxe

• As listed in Standard Plus
• We offer you the opportunity to take the beautiful Hiram Bingham Train service (at extra cost)
• The most beautiful, luxurious and also famous hotels in the region.  Indulge!

hat is included?

• All transport in private vehicle
• Accommodation in the hotels as described
• Activities as described
• English/Spanish/Quechua speaking guide
• Meals as described
• Entry fees.

What is not included?

• Breakfast on the first morning.
• Tips for the guide, and driver.

 

AVAILABLE DISCOUNTS (these discounts are not cumulative

• Students: US$ 30.00 (students require a valid International Student Identity Card. Please beware that Youth Travel Cards are not valid)
• Teenagers: US$ 20.00 (up to 15 years of age, passport copy required for all bookings)
• Children: US$ 45.00 (up to 10 years of age, passport copy required for all bookings)

TO MAKE A BOOKING

Please visit our Make a Booking page.

You will need to email us to check availability, receive booking forms and then make your deposit. For our payment conditions and booking please refer to our Make a Booking page. * For organisational reasons, we require one week to organise your booking, prior to departure.