Peru’s Sacred Valley, Cuzco, and Machu Picchu

Transfer to the airport for our flight from Lima to Cuzco, and immediately drive down to the Urubamba Valley where we will have lunch. 

In the afternoon, move on to the massive Inka fortress of Ollantaytambo, located at the western edge of the Sacred Valley and built to guard travelers on the road along the Urubamba River. Built on the side of an immense mountain, colossal terraces cascade down the slope with fortified gates and guardhouses further protecting the citadel. During the 1400s Inka Pachacuti used the area as his personal estate and ceremonial center, and it served as the last stronghold of Inka Manco Yupankqui, leader of the Inka resistance against the Spanish. Today, Ollantaytambo town still has residents living in houses built on Inka foundations. As we stroll, we will see immense stone entryways opening into wide courtyards that are the homes of local inhabitants. Don’t miss the complex system created by the Inka to bring water to the residents and agricultural fields. 

Our hotel for tonight is the Hotel Pakaritampu in the outskirts of Ollantaytambo, where a series of bungalows are surrounded by original Inka agricultural terracing and with sweeping views over the gorgeous landscape. (B/L/D)

This morning, we board the train to Machu Picchu, the fabled lost city of the Inka. This beautiful mountaintop city might have been constructed as a royal palace complex for the emperor Pachacuti and his family in the early 15th century and appears to have been an important spiritual and ceremonial location.  It was never found by the Spanish conquerors and was unknown to outsiders until 1911 when a local farmer showed the city to the explorer, Hiram Bingham.  

Spend the afternoon exploring this magnificent site. Overnight at the Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel in Aguas Calientes, set in the lush rainforest filled with blooming orchids and bromeliads and with delightful bungalows scattered along the Urubamba River. (B/L/D)

Sunrise through the jungle mist awaits as we return to Machu Picchu this morning. Hikers may choose to climb to the top of Huayna Picchu*, the towering granite peak that overlooks Machu Picchu for a spectacular view of the ruins. Near the top of the mountain, pass through ancient terraces so inaccessible and so narrow that they were probably not used for agricultural purposes, but instead were ornamental gardens to be admired from the city below. Alternatively, walk a portion of the Inka trail, Qhapaq Ñan, to the Sun Gate.

We return to Aguas Calientes for lunch and some explorations of the town before boarding the train back to Ollantaytambo and returning to the Hotel Pakaritampu for two nights. (B/L/D) 

*At least six-months-notice is required to secure entrance for this hike. 

Today we will visit some of the most fascinating sites in Peru. Begin at Maras where a series of pools cascades down a bluff creating saltpans that have existed since pre-Inka times and are still actively used. Our leader, who studied Maras, will give us an updated interpretation of this interesting site. 

Next is Moray where impressively deep terracing creates what may be a pre-historic experimental farming station. Different levels of concentric terraces were carved into a huge earthen bowl here, and each layer has its own microclimate. 

Located in a high valley, Chinchero is a graceful, traditional Andean village encircled by lush farming terraces. A massive stone wall with ten trapezoidal niches borders the main plaza and overlooking the square is an early 17th-century adobe church, Nuestra Senora de Montserrat, standing on the remains of an imperial Inka royal palace. Both the exterior and interior walls are emblazoned with charming floral and religious designs applied in the late 1600s, protected by an intricate Islamic-style Mudejar ceiling. The vestiges of edifices and the still-standing agricultural terraces (which are still in use) suggest that Chinchero was used by the Inka royalty as a country retreat. Chinchero’s markets are held in the shadow of the church within the central plaza and are one of the best places in the entire valley for Andean textiles. Spend time bartering for crafts before enjoying a private weaving demonstration before returning to Ollantaytambo. (B/L/D)

Drive across the Sacred Valley this morning to Yucay, widely regarded as one of the most beautiful towns in the Andean World. During Inka times, Yucay was the residence of the emperors Huayna Cápac and Sayri Túpac. It remained important for the Spaniards during colonial times due to its strategic location and fertile lands. 

In the afternoon we transfer to Cuzco, the capital of the Inka Empire, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the first seat of power for the conquering Spaniards. Here we will spend four nights at the Novotel Hotel. The afternoon is free to explore the town and acclimate to the higher elevation (11,152 feet). (B/L/D)

Spend today exploring Cuzco. Begin at the Cathedral that was built on the site of the Inka palace of Virakocha and contains an altar of solid silver. See Santa Domingo Church, built on the walls of the Inka Temple of the Sun, and Qorikancha, the most magnificent complex in pre-conquest Cuzco. When first seen by the Spanish, the walls were covered in sheets of gold studded with emeralds and turquoise. The windows were constructed so that the sun would enter and cast a near-blinding reflection of golden light off the precious interior. In the afternoon we visit two of Cuzco’s newest and most stimulating museums. The Museum of Pre-Columbian Art, a branch of Lima’s Rafael Larco Museum, is housed within a 15th-century Inka palace that later became the mansion of the Spanish conqueror, Alonso Díaz. The collection contains 450 extraordinary artifacts dating from 1250 BC to 1532 AD. The nearby Casa Concha Museum contains artifacts designed to trace Peruvian history from pre-Inka civilizations and Inka culture, including the impact of the Conquest and colonial times on the native cultures. On view are ceramics, textiles, jewelry, mummies, architectural models, and an interesting collection – reputed to be the world’s largest – of Inka drinking vessels, or qeros, carved out of wood, many meticulously painted. If available, we will meet with the museum director for a private tour.

We conclude the day at the Pisco Museum, dedicated to the production and history of pisco, a grape brandy that holds significant cultural and historical importance in Peru. During our tour, we will learn about the process of pisco production, from the cultivation of grapes to the distillation and aging of the spirit and enjoy a tasting of different varieties. (B/L/D)

Today we explore two important Inka sites with the opportunity to meet archaeologists at each. Begin at the city of Pisaq, nestled amidst the breathtaking Urubamba River valley, where fine stone masonry buildings have stood the test of time and demonstrate the architectural prowess of the Inkas. 

After lunch, we stop at Saksaywaman, a huge fortress constructed on an artificially leveled mountaintop overlooking Cuzco. It consists of three outer defenses of colossal walls, and according to early Spanish chroniclers, was said to be a Royal House of the Sun. If on site, Dr. Alexei Vranich will meet with the group to talk about his work here.

This evening we will enjoy a traditional dance performance at Centro Qosqo in Cuzco before dinner on our own. (B/L)

This morning we will first visit Tipon, where we see how the Inka managed water systems and created a sacred water culture. Continue to Pikillaqta, a pre-Inka urban center for the Wari culture in the 6th to 12th centuries.  A hydraulic system of canals, reservoirs, and aqueducts has been excavated here, which provided water for irrigation for the cultivation of maize. Maize was important to the Wari and was painted on pottery along with deities and other supernatural figures.

After lunch, we move on to the churches and fantastic murals of Huaro and Andahuaylillas. We end the day at Rumiqolqa to examine this quarry and the meaning of stone types that were used to unfree labor under the Inkas.

Return to Cuzco in the late afternoon in time to enjoy our farewell dinner at an elegant local restaurant. (B/L/D)

Transfer to the airport for our return flight to Lima. Upon arrival, venture to the city center for lunch at one of Lima’s exceptional restaurants. Then we will visit Huaca Pucllana, an important ceremonial and administrative center dominated by an immense adobe and clay pyramid now encircled by Lima.  

Our final stop is Lima’s Museo Oro del Perú, the renowned gold Museum, where rooms are overflowing with treasures from the many cultures that populated Peru for more than three thousand years. For Peru’s pre-Columbian societies, gold was the symbol of the Sun and Inti the sun god. As we examine the displays, we can easily visualize the opulence of these civilizations. From a cloak made of tiny fragments of the gleaming metal that was worn by a Lambayeque priest; to an intricate covering that once adorned an entire wall of Chan Chan, the capital of the Chimú; from precious metal sculptures to the ear ornaments a Wari queen wore to her grave; to the celebrated golden Tumi, or ornamental knife that is the symbol of Peru; this massive collection is staggering. 

Return to the airport in the late afternoon for international departures back home. Those continuing on the Nazca Lines post-trip extension will overnight at the Costa del Sol Airport Hotel. (B/L)

Arrive home.

Traveling south and paralleling the ocean along the Pacific Highway, we stop at the Regional Museum of Ica, housing an excellent collection of Paracas textiles and Nazca ceramics, as well as various models of the Nazca lines. Also displayed are quipus, knotted strings used by the Inkas as a writing system. 

Continue to Paracas and the Paracas Hacienda Hotel, our beachside home for the next two nights. (B/L/D)

This morning, we board a small plane to fly over the famous Nazca Lines. Visible best from the air, the huge images are of animals and enigmatic “lines”. 

In the afternoon, we will tour Paracas National Reserve, where over 100 archaeological sites have been identified, many of them of the Paracas culture, who are known especially for their textile crafts. 

Return to our resort this afternoon with free time to relax and enjoy the pool. (B/L/D)

In the morning, enjoy an optional boat tour to the Ballestas Islands, a wildlife haven home to marine creatures such as Humboldt penguins, Guanay cormorants, and sea lions.  

Our final stop is the remarkable archaeological site of Tambo Colorado, a lovely Inka complex situated amidst the picturesque landscapes of the Andes. Here, rectangular buildings built of adobe enclose a large, trapezoidal plaza, and in the center sits the remains of an Ushnu, a wide throne platform common at Inka administrative centers. Within the mud walls, ornamented with painted bands of white, red, and yellow, can be seen elaborate latticework, niches, and corbeled arches. 

Transfer back to Lima and to the airport for our flights home. (B/L)

Arrive home.