Capital of the vast Incan state, nexus of the ancestral world.
CUSCO ARCHEOLOGICAL SITES / Half day
Explore pre-Columbian sites outside of Cusco. Highlight of the day: the megaliths of Sacsayhuaman. This is one of the most spectacular Incan complexes, whose zigzagging walls are built with some of the largest stones found in Incan masonry. You’ll also visit the sacred bath of Tambomachay as well as the lunar and solar observatories of Kenko. You will be captivated by Andean astronomy and sacred geometry – the essence of Andean culture.
Meals: lunch or dinner
CUSCO CITY HIGHLIGHTS / Half day
Explore Cusco on foot. Coricancha – the main pre-Colombian Incan Temple, this cultural center boasts the Sun Temple, a masterpiece of precision. Centuries-old architecture– is combined with purist elegance modernity – you’ll be impressed! Stroll through the streets of Cusco, admiring the Incan walls, the Plaza de Armas, the main square and the artist district of San Blas. We will also stop by the colorful San Pedro local market. Visit the Chocolate Museo, the Pre-Colombian Art Museum or the Casa Concha manor, with fine Inca artifacts excavated by Hiram Bingham during his exploration of Machu Picchu. There is so much more to see…. maybe you have own ideas. Your guide will show you around con mucho gusto.
MACHU PICCHU / Fullday
from/to Cusco by HIRAM BINGHAM LUXURY TRAIN, FIRSTCLASS TRAIN or VISTADOME / ** Please note that we have to plan your Machu Picchu trip in advance **
Today you visit magnificent Machu Picchu, renown as a wonder of the world. Isolated among the mountain peaks, this awe-inspiring site carries sacred mathematical and scientific wisdom which is yet to be fully discovered. Explore important astronomical sites and revel in the beauty of the natural setting and ancient ruins. Your English-speaking private guide welcomes you to Aguas Calientes. Their comprehensive local knowledge rounds off a special day.
Meals: lunch, dinner
TIPON / Half day
Another one of the most important and beautiful architectural complexes found in the vicinity of Cusco. The Tipon Archaeological Park consists of wide agricultural terraces irrigated by a network of water channels fed by a natural spring. Several surrounding ruins have been excavated and many more are visible below the soil. It was an important and major masterpiece where water was treated with care and respect.
Meals: picnic
ANDAHUAYLILLAS, RAQCHI & PIKILLIAQTA / Full day
One of the best kept secrets of Cusco is the Temple of San Pedro de Andahuaylillas, also known as “the Sistine Chapel of America”. This amazing and renowned temple is located at the picturesque little Plaza de Armas in the village of Andhuaillas around 35km from the city of Cusco. It was built by the Jesuits in 1580. What is most impressive is the space behind its facade, where you will find incredible and inspirational religious art pieces, like paintings, sculptures and carvings of Baroque inspiration. The church is made from blocks of stone from the ancient Incan temple, previously built on the same site.
Natives were forced by the Jesuits to paint their religious motifs on ceilings and walls. Even today, you can admire the very well preserved art of painting as a historical testimony of oppression.
RAQCHI
: 
an archaeological site with a wealth of constructions such as aqueducts, colcas and enclosures from pre-Incan civilization. The remains of the Wiracocha temples form a unique construction among the Incan architecture with a rectangular base of 92m long by 25m wide. It features an enormous central wall (almost 12m tall). Here, you’ll also find 150 colcas (food storage buildings) in which an immense amount of food was stored.
PIKILLIAKTA:
once one of the most important Wari administrative centers between the 6th and 9th centuries. The excellence of urban planning, following the classic Wari concept with an almost perfect and harmonious geometrical plan. The buildings, courts and squares feature basic rectangular shapes. The buildings are made of non-carved stones with mortar and are organized into separated clusters by straight streets and surrounding walls (almost 12m high) that create the appearance of a fort.
Meals: picnic
PISCO TASTING / 1-2 hours / evening
Get ready for an incredibly educational drinking experience at the Pisco tasting at the Pisco Museum in Cusco. The shelves in the bar are fully stocked with different varieties of Pisco and various infusions made in house.
Pisco is Peru’s national drink made from 100% pure, carefully selected grapes.
“We’ll be impressed if you can have more than one drink at 12,000 feet without seriously feeling it!”