Fascinating Tour to Machu Picchu and majestic Lake Titicaca
Machu Picchu & Lake Titicaca: Visit the legendary Inca ruins of Sacred Valley, stopping along the way to bargain at colorful Indian markets. Choose to do a weaving lesson to learn the basic structure of weaving. Explore the town of Cusco, an architectural jewel, full of Inca and colonial history. And continue on by rail to unrivaled, Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas. Lake Titicaca is one of the Andes’ most impressive natural wonders. Meet the indigenous Uros people of the floating islands on Lake Titicaca.
Detailed Itinerary:
Day 1 – Arrival to Cusco at any time
Upon arrival; reception and transfer to your Hotel – free time to take a leisurely walk around the ancient capital of the Incas or to acclimatize to the high altitude setting – Overnight in Cusco Hotel
Meals: None
Day 2 – Cusco City Sightseeing Tour
At the scheduled time picked up from your hotel. You will visit the Temple of the Sun, Santo Domingo Convent and, The Cathedral and its Cuzqueño paintings, as well as the 4 main Inca sites that include Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo , Puca Pucara and Tambomachay – Overnight in Cusco Hotel
Meals: Breakfast
Day 3 – Native Inca Textile Tradition in Taucca Local Community – Chinchero – Moray – Salineras
Pick up from your hotel, this day we will visit a local community of Taucca, where we will learn about the dyeing and weaving process. The journey begins from Cusco with a scenic view to Piuray Lake, once we arrive to the local community we will be good welcomed with a multicolored native flowers, here we will see how the local women use the natural plants, roots, seeds, leaves and insects to dye the alpaca wool, there you can choose to do a weaving lesson to learn the basic structure of weaving. After our transport will take us to the Inca agricultural experimental center of Moray, famous for its sunken amphitheater, made up of four circular terraces, which appear to disappear into the earth like an artificial crater. The site was apparently an Inca agricultural research station designed for experimenting with crops at various altitudes. Before to continue our journey we will enjoy our picnic lunch, time to relax and continue to the impressive Maras salt pools formed by water emerging from the ground, here we will learn about ancestral techniques, which are still used, in agricultural, irrigation and salt-recollection tasks, as well as in Andean festivals and rites. Finally our transport will take us back to Cusco – Overnight in Cusco Hotel
Meals: Breakfast
Day 4 – Sacred Valley Tour: Pisac Inca Site and Market – Ollantaytambo Fortress
You will first visit Awana kancha to appreciate the magnificence of the Peruvian Andes and its South American cameloids, then you will visit Pisac, a scenic town, where you can see their local market and the archaeological site, your next destinations will be the remains of Ollantaytambo Fortress – From here we will take the train to Aguas Calientes. Upon arrival assistance and transfer to your hotel – Overnight in Aguas Calientes Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 5 – Machu Picchu Tour – Back to Cusco
Excursion to Machu Picchu from Aguas Calientes, short ride (25 minutes) up to the citadel of Machu Picchu. Upon arrival, and you will participate in a guided tour, visiting the Main Plaza, the Circular Tower, the most important preserved Intihuatana, the Royal Quarters, the Temple of the Three Windows.
Optional climb to Huayna Picchu Mountain; from where you can appreciate the immensity of Machu Picchu, even more amazing being high and distant (not included in the price):
In the afternoon you will take the train back to Cusco. Upon arrival reception and transfer to your Hotel – Overnight in Cusco Hotel
Meals: Breakfast
Day 6 – Direct Bus Cusco to Puno
At the scheduled time you will be picked from your hotel and transferred to the bus terminal from where you will board the direct bus to Puno, this direct bus journey will take approx 7 hours to get Puno, in the middle of the way the bus will stop in Pucara village around 15 minutes more or less, here you can buy some hamburger or coffee, then continue. Upon arrival to Puno, assistance and transfer to your hotel – Overnight in Puno Hotel
Meals: Breakfast
Day 7 – Lake Titicaca Tour: Uros Floating Islands and Taquile
This full day tour to the Islands of Uros and Taquile; you will be picked up from your hotel to go on board to our boat travel on Lake Titicaca. First we are going to visit Uros, on this Island the natives knit the reeds together to form an organic mat in order to grow thicker reeds. After spending an hour at the Island of Uros, you will proceed to the Island of Taquile. Here you will notice that the locals speak Quechua instead of the predominant Aymara. After lunch, the boat will take you back to Puno – Overnight in Puno Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 8 – Puno Depart – by Flight to Lima or head to La Paz by bus
At the scheduled time you will be picked up from your hotel and transferred to Juliaca Airport or to the bus station to continue your trip to La Paz.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
