Itinerary
- Day 1
Cusco
An APT representative picks you up at Cusco airport and takes you to your hotel. Since you're arriving at high altitude (11,150 feet/3,400 meters), this day is about settling in. Rest if you need it, or if you're feeling okay, take a casual walk around Plaza de Armas and the colonial streets nearby to get your bearings.
Optional Activities
- Gentle stroll to Plaza de Armas and surrounding areas
Landmarks/POIs Plaza de Armas - Day 2
Sacred Valley to Sky Lodge
You'll spend the full day exploring Sacred Valley. First stop is Chinchero with its terraced hillsides, then Moray's circular ruins (really unusual formations), followed by the Maras salt mines where locals still harvest salt. After lunch, you reach Ollantaytambo fortress before heading to Pachar. Here's where it gets interesting: you'll rock climb up the mountain using a via-ferrata route (fixed ropes and metal steps) to reach Sky Lodge, a hanging capsule accommodation. Dinner happens in your capsule with valley views below.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Gourmet meal served in panoramic hanging capsule with views of the valley and night sky)
Included Activities
- Visit Chinchero archaeological complex with pre-Columbian walls and terraces
- Explore Moray circular ruins
- Visit Maras salt evaporation ponds
- Visit Ollantaytambo fortress
- Via-ferrata climbing ascent to Sky Lodge
- Gourmet dinner at Sky Lodge in hanging capsule
Optional Activities
- Lunch at buffet restaurant in Urubamba offering Peruvian and international foods
- Zip-line descent from Sky Lodge on departure
Landmarks/POIs Chinchero Moray Maras Salt Mines Ollantaytambo - Day 3
Sky Lodge to Aguas Calientes via Inca Trail
Morning starts with coffee and breakfast at Sky Lodge, then you zip-line downhill for roughly 2 hours back toward ground level. From there, head to Ollantaytambo station and catch the train to KM 104 where the Short Inca Trail begins. The hike climbs uphill for 3 hours through different elevations and vegetation. You'll reach Wiñay Wayna and eat a boxed lunch with mountain views. The final section is easier terrain leading to Sun Gate for your first view of Machu Picchu itself. Take the bus down to Aguas Calientes and settle into your hotel with dinner at a local restaurant.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Boxed lunch at Wiñay Wayna with views of mountains and orchids), Dinner (Dinner at local restaurant in Aguas Calientes)
Included Activities
- Zip-lining descent from Sky Lodge
- Short Inca Trail hike to Wiñay Wayna
- Visit to Wiñay Wayna archaeological site
- Sun Gate entrance to Machu Picchu
- Bus transfer to Aguas Calientes
Landmarks/POIs Wiñay Wayna Sun Gate Machu Picchu - Day 4
Machu Picchu to Cusco
An early bus gets you to Machu Picchu before most crowds arrive. Your guide leads a 2-hour walking tour covering the main structures and history. After that, you have free time to wander sections not included in the guided portion or just sit and take it in. Lunch happens down in Aguas Calientes, then you'll board the train back to Ollantaytambo and get driven by private transport to your Cusco hotel.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Guided walking tour of Machu Picchu
Optional Activities
- Climb Huayna Picchu mountain (USD $75 per person - reservation required in advance)
Landmarks/POIs Machu Picchu Huayna Picchu - Day 5
Cusco to Airport
After breakfast at your hotel, an APT representative meets you and transfers you to Cusco airport for your flight home or to your next destination.
- Meals
- Breakfast
