Cusco Classic + Manu Itinerary 7D/6N:
Day 1: Pick up at Cusco Airport – City Tour
At the airport our tour guide will be waiting for you to take you to your accommodation, where you will have time to rest and get ready for the City Tour in the afternoon.
At the airport our tour guide will be waiting for you to take you to your accommodation, where you will have time to rest and get ready for the City Tour in the afternoon.
Cathedral of Cusco or Basilica of the Virgin of the Assumption: This is the main catholic temple of the capital; whose space was initially an important Inca temple dedicated to the god Wiracocha. This place has been declared Cultural Heritage of Peru due to the diversity of sculptures, paintings, archeology, artistic and architectural works.
Temple of Qoricancha: Also called Templo del Sol or Recinto Dorado, although the latter name was due to the gold coating that was looted in the Colony, this was the most important religious precinct for the Incas; however, by imposition, it was left under the construction of the Santo Domingo Convent.
Sacsayhuamán: Known for being an important Inca ceremonial fortress, built with huge rocks that exceed 100 tons. The Inti Raymi or Festival of the Sun is celebrated in this place.
Qenqo or Labyrinth: It is a place that mythologically unites life and death and consists of a series of tunnels intertwined in a monolith, which also contains channels carved in a zigzag pattern.
Puca Pucara: It is an old military zone formed by reddish stones that gave it the name of Red Fortress, structured by walls, platforms, terraces and others, which among its natural scenery offer a beautiful view.
Tambomachay or Resting Place: The archaeological zone includes a structure of canals and rocky aqueducts that still function and in ancient times worshiped water.
Main Square: The end of this day is with this Historical Monument of Peru, declared by UNESCO as Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
After an afternoon full of discovery and connection with history, rest at the lodge and get ready for another day of excitement.
Day 2: Cusco – Sacred Valley of the Incas – Cusco
Our Guru Explorers guide will pick you up around 7:30 – 8:00, after breakfast. The first stop on the route will be the Mirador de Taray, where you have the best panoramic view of the Sacred Valley, its villages, archaeological ruins and snow-capped mountains.
Then you will discover the marvel of the Intihuatana Archaeological Park or Pisac Ruins, a fortified citadel with cultivation terraces, military zone and the Intihuatana ceremonial center where we will also visit the Temple of the Sun. Then we will visit the town of Pisac, where you can buy handicrafts or products of great handicraft value in the local market.
We continue the route to Urubamba, to enjoy a delicious lunch (vegan and vegetarian food available). After the break, we will take the road to Ollantaytambo where we will start knowing the archaeological site and then connect with the magic and colorful Inca Living City, which preserves the ancestral way of life.
We end our tour with a visit to Chinchero, where you will visit a textile center and learn more about the textile techniques used by the Incas and the artisanal processing of wool.
Day 3: Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – Cusco
The day starts early when we pick you up at your accommodation in Cusco and take you to the train station in Ollantaytambo. Outside the station you will find local stalls where you can buy everything from food (breakfast) to souvenirs. The train to Aguas Calientes takes about 1 hour 45 minutes. Once there, our representative and guide will be waiting for you outside the train station.
The tour in the Inca Citadel takes you to discover the almost 200 iconic tourist attractions of the Sacred City, distributed in temples, squares, water fountains, monuments and residences; not to mention its natural spaces full of grandeur and spirituality.
Being a private tour to the citadel of Machu Picchu, the times will be managed at your pace, where apart from taking the best pictures of the place, you can appreciate and enjoy the majesty of the Inca empire.
Back in Aguas Calientes, you can enjoy lunch if you wish, go to the hot springs or visit this picturesque place that can only be reached on foot or by train.
Finally, we will return by train to Ollantaytambo and then take a private transport to Cusco around 20:00.
Day 4 Cusco – Manu
At dawn, you leave Cusco for the Peruvian Amazon, making a first stop in Oropesa, the Bread Capital of the World, where you can taste its famous Chuta bread.
Immediately we will observe the Huacarpay Lagoon, which exhibits a diversity of birds such as the White Heron or Wakar in Quechua.Continuing through the Sacred Valley, the next stop is Paucartambo, center of the ancient Inca routes. Heading to the Amazonian forest, we will ascend to the summit of Acjanaco and entrance to the Manu National Park. On this journey you enjoy the change of scenery and temperature.
Once you arrive at this Natural World Heritage Site and Manu Biosphere Reserve, we will have lunch, observing immense trees, giant ferns and begonias, orchids and some exotic animals.
This will be your first night at the Cloud Forest Lodge, where we will have dinner and rest. We recommend you to appreciate this unique sound of nature.
Day 5: Manu Cloud Forest
Enjoy the sunrise on an early morning walk that takes you to meet Peru’s national bird, the Cock of the Rock at LEK in a dance and boisterous courtship song, sporting beautiful, colorful, attractive plumage and a voluminous plume – a ritual to be admired!
After breakfast, we will continue the excursion in the natural environment of the Amazon full of diversity of plants and bushes; the flight of dozens of birds, as well as wild animals and the possibility of seeing some monkeys and a multitude of butterflies.
After lunch, we will enjoy an exploratory walk through trails, waterfalls and other areas where flowers abound and the fauna is truly impressive.
After watching the Amazonian sunset, we will return to camp for dinner and rest.
Day 6: Manu Cloud Forest – Cusco
Today we will say goodbye to the Manu Cloud Forest. After breakfast, we will have a full day excursion enjoying the mega-diversity of the region that protects about a thousand species of birds, 221 species of mammals, 68 species of reptiles, more than 1,300 insects and amphibians in their natural habitat.
The return is full of contrasts that give away the beauty of the jungle, but bring as a reward a beautiful Andean landscape, until arriving again to the city of Cusco.
Day 7: Cusco – Airport
After 6 days of contrasts, of knowing natural wonders, discovering places full of history, culture, beauty and charm, the last day of this tour package allows you the freedom to enjoy the city of Cusco, which is also a World Heritage Site.
Perhaps on this day you can design a new trip back to destinations that open your horizon and let you see that life makes more sense when traveling. Taking into account the schedule of your return ticket, we will take you to the airport, until our next meeting.
¡See you soon!