Day 1 Lima
Welcome to Peru!  On arrival in Lima, you will be transferred to your hotel.  We recommend an early arriving flight so we can show you around Lima.  Today we will have a tour of ancestral, colonial and modern Lima, making you familiar with the city.

Day 2 Cusco
An early morning flight takes us high into the Andes to Cusco, the ancient capital of the Inca Empire.  After lunch we have a guided tour of Cusco and of the ruins just outside the city to visit the places of most interest. You will learn about this area’s fascinating past and present. There is free time for you to shop for souvenirs and experience the sights and sounds of this colonial town. If you feel energetic after trying the highland cuisine you can enjoy Cusco’s wild nightlife.

Day 3 (2 options) Sacred Valley of the Incas
First option: Markets, Inca ruins and Ollantaytambo
We make an excursion along the Sacred Valley of the Incas.  We will visit the impressive ruins of Pisac and its famous Indian market where you can find a variety of jewellery, handicrafts, music instruments and textiles between other curiosities.  After lunch we will drive down the Sacred Valley with our local guide and visit Quechua towns on the way to Ollantaytambo, an original and still inhabited Inca town.  We will visit the impressive ruins of this fortress and spend the night here.

Second option: Urubamba River rafting and Ollantaytambo
For the ones who would like to have some more action today we have the option of doing a half-day rafting trip (rapid class 2, 3 and 4) in the Urubamba River (in the Sacred Valley).   After lunch you join back with the other part of the group to visit the Inca town and fortress of Ollantaytambo where we will spend the night.

Day 4 Sacred Valley - Cusco
We will visit the town of Urubamba, from here you can make a 45 minute hike to the unusual salt terraces of Maras, the hike starts at the Urubamba River and finishes at the salt terraces, our bus will go there to pick us up so if you don’t feel like hiking you can go in our bus.  After touring the bizarre salt terraces we will visit the huge circular terraces of Moray, an Inca agricultural lab or experimental centre where micro climates were created for different crops.  From here we return to Cusco driving across the most beautiful and colorful landscapes.  The afternoon is free in Cusco.

Day 5 Cusco
Free day in the imperial city of the Incas, time to wander the maze of streets, try the many culinary choices or take part in one of the many adventurous activities Cusco has to offer, such as rafting, horseback riding, mountain biking, bungee jumping,… Today optionally we can visit the ruins of Tipón, temple of the water where the Incas worshipped their source of life.

Day 6 Machu Picchu Village
An early morning train will take us to the town of Aguas Calientes at the base of Machu Picchu by the Urubamba River.  Here we will spend a night and be able to soak in the hot springs and relax and/or climb up to the Putucusi Mountain situated in front of Machu Picchu at the other side of the Urubamba River; from here you can appreciate a different view of Machu Picchu.  Other optional activities in Aguas Calientes involve hikes to the natural waterfalls, an orchid tour, or make a first visit to Machu Picchu.

Day 7 Machu Picchu / Cusco
Early in the morning a bus will bring us up to Machu Picchu. Here we will meet up with the rest of the group who decided to hike the Inca Trail as they arrive. We�ll have a guided tour of the site, and then you will have time for yourselves to wonder around Machu Picchu.  If you are feeling energetic there will be time for going up the steep steps to the “Huayna Picchu”, the “young mountain” which rises behind the sanctuary of Machu Picchu.  From here you have a great view on Machu Picchu from a totally different angle.  Around midday we take the bus down to Aguas Calientes from where in the afternoon we will all take the train back to Cusco to enjoy the night life!

Day 8: Cusco - Lima
A morning flight will take us back to the colonial city of Lima, last chance to get your souvenirs and enjoy our final night out in Peru.

Day 9: Departure day