Compare Explore Machu Picchu by G Adventures vs A Journey through a Fabled Past by Kuoda Travel

Day 1 Lima

Arrive at any time. Arrival transfer is included.

Get ready for a very busy tour exploring the best of Peru in a week. We recommend booking a pre-night in Lima (in particular if your flight arrives into Lima in the evening) to recover from international flights and rest up before the excitement.

Please note that if you booked the Lima Cooking Class it does not include extra time in Lima and we highly recommend booking pre-trip accommodation. You will be picked up from your hotel at approx 10:00 am (10:30 from Aug-Dec) and taken to a local market and restaurant to prepare and enjoy a traditional Peruvian meal. You will return to your hotel around 13:00. Please note that hot water shortages and power outages can be fairly common in Peru (even in upgraded hotels and private homes). We appreciate your patience and understanding that these occurrences are outside of our control.

Day 2 Lima/Urubamba

Board an early flight to Cusco, once the capital of the Inca empire, then drive to Urubamba through the scenic Sacred Valley. Explore the terraced salt pans of Maras, which have been used for salt extraction since pre-Inca times, and tour the Inca site of Moray—believed to have been an agricultural laboratory where priests would test soils and crops. Later, we’ll enjoy a meal of local specialities, prepared in a pachamanca, or underground stone oven.

There are some very early morning starts on this trip to make the best use of our time and see as much as we can of Peru in a week.

Day 3 Urubamba

Continue exploring the Sacred Valley with a visit to the G Adventures–supported Parque de la Papa, or Potato Park, a rural Andean community working to preserve hundreds of varieties of native potato. During this exclusive experience, you'll walk through the park with a local guide to learn about potato cultivation, traditional weaving, and the importance of both these practices to Andean culture. We’ll also tour the fascinating Inca ruins of Ollantaytambo and Pisac and enjoy a meal at the G Adventures–supported Parwa Community Restaurant in Huchuy Qosqo.

Day 4 Urubamba/Aguas Calientes

Catch an early transfer to the Ollantaytambo station and board a train to Aguas Calientes, the gateway to Machu Picchu. Ride through lush Andean scenery, enjoying breathtaking views of ancient ruins and everyday life. Settle into your hotel in Aguas Calientes, and choose from a variety of optional activities: take a relaxing soak in the local hot springs, visit a beautiful botanical garden, or wander the handicraft stalls in town as you prepare for an early start the following day to go up to Machu Picchu.

Please bear in mind that the town has several amenities, but is also geographically remote meaning services are sometimes more basic than one would assume. As the only option for travellers visiting Machu Picchu, the development of infrastructure has happened quite quickly, much without proper planning, and the focus on providing quality service may not be up to the standards experienced in other parts of the country.

Day 5 Aguas Calientes/Cusco

This morning, embark on a guided tour of Machu Picchu—the 15th-century Inca citadel famously introduced to the world by archaeologist Hiram Bingham in the April 1913 issue of National Geographic magazine. After being taken through the temples and terraces of this awe-inspiring UNESCO World Heritage site, return to Cusco by train.

Day 6 Cusco

Spend the day exploring charming Cusco. Opt to visit Plaza de Armas, the historic main square; the 15th-century Sacsayhuaman fortress; or some of the city’s museums and ornate churches. This evening, we’ll head to the Cusco Planetarium to learn about the importance of astronomy to the ancient Inca and, weather permitting, look out at the glittering, starry sky through telescopes.

Please remember that star gazing is completely weather dependent and sometimes there can be cloudy skies.

Please note: if you pre-book the Cusco Cooking Class you will be picked up from your hotel at approx 12:30 and taken to a local market and restaurant to prepare and enjoy a traditional Peruvian meal. Return back to your hotel around 16:00.

Day 7 Cusco/Lima

Fly back to Lima. Spend the rest of the day at your leisure or choose to take a half-day guided tour of the Peruvian capital. Visit the San Francisco Monastery, part of Lima’s World Heritage-listed historic center, and descend into its famed catacombs. Wander across Plaza Mayor, the city’s oldest public square, and enjoy Peruvian tapas and a tasting of pisco sours before returning to your hotel.

Day 8 Lima

Depart at any time.

Your CEO can help arrange an optional transfer to the airport.

Day 1: Arrive at your hotel in Lima after your international flight to Peru!

Lima is a metropolitan city known for its colonial architecture and mouthwatering ceviche!

When your international flight arrives in Lima, look for your Kuoda host holding a sign with your name on it! We know you’ll most likely be a little tired after your long flight, so we’ll save you the stress of trying to navigate and bring you straight to your hotel where you can shake off that icky flight feeling with a shower and a sleep. Relax into the evening and enjoy a good night’s rest before your flight to Cusco in the morning!

Day 2: Fly to Cusco and visit a local community in Chinchero, Maras, and Moray

Tucked into the Andes Mountains, the city of Cusco lies at 11,150ft (3,300m) above sea level!

Fill up with a complimentary buffet breakfast in the hotel before catching your morning flight to Cusco. The flight time between the two cities is welcomingly short (less than an hour and a half). The views from the plane window – the desert coast at first before the needle-like peaks of the Andes come into view – are a great distraction to pass the time. When you arrive in Cusco, we’ll be waiting and will take you on a private tour to the Sacred Valley. Your first stop will be the community of Chinchero. Besides being famous for its Incan and colonial architecture, it is well known for its church and handicraft market. Afterwards, we’ll pass through the town of Maras – before arriving at the town’s still-in-use salt pans. The small white evaporation pools that cover the hillside are still harvested by locals in a traditional manner.  After a local gourmet lunch en route, you’ll be taken to see the ancient agricultural site of Moray. Experts today believe these grassy amphitheaters served as a farming laboratory, with the varying temperatures and soils of the ascending terraces providing different growing environments.

Day 3: Take a full day excursion into the Sacred Valley, visiting Ollantaytambo, Pisac Market, and Pisac’s Archaeological Complexes.

Ollantaytambo is a lovely Incan town known for its original urban planning and awe-inspiring ruins.

Today you’ll witness just how Peru’s past shapes its present. We’ll start things in the ancient town of Ollantaytambo, one of the few remaining places in the Sacred Valley that has retained its original Inca urban planning. Walk through the maze-like streets which come complete with Inca-era canals and view the ancient houses still in use today which feature interior courtyards and trapezoidal doors.

Alongside your guide, climb past the agricultural terraces toward the Temple of Sun, where you can enjoy an Inca’s-eye-view of the valley. From this elevated position, you’ll also be able to see some of the quarries from where the stone for Ollantaytambo was sourced. It’s amazing to think how far these large stones were transported, especially considering the challenge faced by the Incas, who didn’t have pack animals strong enough to carry them.

Descend back into the valley to the pretty village of Pisac and browse the wares on offer at the market. Both travelers and valley villagers come from miles around to barter and sell goods ranging from textiles and dyes to fresh vegetables. After you’ve had your fill of shopping, you’ll venture up to a ridge high above the stepped agricultural terraces where Pisac’s mountainside Inca ruins are located.

At the end of the day, your guide and your drive will drop you off at your Cusco hotel so you can participate in a briefing about your upcoming trek.

Day 4: Explore the hidden cobblestone streets of historical Cusco on a private city tour!

Tucked into the Andes Mountains, the city of Cusco lies at 11,150ft (3,300m) above sea level!

It’s time to get acquainted with Cusco, a gorgeous city that wins the heart of most every traveler that passes through it. Get to know the real Cusco during a private tour. After breakfast, meet your guide and wander among the archaeological remains of Sacsayhuaman, where the Incas staged a great battle against the conquistadors. Return to the city and roam the atmospheric streets of the bohemian neighborhood of San Blas, which is known for its free-spirited scene. Explore Qoricancha and the Santo Domingo monastery (a colonial structure built on top of the ancient Inca temple of the sun); see where the locals make their grocery runs at the open-air San Pedro market and pass the famous 12-angled stone, whose image appears on the bottle of the local Cusqueña beer.

At the end of the tour, your guide will suggest places to visit for lunch. This evening, rest up before you begin the physically demanding portion of your Peru journey: the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu!

Day 5: Start your journey on the Salkantay Trek!

The Salkantay Trek is a difficult yet immensely rewarding trek; we recommend some sturdy yet worn in hiking boots!

After an early breakfast, you’ll be picked up from your hotel in Cusco. About an hour and a half drive outside of Cusco through the purple and blue mountains of the Andes, you will visit the Tarawasi Incan ruins, and then reach Marcoccasa. Here, you will begin your trek on the “Camino Real.” It will be a few hours hiking today before reaching your first lodge, the Salkantay Lodge and Adventure Resort in Soraypampa.

Salkantay Lodge takes its name from the majestic peak at the head of the valley, Mt. Salkantay. Eternally topped with a covering of snow, Salkantay’s 20,600-foot summit is the highest in the region, and is often obscured by the swirling clouds that rise from the jungle. For the Incas, it was one of the most sacred mountains. You’ll be given a characteristically Peruvian welcome to the lodge and will have time to freshen up before enjoying dinner.

Sleep overnight at the lodge, which – at 12,690 feet – is a good place to acclimatize to the thinner air.

Day 6: Relax and enjoy Soraypampa before the real hiking begins

Lake Humantay’s surreal turquoise water is thanks to glacial meltwater

Today is all about rest and relaxation in the breathtakingly beautiful Humantay Lake only a half an hour from the lodge. After this excursion of about four hours you will enjoy an evening at the lodge, maybe take a dip in the outdoor Jacuzzi, and prepare for the next few days of rigorous hiking.

Day 7: Reach the highest point of the trek at Vilcabamba Range

A few Ziploc freezer baggies are also a great idea for keeping your electronic devices warm and dry on the trail.

Today, the challenge begins! We’ll get off to a mesmerizing start, with the sun illuminating the Andean peaks as we hike up the Rio Blanco valley, circling Humantay Peak across from the summit of Salkantay. Once we reach the highest point on the trek, Salkantay Pass, we’ll take a break. At 15,213 feet, the views from here are – as you can imagine – glorious, with the white-hatted Vilcabamba Range looming in every direction and the glaciated south face of Salkantay towering above. Be on alert for Andean condors zooming by; these majestic birds are often seen soaring around the rocky ledges.

From the pass, we’ll descend toward Wayra Lodge, our destination for the night. ‘Wayra’ means wind, and references the nearby Wayracmachay, literally the “the place where the wind lives.” Hikers will be given ample sustenance, with a hot picnic lunch served en route and dinner at the lodge.

Day 8: Descend into the cloud forest and enjoy a Pachamanca feast

The Pachamanca is a traditional Andean cooking method using hot stones and an underground earthen oven

Start with breakfast at Wayra Lodge, then continue your descent along the left bank of the Salkantay River. The lower we go, the more verdant the scenery becomes. As the warm air from the jungle rises to meet us, so too do the colorful creatures who thrive in its warmer climes: intricately patterned butterflies flutter through the air and attractive orchids can be seen spurting up from the ground.

Our destination is Colpa Lodge, a charming lodge set on an open plateau at the confluence of three rivers. Once we get there, you and your fellow hungry hikers can fill up on Pachamanca – a traditional Peruvian meal made by layering meat and vegetables with hot stones and cooking them in a covered earthen pit. After, you might want to sooth your shaky calves with a soak in the outdoor Jacuzzi and enjoy the mountain panoramas from the tub. Or, should you crave something a little more active, you can ramble along the nearby orchid trail. Dinner will be at the lodge.

Day 9: Trek past rural farms and explore small villages following the Santa Teresa river valley

In some of the farms you will pass by today, you will see granadilla, which is a Peruvian fruit known for its aid in digestion, heals stomach ulcers, helps to stabilize the nerves, plus other health benefits.

Today, your luxury Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu continues with another bout of hiking. This time, you’ll tramp along the more populated Santa Teresa River valley, where encounters with locals are much more likely. You’ll see evidence of how the valley dwellers make their living. You’ll pass through plantations and may even see the local inhabitants tending their crops of banana, granadilla, avocado, and coffee. Caffeine enthusiasts may be interested to know that some of the best organic coffees in the world are produced in this very valley!

Come lunchtime, we’ll find a suitable spot to stop by the river and refuel with a hot picnic. After lunch we’ll get moving again, though just for an hour or so until a private vehicle comes to collect us to make the 30-minute transfer to the beginning of the Llactapata Inca Trail.

Tucked away into the mountainside among a laden avocado orchard is our next overnight stop: the strikingly set Lucma Lodge. It’s here where you’ll have dinner and sleep – that is, if the excitement of finally glimpsing Machu Picchu tomorrow doesn’t keep you awake!

Day 10: Get a first glimpse of Machu Picchu and arrive in Aguas Calientes

Llactapata like Machu Picchu was first discovered for the Western world by Hiram Bingham

Today you’ll tackle the last day of your trek. The first two to three hours will be an uphill slog toward Llactapata Pass, which sits at an elevation of 8,974 feet yet pales in comparison to the higher altitudes of your first days trekking. Here, you’ll be treated to your first view of Machu Picchu in the distance. This vantage point – you’ll see the site from the southeast – offers out-of-this-world views and is one that few travelers get the privilege of seeing.

After gawping at the ruins, we’ll take some time out to check out the Llactapata ruins, which were also “discovered” by Hiram Bingham on that fateful expedition in 1911. The site, which has been restored recently, looks better than ever. We’ll sit down for lunch at a special scenic spot, which looks out onto Machu Picchu.

After lunch, we’ll start descending again toward the Urubamba River, passing through several camera-worthy landscapes comprised of bamboo forest, orchards, and plantations. From there, you’ll ride the train to Aguas Calientes, the closest settlement to Machu Picchu and your final overnight destination before exploring Machu Picchu properly tomorrow. Celebrate your completion of the Salkantay Trail over dinner with your guide!

Day 11: Tour the Machu Picchu Citadel with your Trek guide

Machu Picchu will take your breath away with its enigmatic and historical atmosphere.

Today will be a day that remains permanently etched in your mind, long after you’ve returned from your personalized trip of Peru, for today will be the day you finally set eyes on the storied city of Machu Picchu! After an early breakfast at your hotel, meet your guide and begin the bus ride up switchbacks to the Lost Citadel. As you trek up the entrance’s stone steps, heavy foliage hides the surrounding views until you emerge at what seems like the top of the world, with Machu Picchu spread out below. You’re sure to reach for your camera to try and capture the vista, but before you do, be sure to take a moment to stop and truly appreciate this staggering site. Return to Aguas Calientes for a late lunch, before heading back to your return train to Ollantaytambo.

Day 12: Tour the inspired streets of bohemian Barranco and bid farewell to Peru!

The Limeñan district of Barranco is home to Peru’s most influential artists, musicians, and cultural commentators.

Going home is the worst part of any private Peru vacation, but at Kuoda, we’ll do our best to make it as smooth and hassle-free as possible. First, we’ll bring you to Cusco airport for your return flight to Lima. In Lima, a Kuoda host will meet you and take you to the seaside bohemian district of Barranco. See the streets of Barranco come alive as you visit a number of local art galleries and shops that support local artisans. Finally, enjoy a first-class gourmet meal featuring world-renowned Peruvian flavors in a restaurant of your choosing before returning to the airport for your journey home! Buen viaje!