Compare Active Machu Picchu by Southern Explorations

Day 1: Arrive Lima

On your arrival in Lima, you will be met by our representative who will accompany you to your hotel. If you arrive early, we can arrange optional Lima tours and trips to nearby sites to fill your time. Ramada Hotel Upgrade - $40 per person. Since many international flights arrive here late in the evening, we highly recommend a hotel upgrade to the Ramada, a comfortable four-star hotel located within the Lima international airport. This upgrade is well worth the cost because it will save you up to two hours of transfer time between the city and the airport.

Day 2: Lima – Cusco

Meals: Breakfast

In the morning you will be taken from your hotel to the airport for a morning flight to Cusco (10,856 ft.), center of the Inca Empire. After checking in at your hotel, today’s Peru travel begins with a guided walking tour through the colorful markets of Cusco, making stops at the colonial cathedral and the impressive Incan Temple of the Sun (Koricancha) followed by a lunch of regional cuisine. You will spend the afternoon in the Inca heartland in the vicinity of Cusco. Among the important sites you’ll visit are Cusco's temples; Sacsayhuaman, a fortress with megalithic stone terraces; the stone Kenko containing subterranean altars; Puka Pukara, a small fortress that once protected the royal capitol; and the royal baths of Tambo Machay. You'll be returned to your hotel for the first of three free evenings in colonial Cusco.

Day 3: Whitewater Rafting

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After an early breakfast, your guide will get you to the put-in spot for today’s Peru rafting adventure about an hour away. Following a safety briefing, the trip begins with a stretch of small rapids and calmer waters to practice the basics of river-running technique, passing spectacular Inca ruins and terraces. Along the way, the guide will explain the remarkable history of these Inca architectural feats. While enjoying the canyon and scenic views, you pass under an ancient Inca bridge. The rapids continue to increase in difficulty and size, eventually progressing to Class IV. Before taking on the challenge of the final and largest rapid, you will disembark to scout this one with your guides. Once a safe line has been chosen, you will return to your rafts to run this adrenaline-filled finale to your Peru river rafting journey. After lunch, the next stop is Ollantaytambo (9,185 ft.), a small town with a famous Incan archeological site before returning to your Cusco hotel.

Day 4: Hike To Huchuy Cusco

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, you will be transferred by private van to the start of today’s Peru trek that includes an old Inca road and impressive views, as well as an opportunity to learn about local farming techniques and explore some rarely visited Inca ruins. The route travels high above Cusco and the outlying town of Cora, ending at an elevation of 13,780 feet, where Lake Qoricocha is located. The slowly contouring trail climbs to an elevation of 14,107 feet where some ancient Inca platforms in the hillside are believed to mark the boundary and entrance to the Huchuy Cusco Inca Estate. The rest of the day’s terrain is flat or downhill, passing herds of llamas and alpacas. The hike travels through the rustic village of Pucamarca, past an Inca bridge in a narrow canyon and offers spectacular views of the Incas’ Sacred Valley. You will arrive at a particularly scenic spot to enjoy a picnic lunch or snack. Continuing on, the contour on the high ridge brings you to the entrance gates of Huchuy Cusco and the extensive ruins themselves. Little is known about this mysterious site which translates to “little Cusco” in the Quechua language of the Incas and may have been the country retreat of one of the first Incas. Its three-story storage houses, trapezoid-niched walls, large main square, ten-ft terraced walls and hidden location above the Sacred Valley make these ruins a real pleasure to explore. Afterwards you will hike the rest of the way down to where the van will be waiting to return you to Cusco for a relaxing dinner and evening on your own before turning in at your hotel.  HIKE DETAILS: Approx - 8.2 miles | 6+ Hours Altitude: from 11,385 ft to 14,110 ft.

Day 5: Via Ferrata – Zip Linning

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

This morning you will be picked up at your hotel for the start of today’s Peru tours, making stops in the Sacred Valley to capture some magnificent photos. In about two hours, you will rendezvous with your local expert guides for the unique experience ahead, surrounded by beautiful mountain scenery with extraordinary views of the Sacred Valley below, lasting a good part of the day. The Via Ferrata is a system of cables and steel ladders drilled into the mountain that gives visitors without climbing experience the thrill of ascending a 984-ft rock face protected by a waist and chest harness with double-carabineer system for maximum safety. Within the Via Ferrata are several zip lines consisting of six connected cables ranging in length from 300 feet to 1,650 feet, totaling 6,560 feet. After completing this exciting day’s activities, you will be taken to the hotel in the town of Ollantaytambo, where you will spend the night.

Day 6: Mountain Biking In The Sacred Valley

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

An early morning drive gets you to the start of today’s Peru mountain bike tour to the indigenous communities of Chequereq, Cruz Pata, the ruins of Moray, the town of Maras and the salt mines of Pichingoto. Your journey ends back in Ollantaytambo for lunch and another overnight stay in your comfortable hotel.

Day 7: Ollantaytambo – Train To Machu Picchu

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

On today's Inca adventure, you will at last reach the long-anticipated destination of Machu Picchu, symbol of the Inca Empire. To get there, you'll walk from the hotel to the train station for the picturesque train ride along the Urubamba River into a cloud forest before arriving in Aguas Calientes, the nearest town to Machu Picchu. You'll go by bus the rest of the way, reaching an elevation of 7,875 feet and spend the day exploring the ruins. Afterwards you will return to Aguas Calientes in time for a soothing soak in the town's famed hot springs before enjoying a leisurely dinner on your own. Overnight at a nearby hotel in Aguas Calientes. (B) OPTION: INCA TRAIL HIKE KM 104 UPGRADE – $150 Per Person (If permits available) For active travelers who can’t imagine seeing Machu Picchu without hiking the Inca Trail to get there: You depart on the 8 AM train from Ollantaytambo, arriving two hours later at station KM 104. After registering at the checkpoint, you’ll hike first to WnaWayna. During this three-hour Inca Trail hiking segment you will see ruins, waterfalls and many varieties of flora and fauna as well as spend one to two hours exploring the beautiful WnaWayna ruins. From here it is another two hour walk to reach Machu Picchu. You will arrive at the ruins in the late afternoon when there are few visitors. After a brief Machu Picchu tour, you will be transferred to Aguas Calientes by bus and spend the night in a charming hotel. Your evening is unscheduled to allow you time to explore the town and soak in its famed hot springs.

Day 8: Day Hike - Machu Picchu Mountain - Chinchero Market - Return Cusco

Meals: Breakfast

Rising early to escape the crowds, you return to the royal citadel, starting with what is for most travelers the highlight of their Peru tours, sunrise at Machu Picchu. From here, you'll continue along the Inca Trail on a three to four hour round-trip hike, ascending another 2,000 feet to the summit of Machu Picchu Mountain for a breathtaking view of the complex and surrounding area that most travelers never get to experience. You'll go by bus to Aguas Calientes and take the early afternoon train back to Ollantaytambo where a private van will be waiting for the trip to the colorful market in the village of Chinchero. Here you'll visit a community of textile artists who craft original organic pieces according to the techniques of their ancestors, to learn how the wool and alpaca are shorn, spun, dyed and woven into the high-quality creations for which this region is famous. Chinchero is the perfect place to find uniquely Andean souvenirs of one’s Peru tours. You'll be transported back to Cusco for a final relaxing evening and overnight at your hotel.Hike Details: Approx - 5.8 miles | 3-4 Hours Altitude: from 7,875 ft to 10,055 ft.

Day 9: Cusco - Lima - Return Home

Meals: Breakfast

Southern Explorations drivers take you to the airport in the morning for the return flight to Lima and your connecting international flight, marking the end of Southern Explorations services. Trip extensions to other regions or extra days in Lima or Cusco can also be arranged.