The Charm of Cusco
from £409

The Charm of Cusco

holiday package
Created: Saturday, December 21, 2024
Ref ID: 17191894
Total price from £1,923
Created: Saturday, December 21, 2024
Itinerary
Tours
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Cusco is much more than just a very popular destination! Discover its beauty and charm during 4 fascinating days visiting its main attractions that this guaranteed departure tour has to offer. Visit the imperial city, the impressive archaeological remains such as Sacsayhuamán or Coricancha and explore some of the most spectacular views of this planet on its way to the magnificent citadel and the mountain of Machu Picchu.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Cusco: The ancient Inca capital is a unique blend of pre-Columbian past with Spanish architecture. Its temples, squares and streets are surrounded by hills that hide amazing places like Sacsayhuamán, Qenqo, PukaPukara and Tambomachay. 

Machu Picchu: The Lost City of the Incas, hidden on top of an Andean peak. It offers not only views of the mountain range, but also of the Inca past.

Coricancha: Impressive sample of convergence between the Inca and the Spanish worlds. It was the temple dedicated to the veneration of the sun. Later, with the arrival of the Spaniards, its foundations were used as a base for the construction of the Santo Domingo convent.

Sacsayhuaman: An immense Inca fortress erected in the fifteenth century on top of a hill above Cusco. Its gigantic stones are a sign of its grandeur that continues to amaze visitors 500 years later.

Day 1: ARRIVAL IN CUSCO

Arrive at Cusco Airport and enjoy a comfortable transfer to your selected hotel. A guide will accompany you, offering useful information about the city attractions and assisting you along the way. Domestic flight from Lima to Cusco must arrive not later than 10:30 am. Noon arrivals are too late. Take the opportunity to rest and recover after the flight or head out into the city for your first glimpse of life in Peru. Alternatively, you can book our optional Half-Day South Valley Tour: Tipón, Pikillaqta, and Andahuaylillas: 

Half-Day South Valley Tour: Tipón, Pikillaqta and Andahuaylillas (private basis):

Unique tour that includes visits to the most important attractions between Cusco and Puno. Being the first to explore breath-taking archeological sites Tipón and its impressive rural colonial mansion where the Incas constructed an impressive irrigation system in harmony with nature that is still perceived by the surrounding population. In Pikillacta, the best-preserved pre-Inca cities we´ll follow the remains of the Wari culture, ancestor of the Incas, and in the beautiful Church of Andahuaylillas, also called "The Sistine Chapel of America” we´ll see the Wari´s marvelous original pipe organ. Take the most advantage of our tour and enjoy a day away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Notes: Private service. Start time: 13:00 hours. Duration 4.5 hours. Includes Pick-up and Drop-off, Bilingual guide (Spanish and English), Admission to Andahuaylillas and BTC (Cusco tourist ticket).

Overnight in Cusco.

Day 2: CUSCO CITY TOUR & NEARBY ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES

Breakfast at the hotel. At around 1 pm, your guide will be waiting in the hotel lobby to start a 4-hour guided tour of this charming city, which was the capital of the Inca Empire. The tour starts with a visit to Santo Domingo Convent, a large Renaissance-baroque complex, which was built over the Inca Coricancha temple. It was one of the most important temples dedicated to worshipping of the sun, and its foundations are still prominent at the base of the convent. Ancient chronicles say the temple was covered in gold leaf and filled with golden representations of nature. Then, visit the Cathedral, the most imposing monument of the Main Square. You will be transferred to the hills above Cusco to visit the remains of the fortress of Sacsayhuamán, whose imposing ramparts offer a stunning panoramic view of Cusco, the ruins of the temple and amphitheatre of Qenqo, where it is believed the Incas practiced agricultural rituals. Admire Qenqo and then finally visit Puka Pukara (‘Red fortress’ in Quechua) an Inca military complex located on a prominent hill. Its dwellings squares, bathrooms, aqueducts, walls, and towers can still be appreciated. Afterwards, return to your hotel at about 5.30 pm.

Overnight in Cusco.

Day 3: CUSCO – MACHU PICCHU – CUSCO (75 Km – 2 hrs drive / 1.5 hrs by train)

Early Breakfast at the hotel. Pick up at the hotel at around 4.30 am. The exact pick up time will be confirmed one day before. Transfer to Ollanta train station. Your tour to Machu Picchu begins with approximately one hour and a half train ride to Aguas Calientes. This town is also known as "Machu Picchu Pueblo". Upon arrival, you will be guided to the bus that takes you to Machu Picchu. After a 25-minute bus ride, you will finally arrive at the 'lost city of the Incas'. It is believed that Machu Picchu was built for the Inca emperor Pachacútec around 1450 as a holiday residence. The citadel was abandoned just over 100 years later, probably as a result of the Spanish Conquest, although historians have never uncovered why it was abandoned or how it escaped the destruction that other Inca settlements faced. Instead, the jungle slowly engulfed its stone construction, covering it in thick vegetation that kept it hidden and protected until the ‘lost city of the Incas’ was brought to international attention in 1911. Your 2.5 hour tour will introduce you to the origins of this impressive citadel and guide you around some of its most iconic monuments, such as the main square, the royal rooms, the Temple of the Three Windows, the circular towers, the Sacred Clock and cemeteries. At the end of the tour, return by bus to Aguas Calientes for lunch. Finally, you will return by train to Ollanta Station and will be transferred to your hotel in Cusco in the late afternoon.

Overnight in Cusco.

Day 4: CUSCO DEPARTURE

After breakfast at the hotel, you will be transferred to Alejandro Velasco Astete Airport in Cusco to board your flight to Lima. Although this is the last day of your incredible journey with us in Peru, we hope that your memories of this remarkable region, bursting with culture and history, will last a lifetime.

Comfortable and light clothing is recommended for visiting the coastal areas of Peru, while for the high Andean area the use of warm clothing is recommended. It is not recommended that visitors wear sleeveless shirts, shorts, short skirts or short clothes when visiting religious temples or official buildings. Sunscreen, sunglasses, hat and mosquito repellent can be very useful during your stay.

Carry the same document that you presented to the agency, given that the train tickets and entrance to Machu Picchu will be issued with the same information.

In all train services to Machu Picchu, the passenger can carry only hand luggage (backpack, bag or briefcase) weighing no more than 5kg / 11lb on the train to / from Machu Picchu. You will find your luggage at the chosen hotel. Allowed size: 62 linear inches 157cm (height + length + width).

Total price from £1,923

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Included

TOUR GUIDE: 

  • Operated with bilingual: English -Spanish speaking local guide on shared basis on days 2 and 3

ACCOMMODATION:

  • 3 nights' accommodation

ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS

Days 1-3 Cusco:

Standard Hotel Category = Tierra Viva Cusco or similar 3*

Superior Hotel Category = Hilton Garden Inn or similar 4*

Deluxe Hotel Category = Aranwa Cusco Boutique or similar 5*

OPTIONAL EXTRA:

Pre-/Post night in Cusco:

Standard Hotel Category = Tierra Viva Cusco or similar 3*

Superior Hotel Category = Hilton Garden Inn or similar 4*

Deluxe Hotel Category = Aranwa Cusco Boutique or similar 5*

MEALS:

  • 3 Breakfasts
  • Lunch on day 3

TRANSPORT:

  • Private transfer from airport to hotel in Cusco
  • Shared transfer from hotel in Cusco to train station in Ollantaytambo. 
  • Roundtrip train to Machu Picchu in Expedition Service (PeruRail) or Voyager (IncaRail) for Standard and Superior category, and Vistadome Service (Perú Rail) or 360° (Inca Rai) for Deluxe category
  • Shared bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu
  • Shared Bus from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes
  • Shared transfer from train station in Ollantaytambo to hotel in Cusco
  • Private transfer from hotel to airport in Cusco

ENTRANCE FEES AND ACTIVITIES:

  • All visits mentioned in the itinerary: Coricancha, Cathedral, Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Tambomachay and Puca Pucara in Cusco on day 2; Machu Picchu on day 3.
Excluded
  • Personal expenses, drinks and meals not explicitly mentioned in the programme.
  • Tips for driver and guide.
  • International flights to Peru.
  • Domestic flights (it is advised to book the first flights in the morning).
  • Domestic and foreign airport taxes.
Accommodation

ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS

Days 1-3 Cusco:

  • Standard Hotel Category = Tierra Viva Cusco or similar 3*
  • Superior Hotel Category = Hilton Garden Inn or similar 4*
  • Deluxe Hotel Category = Aranwa Cusco Boutique or similar 5*

OPTIONAL EXTRA:

Pre-/Post night in Cusco:

  • Standard Hotel Category = Tierra Viva Cusco or similar 3*
  • Superior Hotel Category = Hilton Garden Inn or similar 4*
  • Deluxe Hotel Category = Aranwa Cusco Boutique or similar 5*

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