The Emperador Cusco – Machupicchu 5Days/4Nights.

At the start of this tour, depending on your flight’s arrival time, we’ll begin with a pickup from the airport to your hotel (Inka Palace). The guide will be waiting with the driver at the airport to explain the full itinerary for your stay on this wonderful El Emperador Cusco tour.

Upon arriving at our hotel, we’ll receive the guide’s recommendations and set out on our city tour on our first day.

Qoricancha, Sacsayhuaman, Quenqo, Puca-Pucara y Tambomachay:

All of these destinations boast incredible history and majestic structures—archaeological sites rich in information. Located northeast of Cusco, after this wonderful tour, we’ll head back to the hotel for a well-deserved rest and to prepare for the next day.

We will leave Cusco at 7:00 A.M. and travel to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The drive takes us through stunning mountains and highland villages. We will explore Maras salt mines, where local families harvest salt using traditional methods. The contrast between the white ponds and surrounding hills will be spectacular.
Next, we will visit Moray, a site of circular agricultural terraces. We will learn how the Incas experimented with crops using different altitudes and climates. Each terrace shows ingenious farming techniques adapted to the Andes. Our guide will explain how these terraces supported ancient food production.
We will finish the day at Ollantaytambo, the last living Inca town. We will explore its fortress, narrow streets, and stone constructions. The town shows how Inca engineering adapted to mountainous terrain. Lunch in the valley will allow us to enjoy local cuisine while observing the landscape.

Day 2 Statistics:

Distance traveled: 120 km
Highest altitude: 3,500 m above sea level (Moray terraces)
Lowest altitude: 2,900 m above sea level (Ollantaytambo town)
Difficulty level: Moderate, walking on terraces and uneven surfaces

We will start at 4:00 A.M. with pickup from our hotels. We will drive to Ollantaytambo station and board the train to Aguas Calientes. The train journey lasts 1.5 hours, passing through high Andes and cloud forests. Mountains, rivers, and valleys will surround us during this scenic ride.
Upon arrival in Aguas Calientes, we will take a 30-minute bus ride to Machu Picchu. Our guide will explain the citadel’s history, temples, palaces, and stone pathways. We will explore viewpoints for spectacular photos of the Urubamba River and surrounding peaks.
We will have time to walk along terraces, plazas, and staircases while learning about Inca architecture. The site sits at 2,430 m above sea level, offering breathtaking views. By the afternoon, we will return by bus and train to Ollantaytambo, then to Cusco, concluding an unforgettable full-day experience.

Day 3 statistics:

Distance traveled: 112 km by train + 10 km by bus/walking
Highest altitude: 2,430 m above sea level (Machu Picchu)
Lowest altitude: 2,040 m above sea level (Aguas Calientes)
Difficulty level: Moderate, walking on uneven stairs and stone paths

We will pick you up at 7:00 am in the morning from your hotel in Cusco city from any location inside the city center (Hotels Inka Palace) and drive you for 3 hours to the trailhead. Our chef will prepare a delicious breakfast for you with multiple options. You will have time to admire the scenery of the surrounding mountains while enjoying a cup of coffee or coca tea in preparation for the 5,000-meter mountain hike ahead of us. Following breakfast, we will set off on the 2-hour hike to the peak of Vinicunca Mountain (Also known as Rainbow Mountain). The trail is a gradual uphill with a steep incline in the last part before you reach the summit. Hike along the snow-capped peaks of the Ausangate Mountain range, the highest mountain in the Cusco region. Along the way, you will encounter hundreds of llamas and alpacas. Every meter we ascend brings us closer to the summit, with a more breathtaking panorama than the last. You will need a warm jacket, headwear, gloves, and a great camera to record the beautiful views during this trip. The temperature will be freezing at the summit, so you need appropriate clothing. At the peak of Rainbow Mountain, your tour guide will discuss the origin of the colorful hills, the Andes, and the significance of this mountain to the native people of the area. After taking in the fantastic landscapes of the Peruvian Andes and Vinicunca's summit, which offers a breathtaking panorama in every direction, we will continue our journey by hiking additional 30 minutes to the Red Valley, a region that tourists rarely visit due to its remote location. Here, you will find awe-inspiring landscapes that will take your breath away. We will return to the trailhead; the hike is about 1 hour downhill, where our special picnic lunch will be waiting for us. After lunch, we will board the bus back to Cusco, arriving around 5.30 pm.