Peru Adventure with Baby Inca Trail

This morning you are collected from your hotel and transferred by private vehicle to the Lima Airport for a short but spectacular flight over the snow-capped Andes to the oldest inhabited city in the hemisphere, Cusco, at an elevation of 11,440 feet. Flight cost not included.

Sacred Valley

The Urubamba valley is still considered sacred by local people and its air of mysticism can be felt wherever one goes. Rural farming and weaving communities have retained unchanged their ancestral customs and traditions. The Sacred Valley's beautiful scenery will take your breath away, but if your passion is culture, traveling through the valley will take you to incredible Inca archaeological sites, filled with history.

Pisac Market & Ollantaytambo - Full Day Tour

After collecting your luggage at Cusco Airport you are met by a representative of Maxim Tours and taken directly to the Sacred Valley. There will be a stop at Awanacancha, a camel farm and weaving center and then you drive through the fertile countryside of the Urubamba Valley to the colonial village of Pisac where a unique Indian Market takes place daily. The variety of products offered is overwhelming, from pottery with reproductions of archaeological pieces, to all kinds of textiles, jewelry and Peruvian handicrafts. During your visit to this bustling marketplace you will have the opportunity to bargain with the artisans and indigenous traders. Grab the items you like, you will hardly see the same one again.

Stop for lunch in one of the country hotels then continue to the Ollantaytambo archaeological complex, the Incas built it as a fort that included a temple, agricultural terraces, and an urban area. There are two distinct sectors: The religious and worship zone, and the residential area. Ollantaytambo was an important administrative center with probable military functions if one considers the walls and towers. There are also traces of ancient roads and aqueducts. The town of Ollantaytambo is called a "Living Inca Town" since the inhabitants maintain very old practices and customs. Lunch is included. After the tour you are dropped at your hotel in the Sacred Valley.

Moray Terraces, Maras Salt Pools - Full Day

Morning excursion to the Inca agricultural experimental center of Moray, famous for its sunken amphitheater, made up of four circular terraces, which appear to disappear into the earth like an artificial crater. The site was apparently an Inca agricultural research station designed for experimenting with crops at various altitudes (some of which run down to depths of 100 meters). It is believed that the terraces, built over containing walls filled with fertile earth and watered by complex irrigation systems, enabled the Incas to grow more than 250 plant species.

Continue to the impressive Maras salt pools formed by water emerging from a lake inside a mountain in the Urubamba Valley. An amazing view of evaporating ponds for the extraction of salt. Learn about ancestral techniques, which are still used, in agricultural, irrigation and salt-recollection tasks, as well as in Andean festivals and rites. (The sequence of this tour may be reversed)

One Day Inca Trail with Vistadome Train

This morning you’ll be picked up at your hotel and transferred by private vehicle to the train station. You’ll be riding on the Vistadome train to Machu Picchu. Your guide accompanies you on the train and will assist with boarding formalities and will be able to answer any questions you may have. Carriages have beautiful panoramic windows offering enhanced scenic views and photographic opportunities.

Machu Picchu is reached by a 90 minute train ride from Ollanta Station in the Sacred Valley through the spectacular scenery of the Urubamba Valley. High on jungle-covered hilltops in the midst of the cloud forest, Machu Picchu was not known to the Spanish Conquerors, so much of the ancient city remains – temples, palaces, and astronomical observatories of intricate stonework. Surrounded by verdant landscapes and misty mountain peaks you’ll surely speculate about the true origins of this unique site.

Luggage on the train to Machu Picchu is limited to 11lbs per person. Please pack a separate 2-day bag for the Machu Picchu portion of your itinerary. If you are leaving from the Sacred Valley, your local guide will transfer your excess luggage to your hotel in Cusco where it will be waiting when you return from Machu Picchu. Additionally, you may bring a smaller backpack for your essentials during the Inca Trail Hike. Your other bag can stay on the train and will be collected by the hotel bellboys and delivered to your hotel and will be waiting for your when you arrive later this evening.

Disembark at Km.104 on the Cusco – Machu Picchu railroad (starting point of the hike), where you arrive at approximately 10:00 am (subject to change based on train schedules). Start with a visit to the Chachabamba archaeological complex (7,052 ft), located very close to the control point. After checking in, embark upon a 5 mile ascending trail, which after four hours, brings you to the archaeological complex of Wiñaywayna (8,692ft). This is an impressive complex made up of an agricultural center with numerous terraces, a religious sector and an urban sector. On the way, enjoy magnificent views of the Urubamba River valley, the Choquesuysuy archaeological complex located on the other side of the river, and a beautiful waterfall located just a few minutes away from Wiñaywayna. Continue on, climbing to Intipunku, or The Sun Gate. This will take an hour of hiking along a trail of flat stones on the edges of cliffs in highland jungle. From this fabulous spot, gaze upon the sacred citadel of Machu Picchu. From the Sun Gate, descend to Machu Picchu. High on jungle-covered hilltops in the midst of the cloud forest, Machu Picchu was not known to the Spanish Conquerors, so much of the ancient city remains – temples, palaces, and astronomical observatories of intricate stonework. Surrounded by verdant landscapes and misty mountain peaks you’ll surely speculate about the true origins of this unique site.

Includes: Guided Baby Inka hike (private guide), packed lunch during hike, guided tour of ruins, entrance fee & roundtrip Vistadome train ticket
Total distance: 13 km (8,08 miles)
Estimated walking time: 6-7 hours
Maximum altitude point: 2,650 m (8,692 ft)
Difficulty degree of this hike: Moderate
Departure and arrival times are approximate

You are escorted to the bus by your guide. You’ll then take the 25-minute scenic ride down the mountain to your hotel in the town of Machu Picchu. The driver will stop the bus at the entrance to your hotel or nearby, depending upon your hotel location. Just mention the name of the hotel to the driver when you board the bus. You will walk to your hotel.

Machu Picchu 2nd Day Tour and Vistadome Train to Cusco

You will give your bag to the hotel reception for safe keeping and can use the hotel facilities until departure. The hotel porters will transfer your bags to the train station this afternoon.

This morning you will be met at your hotel by your local private guide who will escort you back up to the ruins for a morning tour. You will explore areas not covered the day before, such as living quarters and recently excavated areas. After the tour you have several hours to explore the bustling town of Machu Picchu with its many cafes, shopping stalls and art galleries. Bus fare, guide and second day entrance fee is included in the quote.

Late in the afternoon, you will walk to the train station in time to board your afternoon Vistadome train for the return journey to Cusco (departure time to be advised locally - your guide will have given you boarding time instructions). Pick up your bag from the fenced-in area before boarding your train. Please arrive at the station 30 minutes prior to departure. Please note that baggage is limited to 11lbs per person aboard the train. Only light refreshments are served on board.

You will be met at the Cusco Poroy train station and transferred to your hotel by shuttle vehicle.

Cusco was the most important city of the Incas. Mighty rulers of the 15th century, they excelled in architecture, engineering, agriculture, and administering an empire that extended from modern Colombia to the middle of Chile.

Cusco Walking Tour

Today we’ll have a walking tour of Cusco, the oldest continuously inhabited city in the western hemisphere! The tour includes important landmarks of Cusco, including Cusco’s fabulous cathedral with Spanish/Inca art and architecture, rivaling the cathedrals of Europe. Plus we will visit Santo Domingo Church, and the Plaza de Armas. Along the way we will stroll through the artisans’ areas and markets, getting a feel for this enchanting city. Once the center of the Inca civilization, modern Cusco is a delightful combination of Inca and colonial architecture. (2 ½ h). The rest of the day is free to explore Cusco on your own.

Transfer from your hotel to the airport for your flight. Flight cost not included.