Cusco Expedition 9D / 8N

About this tour

Places visited

Lima - Cusco

Pickup point

Hotel in Cusco

Drop-off point

Hotel - Plaza de Armas

Departure time

07:00 am

Return time

06:00 pm

Itinerary

1. Day 1 Arrival in Lima

   DAY 1

   ARRIVAL IN LIMA (05:05 AM)

   Arrival in the city of Lima. A representative of CUSCO-INSIDE TRAVEL AGENCY will be waiting for you at the airport with a sign bearing your name, and will then take you to your hotel in Miraflores, where you will receive a briefing about your tours in Lima.

   ACCOMMODATION:

   • Three-star hotel in Miraflores (double room)

   INCLUDES:

   • Lima airport pickup and transfer to the hotel
2. Day 2 Paracas and Huacachina Full Day

   06:00 AM: Departure by tourist transport from the chosen meeting point towards the seaside resort of Paracas (approximately 4 hours). Box lunch (juice and cookies).

   10:00 AM: Arrival in Paracas. We head to the El Chaco pier, from where we set off for the Ballestas Islands (OPTIONAL) aboard modern speedboats to enjoy a wonderful tour of the BALLESTAS ISLANDS, located in Paracas Bay. Here you can admire this natural wonder and its wild marine life, including sea lions, Humboldt penguins, guanay cormorants, flamingos and many other seabirds.

   The sea lions will probably come right up to the boat, and you will see plenty of penguins in the water. Thousands of seabirds fly between the islands and you may even spot their nests on the rocks.

   You will also see the Candelabra geoglyph, where the guide will explain the different theories about its origin (approximately 1 hour 45 minutes).

   Those who prefer to stay on shore can enjoy the sun and sea breeze in this lovely resort town, which has excellent restaurants serving delicious dishes.

   Free time for lunch.

   01:00 PM: Departure for the city of Ica.

   02:30 PM: Arrival in Ica.

   Panoramic city tour of Ica, visiting the Plaza Mayor and its surroundings.

   Visit to the Nietto winery, where the grape brandy famously known as Pisco is produced. Here you will learn the whole process of how Peruvian Pisco is made, guided by an experienced member of the winery staff. After touring the facilities, visitors are invited to taste the different types of Pisco, wines and the traditional cachina of Ica produced by the winery.

   Visit to the “La Praga” confectionery, where we will sample the traditional chocoteja, alfajores, jams, handmade cookies and more.

   Excursion to the Huacachina Oasis, located just 5 km from downtown Ica. At this beautiful lagoon, visitors can enjoy the peace and quiet of the place and stroll around in search of great photos. The huge dunes surrounding the lagoon allow visitors to try one of the most thrilling sports in the area: sandboarding.

   05:00 PM: Departure for Lima.

   10:00 PM (approximately): Arrival in Lima at the chosen meeting point.

   OUR PROGRAM INCLUDES:

   • Transport Lima – Paracas – Ica – Lima in tourist vehicle (shared service)
   • Tour guide
   • Visit to the Paracas seaside resort
   • Excursion to the BALLESTAS ISLANDS and TAXES (according to the chosen plan)
   • DUNE BUGGY and SANDBOARDING excursion and TAXES (according to the chosen plan)
   • Visit to Huacachina
   • Visit to the Nieto winery
   • Visit to La Praga confectionery to sample the region's typical sweets
   • Tasting of Piscos, wines, Pisco creams, macerated liqueurs, etc.
   • SOAT passenger accident insurance
   • Basic first-aid kit

   NOT INCLUDED:

   • Lunch
3. Day 3 Arrival in Cusco

   ARRIVAL IN THE CITY OF CUSCO

   Upon arrival at Cusco airport on your Lima – Cusco flight, our staff will be waiting to welcome you. The city of Cusco sits at 3,400 m.a.s.l., so we recommend drinking a natural coca leaf tea to help you acclimatize and avoid altitude sickness. After pickup we will take you to your hotel, where you will stay during your time in Cusco.

   INCLUDES:

   • Night in a three-star hotel (double room)
4. Day 4 Cusco City Tour

   Our travel agency staff will pick you up at the scheduled time to begin the tour of the city of Cusco, where we will visit the following archaeological sites:

   • Qoricancha, the Temple of the Sun
   • Puka Pucara

   INCLUDES:

   • Hotel pickup
   • Round-trip tourist transport for the tour
   • Official tour guide
   • Hotel in the city of Cusco
   • General Tourist Ticket (B.T.G.)
   • Entrance to the Temple of the Sun – Qoricancha
5. Day 5 Sacred Valley VIP with Machu Picchu Connection

   SACRED VALLEY VIP TOUR WITH MACHU PICCHU CONNECTION

   ITINERARY

   Activities: archaeological, cultural and a bit of hiking.

   After breakfast, our staff will pick you up at your hotel and take you by tourist transport to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Along the way you will enjoy beautiful landscapes, flora, fauna and impressive archaeological sites. At the end of the tour we will head to the train station in Ollantaytambo and travel to the town of Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu, where we will spend the night at the hotel.

   Places we visit in the Sacred Valley:

   • Chinchero
   • Maras & Moray
   • Ollantaytambo

   Includes:

   • Breakfast at the hotel
   • Round-trip tourist transport for the tour
   • Official tour guide
   • Buffet lunch in Urubamba
   • Hotel in Machu Picchu
   • Tourist train (Ollantaytambo – Machu Picchu)
   • Tourist Ticket (B.T.G.)
   • Entrance to the Maras salt mines
6. Day 6 Machu Picchu Full Day

   MACHU PICCHU CITADEL TOUR – FULL DAY

   Today your guide will pick you up at your hotel in Aguas Calientes to take the Consettur bus, a 30-minute ride up to the main entrance of Machu Picchu, where the guide will be waiting to enter with you. Once inside, the guide will lead you through the different areas of the Machu Picchu citadel. At the end of the tour you will leave the citadel and walk a few steps from the main gate to the bus stop, where we will take the Consettur bus back down. Back in town you will have a free afternoon to have lunch and explore Aguas Calientes. According to your return train time, you will go to the Aguas Calientes train station and take the train back to Ollantaytambo, where our staff will be waiting with a sign bearing your name to drive you back to the city of Cusco (about 1 hour 30 minutes). You will be dropped off at Plaza San Francisco, from where you will make your own way to your hotel.

   INCLUDES:

   • Tourist train – Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu) – Ollantaytambo
   • Consettur bus up to and down from the site
   • Official tour guide
   • Entrance ticket to the Machu Picchu citadel
   • Return train Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu) – Ollantaytambo
   • Tourist transport from Ollantaytambo station to Cusco
   • Hotel in the city of Cusco

   NOT INCLUDED:

   • Meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
7. Day 7 Rainbow Mountain Full Day

   RAINBOW MOUNTAIN TOUR – FULL DAY

   Our trip begins at 5:00 am, heading to the village of Cusipata (about 2 hours), where we will enjoy a hearty breakfast. We then continue through beautiful valleys, small canyons and impressive pre-Inca terraces for another hour until we reach the community of Phulawasipata.

   The adventure begins with a stunning view of Apu Ausangate. After an introduction by our guide, we start our hike to Rainbow Mountain; the ascent is gradual and takes approximately 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes. Along the way we will see a variety of South American camelids such as alpacas and llamas, as well as birds, lakes, valleys, streams and snow-capped peaks.

   After hiking approximately 4 kilometers we reach Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca), a unique and magical place shaped by the whims of nature. After enjoying a moment of peace in contact with nature, we return to Phulawasipata, where our transport awaits to take us back to Cusipata for a delicious buffet lunch. We then board our transport for the return trip to the city of Cusco.

   THE TRIP INCLUDES:

   • Pre-departure briefing
   • Pickup from your hotel in Cusco
   • Round-trip tourist transport for the tour
   • Breakfast and buffet lunch
   • Official tour guide
   • First-aid kit
   • Oxygen
   • Trekking poles
   • Blankets for the cold
   • Hotel in Cusco

   THE TRIP DOES NOT INCLUDE:

   • Horse
   • Drinks
   • Dinner
   • Entrance fees

   WHAT TO BRING:

   • Warm sweater
   • Sportswear
   • Hiking shoes
   • Hat or cap
   • Sunglasses
   • Sunscreen
   • Rain jacket or poncho
   • Gloves
   • 1 liter of water
8. Day 8 Transfer Hotel – Airport

   TRANSFER HOTEL – AIRPORT

   Today, after the Rainbow Mountain tour, our travel agency staff will be waiting at your hotel to take you to the airport in time for your Cusco – Lima flight (8:45 pm). Upon arrival in Lima, our staff will pick you up at the airport and take you to your hotel.

   INCLUDES:

   • Transfer from the hotel to the airport
   • Hotel night in Lima
9. Day 9 Transfer to Lima airport

   Pickup from your hotel in Lima and transfer to the airport (00:00 am) for your flight back home.

What's included?

Prices

What to bring and tips

• Extra money
• Camera
• Appropriate clothing for the program
• Passports
• Medical prescription if required