Peru Trips 7 Days: Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca

On your second day in Peru our team will escort you to the check-in counter at the airport for your morning flight to Cusco. You will fly over the mountains to the Heart of the Andes, Cusco.

When you arrive in Cusco our team will meet you at the airport and drive you in our private van over to your hotel in the Historic Center of Cusco. At your hotel there will be natural teas available free of charge. Teas like muña and coca are delicious and also help you to acclimate to the high altitude.

In the afternoon at 2 pm you will start your City Tour of Cusco. Your tour begins in the impressive Colonial Cathedral of Cusco. This iconic church contains more than 400 paintings from the Cusco School of Fine Arts, as well as an impressive collection of colonial art, including “The Last Supper” by Marcos Zapata which shows the apostles eating cuy (Guinea Pig) as the main course. Then you will continue by visiting the Temple of the Sun (Qoricancha). According to the historians to this temple could only be entered barefoot, after fasting for a day, and while carrying a heavy load as a sign of humility. During Incan times this was the most important religious site in their entire Empire (Tahuantinsuyo).

Them you will leave the city and go up to the immense Fortress of Sacsayhuaman. It is built of gigantic blocks of cut stone. Some of this blocks weigh more than 100 tons. As you walk around this ruins, you will be amazed to discover how finely these inmense blocks are joined together without mortar.

After finishing your Cusco City Tour, you can go shopping or return to your hotel and rest.

If you are one of those travelers who loves to experience unique adventures, then this tour is definitely for you. You will leave Cusco and travel to the fasicnating ancient town of Chinchero which is called the Land of the Rainbow. Here you will see some excellent examples of Andean weaving techniques. Then you can explore the Chinchero Archeological Site where you can witness both Incan architecture and Spanish Colonial religious architecture imposed on top of it.

After Chinchero you will proceed to the incredible agricultural testing station of Moray. Observe there the great skill that the Incas exhibited in their farming techniques. See how they adapted plants to different climatic zones. Great circular terraces were employed where the temperatures changed depending on the altitude. As you descend the terraces, the temperature increases. It is thought by historians that the Incas studied climatic conditions and soil properties here. They learned how to cultivate and to adapt different kinds of food crops that originally grew in distinct regions of their Empire. The Incas had extraordinary knowledge of climates and microclimates.

Salineras Salt Mines will be your next stop, this is an impressive site that consists of over 5000 small wells where salt is collected. The local people let the salt water flow into depressions which they have dug out. Then the sun evaporates the water, leaving behind a crust of salt which is then collected and sold on the local market.

In the town of Urubamba you will eat lunch in an exclusive restaurant. After lunch your next destiantion will be the Ollantaytambo Archeological Center. At this magestic site you will discover the Temple of the Sun and the incredible Inca system of the agricultural terraces. Finally you will catch the Vistadome train from the Ollantaytambo train station to Machu Picchu.

Today is a very special day on your journey around Peru and South America, because today you will visit one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Machu Picchu. Therefore, you will wake up early in the morning and after a really good breakfast your guide will take you to the bus stop. From there you will board the bus and ride for 30 minutes to the mystical ruins of Machu Picchu.

Once you arrive at the Citadel of Machu Picchu, you will be given a 3 hour private guided tour. First you will visit the House of the Guardian. From here you can observe Machu Picchu in all its glory. Take advantage of this opportunity to snap some amazing photos of the entire complex. Soon after your guide tells you the complete story of the Sanctuary of Machu Picchu, you will continue exploring the imposing Temple of the Sun. the Temple of the High Priest, the Sacred Plaza, and the Ushnu.

When your tour finishes you will have free time to rest and record videos and still photos if you like. These photos and videos are sure to be precious treasures when you return home. Then you will go down to Aguas Calientes and have lunch in Cafe Inkaterra at Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel. Later in the afternoon you will board the train back to Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley. At Ollantaytambo train station you will hop in our private van and be driven back to your hotel in Cusco.

During your tour of Machu Picchu you will have the option of climbing up Huayna Picchu Mtn. or Machu Picchu Mtn. If you wish to climb up either one, it would be in your best interest to reserve your tickets at least 3 months in advance.

Starting after you eat a delicious breakfast, you will leave Cusco and ride through picturesque Andean valleys in the direction of the Antiplano. Your first stop on the Route of the Sun will be the Church of Saint Peter the Apostle in Andahuaylillas which is called the Sistine Chapel of the Americas. There you will have a fascinating guided tour of the church. All the ceilings and the walls are covered with murals and the oil paintings and their frames use real golden foil.

The next stop during your journey will be the Temple of Wiracocha at Raqchi. This is a special large rectangular structure which is 92 m. long, 25.5 m. wide, and about 9.8 m high and was dedicated to Wiracocha. At this destination, located near an extinct volcanic mountain, you can enjoy the panoramic Andean landscape. At the entrance of this sanctuary Spanish priests built a Catholic Church in the center of the Qhapaq Ñan which was the main Incan highway between Cusco and Lake Titicaca.

When you arrive at Sicuani you will eat a delicious novo andino lunch. Soon you will continue your journey along the Route of the Sun and stop at La Raya. La Raya, at 4335 masl., is the highest point on the trip from Cusco to Puno. Finally you will visit the museum at Pukara. This was an important ceremonial site on the Altiplano. Here you can discover the origin of the local pre-Incan cultures through the museum’s collection of sculptures and ceramics. Arrival time in Puno is scheduled for 5 pm. In Puno you can get comfortable and relax at your 4-star hotel.

Just after breakfast we will come by and pick you up at your hotel around 7 am. Then you will go to the port and board our comfortable motor launch to ride out to the Island of Taquile. Taquile has been called one of the most beautiful island in the world. It is here that you visit the isolated weavers of this ancient community. According to pre-Columbian legend, the Incas actually learned how to weave from the artisans of this island. The men are the weavers, and the women spin. Their weavings are awesome. Taquile has been declared to be part of the Cultural Heritage of the World by UNESCO.

You will leave Taquile at around noon and head in the direction of the Chucuito Peninsula. This is the Aymara region of Lake Titicaca and it represents the communal identity of the Peruvian – Bolivian Altiplano. Here you will eat a wonderful buffet lunch at The Fisherman´s House right in the community of Luquina Chico. Later in the afternoon you will visit the Floating Islands of the Uros on your way back to Puno. Totora reeds are woven together by natives to construct their islands, their houses and their boats. Uros people have maintained their ancient customs and their way life for thousands of years

This program allows our clients to include new tourist attractions on their Lake Titicaca Tour. Very few vistors know about this some of this idyllic destinations. Since this is a non-traditional excursion, our clients are really satisfied with this experience.

Travel 1’s Team will drive you to the Inca Manco Capac Airport in Juliaca in time for you to check in and catch your flight. On the way to the airport you will visit the Sillustani Archeological Center. Sillustani was a pre-Incan cemetery on the shores of Lake Umayo near Puno. These tombs, which are built above ground in tower-like structures called chullpas, were built by the Qolla people who were later conquered by the Aymara.

When you arrive at the airport we will bid you farewell. From here, as you begin your next adventure on your own, we will be hoping that you carry with you fond memories of fulfilled dreams and, above all, positive energy so you will be able to continue to explore the best that our world has to offer.

If you are not yet ready to return home, our team can help you extend your stay in this magical land. There are lots more excellent adventures available for you to experience, such as the Nazca Lines and the Amazon River in Iquitos.