Day 01
Day 1: Cusco – Chinchero – Moray – Maras – Urubamba – Ollantaytambo – Aguas Calientes
Early in the morning, the Flamenco Travel team will pick you up from your hotel in Cusco's historic center to begin your tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
Our first stop is Chinchero (3,754 m a.s.l.). This town keeps its traditional weaving alive, and you'll see a demonstration of how Andean camelid wool is dyed and woven. We'll also visit its colonial church, built on the remains of an Inca palace.
Next we'll go to Moray, an Inca agricultural research center. Its circular, amphitheater-like terraces create a different microclimate on each level. Then we'll reach the Maras Salt Mines, more than 3,000 salt ponds that local families have worked since Inca times.
In Urubamba we'll enjoy a buffet lunch of regional dishes. In the afternoon we'll visit Ollantaytambo (2,792 m a.s.l.), a living Inca town with cobblestone streets and an impressive stone fortress.
Afterward, the Sacred Valley group heads back to Cusco, while you stay in Ollantaytambo with free time until your train. We'll board the Expedition or Voyager train to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Town), running alongside the Urubamba River as the scenery changes from highlands to cloud forest. Flamenco Travel staff will meet you at the station and take you to your hotel. In the evening, your guide will brief you on the Machu Picchu visit.
Day 02
Day 2: Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – Ollantaytambo – Cusco
Depending on your entry time, we'll meet the guide and take the bus up to Machu Picchu, about 25 minutes along the Hiram Bingham road. At the entrance you'll show your original passport (or your DNI if you're Peruvian) together with your ticket.
We'll take a guided tour of about 2 hours through the citadel. We'll visit the main plaza, the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the Three Windows, the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Condor and the farming terraces, among other areas. You'll learn the history of this Historic Sanctuary, a World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
Then we'll take the bus back down to Aguas Calientes, where you'll have free time to have lunch on your own, explore the town or visit the hot springs (entry not included). At the scheduled time, we'll take the return train to Ollantaytambo, and from there Flamenco Travel transport will take you back to Cusco.
