Experience the magic of the Inca heritage Peru : Cusco & Machu Picchu Tour
Day 1 Santiago - Chile Day 2 Fly to Cusco Peru Day 3 Inca Ruins Tour Day 4 Train to Machu Picchu Day 5 Train back to Cusco Day 6 Fly back to Lima Outline Itinerary Suggested Accommodations Santiago Cusco Machu Picchu Grand Hyatt www.santiago.grand.hyatt.com Monasterio Hotel www.monasterio.orient-express.com Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge machupicchu.orient-express.com/ Santiago Lima Not included Lima Cusco Not included Cusco Lima Not included The current itinerary is based on double occupancy in standard rooms. Flight Schedule Highlights Cusco City Machu Picchu Commission for the Promotion of Peru www.peru.info/perueng.asp
Day 1 Santiago - Chile Overnight Grand Hyatt Hotel Santiago. (Group Departure) Day 2 Chile / Peru Cusco Arrival Transfer from Grand Hyatt Hotel to Santiago International Airport to connect flights to Lima, Cusco Peru. Cusco considered the Center of the World to the builders of Machu Picchu is today a bustling city that beckons the traveler with both its awe-inspiring Incan and Spanish Colonial architecture and its delightful surrounding countryside, Arrival in Cusco, reception by our representatives and transfer to Monasterio hotel. Rest of the day to adjust to the altitude.
Built as a Monastery in 1592, the hotel is an oasis of elegance, grace and service, yet it still retains the character and style of the original monastery. Here you can feel the presence of the past when you are pampered with every luxury and modern comfort that is associated with an Orient Express Hotel. The hotel features 109 rooms and 18 suites. This evening enjoy a welcome dinner with folklore show Accommodation: Monasterio Hotel Meal Plan: B & D
Day3 Tour Cusco City Tour, Sacsayhuamán & Nearby Ruins In the morning, you will have the opportunity to visit the amazing colonial city built on the foundations of the Inca palaces. You will visit the Koricancha or Temple of the Sun where you can appreciate the incredible masonry of the Incas, the Plaza de Armas and the Cathedral with its carved woodworks, altars and paintings. The Cathedral went through two construction stages: first, the Chapel of the Triumph was built on top of what used to be the temple Suntar Wasi (House of God); later, the cathedral itself was built over the remains of the palace of Inca Wiracocha. A Renaissance building in its majority, the interior decoration is rich in cedar and alder woodcarvings. The choir and the pulpit stand out for their beauty. An important collection of paintings from the Cusco School and silver wrought pieces are also kept there. The Koricancha was one of the most impressive buildings of Inca Cusco according to the historians: the glowing gilding of the interior walls illuminated what used to be the main temple dedicated to the worship of the Sun God. The Spanish built the church and Dominican convent on top of the original structure around 1534 but they collapsed during the earthquake of 1650 and were rebuilt around 1681. The convent possesses an art gallery of valuable seventeenth and eighteenth century canvasses. Then you will visit the San Blas district home of the best artists since the colonial times. Lunch on the local restaurant.
Then you will be driven to the Inca fortress of Sacsayhuamán, to the underground cave and temple of Kenko and to Tambomachay, known as the "Baths of the Inca". The Sacsayhuaman Archaeological Complex contains thirty-three archeological sites. The most famous is Fort Sacsayhuaman. It might well have been a religious structure, but for its location and style, the Spanish and the historians believe it was a military construction. The most important temple in Hanan Qosqo or Upper Cusco might have been located there, dedicated to Andean cosmology and to the worship of the Inti (sun), the Quilla (moon), Chaska (stars), Illapa (ray), and other divinities. It is described as massive for the size of some of its stones, which weigh between 90 and 120 tons. This is also the stage of the Inti Raymi or Festival of the Sun every 24th June. The Qenko or labyrinth might date from around 1500 A.D. It is considered a holy place where ceremonies honoring the sun, moon, and the stars used to take place. Tambomachay might have fulfilled an important religious function linked to water and the regeneration of the land. Some scholars believe it was built around 1500 A.D., closely linked with Pukapukara. The area covers about one hectare, and was made out of polygonal shaped set limestone. Accommodation: Monasterio Hotel Meal Plan: B & L
Day 4 Machu Picchu in Deluxe Hiram Bingham Service Morning transfer to Poroy station to board the deluxe train to Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas. The luxury train service Hiram Bingham runs between Cusco and Machu Picchu, it is named after the archaeologist who discovered Machu Picchu on 1911. The train departs from Poroy Station (20 mins drive from the centre of Cusco) at 9am, giving a more leisurely start to the day than other PeruRail departures. Its distinctive blue and gold livery and elegant interior upholstery in warm, inviting tones, consists of 4 cars - 2 dining cars, a bar car and a kitchen car. During the journey you will enjoy onboard meals with wine and entertainment. Upon arrival in Aguas Calientes station, a shuttle bus will take you to the entrance of the citadel The visitor can easily see how the rugged landscape and lush vegetation kept Machu Picchu hidden for four centuries. Its location at an altitude of 7,900 feet and 75 miles from Cusco high above the Urubamba River could not be more spectacular. Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas, has been the subject of much speculation. It has been called a religious center, an astronomical observatory, a fortress, and the private retreat of the Inca. Most modern archaeologists and historians agree that it was built by Pachacútec, the mid-15th century Inca ruler. Never discovered by the Spanish, Machu Picchu history was lost for 400 years before it was rediscovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911
After guided tour, enjoy Tea Time at the Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge hotel where you will spend the night. Accommodation: Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge Meal Plan: B, Brunch, Tea time, Dinner. Day 5 Machu Picchu Back to Cusco Morning at leisure to explore Machu Picchu. After lunch, take the bus back to Aguas Calientes to board the train. Enjoy a fantastic gourmet dinner onboard and finish the journey in the Bar Car, where live music and your favorite drink are waiting for you. Upon arrival to Poroy station, transfer to your hotel. Accommodation in Cusco. Accommodation: Monasterio Hotel Meal Plan: B,L & D
Day 6 Return to Lima In the morning, transfer to the Airport to board the flight to Lima. Meals included: breakfast.