2024 Peru Authentic Adventure Escape Tour

Arrival to Lima, reception at the airport and transfer by private vehicle to your hotel.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight to Cuzco, the ancient Inca capital of the Incas. After the one hour flight, reception and transfer to your hotel, the Los Andes. After a recommended light lunch (not included), free time to wander about the ancient capital of the Incas.

Los Andes Hotel   |  Meals: B

After breakfast, tour of the city of Cuzco; including the Main Square, the Cathedral and the Koricancha or Temple of the Sun. A tour of the ruins surrounding the Inca capital including the Sacsayhuaman Fortress overlooking the city of Cuzco, a pre Inca architectural masterpiece; Kenko, a rock sanctuary whose main attraction is the monolithic altar representing a puma, the red fortress of Puca-Pucara, and Tambomachay.

Meals: B

After breakfast, we depart by vehicle to just outside Chinchero where we will start our mountain bike ride, totaling over 22 miles on back roads and trails. We first ride back roads for about an hour, climbing several hills, witnessing scenes of rural Andean life, before arriving at the Inca site of Moray. This is a fascinating, unique ruin; a fabulous amphitheatre of terracing that was used as an agricultural experimental site by the Incas by taking advantage of the microclimates produced by the varying altitude to breed new varieties of their crops. After retracing our route briefly, we leave the back roads and transition to a two track road that later becomes a walking trail. The route is mostly flat and downhill, with one steep and fairly technical downhill followed by a short but steep uphill. Those who would prefer to ride in the support vehicle are free to do so. After riding for about 45 minutes we reach the village of Maras, where we will rejoin our support vehicle on the town plaza for a picnic lunch. We get back on our bikes for a mostly downhill ride to the salt pans of Maras. The salt pans are an unforgettable site the people from Maras have diverted a salt-laden spring coming out of the hillside, evaporating the water to collect salt, as their ancestors have done for centuries. We will walk among the salt pans, witnessing a scene largely unchanged from Inca times. From the salt pans we have a final technical bike ride, downhill into the Sacred Valley town of Urubamba. On this half hour section there are a few rocky drops that can be ridden or walked. There is also the option to take the support van along another route. Arrival to the Urubamba for the transfer back to Cuzco.

Meals: B & L

After breakfast transfer to the town of Lamay. Arrival and begin your hike to the fascinating site where the Inca chief Viracocha lived. Walk over the bridge in Lamay and continue on the path behind the houses. You can easily see the path climbing up the hill and you might even see some part of the ruins high above you. This is an advanced hike. It will take about two and a half hours to reach the ruins and from there you will have a wonderful view into the Urubamba valley, and of the villages of Lamay and Calca. The mummy that was found here is said to be Viracocha. The ruins are part stone and part adobe and of special interest is the presence of horizontal wooden braces inside the corners of some of the buildings. There is a fine `kallanka`, great hall, some 40m long, a great esplanade, where were held parades, and lots of terraces. Some of the houses are "post-inca" , but in inca-style, and there is a Spanish-style reservoir. Going down to Calca will take about three hours. The path starts behind the reservoir, where you will have to cross a small stream. In the valley behind you can continue on this small path to Calca. Arrive to Calca, and private transfer to the valley train station, we will ride aboard the train, taking in stunning views of the mountains all around, with snowcapped peaks in the distance as we slowly lose elevation and head into high altitude cloud forest. Our destination, the Machu Picchu gateway town of Aguas Calientes, is reachable only by train or air and is nestled among stunning steep mountains shrouded in cloud forest. Arrival to Machu Picchu and accommodation at the El Sanctuario.

El Sanctuario Hotel   |  Meals: B & L

A full day at Machu Picchu, the most spectacular ancient city in the world. Built by the Inca Pachacutec, and comprising stone blocks fitted with masterful precision, Machu Picchu harmoniously blends into the mountain landscape. There are many theories as to the origins behind Machu Picchu but three of the most popular ideas include a temple to the sun, a fortress against the jungle inhabitants or a sanctuary for the Incas. This fabulous city has houses, temples, warehouses, a large central square, all connected by narrow roads and steps, and is surrounded by terraces cut into the mountain side which were used for agriculture. After your 3 hour private guided tour, free time to enjoy this magical and spiritual wonder before returning to Cuzco in the evening. Reception and transfer to your hotel.

Meals: B

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your international flight home.

Meals: B

End of our services.