8 Days Peru Express

DAY 01: Lima

Hello and welcome to Lima! Our representative will be keeping an eye out for you at the airport and assist you on arrival. Once you’ve reached your accommodation, unwind at the hotel itself or grab a towel and head for the beach, but make sure you keep that 6 pm appointment with your tour leader.

DAY 02: Sacred Valley

Start the morning with a stroll through Kennedy Park, that houses amongst other things, the Virgen Milagrosa Catholic Church built in 1939. Skim your eyes across the flowerbeds that lie manicured within the park premises. Take in the painters who dab at their easels and if you’re lucky, linger around for an occasional show that happens at the amphitheatre located here. Cats! Friendly cats! Plenty of them to stroke and adopt one if you’re up for it! Sample some of the famous street food before heading to Parque Del Amor or Love Park, marked by its beautiful mosaics, a statue of a couple locked in an embrace, and a stunning view of the Pacific Ocean. Later in the afternoon take a flight out of Lima and touchdown at Cusco.

DAY 03: Sacred Valley

Take a deep breath of that crisp, clear air that hangs about in the Sacred Valley located at approximately 2450 metres. Your adventure proper starts today. Swing onto your saddles and turn up the gravel as you ride from Pisac to Calca dissecting the trail through some epic mountain landscape, lush farmlands, ancient Incan ruins and some artisanal villages.

DAY 04: Machu Picchu

Start early this morning and board your train with designs of walking the historic Inca Trail. Chase the Urubamba River, coming face-to-face with it as you alight at the desolate Aguascalientes Station and further down to the famed landmark, kilometre 104, the starting point of your trek. Step into history – literally – as you follow the 13 kms trail, marked by dense jungles and cobbled pathways, in turn punctuated by the temple ruins of Winay Wayna and the Sun Gate that sits amongst grassy terraces.

DAY 05: Machu Picchu

Discover the mysteries of Machu Picchu as you slip in amongst the ruins and listen to the stories that unfold. Wonder in equal measure at the spectacular scenery that acts as added ornamentation to its justifiably rich reputation. Contemplate, hypothesise or just embrace the scene, lingering just a little longer before you finally descend to catch the train to Cusco.

DAY 06: Cusco

After having clawed yourself away from the remote beauty of Machu Picchu, get a crash course in Quechua culture and Inca history as you step onto the cobbled pathways of Cusco’s main square, the Plaza de Armas. Wander through the collage of ancient and modern as you take in the Coricancha or Sun Temple built by the Incas around 1200 AD or head just north from there to the equally impressive 15th century Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin. Hunker down for some local flavour at the San Pedro market and run your eyes over traditional textiles, vegetable vendors and flower sellers and then move onto the more souvenir friendly artisanal market.

DAY 07: Cusco

Spend the last day of your tour cooking up a tasty, traditional Peruvian storm. You eat what you cook so take care to follow the instructions lest you should have to eat more than humble pie for lunch! The rest of the day is free so you might want to go back to Plaza de Armas to uncover sections that you may have missed. Later in the evening, perhaps rejoin your travel mates for a last hurrah and farewell dinner (not included) before closing the night out on a wonderful journey.

DAY 08: Cusco

It’s time now to bid farewell to your group leader and new friends but not without a backpack full of memories. Departure Transfers are included on the day. It is not possible to guarantee inca trail tickets without a purchase in advanced, any cancellation will have a fee of US$ 200 as a non-refundable expense from the deposit.