Inca Discovery

8 days, Lima to Cusco

Perfect for those looking to experience the region’s archaeological and cultural treasures in a short amount of time, this adventure includes a four-day trek along the Inca Trail. This is one of the world’s best-known hikes and will reward those willing to break a sweat with a stunning combination of mountainscapes, cloud forests, and jungles. We run our own treks, which ensures the fair treatment of our porters and quality equipment.

Itinerary

Day 1 - Lima

Arrive in Lima at any time. There are no planned activities so check into the hotel and enjoy the city. There are lots of options to choose from before the welcome meeting in the evening.

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES - request current pricing

1. Lima City Tour - Discover Lima’s cultural and culinary highlights on this half-day guided tour. Visit the San Francisco Church and its impressive catacombs, walk around Plaza de Armas, and get to know some of Lima's lovely neighbourhoods. Stop to enjoy some authentic Peruvian tapas and be introduced to pisco sours during a demonstration and tasting before heading back to your hotel. 

2. Lima Cooking Class (4 hrs) - Get a taste of Peruvian cuisine, visit local markets, sample exotic fruit, select fresh ingredients, and try your hand at preparing unique Peruvian dishes influenced by China, Italy, West Africa, and Japan.

3. Full Day Lima Experience - Experience the highlights in Lima along with its important eras in history such as, the Pre-Hispanic Oracle of Pachacamac. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant in the bohemian district of Barranco and visit the colonial convent of San Francisco and its latest addition, the Magic Water Park.

4. Huacas and Larco Museum by Night - Tour three different Huacas in the city which were built during pre-Inca times in the middle of Lima. Then, visit the Larco Museum where you will enjoy a 3-course dinner in the restaurant there.

5. Bike Miraflores and Barranco - Head out on a bike tour through Miraflores and Barranco visiting iconic districts in Lima along the way. You will bike a total of 13km or about 8 miles on this particular tour. Take in the colourful atmosphere as you pass by historic house in the Bajada de Baños district and visit the famous Puente de los Suspiros.

Day 2 - Lima / Cusco

Take a transfer to the airport for the flight to Cusco. Spend the rest of the day relaxing and exploring this fascinating city, and getting used to the altitude.

Choose to pre-book the Cusco Cooking Class, or opt for a city tour.

This is your Discovery Moment: There's plenty to see and do in Cusco, and we wanted to make sure that you had some time to take it all in. Feel free to relax or try optional activities like visiting Museo Inka, Museo de Historia Regional, and whitewater rafting.  Your CEO has more ideas if you need them. Just ask! 

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES - request current pricing

1. Cusco City Tour - Enjoy a half-day tour of Cusco's main sights. Walk around the Plaza de Armas (main square) and explore this city steeped in one of the world's most alluring and ancient cultures. Visit Qenqo, Koricancha, the Cathedral, Puca Pucara, Tambomachay, and the archaeological site of Sacsaywaman.

2. Cusco Tourist Ticket - This ticket allows admission at 16 sights of the city of Cusco including many popular museums and cathedrals, the ticket also provides entrance to Sacsayhuaman Archaeological Park, and sights in the South Valley of Cusco and the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

3. Inka Museum - Get ready to explore the artifacts from the Inca Empire, including mummies, jewelry, skulls, and ceramics at this museum of archaeology.

4. Cusco Cooking Class - Channel your inner chef and get a taste of Peruvian cuisine. Learn all about the essential ingredients, and try your hand at preparing unique Peruvian dishes with a local expert.

Day 3 - Cusco / Ollantaytambo

Enjoy a full-day guided tour of the Sacred Valley.

Visit the Ccaccaccollo community centre which G Adventures travellers' donations helped create in 2005, thereby enabling local women to sell traditional textiles to travellers. See local weaving and dyeing techniques used to create garments and souvenirs, and learn how the Planeterra weaving co-operative has impacted the community and those who visit it. This includes the purchase of alpacas to provide a steady supply of wool, looms, and sewing machines as well as several training courses on production, sales and small business management.

In the rural village of Cuyo Chico in the Sacred Valley, a group of families joined together to create a small business based on their traditional adobe ceramic crafts. Using clay from their surroundings, they mold bowls, plates, and all manner of decorations. Learn about the ceramics process as well as the traditional adobe brick-making that forms the basis of houses throughout the valley, all while taking in a spectacular view of the Pisac Ruins. After the demonstration, peruse the items for sale directly from the artisans in their shop.

Contribute to sustainable tourism in Huchuy Qosqo, a small village of 65 families in the Sacred Valley, by eating at the Parwa Community Restaurant. Learn how the resident-run restaurant was kickstarted by G Adventures and the Multilateral Investment Fund, to become a successful farm-to-table program that boosts the local economy and several spin-off microenterprises.

After lunch, opt to head out on a hike to the Ollantaytambo storehouses and look out over the ruins or wander around the cobblestone streets and visit a local Chicheria (corn beer bar).

OPTIONAL ACTIVITY

Ollantaytambo Storehouse Ruins and Hike -  Get your blood flowing on a steep hike up to the Pinkuylluna Incan storehouses. Perched on the hill, these ruins provide excellent views of the Sacred Valley and the Ollantaytambo ruins below.

Day 4 - Inca Trail

Depart Ollantaytambo by van to km 82 where the Inca Trail begins. Ease into the adventure with a straightforward day of hiking the meandering streams, stunning Andean scenery, and ancient Incan ruins. Trek through beautiful scenery, with a variety of flora that changes with the seasons, passing several smaller ruin sites like Llactapata.

NOTE: Your G for Good Moment: Handmade Biodegradable Soap Products - Enjoy G Adventures-supported handmade biodegradable soap products, for use on our treks. This G Adventures for Good project empowered local Cusqueña women to start their own business in order to reduce the environmental impact of treks in the region. Planeterra provided $10,000 of seed funding for two young entrepreneurs to register their biodegradable products in order to sell them to the tourism industry. "Esencia Andina" is now a successful business that produces biodegradable soaps, detergents, and natural products for travellers, guides, porters, and cooks on our treks.

Day 5 - Inca Trail

Trek over progressively spectacular and steeper terrain on your way to Warmiwañusca (aka Dead Woman’s Pass), the highest point of the trek at 4,198m (13,769ft). Be prepared to face strong Andean weather (blazing sun or cold winds) around the pass. Take the hike slow, and drink lots of water along the way – amazing views are waiting as a reward.

Enjoy some ample time to rest and relax after reaching the camp; most campers arrive around early afternoon.

Day 6 - Inca Trail

Cross two more passes and ruins on today's trek. The first pass is Runquraqay at 3,950m (13,113 ft) where, on a clear day, hikers can catch a glimpse of the snow-capped Cordillera Vilcabamba. Hike through the cloud forest on a gentle climb to the second pass of the day, walking through original Incan constructions. The highest point of the pass is 3,700m (12,136 ft). On a clear day, enjoy the spectacular views of the Urubamba Valley. At 3,650m (11,972 ft), reach the ruins of Phuyupatamarca, the "town above the clouds."

Camp here or go another 1.5 hrs to the Wiñay Wayna ruins ("forever young") located at 2,650m (8,694 ft).

Day 7 - Machu Picchu / Cusco

Wake around 03:30 to reach the Sun Gate as early as possible. Catch the first views of the breathtaking ruins of Machu Picchu (fingers crossed for a clear day). Hike down to Machu Picchu (about 45 mins) for a 1.5 hr guided tour of the site, and free time to explore. Learn about the history and gain insights into this massive mountaintop citadel while wandering through ancient dwellings, stone temples and along sculpted terraces. Feel the energy of this 15th-century site, now both a UNESCO World Heritage site and voted one of the new Seven Wonders of the World in a worldwide internet poll.

Opt to visit the Inca Bridge (a 15-min walk one way) for no additional charge, if time allows. 

Catch the bus outside the Machu Picchu gate after your visit for a 25-min downhill ride to Aguas Calientes. Eat and relax before the train ride back to Cusco this evening.

Day 8 - Cusco

Depart at any time. If you have extra time, there are optional activities available (request pricing).

1. Cusco Tourist Ticket - This ticket allows admission at 16 sights of the city of Cusco including many popular museums and cathedrals, the ticket also provides entrance to Sacsayhuaman Archaeological Park, and sights in the South Valley of Cusco and the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

2. Cusco City Tour - Enjoy a half-day tour of Cusco's main sights. Walk around the Plaza de Armas (main square) and explore this city steeped in one of the world's most alluring and ancient cultures. Visit Qenqo, Koricancha, the Cathedral, Puca Pucara, Tambomachay, and the archaeological site of Sacsaywaman.

3. Whitewater Rafting Urubamba - Rise for an early morning pick up and drive to Chuquicahuana for a safety briefing. Enjoy a full day of rafting on the Upper Vilcanota River (about 2.5 hrs on the water). Be thrilled by fast rapids that are a constant Class III and IV for around 11km (9 mi), and don’t forget to take in the gorgeous scenery. Rehash all the excitement afterward over a riverside picnic lunch.

4. Inka Museum - Get ready to explore the artifacts from the Inca Empire, including mummies, jewelry, skulls, and ceramics at this museum of archaeology.