Customized 8-Day Peru Tour from Cusco to Puno

Overview

Day by day itinerary

1. 1Arrival in Cusco, Pick up & Cusco city tour⌄

   Your English-speaking guide will wait for you at the airport and hold a board with your name on it. After a warm greeting, your guide and the driver will send you to the hotel.

   Firstly you will be escorted to stroll around Plaza de Armas.

   Then visit Qorikancha (the Temple of Sun). This temple, dedicated to the sun god Inti, is the landmark building of Cusco and an important relic of the Inca civilization, with a history of more than 1,000 years.

   Next, go to Sacsayhuaman to appreciate magnificent tall stone walls. Sacsayhuaman, only about 4 kilometers (2.5 mi) from Cusco, is a military stronghold built in the late 15th century. It is made of thousands of large stones weighing up to 400 tons each.

   Overnight: Sonesta Hotel Cusco (4 stars)

2. 2Tour in Sacred Valley, Take a train to Aguas Calientes⌄

   In the morning, your guide and driver will take you to Chinchero, home to the Peruvian weaving. When getting to Main Square, you will visit intact Inca Walls and beautiful Colonial Church. Then we'll visit a local textile center and learn from artisans about traditional textile methods.

   Driving through the rolling hills, we will go to Moray to watch its Inca ruins: Concentric Terraces.

   Then we will go to visit Maras Salt Mines, where more than 3,000 pure white salt fields covering half a mountain and it looks very spectacular. After the visit, we will continue drive in the beautiful Sacred Valley to Ollantaytambo. Lunch is on your own.

   After lunch, you will be transfered to the railway station to take the train to Aguas Calientes in 1.5 hours - the town of Machu Picchu. Upon arrival, a local hotel staff will pick you up and lead you to walk to the hotel, which is close to the train station.

   Meals: Breakfast

   Overnight: Casa del Sol Machupicchu (4 stars)

3. 3Machu Picchu Exploration, Train Back to Ollantaytambo⌄

   Your tour guide will meet you at the hotel and walk you to the nearby bus station together to take a bus to Machu Picchu, one of Seven Wonders in the World. As the largest Inca empire relic, it was titled UNESCO World Heritage Site. During the more than 2-hour guided tour, the guide will give you a detailed introduction about this scenic spot. After that, you go back to Aguas Calientes by bus. Lunch is on your own.

   After having lunch, please go to the railway station on your own and take a train to Ollantaytambo. You will see your tour guide and the driver when you arrive there. They will escort you to the hotel around Urubamba Village in 30 minutes.

   Meals: Breakfast

   Overnight: Sonesta Posadas del Inca Yucay (3 stars)

4. 4Tour to Pisac, Transfer back to Cusco⌄

   Today's day tour starts with Pisac after a 50-min drive. You will visit Pisac Archaeological Park to overlook the breathtaking terraces and the scenery of the Sacred Valley.

   Next, you will go to the market in Pisac where you can buy some handicrafts and local specialties for your family or friends.

   Then you will return to Cusco and stop to visit Awanacancha on halfway, where we can see some unique camelidae animals such as Alpaca, llama, and Guanaco.

   Meals: Breakfast

   Overnight: Sonesta Hotel Cusco (4 stars)

5. 5Full day tour to Humantay Lagoon⌄

   Today, you need to get up early and take a car to Mollepata with a 2-hour drive over the 102 km (75 mi) distance.

   After a short break, continue to go to Sorayapampa, where you will experience a 2-hour up-hill hike to Humantay Lagoon. Once you reach the top, you'll have plenty of time to enjoy the view below, and you can see the snow-covered Humantay Mountain in the distance. Then walk back to Soraypampa, and take a car back to Mollepata for lunch. After lunch, you will be driven back to Cusco.

   Meals: Breakfast · Lunch

   Overnight: Sonesta Hotel Cusco (4 stars)

6. 6Bus tour to Puno⌄

   In the morning, your tour guide and the driver will pick you up from the hotel and send you to the Bus Terminal. You will take a bus to Puno, which takes around 10 hours with 386 km (240 mi) on the way and it will be a shared bus tour journey. The bus tour will first stop at Andahuaylillas and show you around San Pedro Chapel. The church is a blend of Catholic and Andean styles, and the interior is magnificently decorated with golden gilded statues. Then the bus continues to head to Raqchi to visit the Inca Temple, which is dedicated to Wiracocha, the creator God in Inca mythology. Have lunch at a buffet cafeteria in Sicuani town. Next, it will stop at La Raya where you can overlook a snow mountain and there are high chances to see groups of llamas and alpacas. The last stop will be Pucara, where you can visit Inca cultural relics. When you arrive in Puno, your local guide and the driver will pick you up and send you to the hotel.

   Meals: Breakfast · Lunch

   Overnight: Casa Andina Premium Puno (4 stars)

7. 7Trip to Floating Islands and Taquile Island⌄

   Your tour guide and the driver will send you to the pier to take a motorboat with the guide to Uros Islands to explore Uros people's lives. Uros Islands are also called Floating Islands because they are made of floating reed.

   Then you will head to Taquile Island by a motorboat for 3 hours, to have a family visit with a simple lunch. After the visit, you will be escroted to go back to the pier and return to the hotel. The rest of the day is on your own.

   Meals: Breakfast · Lunch

   Overnight: Casa Andina Premium Puno (4 stars)

8. 8Transfer to Juliaca, Airport see-off⌄

   Today you will be transferd to Juliaca airport on time according to your flight schedule. Wish you have enjoyed the best Machu Picchu tours during this period!

   Meals: Breakfast