Cusco, Machu Picchu, Urubamba
Cusco – the navel of the world - was the center of the mighty Inca Empire, the largest empire on American soil. This glorious past of Cusco is still present today - partly mixed with works from the Spanish colonial period: Sacsayhuaman, Korikancha, Q'enqo, Puca Pucara, Tambo Machay, Cathedral, the 12-pointed stone and much more.
Not only the city of Cusco had a sacred character with the Incas, also the nearby valley of the Vilcanota or Urubamba with many impressive testimonies of the architecture of the Incas had and has mystical significance. Important sites in the valley are Pisac with its ruins and handicraft market, Yucay, Urubamba and Ollantaytambo with its famous buildings.
Downstream, where mountains and jungle merge, is about 120 km from Cusco, in the midst of an overwhelming landscape one of the greatest creations of mankind: Machu Picchu, the mysterious city of the Incas that was never discovered by the Spanish. The village of «Aguas Calientes» at the foot of the mountain also invites you to linger: for a relaxing bath in the thermal baths, to admire a unique collection of orchids or for hiking in the area. There is no road connection to Machu Picchu. But you can easily get to your destination by train or like the ancient Incas: on foot. And if you don't want to share the walk to Machu Picchu with many other tourists - there are others too little-trodden paths.
For lovers of sports and adventure there are many more possibilities: rafting on the Urubamba river, paracliding, trekking to Choquequirao, mountain bike trips from Cusco to the Manu, and much more.
Travel programs:
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PTW-CUS001 City tour in CuscoHalf a day Sightseeing of the city and its surroundings: Cathedral, Sacsayhuaman, Tambomachay, Qenko, Puca Pucara. | |
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PTW-CUS002 Urubamba valleyWhole day
Visit to the
market in Pisac, drive through the Urubamba Valley to Yucay, the city
of Urubamba and on to Ollantaytambo. | |
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PTW-CUS003 Maras – Moray – ChincherosWhole day Maras: salt is extracted from saline spring water in a terraced system by evaporation. Moray: Inca agricultural laboratory in the form of a circular terrace that deepens towards the centre. | |
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PTW-CUS004 Train ride to Machu PicchuWhole day First by train to the Urubamba Valley and then along the Urubamba to Machu Picchu, by bus up to the ruins, guided tour, return by train to Cusco. | |
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PTW-CUS005 Inka trail to Machu Picchu4 days / 3 nights Instead of taking the comfortable train to Machu Picchu, walk like the ancient Incas did, through impressive landscapes and past many archaeological witnesses of the Incas. | |
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PTW-CUS006 Vinicunca – the rainbow mountainWhole day Hike from Pitumarca to Rainbow Mountain Vinicunca. View of Ausangate's main peak, which is almost entirely covered in snow. | |
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PTW-CUS007 Via Salcantay to Machu Picchu4 days / 3 nights An alternative route to Machu Picchu, which does not have as many archaeological remains as the Inca Trail, but offers wonderful landscapes in the transition from the snow-capped mountains to the lush mountain jungle. This route is only used by a few tourists. | |
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PTW-CUS008 Cusco, Machu Picchu, Urubamba valley4 days / 3 nights City tour in Cusco; Full Day Tour Urubamba Valley with Pisac, Urubamba and Ollantaytambo; by train to Machu Picchu. | |
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TW-CUS009 Tipon, Pikillaqta, Andahuaylillas4 hours In the valley south of Cusco there is a multitude of sites, villages and landscapes, old farms and noble mansions. | |
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PTW-CUS010 4, 5 or 8 days Choquequirao (3033 m) was an important center of the Incas and the center of exchanges between the coast and the province of Convención. For more than 40 years it served as a refuge for the resistance of the Incas against the Spaniards. | |
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PTW-CUS011
1 day Hike from Soraypampa to Lake Humantay. | |
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PTW-CUS015
3 days / 2 nights Bird watching for guests of the «Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel» in the early morning accompanied by a knowledgeable guide in the hotel facilities. | |
For more tours that include Cusco, see Roundtrips.
