Heart of the Empire Journey

Upon arrival at Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport in Cusco, a guide will meet you and transfer you to your hotel in the Sacred Valley. En route, we will stop at the Inkariy Museum near Pisac, where you will explore a chronological display of Peru’s pre-Columbian cultures. The exhibits offer insight into the Inca Empire as well as earlier civilisations such as the Caral, Chavín, Paracas, Moche, Nasca, Wari, Lambayeque and Chimú. Once at the hotel, you can check in and enjoy some free time to relax or make use of the facilities, preparing for the days ahead. Please note that domestic flights from Lima to Cusco should arrive no later than 10:30am to ensure timely transfer. Overnight accommodation is in the Sacred Valley.

After breakfast, we visit Chinchero, a small high-altitude town known for its stunning valley views and vibrant local traditions. Here, you will see traditional clothing, customs and handicrafts, as well as explore archaeological remains and a seventeenth-century church—one of Peru’s earliest Catholic buildings. Next, we transfer to the Yucay Museum of Living Culture, where you can observe artisans crafting textiles, adobe pottery and silverware using techniques dating back to the Incas. You will also have the chance to feed llamas, sheep and alpacas, gaining a genuine sense of Andean life. We then enjoy a lunch of local dishes in a cosy restaurant in Ollantaytambo. After lunch, you can explore the streets of this continuously inhabited Inca town and climb the impressive fortress built into the mountainside. We return to the hotel in the Sacred Valley to rest, enriched by the spirit of the Incas.

After breakfast, we transfer you to Ollanta station to begin the journey to Machu Picchu. Enjoy a scenic train ride of approximately two hours to Aguas Calientes, also known as Machu Picchu Pueblo, the gateway to Peru’s most significant archaeological site. Machu Picchu is believed to have been constructed around 1450 as a retreat for the Inca emperor Pachacútec. The citadel was abandoned just over a century later, likely due to the Spanish Conquest, though its precise fate remains a mystery. Hidden by dense jungle for centuries, it was rediscovered in 1911 and has since become an iconic symbol of Inca civilisation. Your guided tour will explore the origins of this remarkable site and take you through some of its most famous monuments. After the tour, return to Aguas Calientes for lunch followed by free time to relax or explore the town. Overnight in Aguas Calientes.

After breakfast, enjoy a leisurely morning in Aguas Calientes. You may choose to explore the town’s restaurants, bars, shops and craft market at your own pace, or return to Machu Picchu for a further visit to this extraordinary ancient site. In the afternoon, board the train back to Ollanta station, where you will be met and transferred to your hotel in Cusco for your overnight stay.

After breakfast, enjoy a free morning in Cusco to relax at the hotel or explore the city’s charming cobblestone streets and browse local handicrafts. In the afternoon, join a guided tour of the former capital of the Inca Empire. Begin at the Santo Domingo Convent, built atop Coricancha, an important Incan temple dedicated to sun worship, once adorned with gold leaf and intricate nature scenes. Next, visit the impressive cathedral in the Plaza de Armas before heading to the surrounding hills to see the fortress of Sacsayhuamán, offering sweeping views of Cusco. Continue to Qenqo, an archaeological site believed to have been used for religious ceremonies, and finish at Puka Pukara, a military complex featuring rooms, courtyards, baths, aqueducts and towers. After the tour, return to your hotel for the evening.

After breakfast at the hotel, you will check out and transfer to Cusco airport for your onward journey. Although today marks the end of your trip, we hope the rich culture and history you have experienced here will remain with you for years to come. Breakfast is included.