Short Inca Package
9 days | 8 days | 5 tours | 1 day-hike | No tents
What is included?
Two domestic flights
Eight nights in hotels
Four day tours
One day-hike on the Inca Trail
Guided tour of Machu Picchu
All transportation for tours and hike
All meals during tours and hike
All professional guides and staff
All permits, tickets, taxes, and fees
A 9-day international adventure to get a taste of the most popular trips
You get to Lima and we will handle the rest!
Schedule Overview
Day 3
Flight to Cusco
Pick up from Lima hotel in the morning
Flight to Cusco
Free afternoon in Cusco
Day 6
Short Inca Trail
Train from Ollantaytambo to trail head
8 mile hike, ending with iconic view of Machu Picchu
Hotel in Aguas Calientes
Day 7
Tour of Machu Picchu
Details
Tour of Machu Picchu in the morning
Train to Cusco in the evening
Hotel in Cusco
Popular Questions
Short answer: "shoulder seasons", the Spring and Fall of North America. These months provide the best combo of good weather and lower crowds.
High elevation effects everyone differently. Two general pieces of advice: take it easy on your first day in Cusco and hydrate
We've compiled the ultimate packing list depending on which trip you're planning to take. Check it out at the link below
Schedule Details
Let's get specific...
Day 1
Welcome To Peru!
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Meals Included: None
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Accommodations: Casa Andina Hotel (or similar) in the Miraflores district of Lima
MORNING/AFTERNOON/EVENING
Your international flight arrives to the Lima Airport (LIM).
A Kusa Treks representative will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel, located in the in Miraflores district..
Free afternoon/evening in Lima.
NOTE: Please provide your customer service representative with your flight details prior to your arrival.
Day 2
Tour of Lima
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Meals Included: Breakfast at hotel.
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Entrance tickets: Included. Museum pass and entrance fees for Catedral.
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Accommodations: Casa Andina Hotel (or similar) in the Miraflores district of Lima
MORNING
Free morning to explore Lima on your own.
AFTERNOON
The tour begins around 1pm with our private transportation picking you up directly from the airport or from your hotel. The tour will take you through the great city of Lima. You will experience the city’s 3 historic periods: Pre-hispanic, Colonial and Modern.
First, enjoy a panoramic view of “La Huaca Pucllana”, followed by touring Historic Downtown Lima. Downtown Lima is full of palaces, museums, mansions, churches and squares. The tour of downtown will end with a visit to the residential district in San Isidro and unforgettable views of the Pacific Ocean from the Miraflores District.
You will then visit several museums (admission is included)…BCR Museum, the Museo de Larco and the Complejo Monumental San Francisco and its Catacombs.
You will also visit: Plaza San Martin, Lima´s Cathedral, the Archbishop Palace and the Government Palace, among others.
EVENING
Free evening in Lima.
Day 3
Flight to Cusco
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Meals Included: Breakfast at hotel
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Accommodations: Hotel Rumi Punku (or similar) in Cusco
MORNING
In the morning, we will transfer you to the Lima airport for your flight to Cusco. A Kusa Treks van will be waiting for you at the airport in Cusco and will drive you to your hotel. You will have a free afternoon to explore Cusco.
AFTERNOON/EVENING
Enjoy some free time to explore Cusco on your own. Check the many shops and incredible restaurants that this historic city has to offer. Or relax at your hotel, by booking a massage at the spa.
Day 4
Tour of Cusco
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Meals Included: Breakfast at hotel
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Entrance Tickets: Included. Boleto Touristo and entrance fees for Catedral
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Accommodations: Hotel Rumi Punku (or similar) in Cusco
MORNING
You have some free time this morning to sleep in, relax or explore a little bit of Cusco on your own.
AFTERNOON
At 1PM we will meet you in your hotel lobby to begin the Tour of Cusco. You will start today with a tour Q’oricancha, the Temple of the Sun. At Q’oricancha you will see the differences between the Inca and Spanish building methods. This was the spiritual center of the entire Inca Empire and as such the construction here is amazing. Dozens of roads lead from Q’oricancha to the four quarters of the entire Inca Empire.
After visiting Q’oricancha the group will walk down the Avenida El Sol, where you will board a bus that will take you just outside of the city. The 25 minute drive will take you to the majestic Inca site of Sacsayhuaman, which has enigmatic monoliths weighing as much as 200 tons! Your guide will offer an explanation of this phenomenal site and you will have extra time to do a bit of exploring on your own.
From Sacsayhuaman it is a 5 minute bus ride to the Q’enqo Inca site. These ruins include fascinating Inca altars. Following this site is another 5 minute drive to Puca Pucara, which is a small, circular Inca site. The final stop on our tour is Tambomachay, the Inca water temple thought to be used by the ancient civilization for bathing, with its impressive water fountains.
After touring all of these sites you will drive back down to Cusco where the tour ends at your hotel.
EVENING
Free evening in Cusco to enjoy dinner at one of the many incredible restaurants in Cusco.
Day 5
Tour of Sacred Valley
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Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
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Entrance Tickets: Included. Boleto Touristo
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Accommodations: Samanapaq Hotel (or similar) in Ollantaytambo
MORNING
A Kusa Treks van will pick you up from your hotel in Cusco at 8AM to begin today’s tour of the Sacred Valley. The drive will take a road that winds around the mountains north of Cusco. Roughly 20 minutes into the drive you will stop at a famous point known as El Mirador (lookout point). From here you will be able to see the Sacred Valley stretching out below you, while your guide explains a bit of Inca history.
The Sacred Valley was a key area of settlement for the Incas. It has an amazing combination of agreeable climate and fertile plains that allowed for an abundance of crops for the usually unforgiving climate of the high Andes. Here the Incas sculpted vast mountain valleys with their world famous contour terracing and irrigation channels. Your guide will point out the best vantage points to get the best pictures.
AFTERNOON
After re-boarding the van, you will drive to the ruins of Písac. At these ruins you will see and learn about different aspects of Inca culture. You will see amazing works of art carved into stone as well as impressive agricultural terraces.
After exploring the upper plains, you will drive back to the lower part of Písac, where there is a bustling handicraft market where the locals buy, sell and trade goods.
At the market you will have free time to walk around and do some bargaining of your own for souvenirs and clothing made of alpaca or llama wool. Afterwards we will meet for lunch in a nice local restaurant where you will enjoy delicious Andean food.
EVENING
After lunch you will continue the tour, with a drive along the Urubamba River towards the town of Ollantaytambo. In Ollantaytambo, you will tour a set of important ruins that were constructed during the Inca’s heydays called Ollantaytambo Fortress. This extraordinary Inca site also contains an amazing rock formation representing the Inca god Wiracocha.
After touring this site your guide will take you to your hotel in Ollantaytambo (Samanapaq Hotel, or similar). Ollantaytambo is a charming and welcoming town built by the Incas. Dinner will be on your own this evening, but we are happy to make recommendations of a wonderful place to eat in the town.
Day 6
Short Inca Trail
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Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
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Entrance Tickets: Included. Hiking permit for Inca Trail
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Accommodations: La Cabaña Hotel (or similar) in Aguas Calientes (camping option available).
MORNING
In the morning you will be transported to the Ollantaytambo train station, where you will board a train for a two hour ride to KM 104, which is the starting point of the Short Inca Trail hike. Today you will hike 8 miles on the world famous Inca Trail to reach the Sun Gate, which is the best vantage point to view Machu Picchu. The hike will begin with a gradual uphill climb to reach a set of Inca ruins where you will stop to rest while your guide explains their importance.
AFTERNOON
After hiking in the morning, you will stop halfway through the hike to enjoy a delicious packed lunch. You will have the opportunity to visit the incredible Wiñay Wayna ruins, which is one of the most amazing sites on the Inca Trail (affectionately called “baby Machu Picchu”). You will enjoy a guided tour of these ruins along with pictures and high fives!
Once you are finished, you will continue your hike for 2-3 more hours to reach the world famous Sun Gate, the entry-way into Machu Picchu. After another hour you will arrive to the Machu Picchu ruins, where you will have some time to enjoy amazing views, take photos without the crowds and if the weather allows, see the sunset.
EVENING
After this amazing experience, you will walk down to the park entrance, where you will join a queue for a bus that will take you down to Aguas Calientes to your hotel, La Cabaña. Dinner tonight will be at a local restaurant in the town of Aguas Calientes.
Day 7
Tour of Machu Picchu
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Meals Included: Breakfast and a Snack
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Entrance Tickets: Included. Entrance fee to enter Machu Picchu Park
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Accommodations: Rumi Punku Hotel (or similar) in Cusco
MORNING
It is entirely up to you when you would like to start this exciting day! Today you will discover Machu Picchu, the world famous Sacred City of the Incas. The majority of travelers choose to wake up around 4:30AM, so that you can eat a quick breakfast and head over the bus station where you will attempt to catch the first bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu.
The drive to reach Machu Picchu Park is 25 minutes back the way you came the night before, uphill on a road full of switchbacks. The gates to Machu Picchu open at 6AM as the sun is rising over the lost city. It is truly magical to experience a sunrise over these ruins, as the mists part and the city rises from the clouds stone by stone.
Your official guided tour of Machu Picchu will begin at 8AM and end at 10:30AM if you have permits to climb Huyana Picchu or it will begin between 6 and 7AM and end between 9 and 10AM if you choose not to climb Huyana Picchu. All of our guides have been to Machu Picchu hundreds of times and know this site incredibly well! The walking, guided tour will start with the impressive Temple of the Sun. You will see several iconic areas of Machu Picchu including: The Citadel, The Royal Tomb, the Main Plaza, the Condor Temple and much more.
NOTE: Due to new regulations (effective Jan 1. 2019), the paths that lead through Machu Picchu are all “one-way”, meaning you are not able to backtrack during your visit to Machu Picchu. Each visitor without a permit to climb Huyna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain will have ~4 hours to spend inside the park and those with permits to climb either Huyana Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain will have 6 total hours to spend inside the park (including the 2 hour climb).
AFTERNOON/EVENING
After touring Machu Picchu your guide will take you to the bus stop just outside the gates of Machu Picchu Park. You will take this bus for a third time to get back to to Aguas Calientes. Depending on your train departure time (see below), you will either need to head straight to the train station, or you can go to one of the many fantastic restaurants in Aguas Calientes for lunch (not included).
There are several train class options for the ride back to Cusco. The main two trains are the “Expedition Train” (included in the price) and the “Vista Dome Train” (additional $70 USD per ticket). Our team usually tries to get tickets for a train leaving in the 15:00 (3PM) hour, which will have you back to your hotel in Cusco around 19:00 (7PM).
TRAIN SCHEDULE
If you have a preference for departure/arrival time, and provide us with 4+ months notice, we are able to book tickets for the following departures:
Expedition train departure times (train ticket included in price):
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14:55, 15:20, 16:20, 18:10
Vista Dome train departure times (additional $70 USD per ticket):
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15:20, 16:20, 17:10, 18:20
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13:37, $25 USD...only available for those who do not do the Huyana Picchu hike
All trains that depart from Aguas Calientes will arrive at one of two stations:
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Ollantaytambo station, 2 hour drive back to Cusco
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Poray station, 30 minute drive back to Cusco
Your arrival station will depend on the time of year of your trip, departure time and class of train. Once you arrive to either station a Kusa Treks van and driver will be waiting for you at the station to take you back to your hotel.
Day 8
Tours of Maras and Moray
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Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
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Entrance Tickets: Included. Boleto Touristo
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Accommodations: Rumi Punku (or similar) in Cusco
MORNING
This tour will take you to two incredible sites along with an Andean village! Today you will have the opportunity to learn how the Incas thrived in the high Andes by using the natural resources found in the Sacred Valley.
Our private van will pick you up directly from your hotel in Cusco around 8AM. You will have a beautiful 1.5 hour drive from Cusco to reach the terraces of Moray. This site is home to one of the largest, and best preserved, examples of the famous Inca terracing farm technique, which allowed the Incas to grow a variety of different plants all year long.
After enjoying a tour of Moray, you will drive a few miles down the road to Maras, which is a collection over 3,000 salt pools that are over 1,000 years old! It is a visual marvel and one of the most stunning sites in the Sacred Valley.
After the tour of Maras, you will travel to the Andean town of Chinchero. Your visit to Chinchero will consist of 3 parts: (1) Tour of the Rainbow Temple, (2) Visit to a Catholic cathedral and (3) demonstration of local weavers and lunch during a visit with a local family.
The first stop is the Rainbow Temple, which is one of the biggest Inca temples. You will enjoy a professional guide to learn why the Incas worshipped the rainbow.
Next, you will visit a church with beautiful murals depicting the Cusqueñan style of painting. This style of art combines traditional Inca imagery with Christian motifs. After visiting the cathedral, you will walk through a beautiful village in Chinchero, ending in the Women’s Weaving Cooperative where you will enjoy a demonstration of local weavers who still use traditional Inca patterns and techniques for dyeing fabric.
Following the demonstration, you will have time to browse their shop which sells Inca style purses, tablecloths, wall hangings, and many other colorful and exquisitely patterned artisanal goods.
AFTERNOON
In the afternoon you will enjoy a cooking lesson, where a local family will teach you how to make quinoa soup, a staple of their diet. After sharing lunch with them, you can dress up in the traditional clothing and the hats of Chinchero and take photos with the locals!
You will have a private van ride back to your hotel in Cusco, arrival to Cusco is between 3-4pm.
EVENING
Free evening in Cusco to enjoy dinner.
Day 9
Flight to Lima
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Meals Included: Breakfast at hotel
MORNING
In the morning, we will transfer you to the Cusco airport for your flight to Lima to connect to your flight back home.