Your Itinerary

Day 1 

Arrive to Cusco airport where our private vehicle, driver, and English-speaking guide will all be waiting for you!  Beautiful, two hour drive transfer to your hotel in Ollantaytambo with a few photo stops along the scenic drive. Check into your hotel, relax, and then go check out this incredible Incan town, one of the oldest in all of the Americas, either on your own or with your knowledgeable local guide.

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Day 2 

After breakfast of local fresh fruit, coffee, breads and eggs, we will head out for a long and fun day of bicycling and exploring. We will begin by heading up in our van to the Continental Divide of South America, at over 14,000 feet above sea level, to the pass of Abra Malaga. After getting our selfies on at the top, we will bicycle down the paved road, It plunges down nearly 5,000 feet over approximately forty kilometers of gravity-fed goodness. We will pass by local Andean farmers and their herds of sheep and llamas, waterfalls, half-covered Inca sites, and more. After a tasty, locally sourced lunch in one of our favorite restaurants, we will head over to the Urubamba, Salt Mines of Maras, and Moray region.

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Day 3 

Inti Punku means “Sun Gate” in Quechua, the language of the Incas, and that is where we are going today. It is located on a hilltop just outside of Ollantaytambo, with incredible views in all directions from the top. It is a fierce, three thousand foot climb up a trail about four miles long. There is also the option of renting a horse for the ascent if you prefer. Once we get to the top, you will be treated to an Incan archaeology site that very few tourists ever see. This is one of our favorite places to hike to anywhere in Peru!

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Day 4 

It is time to head down into the high Amazon Jungle for our three day expedition to Machu Picchu! We will drive back up to the Abra Malaga and the Continental Divide only this time, we are going to bicycle down the other side, a massive descent of nearly 9000 feet on a paved road all the way down to the upper Amazon Jungle town of Santa Maria. This is one of the funnest bike rides to be found anywhere! We will then take a dramatic road and travel to our Eco Lodge in the jungle town of Santa Theresa for the night.

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Day 5 

There are some wonderful, natural hot springs in the area, we will make the short drive down to the river to spend the morning soaking in them and resting up a bit after several days of hard adventure! After a local lunch, there is a lovely three-hour hike alongside the Urubamba River which will take us right to Aguas Calientes. This is the base of Machu Picchu. Catch your first glimpses of the Incan buildings high up on the mountainside as well as a few that are seen by only a few travelers a year compared to the masses that go to Machu Picchu via the traditional Inca Trail or bus route. The hike is beautiful and there is also an option to stop at a botanical garden along the way. 

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Day 6

It's finally time to visit Machu Picchu, one of the 7 Wonders of the World!!  By now you will be fully acclimated and settled into the rhythm of Peru culture, familiar with Inca stonework, and ready to fully appreciate its splendor. Make no mistake, no matter how many pictures you have seen or how crowded you might worry that it is, a visit to Machu Picchu remains one of the most spectacular days one can spend anywhere. The site is underrated as far as we are concerned, particularly when it comes to water management, architecture, civil engineering and planning, and the sheer and overwhelming beauty of its construction and integration into the mountains. We never get tired of it, it's INCREDIBLE. We will get up early and take the bus up to the site itself, visit as long as you want with your knowledgeable and licensed guide, then back down and train back through the jungle to Ollantaytambo.

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Day 7

After breakfast, we will make the two-hour drive to Cusco and mark the end of the trip. Some will need to head to Cusco early this morning to catch a flight out this afternoon, while others may have the time to stay in Ollantaytambo this evening (recommended) and head to Cusco the next day.  In either case, your private shuttle to Cusco is included with your trip, at whatever time you request.