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Cusco and Machu Picchu tours

country:Peru
location:Machu Picchu 
departures:Departs Mondays and Fridays throughout the year, excluding February
price:From US $816 - US $1248 (7 days) excluding flights
vouchers:Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday
 
the amazing things you'll be doing
Cusco and Machu Picchu were at the center of the Inca Empire and remain the central tourist destinations in the Andean countries of South America.

Cusco – considered the Center of the World to the builders of Machu Picchu – is today a bustling city that beckons the traveler with both its awe-inspiring Incan and Spanish Colonial architecture and its delightful surrounding countryside.

Cusco is therefore a memorable destination, full of history and culture, a City with a splendid legacy and an obligatory destination for all who travel to our country. Cusco is also the departure point for visiting the impressive Inca Citadel of Machu Picchu.

Spend a week retracing the steps of the ancient Inca civilization, highlighted by the spectacular Citadel of hike to Machu Picchu.

Tailor made options:
All our programs can be tailor made according to your requirements, whether regarding the length of your tour, any special interests or specific activities, flight reservations, optional destinations or tours.
day-by-day itinerary
Day 1:Arrival to Lima. Reception at the Lima airport and transfer to the selected hotel.
Day 2:Flight to Cusco & City Tour. Transfer to the airport for your flight to Cusco. In the afternoon Tour of Cusco and its Ruins.
Day 3:Sacred Valley of the Incas. Full day excursion to the Sacred Valley of the Incas, Pisac Indian Market and Ollantaytambo Fortress.
Day 4:Machu Picchu with overnight 2 days. Cusco – Machu Picchu. Early in the morning, transfer to Cusco Train station for a three hours train ride to the famous Inca Citadel of Machu Picchu, one of the most renowned examples of Inca architecture, known as "The Lost City of the Incas”. Guided tour of the Citadel, visiting the Main Plaza, the Circular Tower, the Sacred Sun Dial (the most important Intihuatana), the Royal Quarters, the Temple of Three Windows and various burial grounds. Time free to stroll by the Archaeological Site. Spend the night at Aguas Calientes
Day 5:Machu Picchu: Aguas Calientes / Cusco. Leisurely breakfast. Excellent opportunity to wake up early and enjoy a beautiful sunrise as well as a stroll through the Town of Aguas Calientes and visit its Hot Springs Thermal Waters or visit the Citadel of Machu Picchu for the second time or, for the most adventurous people, we suggest to go up the Huayna Picchu. In the afternoon, back to Cusco by train, and transfer to your hotel.
Day 6:Lima & City Tour. Transfer to the Airport for your flight to Lima. In the afternoon, guided sightseeing tour to the most attractive and important sites in Lima, the "City of Kings".
Day 7:Flight at home. Transfer from hotel to the airport and then take your connecting flight to home.
how this holiday makes a difference
We promote responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, respecting and benefiting local people. We believe that sustainable, sensitive tourism is an invaluable help to developing the communities and preserving the environments of Peru. Our aim to encourage more people to visit Peru by promoting supremely enjoyable and informative trips whilst maximising the benefits these generate for the local economies, environments and host communities in Peru.

Environment
We have a zero litter tolerance. On our treks all rubbish and waste material is carried out and disposed of in suitable facilities in the main towns and cities. The waste is divided into organic (green bags) and inorganic (black bags). We never bury waste along the route of the trail and certainly never dump rubbish behind a hedge.

Environmental degradation, landfill, and scarce water resource are all very important issues faced by most of the countries in the world. Instead of feeling powerless in the face of these problems we prefer to focus on what we can do. We use biodegradable cleaning products (soap, detergent) – the passengers must use these products. They may be a little more expensive but we will be using river water that is up to now still very clean and we want it to stay that way.

Community
On Tour to the Sacred Valley we stop in many stores in local communities to buy handicrafts. If passengers want to buy crafts we recommend them to local shops.

We value and respect diversity when hiring, and believe in participative management, fair payment policies, professional development, good conditions and safety at work, personal and family development and good treatment of subcontracted personnel. We employ professionals local and native staff with many years experience and pay our trekking staff such as cooks and porters well above average wages, on time and just after finalize the trip, they are not overburdened, and we are organized enough to ensure a safe pace along the trail.

We aim to work with providers who share our social responsibility philosophy of offering our clients the highest quality while respecting our communities and the environment.

We promote the participation of the communities in which we operate by contracting local guides, drivers, and executives. We are currently working on a pilot program in a small Andean community that we hope to replicate throughout the Andean region.

Keeping all group sizes small (max 10 people) to prevent our holidays becoming too intrusive on local communities. This has the added benefit that all customers are able to benefit from the knowledge of our local tour guides

We are recognised as honestly paying taxes (19%) to the State and recognized by all Peruvian Tourism Institutions SUNAT. When an overseas tour company sends the money to a Peruvian tour company who will actually operate your trip, this payment is exempt from tax (basically so you don't end up paying sales tax twice). That means that if you buy a trek or tour with a tour company outside of Peru you are not contributing towards the Peruvian economy in the form of sales taxes.

Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people.

We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel.

'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left).

We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays.

We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism.

This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards.

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