World of the Incas

A Classic Tour in Peru: Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu


Type of Trip: Cultural Length: 9 days Season: April-December Rating: Grade II


Explore Peru’s most entrancing ancient Incan wonders, along with its blend of traditional and contemporary culture. Centuries ago, the Incas governed this vast realm, which was connected by thousands of miles of stone-paved highways, from their cultural and religious center in Cusco. Many stone monuments stand today, a testament to the skill of their master architects.

Designed for those who wish to deepen their appreciation of the Incas, this exciting cultural and archaeological adventure takes us to Machu Picchu by train and into the very heart of the ancient empire, while enjoying present-day Peru at the same time. Well-paced and well-planned for gradual adjustment to the highlands altitude.


 

Trip Highlights:

  • Join Quechua villagers at the traditional market in Pisac
  • Visit a family in Chinchero, enjoy a weaving demonstration by master craftswomen
  • Visit Machu Picchu by train, reaching a crown jewel of Inca architecture
  • Wander the cobbled streets of Cusco and visit the nearby pre-Columbian sites
  • Take in the sights and sounds of Lima, including the magnificent Larco Herrera Museum

World of the Incas

Trip Itinerary


DAY 1: USA / LIMA OR CUSCO
Arrive to Lima this evening and spend the night.

DAY 2: LIMA / CUSCO / SACRED VALLEY
Fly to Cusco, and descend into the Sacred Valley to the town of Pisac.

DAY 3: CHINCHERO / OLLANTAYTAMBO
Deepen exploration of the Sacred Valley in two of its traditional towns.

DAY 4: MACHU PICCHU
Arrive by train to the spectacular ancient citadel of Machu Picchu.

DAY 5: MACHU PICCHU
Spend a second day at Machu Picchu for early morning light and optional hiking.

DAY 6: MACHU PICCHU / CUSCO
Return by train from Machu Picchu to the colonial city of Cusco.

DAY 7: CUSCO
A private tour of Cusco’s best markets, squares, and nearby pre-Columbian sites.

DAY 8: CUSCO / LIMA OR USA
Flight to Lima and guided sight-seeing before boarding an overnight flight home.

DAY 9: USA
Make your onward connections home.


All Southwind itineraries are fully customizable to your personal interests and travel dates. Please contact us for firsthand knowledge and help with your travel plans.

Detailed day-by-day itinerary (PDF)
With full trip profile, difficulty rating, weather, and other planning details.

World of the Incas

Dates & Rates


Departures

On request any week throughout the April-December season.

You can pick your own dates and have Southwind design a custom itinerary anytime during the season for a minimum of two participants. Please contact our Travel Specialists.

☼ If planning a summer trip, consider adding an extra day for the famous June 24th Inti Raymi Festival in Cusco.

2025 Land Cost

2-3 participants: from $7,200 p.p.d.
4-6 participants: from $6,500 p.p.d.
7-12 participants: from $6,000 p.p.d.
Single Supplement: from $1,700

p.p.d. = per person based on double occupancy. Price does not include international or local flights. Southwind ticketing affiliate helps coordinate flights to match your itinerary.


Detailed day-by-day itinerary (PDF)
With full trip profile, inclusions/exclusions, estimated airfare, and other info.

World of the Incas

Accommodations


machu picchu by train
LIMA: COSTA DEL SOL — After a long flight to Lima travelers can step out of the International Terminal, walk a short distance, and enter the lobby of Ramada’s newly constructed Costa del Sol Hotel. This stylish four-star, 130 guest room hotel is the perfect place to unwind before exploring the wonders of Peru.
train to machu picchu
SACRED VALLEY: SOL Y LUNA LODGE — Designed to promote the allure of nature and the magic of the Sacred Valley, the 4-star Sol Y Luna Hotel features 14 bungalows distributed throughout a delightfully landscaped site. Each bungalow is an integration of adobe, wood, stone from the area, resulting in a construction that lives in harmony with nature.
machu picchu in a train
MACHU PICCHU: INKATERRA PUEBLO — The Inkaterra Machu Picchu Hotel is a unique, 4-star ecological hotel situated in a cloud forest above the Urubamba River. Featuring 83 spacious, sunlit rooms, the style is Spanish colonial with stone archways and red tiled roofs. Cottages and gardens are reminiscent of a traditional Andean village.
machu picchu by train
CUSCO: PALACIO DEL INKA — The city’s first 5-star hotel, the former Hotel Libertador Cusco is ideally located within the historical center of the city, only three blocks from the main square and across from Santo Domingo Church and Coricancha Inca site. It occupies the fabulous Casa de los Cuatro Bustos, where Francisco Pizarro once lived.
machu picchu train
CUSCO: ARANWA BOUTIQUE HOTEL — Built in a colonial mansion of the XVI century, the Aranwa Cusco Boutique Hotel displays several paintings of the Cuzco school, colonial sculptures and carvings that transport us to the greatness of the time.
train to machu picchu
LIMA UPGRADE OPTION:
MIRAFLORES PARK HOTEL

Located on the Malecon de la Reserva, the 5-star Belmond Miraflores Park Hotel has 89 suites offering guests the ideal space for work and rest. Enjoy ample private bathrooms in marble and granite, comfortable king-size beds, and splendid ocean views.
machu picchu by train
LIMA UPGRADE OPTION:
JW MARRIOTT HOTEL

Enjoy a view of the Pacific Ocean against the shoreline at one of Condé Nast Traveler’s Top-20 Latin American hotels, the JW Marriott Hotel Lima. This 5-Star facility has prime location near the Larcomar shopping and entertainment center, and luxurious amenities.
train trip to machu picchu
MACHU PICCHU UPGRADE OPTION:
SANCTUARY LODGE

Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge, by Belmond, enjoys a unique position at the entrance of the Inca Citadel ruins. The unequaled location of this upscale 4-star hotel allows guests easy access to Machu Picchu, as well as breathtaking scenery and bird watching.
train to machu picchu
CUSCO UPGRADE OPTION:
MONASTERIO HOTEL

Built in 1592, the original monastery was given the seal of royal approval in 1692. The San Antonio Abad Seminary and was converted into Cusco’s best and most delightful 5-star hotel in 1995. Only two blocks from Cusco’s main square, the Monasterio Hotel features 109 guest rooms.

World of the Incas:

Extensions


AMAZON LODGES
Length: 4 Days/3 Nights from Cusco or Lima
Season: April to December
Families and travelers with limited time, who want a taste of the Amazon rainforest, will enjoy the Reserva Amazonica or Sandoval Lake lodge, 45 min by boat from Puerto Maldonado. Both allow access to small oxbow lakes as well as forest trails with a variety of habitats.
LAKE TITICACA
Length: 4 Days/3 Nights from Cusco
Season: April to November
Introduction: For those who want to experience authentic Quechua culture first-hand and feel like you’ve traveled back in time, nothing beats a visit with a family on Taquile Island, one of Lake Titicaca’s natural islands.
AREQUIPA AND COLCA CANYON
Length: 5 days/4 nights from Lima
Season: Mid-April to mid-November
Introduction: Twice as deep as the Grand Canyon, Colca in southern Peru is one of the deepest canyons in the world. Since its walls are not as vertical, the valley is filled with small towns that preserve their ancestral traditions.
PARACAS RESERVE
Length: 4 Days/3 Nights from Lima
Season: Year-round
A visit to Paracas is a journey to one of South America’s most important protected coastal-marine systems. Whales, orcas, dolphins, sea lions and sea otters are just a few the 36 species of marine and land mammals found in the reserve.
MANU BIOSPHERE RESERVE
Length: 5 Days/4 Nights from Cusco
Season: April to October
For travelers wanting to maximize their wildlife viewing opportunities in a short extension, few places in the Amazon Basin can compete with Manu National Park in southeastern Peru. It is considered to be one of the most pristine and important rainforest reserves on the planet!
NORTHERN PERU
Length: 4 days/3 nights from Lima
Season:Year-round
Long before the Incas controlled the country, sophisticated cultures existed along the Peruvian coast; and northern Peru is one of the best destinations for visiting the remains of their cities. Moche sites including the renowned Lord of Sipan and the pyramids.
NAZCA LINES
Length: 3 days/2 nights from Lima
Season:Year-round
The mysterious lines etched into the coastal plains near the town of Nazca have fascinated scientists, archaeologists and visitors for decades. Best viewed from the air, Nazca figures such as the monkey, fish, hands and whale are highlights.