A four-day vacation to explore Cusco and its archaeological ruins. And if one day at Machu Picchu is not enough, then this tour is for you: An overnight excursion to Machu Picchu to experience the mystic grounds of the Inca citadel at your own pace after most of the visitors have rushed back down to Aguas Calientes station in the valley below to catch the train back to Cusco. Return to the ruins the next morning for peaceful contemplation before the first tourist train arrives.

Includes:

• Transport from and to airport
• Two nights in the hotel of your choice in Cusco
• One night in the hotel of your choice in Aguas Calientes/Machu Picchu
• English-speaking guides
• Cusco city tour
• Orient Express Expedition Train
• Guided tour of Machu Picchu
• Entrance fees to historic and archaeological sites
• Machu Picchu re-entry ticket on day 3

Price per person Group Excursion Tourist Accommodations $617
Double room Group Excursion Luxury Accommodations $1,519
occupancy Private Excursion Tourist Accommodations $701
Private Excursion Luxury Accommodations $1,605

DAY 1 City Tour and Archaeological Ruins

Pickup at the airport and transfer to your hotel. Because of the high altitude, 11,152 feet above sea level (3400m), it is highly advisable that you take a short rest to acclimatize. In the afternoon, you will have a city tour highlighting Cusco's historic past, the fusion of Inca and Spanish architecture. The excursion featuries walk-thru tours of the Cathedral and the ruins of Koricancha (or Temple of the Sun), which was looted and razed by the Spanish, who then constructed the Santo Domingo Church on its massive foundation. You will also explore the four main ruins just outside the city: the Sacsayhuaman Fortress, Kenko, Puca Pucara, and Tambomachay.

DAY 2 Machu Picchu Excursion

Breakfast at the hotel, then pickup and transfer to the train station to board PeruRail's Expedition Train for the 4-hour journey to Machu Picchu, the “Lost City of Inca.” Experience this mysterious ruins, with its ingeniously engineered underground water canalization and its sacred citadel of temples, mausoleums, squares and royal houses. Widely believed to have been built in the mid-15th century by Inca Pachacutec, Machu Picchu was the secret city of the Inca, never discovered by the Spanish. Its rediscovery for the world was made in 1911 by American explorer Hiram Bingham, and it remains South America´s most spectacular archaeological site.  Lunch at the Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge beside the ruins. Overnight in Aguas Calientes. (B/L)

DAY 3 Machu Picchu - Cusco

Breakfast. Early wake-up is highly recommended to appreciate the sunrise and also to explore these magnificent ruins in peace, before most other tourists arrive.

(Note: if you wish to climb Huayna Picchu, it must be arranged in advance and an addtional cost applies.) Afternoon train back to Cusco. (B)

DAY 4 Transfer out

Breakfast. Transfer from the hotel to the airport. (B)

(B) Breakfast, (L) Lunch, (D) Dinner

Suggestion: Altitude is a consideration for anyone planning to travel to Peru's highlands. For trips to Cusco, it can make a huge difference to spend your first day in the Sacred Valley (2,400 mts./9,000 ft) to acclimatize and avoid problems with altitude sickness, before ascending to the Inca capital city of Cusco (3,360 mts./11,152 ft.). We are happy to adjust your itineary to help ensure that "soroche" isn't a factor during your vacation.