Welcome to Cusco, capital of the Inca Empire and one of the most beautiful cities on Earth! We’ll meet you at 1pm for a traditional Peruvian meal at a local favorite restaurant. In the afternoon your guide will lead a relaxed walking tour around Cusco’s stunning historic center – it’s important to take it easy if you’ve arrived from sea level today, as you need to acclimatize to Cusco’s 3,400 meter (11,200 feet) altitude before we get underway on our hiking trip tomorrow.

Today we head to Huchuy Qosqo (Little Cusco). After an hour’s drive to Patabamba, we’ll start the 10km (6 miles; 4-6 hours walking time) hike which takes us through farmland and rugged mountain scenery, with stunning views of the Sacred Valley below, to the community and ruin of Huchuy Qosqo. Here a warm welcome, a hot dinner and a comfortable bed await us at Irene and her family’s house just above the ruin.

Today’s hike to Huchuy Qosqo and out to Lamay is all downhill. A short walk brings us to Huchuy Qosqo, a fascinating, little-visited site with sweeping views of the stunning Sacred Valley. After exploring the site we’ll walk down the hill and out to the main Sacred Valley road at Lamay (5km or 3 miles; two hours walking time). After a slap-up lunch near Urubamba, and a little time to explore the charming town of Ollantaytambo, we’ll take the afternoon train to Aguas Calientes.

A spectacular stone city surrounded by incredibly steep, incredibly green mountains, Machu Picchu needs no introduction and is deservedly one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. We’ll be up at sunrise so there’s time for your guide to show you around Machu Picchu’s main citadel, as well as our favourite hidden nooks and crannies, before the crowds arrive. Then there’s time for your own exploration of the massive, still-mysterious site, before we catch the train back to Ollantaytambo for the night.

Today starts with Chinchero, a quiet little town best known for its outdoor weaving studios, terraced Inca ruin, and intricately-frescoed colonial church. Next is Moray – three massive Inca amphitheatres of incredible engineering precision and stern, magnificent beauty. After lunch, an easy stroll (or ride in the bus if you prefer) through rolling farmland and views of the high Andes brings us to Salineras – a surreal and beautiful patchwork of pools and paths that still produces salt using Inca technology.

We’ll spend this very special day with families who lead a life that has barely changed in hundreds of years: subsistence farming in the village of Amaru. In the morning we’ll help the farmers in the fields, assisting them with whatever tasks they’re doing on the day, which depends on the time of the year and could be anything from herding pigs, to ploughing a field, to helping with the harvest. (Or if you prefer, there’s amazing hiking and a potato museum nearby – just let your guide know if farming isn’t your thing!). In the afternoon, the women of Amaru will show us how they make the traditional textiles they wear. We’ll have the opportunity to participate in every stage of the process, from picking plants to make dyes, to weaving on a loom!

This morning you’ll experience views very few tourists have seen on a unique, hiking approach along the ridgeline from Amaru to the incredible, terraced Inca fortress of Pisac. After exploring the huge, imposing site, we’ll hike down to the town of Pisac and have time to explore its famous handicraft market – the biggest and best in the region and the perfect place to shop for last-minute souvenirs of your hiking trip to Peru! In the afternoon we’ll head back to Cusco and enjoy one last, gourmet dinner together.

You can book your flight out for any time you like today. If you’re staying on in Peru, we’d be delighted to help out with suggestions and assistance for the rest of your time here.