Elegant graciousness awaits at the Hotel Monasterio, a former cloistered monastery in Cusco’s city center, and in the artfulness displayed by the Peruvian Paso horses and their riders at Wayra Ranch.
since their “discovery” in 1911. Standing nearly 8,000 ft. above sea level, in the middle of a tropical forest, Machu Picchu is considered by UNESCO to be an outstanding example of man’s interaction with his natural environment. Its walls, terraces and ramps work in harmony with their mountainous surroundings – a tribute to the creativity and skill of the Incas. Meals BLD
and a horsemanship demonstration where the real stars are the elegant Paso horses. Dinner is at leisure in your hotel this evening, allowing for time at ease to better adjust to the day’s significant climb in altitude. Meals BLD
5. SACRED RUINS, BELIEFS & TRADITIONS Above the town of Ollantaytambo, explore the massive Inca fortress and stone remains of the Temple of the Sun – built from huge blocks of stone in the 1400s – and then walk through this ancient town. Blocks of cobblestone streets that have been lived in since the 1300s, and are entered via a doorway leading to a central courtyard, reveal a keen Incan eye for urban planning. Return to your lodgings, surrounded by extensive gardens with panoramic views of the Andes, in the picturesque Valle Sagrado for a Peruvian cooking demonstration. Later, gain a better understanding from a local shaman of the ways in which a journey to the Apus (Peru’s Sacred Mountains) has long been deemed a transformational endeavor. A performance by a theatre group which uses dance and music to revive Andean traditions and lore kicks off a barbecue dinner. Meals BLD
6. TO MYSTICAL MACHU PICCHU BY RAIL Travel aboard the Vistadome train through mist-shrouded peaks to Aguas Calientes at the foot of the Sacred Valley and then drive higher into the Andes to the site of Machu Picchu. With a guide, spend the afternoon exploring the mist-shrouded ruins that have captured the world’s imagination as the “Lost City of the Incas”
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7. TO CUSCO,CAPITAL OF THE INCAN EMPIRE Don’t miss this morning’s return to Machu Picchu for a sunrise tour of this extraordinary setting in the clouds. Later this morning, enjoy a walk through Aguas Calientes’ rainforest gardens and time to spend as you wish – visiting the local market or indulging in a spa treatment (at an additional cost). Reboard the Vistadome train after lunch for the scenic return to Ollanta and drive to the historic center of Cusco for a two-night stay at the stylish Hotel Monasterio, originally a monastery built in 1592. Meals BLD
Cobblestone streets, colonial churches and building foundations laid by the Incas more than 500 years give life to the historic center of Cusco.
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