Inca Living Legacy: Private Cultural Tour of Cusco, Machu Picchu & Huilloc

Upon arrival at Alejandro Velasco Astete Airport in Cusco, a representative will be waiting to greet you at the airport and to transfer you to your hotel. Please note that if you are arriving on a domestic flight from Lima, ensure that your arrival time is no later than 10:30, as later arrival times will be too late. In the afternoon, once you are checked into your hotel, enjoy a guided tour of the former capital of the Inca Empire. The tour begins at the Santo Domingo Convent, a building constructed on the site of Coricancha, one of the most important Incan complexes dedicated to sun worship. According to historic records, the original temple walls depicted scenes of nature and were covered in gold leaf. After Coricancha, visit the imposing cathedral in the Plaza de Armas, then head to the Cusco hills, where you’ll find the fortress of Sacsayhuaman and panoramic views of Cusco. Continue on to Qenqo, an archaeological site where it is believed the Incas carried out religious rituals to improve harvests. Your tour ends in Puka Pukara, meaning ‘red fortress’ in Quechua. Puka Pukara is believed to be an ancient military site comprising numerous rooms, courtyards, baths, aqueducts and towers. At the end of the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel.
Overnight in Cusco

After breakfast at the hotel, a vehicle will pick you up to take you to Huilloc, a community in the province of Urubamba. Participate in a traditional Inca practice called Kusi Runa, where you will be part of the group of people in charge of working the land or ‘chakra’. But before getting your hands dirty, first visit the house of the owner of the chakra along with an interpreter. The owner will invite you to taste an infusion of muña, a well-known Andean medicinal plant, and to dress in the traditional clothing of the members of the community (ponchos for the men and blankets for the women). The men will then head out to tend the fields and start planting while the women will stay at home to cook, learning to prepare special dishes using local organic ingredients. After lunch, and once the day’s work is over, men and women alike gather for a ritual full of music and dance, an excellent opportunity to see up close the lifestyle of the Andean man.
Overnight in Huilloc.

Wake up to breakfast in the morning and then participate in a fascinating local tradition. The tarpuntay (ancestral Inca authority) is in charge of preparing the khipu (sacred message) in an environment shrouded in spirituality and mysticism. The chasqui is chosen from among the visitors to be in charge of carrying the divine message in their chuspa or purse. Alongside the tarpuntay, the chasqui will deliver the sacred word, traversing the Sutuq Mach'ay cave and the fields of culture, surrounded by native plants with healing properties. The sound of the pututu announces their arrival at the archaeological centre of Aya Urqu, where the khipu is delivered to the interpreter. The other attendees wait at the top where the high priest performs the condor dance. After the ceremony, take some time to photograph this beautiful place before returning to town. Then in the afternoon, meet the community authorities to participate in the Yanapanakuy. Before starting, thank Pachamama (Mother Earth) with a payment to the land. After completing the tasks – which may be repainting the facades of the school or the medical centre, arranging furniture or planting trees – you’ll have a moment to rest and freshen up before enjoying watching some tradition songs and dances. End your experience by obtaining a souvenir to remind you of all you lived here when you go home.
Overnight in Huilloc.

After breakfast, leave the community of Huilloc and depart for Ollantaytambo. Your visit to Machu Picchu begins with an hour-and-a-half-long train journey through some truly spectacular Andean landscapes, from the Ollanta station all the way to Aguas Calientes. Upon arrival, you will be guided to the bus that takes you to Machu Picchu. After a 25-minute bus ride, you will finally arrive at the 'lost city of the Incas'. It is believed that Machu Picchu was built for the Inca emperor Pachacútec around 1450 as a holiday residence. The citadel was abandoned just over 100 years later, probably as a result of the Spanish Conquest, although historians have never uncovered why it was abandoned or how it escaped the destruction that other Inca settlements faced. Instead, the jungle slowly engulfed its stone construction, covering it in a thick vegetation that kept it hidden and protected until the ‘lost city of the Incas’ was brought to international attention in 1911. Your tour will introduce you to the origins of this impressive citadel and guide you around some of its most iconic monuments, such as the main square, the royal rooms, the Temple of the Three Windows, the circular towers, the Sacred Clock and cemeteries. At the end of the tour, return to Aguas Calientes for lunch then spend the rest of the afternoon at leisure.
Overnight in Aguas Calientes

Today breakfast is followed by a relaxing free morning in Aguas Calientes. Spend your time however suits you best, be that making the most of the available facilities at the hotel, or leisurely exploring this wonderful location. Alternately, you can also return to Machu Picchu and visit the attractions that the citadel houses. You will find the best views at the Huayna Picchu and at the Inti Punku, both more than 300 metres above the citadel itself. Another option is to visit the Inca bridge, a secret military road that used to control access to Machu Picchu. In the afternoon, board the train back to the Ollanta station and, from there, a vehicle will take you to your hotel in Cusco.
Overnight in Cusco.

After finishing your breakfast at the hotel, check out and transfer to Alejandro Velasco Astete Airport in Cusco to board your flight to Lima. Although this is the last day of your incredible journey with us in Peru, we hope that your memories of this remarkable region, bursting with both culture and history, will last a lifetime. 
Breakfast included