Once called the ‘Navel of the World’ by the Incas, Cusco rises in the southern Andes of Peru, where colonial grandeur meets the enduring stonework of the Inca Empire. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it serves as the main gateway to Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley, and surrounding ruins. At its centre, the Plaza de Armas—once Huacaypata—remains alive with cafés, arcades, and the 16th-century Cusco Cathedral, built from Sacsayhuamán’s stones. Nearby, the San Blas district unfolds with whitewashed adobe houses, blue balconies, and workshops where artisans craft metalwork, woodcarvings, and sacred art. Across the city, layers of history reveal themselves in landmarks such as the Korikancha, the Inca street of Hatun Rumiyoc with its twelve-angled stone, the Museum of Colonial Art, and the ancient shrines and water temples scattered through the surrounding hills.

Transfer from your hotel in Cusco to the train station to then take the train to km 104, where we will get on the train and start the Express Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. We cross the bridge over the Urubamba River and start visiting   Chachambamba, an intimate Inca archaeological site. Continuing for four hours more along the classic Inca Trail, we arrive to the archaeological complex of Wiñaywayna (2650m/8692ft). This is an impressive complex made up of an agricultural center with numerous terraces, a religious sector and an urban sector. On the way up we enjoy magnificent views of the Urubamba River valley .  

We then continue and climb the Inti Punku or “Sun Gate”. This will take an hour of hiking along a trail of flat stones on the edges of cliffs in highland jungle, from here  we enjoy an excellent, extended view of Machu Picchu, which is visible quite far below. In the late afternoon, we slowly descend towards Machu Picchu, enjoy our views and photos from the main, best-known overlook location just slightly above the ruins, and then take a minibus to the valley below to check into our hotel in the town of Aguas Calientes. Most of the following day will be used to conduct a detailed, multi-hour exploration of all the details inside the Machu Picchu archaeological site itself.

Morning snack

Box lunch .