• Arrival at Cusco airport.
• Pick up and transfer to the Hotel Sol & Luna in Urubamba, Sacred Valley of the Incas. Travel time: 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• Today is a day of rest: settle into one of our bungalows and let yourself get used to the altitude. The Sacred Valley is at an altitude of 2,863 meters, about 400 meters lower than Cusco, and you will find it much easier to acclimatize here.
• Dinner is an age-old Andean tradition: Pachamanca, in which vegetables and meats are stone-roasted underground as an homage to Pachamamma, the earth goddess.
• As the Pachamanca is being prepared, a local theater group, Cusi Wasi (House of Happiness) will present a short play called “Gods of the Andes.”
  

• After breakfast, you start daily Spanish lessons, approximately 2-3 hours per day.
• Buffet Lunch at Sol & Luna.
• In the afternoon, we will visit the Quechua communities of the Patacancha Valley, high above the village of Ollantaytambo. This is the home of the wayruros, faithful defenders of an ancient and wise culture that learned long ago how to be self-sufficient and live off the land.
• On the way back, we stop at the little town of Ollantaytambo (21 km from Urubamba), at the foot of some spectacular ruins and terraces. We visit both the village and the ruins. Ollantaytambo is said to be named for a local chieftain, “Ollanta” who nursed a forbidden love for the daughters of his monarch, the great Inca Pachacuteq. Ollanta’s suit was frowned upon, he rebelled, was crushed, captured but eventually, was allowed to marry the princess. A popular Quechua play retells this legend. The town of Ollantaytambo is also of great historical interest as it is the only town in Peru that has survived pretty much as the Incas laid it out one hundred years ago.
• Dinner at Sol & Luna.
  

• Breakfast followed by Spanish lessons, approximately 2-3 hours.
• In the afternoon, an easy mountain biking tour of the town of Urquillos
  • Route: Sol & Luna Hotel - Huayllabamba - Urquillos - Yucay - Sol & Luna Hotel
  • Biking distance: 10 km
  • Degree: S
• This is an easy excursion through the Sacred Valley, ascending gently. We depart by van from the hotel and head off to Huayllabamba. This town, which borders the Vilcanota river, is called the Choclo Capital since it is rumored to produce the best maize in the world.
• Upon arrival, we mount our bikes and take off on a flat dirt road which borders the river. This part of the river was turned into a canal by the Incas and we can observe their methods of construction. Turning away from the river, we begin a slight ascent towards a view of the snowcapped mountains. We arrive in the small town of Urquillos where we rest and have a snack at the old plaza.
• We leave Urquillos on a single track towards an old hacienda, which used to belong to Mateo Pumacahua, an Inca descendant who was one of the initiators of the revolution against the Spanish conquistadors. After a visit at the hacienda, we cycle to a dirt road, which leads us down to the river once again. Before crossing the bridge, we pass through Huincho, a small community of farmers. In the afternoon, they serve chicha, the local corn beer and if we are feeling adventurous, we might have a taste. After we cross a bridge, our van picks us up for the short ride back to the hotel.

• Breakfast followed by Spanish lessons, approximately 2-3 hours.
• Next, we leave to visit the famous Inca site of Pisaq, high in the mountains. The site dates back to the 1400s and contains the famous Inca terraces, granaries, a cemetery and remants of a “Temple of the Sun” and an “Intiwatana,” an immense rocky sundial We also visit the well-known “Indian market” in Pisaq village, frequented both by local villagers and campesinos to stock up on food and vegetables and by tourists who come for the vast variety of artistan-crafted souvenirs.
• Lunch at “Casa Hacienda Orihuela,” a plantation on a hill with fine views of the Sacred Valley. The “Casa” houses a vast collection of folk art, with pieces dating back to the seventeenth century, as well as colonial paintings, ceremonial goblets known as Keros, pottery and Huamanga stone relics. The visit is capped off by a meal prepared with fresh products from the plantation.
• Free afternoon to relax.
• In the late afternoon, a “Cooking Demonstration” by Sol & Luna chefs.
  
  Dinner is “Make Your Own Pizza Night” at the Ranch, a fun way to cook and spend leisurely time together. You can also choose from variety of activities for the evening: live music or organized games, textiles demonstrations, demonstrations of local rituals or horse rides/demonstrations in the corral.
  

• Breakfast followed by Spanish lessons, approximately 2-3 hours.
• In the early afternoon, we present a demonstration of textiles from the local weavers of Chincheros, an ancient textile town.
• Lunch is a barbecue in our Ranch –Wayra.
• After lunch, we introduce you to another part of the Peruvian culture: the Peruvian Paso Horses. Our stables are located inside the Sol & Luna courtyard. Our Chalan will greet you and give a brief introduction to this horse. Then, in the safety of our corral, you will have a chance to ride one of these amazing horses.

Some more information about the Peruvian Paso Horse: Isolated for over 400 years, the Peruvian Paso horse has evolved as one of the purest breeds in the world and as a unique member of the horse kingdom. The trademark of the Paso is a special, inherited, and completely natural four-beat lateral gait called paso llano. The paso llano is said to be a broken gait. It consists of a permanent, harmonic, and rhythmic tapping in which the animal makes a gentle and pleasant alternating movement. It is a quick advance in which the center of the horse's gravity stays almost immobile, making the Peruvian Paso horse the smoothest riding horse in the world.

The paso llano is executed with a distinctive action in the front legs, called termino, a graceful, flowing movement in which the forelegs are rolled towards the outside as the horse strides forward, much like the arm motion of a swimmer. Both the gait and the flashy leg action are inherited by all the horse's offspring.

Many of the Peruvian Paso's qualities may be considered 'contradictory.' He is very high spirited - yet easy to handle and loose and relaxed in his movements. He has sparkling, brilliant action in the forelegs, yet he is extremely smooth and sure-footed. He has a fineness of build, yet he is powerful. This has been accomplished due to the intelligence, love, and devotion of innumerable breeders. Their arduous and uncelebrated work has made the Peruvian Paso horse one of the country's greatest treasures and a source of pride for its people.

• Leave for Machu Pichu.
• The only way to get to Machu Pichu (if not literally following the footsteps of the Inca on the 3-5 day Inca trail) is by train. We offer you a part-train, part-walking approach to Machu Pichu.
• We take the train from Ollantaytambo (about 15 minute drive from the hotel) and enjoy a short train ride till the 104 km. mark of the Inca trail. Here we disembark and start walking this famous trail for about 6 hours. During the walk, we see wonderful landscapes and ruins at Wiñayhyuana. We arrive at Machu Pichu through the Sun gate from where we will get our first spectacular view of the Lost City of the Incas.

For centuries, this site was buried in jungle until Hiram Bingham stumbled upon it in 1911. It was remarkably well-preserved because of its inaccessible location above the Urubamba gorge. In fact, it is the only major Inca site to escape 400 years of looting and destruction.

Spend the day at Machu Pichu with your private guide.

Spend the night at The Sanctuario Lodge, property of Orient Express, located at the entrance to the ruins.

Day 8

• Morning Spanish Lessons : 2-3 hours.
• Walking Expedition: Moray and the Saltpans
• • Route: Moray - Maras - Salineras
  • Walking distance: 10 km
  • Degree: Medium
• The trip starts at the Hotel. We leave by van and drive out of the Sacred Valley. During the 45-minute ride, we have an impressive view of the snowcapped Vilcanota mountains. The driver drops us off at the ruins of Moray.
• Our guide will take us down into these ruins and explain their function. It is said that these ancient agricultural terraces of circular and concentric shape, which were built by the Incas, were a seed-producing area for the principal crops of the empire: maize and potato.
• We start walking on a mostly flat path towards the town of Maras through the countryside, surrounded now by farmlands and the occasional local houses. Ahead of us, mountain ranges.

• Leave for Cusco. On the way, we will stop at Sacsayhuaman, just outside Cusco. For centuries, it was thought to be a fortress, but the layout and architecture suggest a great sanctuary and temple to the Sun. The name has been translated as “Speckled Falcon” and “Royal Eagle”. It refers to the belief that the city of Cusco was shaped like a puma, whose speckled or tawny head was the hill of “Sacsa Uma.” The site is commonly attributed to the period of the Inca Pachacuti the man who is said to have essentially founded the Inca Empire. This is one of the most astounding megalithic structures of the ancient world.
• Next, we will go to the Hotel Monasterio to check in.
• A full-day guided visit of Cusco follows. The city stands at the head of the Sacred Valley of the Incas at an altitude of 3,310 meters. It was once the center of a magnificent civilization. This ancient Inca capital is said to have been founded around 1100 AD. According to the central Inca creation myth, the sun sent his son, Manco Capac and the moon sent her daughter, Mama Ocllo, to spread culture and enlightenment throughout the dark, barbaric lands. They emerged from the waters of Lake Titicaca and began their journey in search of a place to found their kingdom. When they reached the site of present-day Cusco, Manco plunged his golden staff into the ground in order to test its suitability, and it sank deep into the fertile soil. This was the sign they were looking for. They named this place Cusco – meaning “navel of the earth.” It was a Holy city, a place of pilgrimage. Today, it is a fascinating mix of Inca and colonial Spanish architecture.
• We will spend the day discovering this ancient city, visiting many places of historical and cultural interest.
  

• Transfer from the Hotel Monasterio for flight to Arequipa or Lima.