Description
• Day 1 – ARRIVE LIMA, PERU
Arrive in Lima and transfer to hotel, located in the city’s exclusive Miraflores residential district.
Miraflores Park, A Belmond Hotel, Lima.
• Day 2 – CUSCO. MACHU PICCHU
(6:00-8:00 am) Commercial flight to Cusco (1 hour, 25 minutes).
The city of Cuzco, at 11,200 feet/3,400 meters above sea level, is located in the heart of the Central Peruvian Andes of South America, in a fertile alluvial valley fed by several rivers.
(11:00 am- 14:00 pm) Train to Machu Picchu. (3.20 min)
Noon: Arrive at Machu Picchu and transfer to the hotel.
Sanctuary Lodge, A Belmond Hotel. Machu Picchu.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch.
Afternoon: (Free time)
• Day 3 – MACHU PICCHU
(7:00 am) Machu Picchu
We will explore the ancient Incan ruins of Machu Picchu, about 50 miles/80 kilometers northwest of Cusco in the Cordillera de Vilcabamba of the Andes Mountains. They are perched above the Urubamba River valley in a narrow saddle between two sharp peaks — Machu Picchu (“Old Peak”) and Huayna Picchu (“New Peak”) — at an elevation of 7,710 feet/2,350 meters. One of the few major pre-Columbian ruins discovered nearly intact, Machu Picchu was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983.
We will climb Huayna Picchu (aka Wayna Picchu or Wayna Pikchu), a large mountain directly behind Machu Picchu, seen in all its glory in the picture above. The total ascent is just over 1,000 feet/300 meters, with the summit providing breathtaking views of the city and valley below (1 hours, 15 minutes).
(13:00-15:00 pm): Lunch at Pakakuna Restaurant, offering delicacies typical of the Sacred Valley.
Sanctuary Lodge, A Belmond Hotel, Machu Picchu. Meals: Breakfast, lunch.
Afternoon: Free time
Photography: Landscape, culture, flora and fauna
• Day 4 – SACRED VALLEY OLLANTAYTAMBO
(8:53-10:55 am): Peru Rail Expedition to the Sacred Valley (2 hours).
In the Sacred valley we will visit Ollantaytambo ruins, 25 miles/40 kilometers from Machu Picchu, a fortress that was rebuilt in 1440 by the Inca Pachacútec. The magnificent citadel is built from huge, precisely cut stone blocks that were transported — without wheels! — from a quarry four miles/six kilometers away (10 minutes).
Sacred Valley, A Belmond Hotel, Sacred Valley. Meals: Breakfast, lunch.
Afternoon: Free time
Photography: Landscape and culture
• Day 5 – SACRED VALLEY, CUSCO
(8:00 am): Travel Private transfer to Pisac (1 hours).
It’s a steep 2,000-foot/610-meter hike to Pisac, but well worth it for the views of the Urubamba Valley and the close-up detail of the terraces and ancient footpaths and tunnels.
Pisac is a small village in the Sacred Valley, home to a colorful mercado artisanal (craft market), a great place to experience the area’s traditional way of life (2 hours).
Lunch: La Ruta del Sabor, Sacred Valley.
*ADD ON: Lunch Mil Centro restaurant Sacred Valley This would replace lunch at La Ruta del Sabor
(13:00-15:00 pm): After lunch we visit the circular terraces of Moray, whose shapes resemble a sunken amphitheater. Then we go to the nearby town of Maras, well known for its salt evaporation ponds, which have been in use since the time of the Inca.
Next are the Salineras de Maras (salt mines of Maras), about 2.5 miles/4 kilometers north of Maras, which date to pre-Incan times. The salt-evaporation ponds are stepped terraces that descend a canyon to the Rio Vilcanota and the Sacred Valley of the Incas (35 minutes).
(18:00 pm): Return to Cusco (1 hours, 30 minutes).
Palacio Nazarenas, A Belmond Hotel, Cusco. Meals: Breakfast, lunch.
*ADD ON: Located in the Sacred Valley of Cuzco, Peru, the exclusive Skylodge Adventure Suites offers you the chance to sleep in a transparent hanging bedroom, with stunning and unparalleled views of this magically beautiful valley.
Reaching the Skylodge requires climbing 1,300 feet/400 meters on Via Ferrata or hiking an intrepid trail through ziplines. You climb 400 meters secure with a rode for a secure stairs made from metal on the rock until you reach your room. The next day you go down in a canopy.
Skylodge Hotel, Sacred Valley. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Photography: Landscape, culture, flora and fauna
• Day 6 – CUSCO
Morning: Free time.
(11:30 am): Lunch at Tunupa restaurant.
Located in the heart of the majestic Inca city of Cusco, Tunupa offers an impressive view of the main square and its surroundings.
Open your senses with its recipes and exotic fusion of flavors, accompanied by an artistic exhibition of Pre-Inca culture in the gallery of the restaurant/museum.
(13:00 pm): We visit the Sacsayhuaman fortress and temple complex at the northern edge of the former Inca capital Cuzco. Constructed during the reign of Pachacuti (1438-1471 CE) and his successors, its massive, well-built walls remain today as a testimony not only to Inca power but also the skills of Inca architects and their approach of blending their monumental structures harmoniously into the natural landscape (2 hours).
(15:00 pm): Next we visit three other archaeological sites: Qenqo, Puca Pucara, and Tambomachay. In the impressive Inca Temple of the Sun, in the heart of Cusco, sits Coricancha, the Inca Empire’s most important temple. Coricancha (also spelled Koricancha or Qorikancha) means “Golden Temple” in Quechua (1 hours, 30 minutes).
Palacio Nazarenas, A Belmond Hotel, Cusco. Meals: Breakfast, lunch.
Photography: Landscape and culture
• Day 7 – CUSCO. VINICUNCA
(4:00 am): Travel by transfer to Vinicunca, also called Montaña de Siete Colores, “Mountain of Seven Colors” (3 hours).
Following an early morning pickup between 4 AM and 4:30 AM from Palacio Nazarenas Cusco, head in direction of Quiquijana and savor a delicious breakfast buffet in a local restaurant. Then, continue the journey until we’ll reach the control point in Llaqta and finally arrive in Phulawasipata where your trekking adventure awaits. Before starting the trek, our guide will give you some recommendations to start the adventure towards the Rainbow Mountain. Walk for approximately 1.5 hours until you reach the Rainbow Mountain at 5,036 meters above sea level. Take in panoramic views from the top of the mountain from where you’ll be able to see the Ausangate Mountain, Peru’s fifth highest mountain. Enjoy 20-minute of leisure time to take pictures of the fascinating scenery. Then, continue for a 30-minute trek to the Red Valley. Once again, admire the views of the Red Valley located at 5,038 meters above sea level. After 15 minutes, we’ll return to the parking lot where the driver awaits. On the way back, stop for a break in Quiquijana where you’ll taste delicious buffet lunch. Then, head back to Cusco where we’ll be dropped off at the Plaza Regocijo, 2 blocks from Plaza de Armas. We will walk 3 minutes to the hotel.
Palacio Nazarenas, A Belmond Hotel, Cusco. Meals: Breakfast, lunch.
Photography: Landscape, geology, flora and fauna
• Day 8 – CUSCO, LIMA
(7:00-11:00 am) Return to Lima for your flight (1 hour, 25 minutes) home.
✔ Flight inside Peru
✔ All hotel accommodations
✔ Meals
✔ Access to locations
✔ Transportation throughout tour
✔ Vehicle foe the expeditions
✔ Photographic instruction throughout tour
✔ Photography classes
✔ Alcoholic beverages for lunch
✔ All applicable taxes
✔ Airfare to/from Peru
✔ Personal items (laundry, souvenirs, etc.)
✔ Gratuities for lead photographer and guide
✔ Not all dinners are included
✔ Skylodge Hotel
✔ Lunch Mil Centro restaurant Sacred Valley
Clothing
✔ Windbreaker
✔ Waterproof jacket
✔ Hiking shoes
✔ Hiking socks
✔ Hiking pants
✔ Thick fleece or down jacket
✔ Gloves
✔ Winter hat
✔ Sunscreen, lip balm, and sunglasses
✔ Backpack
Photographic equipment
✔ Single-lens reflex camera (any brand), one wide angle lens, one zoom of 300 mm or more
✔ Memory cards
✔ Back up battery for the camera
✔ Tripod
✔ Shutter release cable
✔ Laptop with photo editing software installed (optional)
✔ Binoculars
✔ Flashlight
✔ External hard drive (recommended: Western digital 1 TB)
✔ One or two people – a 60% deposit is required at time of reservation, with balance due 60 days before the trip date.
✔ Three or more people – a 75% deposit is required at time of reservation, with balance due 60 days before the trip date.
✔ Deposit is non-refundable.
✔ If the photo workshop is full and someone from the waiting list can take your spot, your deposit will be fully refunded.
✔ We are not responsible for cancellations due to medical or other reasons.
✔ If severe weather requires cancellation, the tour will be rescheduled to the following season.
✔ No fees will be refunded if you withdraw after the photo workshop begins.
(This is a special alternative for the clients that want to do this and change the itinerary)
*ADD ON: Arrive in Cusco we are going to the train station where we going to board the Train Hiram Bingham to Machu Picchu. Be swept away by old-world charm as Hiram Bingham journeys through the Peruvian highlands. Savour classic local flavours and gourmet cuisine as the train meanders through the breathtaking Sacred Valley.
