Overview
Free worry and lodge-based trip perfect for your comfort for a perfect trip, you will be exploring the main tourist attractions in Cusco including the Colonial Cathedral, Temple of the Sun Qoricancha; Sacsayhuamán, Salt mines of Maras, Sacred Valley, the incredible Inca city of Machu Picchu through Short Inca Trail, LLAMA pack trekking and the new natural wonder of RAINBOW MOUNTAIN in a day hike. Peru by Locals will put everything together from airport to airport, we arrange entrance tickets to all attractions to be visited, transportation, hotels, train tickets, meals, and guides.
- Day 1: Arrival and resting – overnight in Cusco
- Day 2: City tour – Overnight in Cusco
- Day 3: Sacred Valley including Salt mines
- Day 4: Machu Picchu town
- Day 5: Hike to the Waterfalls of Perolniyuc and rest day
- Day 6, 7, 8: Departure for Llama trek to Rainbow Mountain – 2 nights camping
- Day 9: Departure from Cusco
HIGHLIGHTS
- Enjoy all exclusive services without worries
- Tour with our passionate local guides that love our culture and have guided Machu Picchu more than 500 times
- Enjoy hand-picked hotels at the heart of Cusco
- Savor the Peruvian cuisine at top restaurants
- Tour the most classic tourist attractions in Cusco
- Enjoy the scenic train ride to Machu Picchu
- Tour the iconic world wonder of Machu Picchu
- Take part in the unique adventure with Llamas
Details
- Type of tour: Lodge-based, historical, van transport, train ride, camping, trekking
- Trip service: All exclusive
- Food: We use restaurants such as Morena, Chicha, Organika, Indio Feliz
- Type of transport: Private van in every tour from start to end and train rides
- Duration: 9 days / 8 nights (6 nights hotel / 2 nights camping)
Group size: Our tour group sizes are very important to guarantee the quality of our service by giving you personalized service. That’s why we run with an average of 2 to 7 guests. This is not only to guarantee the quality of our service but also to make you feel like part of our family. Can you imagine having 20 people in a group and trying to hear or see your guide? It’s not the same as having close interaction all the time and learning about this amazing country.
Accommodation: For this trip, we use 3 and 5-star hotels upon your request at the time of your booking.
Our guides: PERU BY LOCALS was a dream that came true in 2015 for Jose Condor, who has guided tours in Peru and especially Machu Picchu from 2004 until today and has been to Machu Picchu over 1,000 times. Now Peru by Locals has a group of top guides, both men and women, who have professional degrees and receive refresher training every year. These folks have trained with NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) in WILDERNESS FIRST RESPONDER since your health is very important to us. Our guides are trained to assist with all your needs while you are vacationing. We invest in our guides because we believe they are the main ingredient of any trip.
Peru by Locals is not only a travel company but a group of great staff and tour leaders who love sharing their passion with you and enjoy being with travelers.
YOUR BOOKING WITH US: YOU GO WITH US. Peru by Locals does not rearrange tours with other companies since we are based in Cusco and operate all our tours.
Location: This trip starts in Cusco city or Sacred Valley upon your request. You will need to fly to Lima, the capital of Peru, then to Velasco Astete in Cusco airport, which is a small domestic airport.
Departures: This hike is operated by PERU BY LOCALS 100%. When you book your hike or take any tour package, you go with us. We don’t rearrange tours, and we depart every day year-round. The size of the groups is from 2 to 5 people on average, which allows us to give you personalized service.
We take bookings year-round and this hike does not need to be booked a long time in advance. So, anytime you are ready, join us and reach us for any questions you have via our 24/7 number +51 989585967 or email us at info@perubylocals.com
Itinerary
DAY 1: ARRIVAL AND RESTING
On your arrival to Cusco, you will meet your designated guide in Cusco to welcome you to this beautiful city. Then, we will drive you to the hotel in the historical area of Cusco.
Overnight: Cusco
- Includes: Pickup from the airport.
DAY 2: CITY TOUR
Your guide will meet you at the hotel in Cusco at 8:00 am. It will depend whether you start the tour by walking if your hotel is in the historical part of the city since some attractions are located in the old downtown, or take a car ride if your hotel is not that close to any attractions. First, you will visit Cusco’s Cathedral, where you can view an amazing collection of artwork from the XV, XVI, and XVII centuries, including a painting of the Last Supper with the local specialty, cuy (guinea pig), as the main dish. The local artists managed to capture the culture and history in a uniquely historical way, such as the Virgin Mary painted in the mountain shape (mountains were gods for the Incas).
After the tour of the Cathedral, your guide will lead you through narrow Inca streets that conserve the original Inca walls towards Qoricancha, or the Temple of the Sun, considered the most important religious temple of the Inca Empire. Since the Spanish arrived in Peru, the architecture has been mixed with colonial arches. Qoricancha offers you the finest architecture from the time of the Incas and conserves some temples dedicated to the moon, sun, stars, etc.
After visiting the two places mentioned above, you will be transported to Sacsayhuamán, where your guide will give a detailed tour of this incredible architectural site. The walls were built with stones that weigh up to 120 tons and amazingly fit together without the help of mortar! There is probably no place in the world that can beat the architectural skill of this Inca temple. Afterward, you will drive to the next Inca archaeological site of Qenqo, considered to be the temple of Mother Earth. Finally, you will visit the Incan sites of Pukapukara, which used to be a fort, and Tambomachay, the temple of the water.
Overnight: Cusco
- Includes: Private transport during the tour, guide, lunch at Morena restaurant, permits to all attractions to be visited.
DAY 3: SACRED VALLEY INCLUDING SALT MINES
Your guide will meet you at your hotel in Cusco at 7 am to start your tour with about a 1-hour ride to the Pisac archaeological complex, a beautiful Inca site with its Temple of the Sun, ancient Inca cemetery, terraces, water fountains, great architecture, and an amazing view of the Sacred Valley.
Then we move on to the Ollantaytambo archaeological complex for about a 1.5-hour detailed tour of the Temple of Water, Sun, the bath of the Inca princess, agricultural terraces, etc. You may be ready for a great lunch after visiting these places at Urubamba at Tunupa restaurant, which is one of the top restaurants in the Sacred Valley that offers a variety of great Peruvian food.
Leaving Tunupa restaurant, the driving journey will offer you great views of the Sacred Valley and farm fields while you have a relatively short drive to the Salt mines and spectacular places where you will encounter over 3,000 salt ponds where the locals process the salt by hand the way their ancestors did. The tour will be followed by visiting Moray, the agricultural experimentation site of the Incas where later archaeologists found evidence of coca leaves and cotton, which impressed them because that place was very high in elevation but the Incas managed to grow almost everything.
On your way back to Cusco, you will visit one of the local weaving industries where local ladies from Chinchero will show you how they still use flowers, roots, and seeds to dye the wool of alpacas and llamas and demonstrate the weaving process of making blankets and other products. They will also offer you a cup of MUÑA tea or local mint while they explain their work.
Overnight: Sacred Valley
- Includes: Private transport during the tour, guide, lunch, permits to all attractions to be visited, scenic train ride to Machu Picchu town.
DAY 4: MACHU PICCHU TOUR – OVERNIGHT IN CUSCO
Today starts even earlier! Your hotel will provide either a buffet or boxed breakfast at 5 am so that we can take one of the first buses up to Machu Picchu. The 30-minute drive winds steadily upwards to the citadel, and we should arrive to see the most magnificent sunrise over the Andes before taking our place in the queue to enter the site.
We enter the site together and your guide will provide a fascinating tour for around 2-3 hours. The tour is guaranteed to bring the spirit and history of Machu Picchu to life, and your guide will choose a route that avoids the biggest tourist groups and ensures that all of the best photo opportunities are covered.
Following the tour, you can either climb Huayna Picchu mountain if you booked the permit in advance or take the bus back to Aguas Calientes to collect your luggage from your hotel. Taking the train back to Cusco at around 3 pm is the perfect opportunity to relax and reflect on the experiences of the last 2 days. Finally, upon arrival in Cusco, you will be met by one of our representatives who will transport you back to your hotel.
Overnight: Cusco
Includes: Tour guide, Machu Picchu ticket, bus ride round trip to Machu Picchu, train tickets back to Ollantaytambo, transport from train station to Cusco hotel, and lunch.
DAY 5: REST DAY IN CUSCO AND HIKE TO WATERFALLS OF PEROLNIYUC
Today we will drive for about 30 minutes to Soqma, from where we will hike an easy trail for about 30 minutes to the beautiful Waterfalls of Perolniyuc. After enjoying the hike, we will be back in Cusco by lunchtime to rest and pack in the afternoon for the Llama trek.
Overnight: Cusco
- Includes: Private transport during the tour, guide, and lunch.
DEPARTURE FOR LLAMA TREK – 2 NIGHTS CAMPING
DAY 6: CUSCO – UPIS BAJO – ARAPA PASS – PUKACOCHA
We depart Cusco by 4 am for a journey of 3 hours to the trailhead at Upis Bajo. Here, we will meet our horse riders to load all equipment and enjoy our first camping breakfast. Our adventure starts with a gradual uphill in the direction of Ausangate Mountain through Llama and Alpaca herds. It will be a gentle hike and sometimes can be challenging because of the elevation, but don’t worry about it—our passionate guides will be there for you to encourage you every step to make it to camp with total happiness.
We will stop at Upis camp for lunch followed by a nap. We will then start our trek towards the first pass called Arapa, which was once and is still for our Quechua people a sacred spot, where we will do a small ceremony to the mountains as our ancestors did, especially when we are pretty close to the most sacred mountain for the Incas, the Ausangate Mountain. After this nice moment, we head down to a lunch spot next to a beautiful Yanacocha Lake. After our lunch, followed by a proper nap, we will continue our journey to the next camp at Puka Cocha, located right down at the bottom of Ausangate Mountain, a spectacular place to spend the night.
Overnight Camping
- Includes: Tour guide, camping gear, horses to carry gear, meals, private transport, entrance permits.
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are prepared by our amazing chef.
- Hiking Time: 7-8 hours
- Hiking Distance: 12 km / 7.4 miles
- Lowest elevation: 3,900 mt (12,795 ft)
- Highest elevation: 4,800 mt (15,748 ft)
- Accommodation: Camping
DAY 7: PUKA COCHA – ANANTA PASS – HUARMISAYA
You will be awakened by our cooks with a nice cup of coffee or tea in the tents, followed by a nutritious breakfast to get ready for the day. After packing, we will start hiking up a steep switchback trail towards the second pass where we will find a big pile of stones made by the Incas long ago called Apacheta as markers along the trails. It also offers more snow-capped mountain views, red mountains, glassy lands, and perhaps the wild Vicuñas (similar to llamas). After a good rest here, we start descending to camp for a couple of hours where our lunch awaits us.
The afternoon hike is towards Huarmisaya Pass where we will have the first view of the magnificent Rainbow Mountain. From here, we have only a 25-minute walk down to camp next to Huarmisaya Lake.
Overnight Camping
- Includes: Tour guide, camping gear, horses to carry gear, meals, private transport, entrance permits.
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner prepared by our amazing chef.
- Hiking Time: 7 hours
- Hiking Distance: 10 km / 6.5 miles
- Lowest elevation: 4,500 mt (14,763 ft)
- Highest elevation: 5,000 mt (16,404 ft)
- Accommodation: Camping
- Level of difficulty: Challenging
DAY 8: RAINBOW MOUNTAIN – CUSCO
Very early morning hike to Rainbow Mountain so we can be one of the first hikers arriving there to enjoy the place before day hikers arrive because then the place gets too busy.
After all the time we spend here, we head down to the spectacular Red Valley and other spectacular valleys that do not have many hikers either. Our day will end by 10 am with the last camping meal with our chef. We should expect to be back in Cusco by noon.
- Meals: Breakfast and lunch prepared by our amazing chef.
- Hiking Time: 4 hours
- Hiking Distance: 6 km / 3.7 miles
- Lowest elevation: 4,300 mt (14,107 ft)
- Highest elevation: 5,010 mt (16,437 ft)
- Accommodation: Hotel in Cusco
DAY 9: DEPARTURE FROM CUSCO
Today, you will be free to walk around Cusco city, go shopping, and leave Cusco at the time you booked your flight for. One of the representatives will meet you at the hotel to take you to Cusco airport at the arranged time for your journey home or to your next destination.
Overnight: Cusco.
Services
SERVICES INCLUDED
- All entrance tickets to attractions to be visited
- 8 lunches, 8 breakfasts, 2 dinners
- 6 nights hotel and 2 nights camping
- Tour guide
- Private transport on tours
- Train ride to Machu Picchu
- Shared bus ride from Machu Picchu town to the ruins of Machu Picchu
- All camping gear for the trekking part
SERVICES EXCLUDED
- Airfares
- Gratuities
- Souvenirs
Packing list
- Original passport – Please remember to bring your original passport, which should be the current one. If you have acquired a new one after you made your booking, bring both (the one you used for booking your trip and the new one). The information you provided at the time of your booking must match your tickets to Machu Picchu.
- Good walking shoes – They should already be broken in. If you have acquired new ones, make sure to break them in before you come. They should be comfortable for your feet.
- Down warm fleece – The jacket should be warm enough for the nights.
- Few t-shirts – Made for hiking; as you will sweat a lot, you may consider bringing at least 3 or 4 of them.
- Socks – Bring at least 3 pairs.
- Sun hat – As some days can be sunny, we recommend you bring a sun hat that can keep the sun off your face because most tours are outside.
- Light long pants – They are recommended since the temperatures can be warm sometimes, especially for the Short Inca Trail hike.
- Sunscreen – SPF 35+ recommended.
- Sunglasses
- Camera – With spare batteries or phones to take great pictures nowadays.
- Bug repellent – There are mosquitoes all year round, so make sure you pack your bug repellent for Machu Picchu.
- Water bottle – Machu Picchu National Park does not allow bringing plastic bottles. Please make sure you have a Nalgene bottle or camel bag. Before we leave the hotel in Cusco, make sure you have filled up your water bottle for the first day, then you will be able to get more from us whenever you need it.
- Toiletries
- Prescription medicines – Please inform your trip leader of any medications you are taking.
- Book to read – You will have some spare time during drives to read your favorite book or those that are about Machu Picchu that may make your journey more interesting (the following books are recommended by us: Last Days of the Incas by Kim MacQuarrie, Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time by Mark Adams).
Important information
OFTEN ASKED QUESTIONS
WHERE DO I MEET THE TEAM?
The day you arrive at Cusco airport, your guide will be there with a sign of PERU BY LOCALS and your name (Cusco airport is domestic and very small) to transport you to the hotel and give you some guidance about your upcoming tours.
HOW LONG BEFORE SHOULD I BOOK THIS TRIP?
The Machu Picchu permits should be booked in advance. It’s never too early to book a trip, especially when it involves Machu Picchu.
WHAT IS THE WEATHER LIKE IN MACHU PICCHU DURING THE YEAR?
Weather in the region is extremely variable, and you should pack for a variety of conditions. In addition, our trek passes through ten bio-zones ranging from high-altitude alpine conditions to high jungle. During a sunny day, you can expect temperatures of about 18–25°C (65–77°F). However, on the second day, the weather is very unpredictable, and temperatures can drop to 6°C (42°F) during the day at the pass (but you won’t spend a lot of time up there).
The Machu Picchu area has a humid climate and tends to be warmer since it is located at a lower altitude and near the Amazon Jungle. The average temperatures at Machu Picchu are between 23°C to 25°C (73°F and 77°F), with the minimum temperature around 18°C (64°F). The Cusco area has only 2 well-defined seasons: the wet season and the dry season. The wet season starts in November and ends in March. During this period, it rains almost every day for three or four hours, but there are also several sunny days. The dry season begins around April and lasts until October. June and July are the coldest months. Paradoxically, at noon, the temperatures can reach 23°C (73°F), the annual highest temperature.
WHAT AM I GOING TO EAT ON THE TRIP?
All restaurants we use are à la carte and top-rated in Peru, such as Morena, Chicha, Organika, etc. You have many options from meat to vegetarian choices. If you are vegan or have a strict diet, let us know so we can arrange specialized restaurants for your dietary needs.
The camping part includes all food made from scratch by our chefs.
SHOULD I TIP THE GUIDES? IF I DO, HOW MUCH SHOULD I TIP?
Tips are much appreciated, and you decide the amount.
HOW BIG WILL MY GROUP BE?
We specialize in small groups because that way our clients receive personalized service, especially when you encounter many things on tours, such as Incan sites, flowers, flora, and fauna. Your guide spends a lot of time with you so you can learn more about our culture and history.
We limit the size of our groups on treks to up to 8 people, but we almost always end up with 2 to 5 guests.
HOW DO I GET WATER ON THE TOURS?
We will have water available in the car we use for the tours. We recommend you bring Nalgene water bottles or camel bags so that way we can produce less garbage. You will encounter locals selling bottled water along the way, but not everybody is responsible—many people litter, and that is sad. We need to take care of our home and nature. That is why we recommend you refill your bottles when you can, and thank you for being part of our green home. Hotels in Peru don’t have spots to fill your water bottles.
In the trekking part, we will provide you boiled water every day.
CAN I PAY THE REST OF THE BALANCE WITH A CREDIT CARD OR DOES IT HAVE TO BE IN CASH?
You can pay the rest of the balance by credit card, and we will provide you with information on how to do it a couple of weeks before your trip begins.
PERUVIAN CURRENCY
The Peruvian sol is the currency of Peru and usually fluctuates between 3.3 to 3.8 Nuevo sol to 1 US Dollar.
LANGUAGE
Spanish is the national language of Peru. Also, about 20% of Peruvians speak Quechua (Inca language). Our guides are fluent in Spanish and English.
Why Peru by Locals
- Peru by Locals offers tailor-made treks and tours, and we cater to your interests when we plan your tour.
- We are committed to providing world-class tours based on exceptional customer service.
- We are a locally owned and highly experienced travel company based in Cusco, Peru.
- Our staff consists of members who have decades of first-hand experience in the Peruvian tourism sector.
- All the management and staff in Peru by Locals speak English, Spanish, and Quechua (the language of the Incas).
- Our guides and staff members are professionally trained and educated in the history of the Incas, Peruvian history, culture and traditions, first aid in the wilderness, guiding treks and tours, the fauna and flora of the region, and tourism management.
- We are committed to protecting our environment.
- We are committed to creating jobs and empowering local people. We believe in fair labor practices and honor and treat all our employees with dignity.
- We have programs to help with the development of the porters’ families and communities, such as planting trees and buying school books and equipment for poor local communities.
- We honor native communities that have stewarded the land you visit.
- We have also started an Education Fund to support the education of the children of porters. A percentage of income from every tour and trek goes to the education of those in need.
- Our trips are carefully designed to meet your needs, and we create diverse unique itineraries from 1 to 15 days in length. We offer a wide range of tours and treks, and all the tours are guaranteed to provide you with the experience of a lifetime!
- Peru By Locals organizes worry-free trips for you to enjoy fully.
Peru Small Group Specialists
Our tours are designed for those who love adventure, want to explore new places, experience the local culture, love food, like history or photography, for all ages whether you are traveling alone, with friends, as a couple, or with family. At Peru by Locals, there is not…
Small groups are the best, and the average tour or trek group is around 2 to 5 people. Why is this great? Well, have you ever waited in line while 40 other people get a coffee in the morning? Believe it or not, it is not fun. Taking small groups allows us the flexibility to take you on an adventure to places that nobody else goes.
Price
Best Seller
Heart of the Incas Plus Llama Trek 9D/8N | Peru by Locals

Free worry and lodge-based trip perfect for your comfort for a perfect trip, you will be exploring the main tourist attractions in Cusco including the Colonial Cathedral, Temple of the Sun Qoricancha; Sacsayhuamán, Salt mines of Maras, Sacred Valley, the incredible Inca city of Machu Picchu through Short Inca Trail, LLAMA pack trekking and the new natural wonder of RAINBOW MOUNTAIN in a day hike. Peru by Locals will put everything together from airport to airport, we arrange entrance tickets to all attractions to be visited, transportation, hotels, train tickets, meals, and guides.
Product Brand: Peru by Locals
Product Currency: USD
Product Price: 1545
Product In Stock: InStock
5
GROUP SERVICE
Our tour groups are very important. We run tours with 2 to 8 people usually per group, and we open any tour dates with 2 guests. This service is considered semi-private for personalized experiences so you can take advantage of your valid time.
Accommodations
Costs are based on double bedroom occupancy and US dollars. For single room occupancy, contact us at info@perubylocals.com or call our 24/7 number +51 989585967 (WhatsApp).
To assure your booking with us, we will require a 20% deposit pre-payment of the total cost, and the outstanding remaining will be paid 30 days prior to your trip.
Choosing this option
- Once a tour date is opened with 2 guests, the travel date probably won’t be changed later.
- This is a great option to meet other travelers and hang out during the trip.
- The quality of service is the same as the private option.
- If for any reason one of you or others can’t continue the tour for any reason, the tours will go as planned from beginning to end.
PRIVATE SERVICE
Our private service can start with 1 person to any number you desire, and you can choose your travel date.
Accommodations
We run all our tours with 3-star hotels but we can customize with 5-star hotels.
Costs are based on double bedroom occupancy and US dollars. For single room occupancy, contact us at info@perubylocals.com or call our 24/7 number +51 989585967 (WhatsApp).
To assure your booking with us, we will require a 20% deposit pre-payment of the total cost, and the outstanding remaining will be paid 30 days prior to your trip.
Choosing this option
- We cater this tour to your needs with flexibility.
- Once a tour date is opened, it can still be changed if time allows at your requested time.
- This is a great option to spend time with your parents, family, and friends or travel for special occasions such as a honeymoon.
- The quality of service is the same as other tours.