TRAVEL DEEPLY. EXPLORE MEANINGFULLY. CONNECT AUTHENTICALLY.
Our Detailed Itinerary
Days 1 & 2: Arrive, Relax, Despacho Ceremony You will arrive to Cusco on March 8th. A guide from Valentin's Pachamama Journeys will be at the airport to pick you up and drive you approximately 1 hour to the retreat center in Urubamba. You will have the chance to stop and exchange your currency at a reputable currency exchange before driving out of Cusco and over the mountains into the Sacred Valley. You'll have the first evening and another full day to settle in and acclimate to the altitude. Resting and good hydration will be key. We've included an optional gentle morning yoga class for those who wish. You also have the option to book spa treatments, art classes, and more. These are a small additional cost, and will be detailed in your registration packet. The resort boasts 7 beautiful organic gardens with space to read, relax, meditate, and be present. These are included as a part of our stay. A thriving local town is also just minutes away and is a fun place to visit for local culture. On the evening of Day 2, we'll have a traditional Despacho ceremony with a local Shaman who has been with Willka T'ika for many years.
Day 3: Chinchero Weaving Collective, Maras & Moray Today we visit a local handmade weaving collective in Chinchero. You'll learn about the ancient art of weaving textiles that is at the heart of Incan culture. You'll have the opportunity to learn hands on if you wish. The women of Chinchero are joyful in their craft and love teaching it to visitors. You'll also have the option to shop their handmade textiles and clothing at their own market. From there we head to a spectacular site at Maras! This is a collection of salt mines that have been used since pre-Inca times. Workers channel an underground stream into various salt ponds. There are around 5,000 separate salt ponds, not all in use at the same time. This is one of the most mesmerizing and spectacular sites in the Sacred Valley, as each individual salt pool is still owned today by the same family line as in Inca times. We'll hear all about the history and even have the chance to purchase salt from the mines! Our last stop today is Moray. This is an unusual set of ruins; concentric circles that are thought to have made up an Incan agricultural laboratory. Some of the terraced circular depressions are 98 feet deep, and vary greatly in temperature. Dinner and an evening under the stars awaits back at Willka T'ika!
Day 4: Free Day - Explore the town of Urubamba, visit other local hiking trails, book a Spa Treatment at Willka T'ika, or create your own free day!
Day 5: School visit, Farm to table lunch, and Sound Bath meditation! We start the day with optional gentle yoga & breakfast. We then head to Valentin's family farm where he will give us a look at local farming and the incredible history of his own family farm where he grew up, and where his father still lives today. We'll enjoy a customary "Pachamanca" lunch made by cooking with hot stones underground. This is a DELICIOUS meal and truly a favorite of our past journey guests! We'll also visit Pachamama Children's school - the primary community outreach project for Journey & Serve. We'll participate in a few fun games & projects with the students! You'll have the option to bring school supplies or other donations with you to give to the children on this day if you wish. As a part of this journey, your trip fee includes a monetary donation which helps maintain the school and fund larger projects each year. As a group we also bring additional school supplies, games, and books for the children. In the evening we'll enjoy dinner at Willka T'ika followed by a unique and beautiful sound bath meditation with Gonzalo.. a talented local who is well known throughout the valley for his offering.
Day 6: Free Day & Optional Mountain community visit After a few days of exploring, this will be a "free day" when you can relax and create your own day. We'll offer a few options on-site for an additional cost such as spa treatments, or visits to the local town of Urubamba for wandering and exploring. For the avid adventure seeker who is up for a physical challenge, Jen will offer a personally created experience with a local family she knows in a nearby mountain community. This is definitely an "off the grid" style outing, with a tough hike... but if you're ready for a physical challenge, and someone who loves integrating into authentic local culture, this outing is for you! We head into the local market to purchase groceries for families in the high mountain community of Socma, and hike up at higher altitudes to deliver them by hand to each family. Past participants site this as their favorite excursion of the entire journey as it is truly a connection to humanity, and a local culture that rarely sees tourists. We'll visit a breathtaking waterfall and finish at Manuela's small clay brick one-room home. She is a friend of Jen's, who will prepare a fun local beverage for you to taste, and you'll experience the "real Peru"... truly unforgettable!
Day 7: Ollyantaytambo, Train Ride, Machu Picchu Circuit 1 Today we'll check out of Willka T'ika and drive to the ancient town of Ollyantaytambo for a morning hike and tour of this ancient Inca town which has been fully preserved. We'll catch a scenic train ride from here to the town of Aguas Calientes... home to Machu Picchu! We'll be visiting the upper section of Machu Picchu today, as well as the Inca Bridge! Incredible views, and breathtaking landscapes await as you get your first glimpse of magical Machu Picchu! After a long day of exploring, we head back to Aguas Calientes town for dinner on your own. This beautiful city offers some of the most festive and fun dining options in all of the Sacred Valley! After dinner please feel free to explore the night life before heading back to our hotel: Tierra Viva Aguas Calientes, for our one night stay. We rise early tomorrow to enter the lower sections of Machu Picchu & hike Huayna Picchu if desired!
Day 8: Machu Picchu lower circuit ruins & Huayna Picchu hike... Today we'll rise early to enter Machu Picchu for a second time, just after sunrise. We'll be guided throughout the magical ruins of Machu Picchu and learn about some of the most intricate and fascinating skills of the Incan people who lived at this site. Their use of the constellations, the sun, and the moon! We'll see Intihuatana (the Sun Clock), The Temple of the Sun, The Temple of the Condor, the Temple of Three Windows, and more! You'll have the chance to walk in, around, and through the ruins and experience the energy there! After our initial exploration, you'll have the opportunity to hike Huayna Picchu, the tall mountain that stands behind the Machu Picchu ruins! This is an energetic 1-2 hour hike to the top with steep staircases and steel cables to help you climb. You'll have incredible views from the top, looking down on the ruins...Huayna Picchu also offers access to the Temple of the Moon, one of the three main temples at Machu Picchu. The peak of Huayna Picchu sits at 2,693m/8,835ft, around 260m/850ft higher than Machu Picchu! After a long day of exploring, we head back to Aguas Calientes town for lunch and catch the scenic train back to Ollyantaytambo where our driver take us to Cusco City for our final evening and last day on our journey. Amazing restaurants and beautiful night-life awaits in this bustling metropolis that is the largest city of the Sacred Valley region!
Day 9: Cusco City Tour & Sacsayhuaman After a lovely breakfast we'll meet Valentin and his team for one final outing! We'll visit Plaza de Armas - the city center of Cusco. We'll then head to Sacsayhuaman, a ceremonial Inca site composed of massive boulders held together without mortar. After a private tour of the site, we'll have a short closing ceremony as a group. We return to the city center by private transport and have the rest of the day until your departure at your leisure. Jen will provide guidance to the local markets, delicious restaurants, and other options around the city center. Valentin and his team will organize your airport transfers based on your departure time in the late afternoon or evening of April 25th. We hope you enjoyed your journey and have a new love for the beautiful Peruvian culture and landscape! Viva Peru!