Our Detailed Itinerary: March 9-18, 2024
Days 1 & 2: Arrive, Relax, Despacho Ceremony You will arrive to Cusco on the morning or early afternoon of March 9th. 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, herbal medicine lessons, 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: Pisac Ruins Hike, local market, and two fun surprises We start the day with optional gentle yoga & breakfast. We then head out to Pisac, a nearby town with incredible Incan ruins that carry a mesmerizing story and phenomenal views. We will hike the ruins, guided by Valentin and his team who will share the history of this amazing place. We finish at a waterfall and then walk into town to visit an beautiful local artisan market filled with custom textiles, artwork, jewelry and handmade sweaters of all kinds! Time permitting, we'll make a couple quick stops on our way back to Urubamba for some local authentic culture...these are a surprise, but we promise you'll love them!
Day 5: Pachamama Children's School & Farm Lunch 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.
Day 6: Free Day with Optional Activities 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, an art class, coca leaf readings, or an herbal medicine workshop. We'll provide a list of options with pricing as we approach the trip. For the avid adventure seeker who is up for a physical challenge, Jen will offer a personally created add-on experience with a local family she knows in the area. This is definitely an "off the grid" style outing, with a tough hike... but if you're ready for a physical challenge, and the one who always wants to know where the locals live when you travel, this outing is for you!
Day 7: Ollyantaytambo, Scenic Train, & hike upper Machu Picchu Today we check out of Wilka T'ika and head to the Ollantaytambo train station! We'll board a beautiful scenic train to Aguas Calientes, the home of Machu Picchu! We'll have lunch in one of the local restaurants before heading to the upper part of the citadel to take photos, and then hike to the Inca bridge. The Inca Bridge is a secret entrance or a part of a defensive pathway near Machu Picchu, the ancient Incan city in Peru. This pathway is carved into a steep cliff and consists of a narrow shelf-like trail. The purpose of this path was likely for defensive reasons, as it provided a hidden and narrow passage that could be easily blocked to defend the city. We'll enjoy sunset from this spot before heading back to our hotel: "Tierra Viva". Dinner will be on our own and Valentin will give suggestions for a few of the MANY amazing restaurants in Aguas Calientes! Early to bed tonight... tomorrow morning we rise before dawn to enter Machu Picchu at the lower level.
Day 8: Machu Picchu at Sunrise & optional Huayna Picchu hike We rise EARLY today for Machu Picchu! We enter at 6:00AM to be there to watch the clouds clear and see Machu Picchu in all its mystical majesty! We'll be guided through the ruins 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! From there you can take an optional hike up Huayna Picchu, the mountain that sits directly behind Machu Picchu. This is an intense vertical hike straight up a mountain using stairs built by the Incan people. It's exhilarating and incredible at the top, with some of the best views of Machu Picchu. It's also a straight vertical climb back down.... definitely for the adventurer... totally worth it! After a long day of climbing, we head back to Aguas Calientes and catch the train back to Ollyantaytambo. From there we'll travel by bus to Cusco where Valentin's team will meet us with our suitcases at the final hotel of our trip. Dinner is on your own at your leisure. Multiple amazing restaurants are near the hotel... Jen will have suggestions ready!
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 and a local market. 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 and evening to enjoy the amazing cuisine and city markets of Cusco at your leisure. The food and cultural market scene in Cusco is AMAZING... Jen has a few favorites and will offer those suggestions to the group. Valentin will also offer suggestions of walkable local sites and tours, as well as some crazy fun nightlife for anyone who wants to dance the night away at a salsa club before we fly home in the morning! Viva Peru!
Day 10: Departure & Travel Day filled with all the memories Today you'll head back home after an amazing journey you'll never forget! Valentin and his team will provide all airport transfers based on your departure time and ensure you arrive safely at the airport in Cusco in plenty of time for your flight home. We hope you leave Peru feeling a renewed sense of joy and a love of the people and culture you experienced in the Sacred Valley!