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Best of Cusco Region in 5 Days

Best of Cusco Region in 5 Days

$1490 per person
HIGHLIGHTS
  • Cusco Visit
  • Visit hidden spots near Cusco and in the Sacred Valley where mass tourism doesn’t go.
  • Maras Salt Mines and Andean textile community of Chinchero.
  • Experience the incredible and famous Machu Picchu, a must-see for anyone visiting Peru.
  • Meet the real locals of rural Peru, spend time, and be hosted by a beautiful Quechua family of 7 in their home.
  • Alternative Rainbow Mountain
  • Photo opportunities in Landscape, Portrait, and documental styles with the incredible backdrop of Peruvian landscapes.
  • As well as the big attractions get to know a special side of Peru not many do, well off the beaten path.
EXTRAS
  • The first and last hotel nights in Cusco can be organized by us if needed.
  • A second Visit to Machu Picchu can be organized.
GIVING BACK

Here in Andean Photo Expeditions it is very important to us to make a positive impact within the communities we visit, so each time we book a tour to see this community we donate a portion of the profit directly to this family and to the local school. These are people with relatively little, so that donation can make such a huge difference in their lives, from paying their children’s educational fees to buying school supplies.

INCLUDES
  • Private transport all the way (except for to and from Machu Picchu in which it is necessary to get a shared train and bus)
  • Train, bus, and entry tickets to Machu Picchu plus a local guide on site.
  • All entry tickets for other places visited.
  • 3 nights in hotels (double occupancy).
  • Food: breakfast included in hotels, lunch on days three and five.
  • Photography guide on days one, three, four, and five.
ADD-ONS
  • Huayna Picchu Mountain
  • Photographer guide to attending with you all the way to Machu Picchu.
  • Single occupancy hotel room.
  • Hotels in Cusco
WHAT TO BRING
  • Clothes for all conditions, the weather can be unpredictable in the Andes, it’s best to be prepared!
  • Comfortable walking shoes. Although no strenuous hiking is involved its always recommendable to wear sensible footwear.
  • Camera gear.
RECOMMENDED GEAR
  • Mid-range zoom as a versatile go-to lens for landscapes and portraits.
  • Prime lens for portrait opportunities (50mm, 85mm or similar)
  • Telephoto for use at the salt mines.
  • Tripod and filters for long exposure opportunities at the lake on day 1 (ND 10 or stronger, CPL etc.)
PRICES

Private Expedition (1 person): $2500 USD

2 people: $1490 USD per person ( Shared room )

3+ people: $1390 USD per person ( Shared room )

5 Reviews
  • Departure/Return Location
    Cusco
  • What to wear
    Comfortable seasonal clothing & shoes
  • Included
    Accommodation
    Entrance Fees
    Guide
    Lunch
    Photo Assistance
    Transport
  • Not Included
    Extras
    Insurance
    Local Flights
    Meals

Tour Plan

1
DAY 1 - Cusco Photo Day Tour
The Cusco photo day tour is the only one that will take you to the touristic and non-touristic places of the Incan Capital. Visit unknown Incan streets, traditional markets, catacombs, and typical local places unexplored by the tourist masses. Get some photography tips from your guide, no matter if you use a phone or camera, and enjoy the real Cusco from a different perspective, through the eyes of a local photographer.   The Guide can pick you up at your hotel: At 6 am, 9:30 am, or 1:30 PM depending on your light preference.
2
DAY 2 - Maras Mines and Andean Secrets
8h00 - Pick up from the hotel in Cusco and begin our drive into the Andes.
9h00 - Stop in Chinchero to pick up some local empanadas to eat later for lunch.
9h45 - Stop at our secret landscape location. Here we get an incredible view over the sacred valley and also if we are lucky, a chance to meet and photograph some of the local farmers and shepherds who work on these lands.
10h45 - Stop at a local textile market in Chinchero, where we get to learn about the textile process of dyeing and weaving and also can have full portrait sessions with the ladies there wearing local traditional clothes.
12h00 - Lunch at Laguna Huaypo, after lunch we can spend time shooting at this beautiful lake framed with huge mountains
13h00 - The Salineras de Maras, here you can find many opportunities for awesome photography, from small details to big landscapes and the locals seen working in this otherworldly place.
14h00 - Leave the Salineras and begin the drive to Ollantaytambo.
15h00 - Arrival in Ollantaytambo, from here we drop you off to take the scenic train to Aguas Calientes solo. Have no fear we will make all arrangements for your hotel and tour of the lost city of the Incas.
If however, you would like your photographer guide to attend with you to complement your visit to Machu Picchu let us know and we can provide this as an optional add-on as your local guide at the site will not be a photographer.
17h00 - Arrival in Aguas Calientes, check into your hotel, and have free time to relax and explore the town.
19h00 - Your local guide for the following morning will meet with you to brief you on an upcoming day (at the lobby of your hotel). Afterward, we recommend getting a good night’s sleep and getting ready for the following day.  
3
DAY 3 - Sunrise at Machu Picchu
5h00 - An early start this morning to begin queuing for the bus up to the site of Machu Picchu.
6h00 - Gates open to the site, your guide will give you a 2h30 guided tour of the location. Once the tour is over you will be free to continue exploring some more if you like.
10h00 - Return from the site down to Aguas Calientes for some lunch and to relax a while.
- Hop on the train back to Ollantaytambo.
- Arrival in Ollantaytambo where we will be waiting to pick you up in our private transport and transfer you to a hotel right in the heart of the Sacred Valley, here we will be able to eat some dinner and relax for the evening.      
4
DAY 4 - The Faces Of Peru Tour
7h00 - Time to get up and grab some breakfast at the hotel.
8h00 - Leave the hotel and make a quick stop in Calca to visit the central market, where we can buy a few things to take with us to the community.
10h00- Arrive in the community and meet with our hosts for the day.
11h00 - Visit the local school, meet, and spend time with the children there. Plenty of opportunities for great photos around the school.
12h00 - Return to our host’s home for lunch of homemade delicious local food and portrait sessions with the family, all wearing full traditional clothes.
13h30 - Visit lakes above town for landscape shots with some of the Quechua family members.
15h00 - Enjoy the beautiful Alpaca Blessing Ceremony.
16h30 - Begin drive back to your hotel
17h30 - Drop off at hotel.
5
DAY 5 - Palcoyo Rainbow Mountain
Your adventure to Palcoyo Rainbow Mountain begins with an early 3:00 AM pick-up. We’re heading out at this time to ensure we’re among the first to arrive and experience the mountain in its full tranquility. Along the way, we’ll stop for a quick, light breakfast to fuel up. We plan to arrive at the site around 7:30 AM, where we’ll start a scenic 2-hour round-trip hike. You can take your time, and we’ll depart whenever you’re ready. Afterward, we’ll begin our drive back to Cusco, and if you’re feeling hungry, we can stop for brunch along the way  

Tour Location

Discover Machu Picchu

More than 7,000 feet above sea level in the Andes Mountains, Machu Picchu is the most visited tourist destination in Peru. A symbol of the Incan Empire and built around 1450AD, Machu Picchu was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 and was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007.

10 Interesting Facts about Machu Picchu

10. In the Quechua Indian language, “Machu Picchu” means “Old Peak” or “Old Mountain.”
9. Machu Picchu is made up of more than 150 buildings ranging from baths and houses to temples and sanctuaries.
8. The compound contains more than 100 separate flights of stairs. Most of the individual staircases were carved from one slab of stone.
7. Although many of the stones that were used to build the city were more than 50 pounds, it is believed that no wheels were used to transport these rocks up the mountain. Rather, it is thought that hundreds of men pushed the heavy rocks up the steep mountain side.
6. Many different theories exist about Machu Picchu’s purpose—a royal estate and a secret ceremonial center among them.
5. The Incas were some of the best masons in the world. The structures were so well built with a technique called ashlar (stones that are cut to fit together without mortar) that not even a knife blade can fit in between stones.
4. Machu Picchu was only known locally until Yale Professor Hiram Bingham re-discovered the site in 1911. His book, The Lost City of the Incas, was based on his findings.
3. A long-standing dispute between Peru and Yale University has existed over the artifacts collected by Bingham during his exploration of the site. Yale maintains that they own the items while Peru insists they were given on loan.
2. Machu Picchu was an astronomical observatory, and its sacred Intihuatana stone accurately indicates the two equinoxes. Twice a year, the sun sits directly over the stone creating no shadow.
1. Unfortunately, most cities built by the Inca civilization were destroyed by the Spanish conquest. Machu Picchu was in a hidden location—invisible from below—and not found, making it one of the most well-preserved Inca cities and an archeological gem.

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Comments

  • DLC
    05/01/2023

    5 Days with this Company Wasn’t Enough
    Nov 2019
    If you’re not traveling with these guys, you’re doing Peru wrong. Not only are they incredible photographers, and not only do they know Peru inside and out, but they are genuinely a joy to be around. Informed, educational, helpful, and gracious. I can’t say enough good things about this company, and I certainly wouldn’t go back to Peru without their help.

    Overall Tour organization Destination Value for Money
  • Marco
    05/01/2023

    Great trip
    May 2022 • Solo
    Traveling with Dan was pleasant, eventful and rich of personal experiences: this is twice as much remarkable for me, because I always travel alone, and like to plan my trip by myself. Dan has rare ‘people-skill’, both with the ‘locals’ (he can struck a pleasant conversation with anybody, get precious local information, and get accepted in everybody’s home when necessary) and with clients (he always there when you need him, and he discretely disappears when it is the time for you to have the space of a ‘personal’ experience, either with people in the street or with the beauty of the environment). These are the most important qualities for a guide. The trip organisation was seamless, and his personal attention to my satisfaction and enjoyment was heartwarming. His network – drivers, hotels, restaurants.. – is excellent, and everybody loves him. He has special connections with Peruvian people living in remote villages, he introduced me to some of them, and shared with the locals moments of their life. Priceless, for me. The destinations were all well selected, a special experience for each of them. I came back with lots of beautiful photos, and desire to be back soon.

    Overall Tour organization Destination Value for Money

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