(Pick up time 05:00am) starting in Tambomachay just outside of Cusco our path leads us over high passes, through valleys and small communities. With large swathes of grassland and small lakes (dried out in some seasons) the area is home to a wide variety of birds including Andean Geese, Partridges and Lapwings as well as a variety of birds or prey, all of which are regularly spotted throughout the day.

Our goal for today are the andean and poor villages of Patabamba and Siwas located close to a small lake (dries out in dry season). Patabamba is a traditional Andean community with a small school and a tiny Plaza; located high above the Sacred Valley the people here still maintain the customs and traditions of ages past and the majority of villagers gain their income from agriculture (potatoes) and herding llamas and alpacas. As only a few tourists come this way the people are always intrigued to see who has come to visit their village and to welcome them with open arms.

Today has two main focuses, learning about the customs and culture of the Andean people and a visit to the Inca site of Huchuy Qosco (for a secon time!). Waking up early we’ll be taken by our guide to one of the houses (can be visited on day 1) where we’ll get to meet a local family. The people are incredibly welcoming and are just as eager to learn about you as you are of them; they don’t get many visitors in this area and are always interested to find out about you. After the visit you’ll have the opportunity to give any gifts you’ve brought for the local people and also to buy some of the locally made.

Following the visit we’ll make our way to Huchuy Qosco. The route follows an original Inca Trail that leads us down a beautiful, secluded valley that is filled with native plants, flowers and birds. It really feels like another world compared to the high grasslands we’ve left behind. In total it takes about two and a half hours to reach Huchuy Qosco and after a break to rest and take in the views of the Sacred Valley you’ll have a guided tour of the site to learn about the Inca people and their culture. In the afternoon we head down in to the Sacred Valley to the village of Lamay where we take a bus to Ollantaytambo and then a train to Aguas Calientes.

Waking up early we’ll take the first bus back up to Machu Picchu to enter the site as it opens. We’ll have a 2 hour guided tour of the site during which you’ll learn about the Incas and visit all the most important areas of the citadel. After your tour you’ll have free time to explore the site by yourself and if you have permits to climb either Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu mountain. In the afternoon you will take the train back to Ollantaytambo from where you will carry on by bus back to Cusco.