Realm of the Incas
A one week
tour of Machu Picchu and the
Inca Heartland with author, photographer and Inca scholar
Richard Nisbet
Why Travel with Richard | About the Incas | Contact rnisbet@yahoo.com
Machu Picchu. The very name evokes a sense of mystery. Machu
Picchu was never discovered and
desecrated
by the Spanish conquerors. It is a place of mystery and power.
You will have the time to sense that mystery and power.
This will be a relatively leisurely tour. We believe that you should have some time to relax and take it all in, to go your own way without being herded from one site to another. We believe that taking the time to absorb what you are seeing will enrich your experience.
You will be accompanied by Richard Nisbet, photographer, author, student of the Incas and long-time resident of Cusco, who will guide you through the lore and history of the sites you are visiting... be they ruins, restaurants, or bars. With Richard you are assured of getting not only a learning experience, but a walloping good time.
DAY TO DAY TOUR ITINERARY
|
Day |
Location/Activity
|
|
1 |
Arrive in Lima and transfer to the Faraona Grand Hotel in the ocean side neighborhood of Miraflores. |
|
2 |
Day tour of Lima. |
|
3 |
In the morning you will be taken to the airport where you will depart for the hour-long flight up over the Andes to Cusco. Most tourists go immediately to Cusco, but to make your adjustment to the altitude of these parts a little easier (Cusco is at 11,500 feet), you will be driven directly to Ollantaytambo, a few thousand feet lower. The hour and a half trip will take you over the high plains, passing through a landscape of stunning contrasts. You will spend two nights in Ollantaytambo in the beautiful Pakaritampu Hotel. Ollantaytambo (oy yahn tie TAHM bow) is the only town in Peru where people still live in original Inca dwellings. The town remains in the basic original form, with huge stone walls and an intriguing system of canals that feed water from above the town, through beautiful fountains, then through the town and down into the fields to irrigate the maize and potato crops that grow there. The featured ruin is an unfinished temple at the top of a hill bordering the town. Most tourists only get a running glance at the temple before they are hauled off by bus after an hour or so. On this tour, you will have time to explore the town, the ruins and, if you like, hike up the road through some of the most spectacular and vertiginous mountains you will ever see. You will arrive in Ollantaytambo around noon. You can lunch at the hotel or at any other of the many restaurants in town. You can visit the ruins or explore the town or just relax on the manicured grounds of the hotel.
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|
4 |
The morning can be spent as you please. Then travel through the beautiful Sacred Valley to the Pisac market and ruins. Lunch en route at Tunupa Restaurant in Urubamba. Return to Ollantaytambo. Overnight at the Pakaritampu Hotel. |
|
5 |
You will take the early train to Machu
Picchu and have the day to explore these magnificent ruins.
You will return in the afternoon to Ollantaytambo and from there
be driven to Cusco where you will spend the next three days in
either the Andes de America
hotel or the Del Prado Inn. |
|
6 |
Morning you will tour the city, including the Magnificent 16th century Cathedral and the stunning Coricancha, the main temple of the Incas. Afternoon will be your free time.
|
|
7 |
You will spend the day touring the
incredible ruins around Cusco: Sacsahuaman, Quenko, Puca
Pucara and Tambo Machay. |
|
8 |
Fly back to Lima to catch your
flight home. |
|
|
Fare: $1,700 per person.
DEPART ANY DAY WITH MINIMUM OF TWO
PASSENGERS! |
"This was probably the easiest vacation I’ve ever had. I like that! It was active, informative and interesting. Richard's warmth and hospitality were off the chart."
Tom Thomas, Telluride Colorado
"We felt completely safe.... I heartily recommend this package for all who like to walk and wonder. Peru reminded me of the best mystery novels where all the evidence is presented but you have to come to your own conclusions."
Dale Halton, Charlotte NC
"Everything was taken care of without a hitch: transportation to and from the airport, transportation to the sites, food, and entertainment. I highly recommend this trip with Richard and his excellent staff. It is certainly an adventure you will never forget and one I would do over again without hesitation."
Karen Henderson, Telluride Colorado
"Richard Nisbet is one of the most knowledgeable Inca scholars I have
ever met, and his enthusiasm for Inca culture and the mysteries that
still abound about that culture is infectious. I have taken trips to many
Inca sites with Richard and spent countless hours mulling over Inca
theories on any number of
Cusco's colonial balconies. He is truly a pleasure to spend
time with, and the general public should feel privileged that he is
sharing his insight and knowledge."
Doug Newton, veteran South American traveler and tour guide
Why Travel with Richard | About the Incas | Contact rnisbet@yahoo.com