Day by day
The journey
Aug 3 – 15, 2026. Two acclimation days in Lima and two in Cusco bookend the seven-day Backroads tour through the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, and the hills above Cusco.
- Mon, Aug 3 · Travel day
Charlotte → Miami → Lima
In transit · Lima arrivalTwo-leg American Airlines journey south. Arrive Lima late evening and check into the JW Marriott on the Miraflores cliffs. Sleep, hydrate, and reset the clock.
- •AA 969 CLT→MIA
- •AA 1307 MIA→LIM
- •Arrive Lima 8:30 PM
JW Marriott Hotel Lima - Tue, Aug 4 · Lima
Lima — Miraflores
LimaA buffer day in Lima before heading up to altitude. Walk the Malecón, grab ceviche, and start the slow adjustment.
- •Recover from the red-eye
- •Explore Miraflores
- •Optional Barranco walk
JW Marriott Hotel Lima - Wed, Aug 5 · Fly to Cusco
Lima → Cusco
Lima → Cusco (11,150 ft)Short morning flight to Cusco. The rest of the day is intentionally easy — coca tea, hydration, and gentle wandering around San Blas while bodies adjust.
- •Flight to CUZ
- •Check into JW Marriott El Convento
- •Start altitude acclimation
JW Marriott El Convento Cusco - Thu, Aug 6 · Cusco
Cusco — easy acclimation day
CuscoSecond full day at 11,000+ feet before the Backroads trip starts. Light walking, museums, and an early night.
- •Plaza de Armas
- •Coricancha
- •San Pedro Market
JW Marriott El Convento Cusco - Fri, Aug 7 · Backroads Day 1
Maras Plateau & the Salt Pans
Cusco → Sacred Valley¡Bienvenidos a Perú! Meet the Backroads leaders, shuttle to Maras, and hike through agricultural valleys to a farm-to-table lunch with longtime local friends. Continue down to the honeycomb of white salt terraces, then transfer to Sol y Luna Lodge in the Sacred Valley.
- •8:30 a.m. meet at Belmond Monasterio courtyard
- •Shuttle 1½ hrs to Maras
- •Hike to Inca salt pans (Salineras)
- •Pisco-sour & cooking demo at Sol y Luna
Hiking options- 3.2 mi · Short option · +200 / -600 ft
- 6.7 mi · Long option · +300 / -1,800 ft
Sol y Luna Lodge & Spa Lunch & dinner included - Sat, Aug 8 · Backroads Day 2
Ollantaytambo & Huilloc weaving village
Sacred ValleyMorning walk through the best-preserved Inca town in the valley, then a riverside picnic. Afternoon shuttle to Huilloc, a remote Quechua weaving community, for a rare look at authentic rural Andean life. Optional Pablo Seminario ceramics workshop or spa back at the lodge. Dinner on your own at the hotel.
- •Walk along Inca terraces into Ollantaytambo
- •Picnic by the Patacancha river
- •Cultural visit to Huilloc Quechua community
Hiking options- 1.2 mi · Short option · +200 ft
- 3.4 mi · Long option · +800 ft
Sol y Luna Lodge & Spa Breakfast & lunch included · dinner on your own - Sun, Aug 9 · Backroads Day 3
Ollantaytambo ruins & train to Aguas Calientes
Sacred Valley → Machu Picchu PuebloMorning at the towering Ollantaytambo temple complex, then a traditional pachamanca lunch at a local ecological farm. Afternoon train ride along the Urubamba into the cloud forest. Check into Inkaterra's casitas above the river. Dinner at leisure.
- •Interpretive visit to the Ollantaytambo temple
- •Pachamanca (underground-oven) lunch at an eco-farm
- •Scenic train down to Aguas Calientes
Hiking options- 1 mi · Site walk · +100 / -300 ft
Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel Breakfast & lunch included · dinner on your own - Mon, Aug 10 · Backroads Day 4
Machu Picchu — guided afternoon walk
Machu PicchuThe big day. Morning at leisure (orchids/birds tour, spa, or market). Late morning, bus up to Machu Picchu for the guided afternoon walk with a local expert — temples, stonework, the story of the rediscovery, and views that justify the whole trip. Dinner in town.
- •Optional morning naturalist walk at Inkaterra
- •Shuttle bus up the switchbacks
- •Half-day guided tour of the citadel
Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel Breakfast & lunch included · dinner on your own - Tue, Aug 11 · Backroads Day 5
Train back to Cusco & city walking tour
Aguas Calientes → CuscoScenic train + shuttle back to Cusco. Stroll through San Blas to lunch at Pachapapa, then a guided walking tour of Coricancha and the Cathedral. Free afternoon — Museum of Pre-Columbian Art is included with Backroads. Dinner on your own.
- •Early train past Mt. Veronica
- •Lunch at Pachapapa in San Blas
- •Coricancha & Cusco Cathedral
- •Check into Belmond Monasterio
Belmond Hotel Monasterio Breakfast & lunch included · dinner on your own - Wed, Aug 12 · Backroads Day 6
Tambomachay to Saqsayhuamán hike
Above CuscoShort shuttle to Tambomachay, then climb to the highest point of the trip before descending through Quechua villages toward Saqsayhuamán's massive stone fortress overlooking Cusco. Farewell dinner tonight.
- •High point: 12,600 ft
- •Quechua village pass-through
- •Saqsayhuamán fortress
- •Farewell dinner
Hiking options- 2.9 mi · Short · +200 / -700 ft
- 8.2 mi · Medium · +600 / -1,800 ft
- 8.6 mi · Long · +600 / -2,200 ft
Belmond Hotel Monasterio Breakfast, lunch & farewell dinner included - Thu, Aug 13 · Backroads Day 7
Cusco market walk & fly to Lima
Cusco → LimaOptional walk to Cusco's central market for exotic fruit drinks and local life. Trip officially ends at 11 a.m. Catch an afternoon flight back to Lima and one last night at the JW Marriott.
- •Morning market discovery walk
- •Trip ends 11 a.m. at Belmond Monasterio
- •Afternoon flight to Lima
JW Marriott Hotel Lima Breakfast included - Fri, Aug 14 · Lima → home
Lima day, late-night flight home
Lima → MiamiFull day in Lima — ceviche, the Malecón, maybe Barranco. Late-evening red-eye to Miami.
- •Free day in Lima
- •AA 918 LIM→MIA at 10:00 PM
- Sat, Aug 15 · Home
Miami → Charlotte
MIA → CLTShort hop home. ¡Hasta luego, Perú!
- •AA 361 MIA→CLT
- •Home by 9:55 AM