If you have chosen the Peru Machu Picchu tour, then you have chosen the highlight of all the Peru and the South America as well. When you see Machu Picchu, you understand why it is impossible to not be fascinated by the spirit of this Incan sanctuary. These mysterious archaeological remains have lots of power to attract people. Since being discovered for the world until today, this extraordinary heritage of the Inca's culture keep enchanting visitors from all around the globe. Although the word "ecology" was unknown in then time, the Incas paid special attention to conservation as they kept perfect harmony between architectural concept of their buildings and natural landscapes.
This tour is part of our Machu Picchu travel packages that offers you a guided touring of Cusco city, admiring natural and Incan monuments of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, appreciating changeable nature when continuing to Machu Picchu by train (a quick way when the Inca Trail hike is fully booked), overnight in Aguas Calientes (a town just below the Inka's city) and visit thermal baths there before finally enjoying a guided tour of the Inca's architectonic jewel - Machu Picchu.
Then you can continue climbing Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu mountain. In the end of the day, you take a transport between Machu Picchu - Cusco to finish at your hotel and rest. The Cusco Peru Machu Picchu tour ends with a transport back to the airport at Cusco.
Quick Itinerary:
Day 01: Arrival to Cusco
Day 02: City Tour of Cusco
Day 03: Sacred Valley
Day 04: Machu Picchu guided tour
Day 05: Cusco City
Day 06: Departure Day
Crew: An agency epresentative at Cusco and professional tour guides
Accommodation: 5 nights in a 3* hotel.
Meals: 5x breakfast, 1x buffet lunch (Please allow USD 30 - 50 for meals not included).
Transportation: Private transportation by van, a train round trip (Expedition Class).
Important info about your tour:
Interesting Information
Your Machu Picchu vacation begins with an arrival to Cusco´s airport. A Inca Trail Machu representative awaits you in front of the Cusco´s airport arrival hall holding a sheet with your name so please leave the hall. Then he/she transfers you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to give you some time to acclimatize for the rest of your Cusco Peru Machu Picchu tour. So you can relax, have some coca tea (a natural tea of coca leaves and the best tool against altitude sickness!) or just walk around the city´s centre and visit some Colonial churches and see many Incan walls.
The Cusco City is the oldest continuously inhabited city of this continent as well as a hub of the South American travel network. The city attracts people from all around the world, who arrive not only to visit a unique destination, but also to experience an antique culture that differs a lot from the occidental 21st century´s way of life. One could easily spend a week just in and around this site. Inca-built stone walls line most of the central streets and it is not necessary to go far to see other major Inca ruins! This is a city steeped in history, traditions and legends!
Every year, Cusco is visited by thousands of travelers, who come to delve into its noble, but tragic past. Our Machu Picchu tour is a perfect base for optional explorations around the city´s surroundings as well as for a range of outdoor activities.
In the morning, your Tour Guide picks you up from your hotel and takes you onto the tour of Cusco City starting with a visit of the Cathedral located on the Main Square of Cusco. Its construction started in 1559 and it took 100 years to finish!! The Cathedral can pride on the biggest depository of Colonial art of the city. A vault containing remains of the famous Incan historian - Garcilaso de la Vega is just past the entrance.
Then, you visit Qoricancha - the golden temple of the Incas that was once the most significant temple of the Incan Empire! The temple was dedicated to the god of the Sun.
After that, we continue our Cusco Peru Machu Picchu tour by bus outside of the city visiting the huge Incan fortress of Sacsayhuaman. There are some magnificent Inca´s walls made up of huge and impressive stones weighing up to 130 tons. The stones fit together with an absolute peferction! Three of these walls run parallel to over 360 m. There are 21 bastions in the fortress.
Later on, you continue to a nearby Incan labyrinth and a ceremonial site - Qenqo. After our Tour Guide has explained us about this enigmatic site, we board our bus to continue to the red fortress of Puca Pucara. Our last stop is in Tambomachay - a water temple of the Incas.
Finally, you are taken back to our hotel in Cusco to relax.
Today, we cover the distance of Cusco-Machu Picchu, but before we do so, our Tour Guide takes us into the Sacred Valley of the Incas that was once an important source of food for the Incas. The Sacred Valley is a lush agricultural region that keeps supplying the Cusco City with lots of its production. We visit the majestic ruins of Pisaq as well as its current famous handicraft market. Then, we stop in Urubamba, considered to be the capital of the valley, to have a buffet lunch offering Andean cuisine. Afterwards, we continue to the picturesque town of Ollantaytambo where we enjoy a guided tour of its Incan fortress. The town and fortress of Ollantaytambo are strategically situated overlooking the beautiful Urubamba River Valley. Then, we board a train taking us to the town of Aguas Calientes (just below Machu Picchu), a perfect alternative on how to reach Machu Picchu when the Inca Trail hike is fully booked. There, we overnight in a comfortable hotel.
The long awaited highlight of all our Machu Picchu travel packages awaits you today. So we got up early and after breakfast, we took a bus to the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu. Then, your tour guide shows you around the Inca city and explains about its history and the purpose of each place during a guidedtour of approximately 2 and a half hours. Afterwards, you have the opportunity to climb for about 45 minutes to the Huayna Picchu (or Machu Picchu Mountain, a 1.5 hour climb), a peak that dominates the ancient city and serves to take some panoramic pictures of if this way. On the other hand, there is the Temple of the Moon that can be visited as well. Then, you are given free time to spend and explore Machu Picchu on your own. When you have enjoyed the place enough, you can take a bus back to Aguas Calientes or descend slowly and take more panoramic pictures of the surrounding breathtaking nature on the way (recommended).
Aguas Calientes, you can visit one of the many very good restaurants that offer traditional Andean as well as international cuisine. To finish our tour, we always use an afternoon train to take passengers back to Ollantaytambo (alternatively to Poroy). From there, we will travel by tourist vehicle back to your hotel in Cusco.
Today is a relaxing day to explore the fascinating imperial city of the Incas, visit its markets, buy some souvenirs, do some optional activities as well as get ready for the last night of our tour.
Transfer to the Cusco´s airport. End of the tour, or alternatively, a good time to extend your trip!
Please noteIn all of our Machu Picchu travel packages a return flight to Lima can be arranged upon request.
Meals budget: Please allow USD 80 - 100 for meals not included.
Single room: Please note that if you have booked the "Single Room" option for all of our Machu Picchu travel packages, you receive your own single room for all overnights.
Local flights: There is no local flight included in the cost of the tour.
Please note: we do provide a daily morning snack and our meal service is very complete and well supplied. The recommendation of taken own snack applies only for customers who like a specific snack that might not be in our menu.
Here is everything you need to know about Machu Picchu.
"Machu Picchu" is located in the south of Peru, belongs to the department of Cusco, "Machu Picchu" is located 112.5 kilometers northeast of the city of Cusco, with a height of 2350 meters above sea level.
"Machu Picchu" means 'Old Mountain' in the indigenous Quechua language. "Machu Picchu", the lost city of the Incas, is an unprecedented historical, natural and architectural complex, a tourist destination that has earned the category of inescapable.
The archaeological places that make up the City Tour around Cusco are the following: Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Tambo Machay, and Puka Pukara. These ruins are very close, a tour usually charge between 20 to 25 soles per person for tourism companies, but there are ways to get there without spending so much money. For example, Sacsayhuaman is located very close, for a backpacker who wants to walk the 7km on foot and not spend a lot of money is recommended to leave from the main square.
After the visit to Sacsayhuaman, you can visit the ruins of Qenqo which is located 1.5 km away, it is very close, you can go following the road. After, about 5km following the road is the next archaeological site that is Tambo Machay, where the Inca bathed. About the entrance costs to the ruins, it is mandatory to have that tourist ticket that gives you access to 16 archeological sites (Machu Picchu is not included). Visit "Machu Picchu" by your own is very easy. The first thing you will have to do "and the most important thing" is to book your Machu Picchu Tickets, and the train tickets "round trip".
Once in Cusco, you will have to get up very early and go to Pavitos Street, here you will find minibuses and minivans that will take you to the town of Ollantaytambo for around $4. When you arrive in Ollantaytambo, you can take a "moto-taxi", it's very fun and the easiest way to get to the Ollantaytambo station, this will cost between $ 0.70 and US $ 1.50. Once at the Ollantaytambo station, look for your train and approach it.
The tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas is one of the most beautiful short train routes in the world, so enjoy it. The train will take you to the city of Aguas Calientes, at the foot of the Machu Picchu Mountain. Arriving at Aguas Calientes, you can buy the bus tickets to Machu Picchu, next to the train station. These tickets can not be reserved in advance, bought online, or by third parties, ou can only buy your ticket in person and with your passport. Before letting you enter Machu Picchu you will be asked to present a copy of your Machu Picchu ticket along with your original valid Passport, if you do not present these documents you will be prevented from entering Machu Picchu, and everything will have been in vain; so do not forget that your documents must be valid at the moment of entering Machu Picchu.
