Day 1: Cusco – Pisac – Urubamba – Ollantaytambo

 At around7:00 am, we will pick you upfrom your hotel in Cusco (3,400 m / 11,154 ft), you will head towards the different sites of the Sacred Valley.

The first stop of our Sacred Valley tour will be Pisac (3,400 m / 11,154 ft). It’s famous for its artisanal market on Sunday, but there will be smaller markets on Tuesday or Thursday. You can buy some souvenirs, ponchos or other textiles here. However, if you don’t have enough time to spend at the market, there is no reason to worry as you can also find similar things at the San Pedro market in Cusco or artisanal shops in the city center. 

Apart from the market, you will visit thePisac terraces and the ancient ruins, which are on top of the mountain. From here, you have an amazing view over the entire valley. The Incas used this strategic position in order to spot their attacking enemies from far away and to prepare for the fight accordingly.

Of course you have to fuel up your batteries during a day full of amazing sites. That’s why we will stop in Urubamba (2,870 m / 9,416 ft), to enjoy adelicious buffet lunch with different Peruvian dishes. Once we’re done, we will continue driving along the Urubamba river until reaching Ollantaytambo.

The last place to be visited during the Sacred Valley day tour are the Ollantaytambo ruins. The famousInca emperor Pachacutec conquered Ollantaytambo around the mid-15th century. The town Ollantaytambo (2,800 m / 9,186 ft), as well as the nearby region were his personal estate. After his conquest, the emperor rebuilt the town and undertook extensive works of terracing and irrigation in the Urubamba Valley. Therefore, the terraces were farmed.

Ollantaytambo isone of the best preserved Inca towns in Peru. Many of the sites you will see there were built in the Inca time and are a combination out of stone and mud bricks.

This is where your hotel to spend the night is, because the next day you’ll take the train to the start point of your trek to Machu Picchu.

• Meals included: lunch
• Urubamba altitude: 2,870 m / 9,416 ft
• Pisac altitude: 3,400 m / 11,154 ft
• Ollantaytambo altitude: 2,800 m / 9,186 ft

Day 2: Ollantaytambo – Km 104 – Machu Picchu – Aguas Calientes

After having breakfast at your hotel, you’ll do a short walk to the train station and there your journey follows with a train ride to Km 104, the starting point to the last part of the classic Inca Trail. During the train ride, the valley turns into a canyon and the scenery begins to alter as you enter into the cloud forests.

Once you arrive there, the Inca Trail begins with a gentle hike to Chachabamba (2,200 m / 7,217 ft), where your guide will talk about the previous use of this ancient archeological site. It’s a short and beautiful start to your day.

Then, you follow a challenging uphill trail, you’ll head to the magnificent Inca complex of Wiñay Wayna, also called “Mini Machu Picchu” (2650 m / 8694 ft), the most important archeological site besides Machu Picchu. Here, there are many steep steps to climb to reach the main part of this Inca site. With a fabulous sense of peace far from the crowds, this will be the perfect spot to enjoy our delicious boxed lunch, with superb views of the massive green mountains and native orchids. 

The trail then becomes gentler as you continue on to Inti Punku (2,700 m / 8,858 ft), or the famous “Sun Gate”, the original entrance used by the Inca to access Machu Picchu. It is from here that you’ll have your first glimpse of Machu Picchu as the sun sets.

Once you arrive to Machu Picchu you’ll have time to take postcard pictures from the best spots with fewer people, but you won’t have enough time to explore the ruins this afternoon because it will be getting dark, so it’s time to rest up for an early day of exploring the ruins the next day. Before closing time, you’ll cross the site to take the bus down to Aguas Calientes town (2,000 m / 6,551 ft), where you’ll check into your hotel to rest and relax in anticipation of a very interesting guided tour the following day.

• Meals included: breakfast, boxed lunch & dinner
• Maximum altitude: 2,700 m / 8,858 ft
• Minimum altitude: 2,000 m / 6,561 ft
• Distance hiked: 12.00 km / 7.45 ml (to Machu Picchu)
• Approximate walking time: 7 hours

Day 3: Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – Ollantaytambo – Cusco

On the final day of the tour, you’ll wake up early to have breakfast at the hotel and to prepare for the highlight of your tour. You’ll go straight to the line to wait for the bus going up to one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. You’ll enjoy a guided tour of the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu (2,400 m / 7,874 ft), discovering its incredibly well-preserved streets, buildings and terraces as you learn all about the architectural and cultural legacy of this pre-Columbian civilisation.

You’ll have free time at Machu Picchu to explore at your own pace and investigate lesser-known features like the Inca Bridge through a death-defying narrow trail at the back of the citadel, or climbing up to the top of Huayna Picchu (2,720 m / 8,923 ft), the mountain which overlooks Machu Picchu.

You’ll then catch the bus back to Aguas Calientes, where you’ll have free time to eat and stroll around the town. In the afternoon, you’ll take the train back to Ollantaytambo, from where you’ll travel by bus to Cusco. You’ll be dropped back off at your hotel in Cusco.

Note: Huayna Picchu Mountain tickets are subject to availability

• Meals included: breakfast
• Minimun altitude: 2,000 m / 6,561 ft
• Machu Picchu altitude: 2,400 m / 7,874 ft
• Huayna Picchu altitude: 2,720 m / 8,923 ft
• Cusco altitude: 3,400 m / 11,154 ft

Transportation and tickets

• Hotel pick up in Cusco
• Private transport to the Sacred Valley
• Entrance fee tickets to all Archaeological Sites
• Tourist train from Ollantaytambo to the Km 104
• Entrance fee ticket to the Inca Trail
• Entrance fee ticket to Machu Picchu
• One way bus Machu Picchu – Aguas Calientes 1st day
• Round trip bus Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu 2nd day
• Tourist train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo
• Private transport from Ollantaytambo to Cusco
• Hotel drop off in Cusco

Accommodation

• One night hotel accommodation in Ollantaytambo 3 ***
• One night hotel accommodation in Aguas Calientes 3***
• Luggage shipping to Aguas Calientes

Team

• Pre-departure briefing
• Professional trekking Tour Guide
• Personalized service
• Small group tour max 8 people
• Private walking tour in Machu Picchu
• Emergency medical first aid kit
• Emergency oxigen bottle
• Guaranteed departure

Food

• High quality meals 2B, 2L, 1D
• Drinks while on the trek

• Huayna Picchu Mountain entrance fee ticket
• Machu Picchu Mountain entrance fee ticket
• First day breakfast and dinner
• Lunch at Aguas Calientes
• Hotel upgrade
• Gratuities
• Thermal baths in Aguas Calientes
• Travel insurance
• International or local airfare
• Hotel in Cusco

What to bring

• Updated passport
• Bottle of mineral water.
• Camera, extra camera memory and extra batteries.
• Rainwear and / or plastic poncho (can be purchased in Cusco).
• Sun cream (factor 35 or higher)
• Walking boots
• Tshirts
• Comfortable pants
• Sun hat
• Insect repellent
• Toiletries and hand sanitizer
• Personal medication
• Lantern.