Machu Picchu Special - 7 Days

Our Cusco City Tour begins in the morning, when we’ll first head to the wonderful Koricancha, next door to Santo Domingo Church. According to the chroniclers who wrote during the period directly after the Spanish Conquest, the Koricancha was the most sacred and most important temple in the Inca Empire. Its walls were covered with gold, and life-size statues of plants and animals – all made of pure gold and silver – decorated its rooms and hallways. Sadly, this wealth was stripped out by the Spanish conquistadors. It remains a magnificent temple, however, and your guide will take you around the Koricancha, showing you details that you almost certainly miss if you visited without a guide. 

After visiting the Koricancha, we’ll head to Cusco Cathedral, located on the Plaza de Armas. Built between 1560 and 1654 on top of the foundations of an existing Inca temple, this spectacular cathedral houses many works of art by the Cusco School of painters, and its main altar and pulpit are covered in gold and silver relief work. Look carefully and you’ll also see elements of indigenous religious symbolism incorporated into the church by the native people who worked on its construction, such as the carved head of a jaguar on the doors. 

Our next stop is the imposing Inca fortress of Sacsayhuaman, which sits on a hill above Cusco. Here you will see some of the finest examples of Inca stonework and construction, including massive rocks that were carefully cut and perfectly fitted together to form the walls. From here you’ll also have beautiful panoramic views of Cusco. 

After exploring Sacsayhuaman we’ll head up the hill to the Tambomachay Archeological Complex. The exact purpose of this site is unknown, but it may have functioned, at least in part, as an Inca spa. Inca hydro-engineering is apparent here, with a series of aqueducts, canals, and waterfalls running through the terraced rocks.

Tambomachay is the last attraction on our city tour, after which we’ll head back down into Cusco and drop you off at your hotel.

We will pick you up from your hotel in Cusco at 07h30 and then set off towards the Sacred Valley. Leaving Cusco, we’ll pass by Saqsaywaman and head over the mountains before descending some 450 meters (1,500 ft) to the valley floor. Here we’ll find ourselves beside the sacred Urubamba River and the pretty village of Pisac. In Pisac, we will visit the colorful traditional market, where you can browse the array of local artisan work and other souvenirs – which of course you can buy to take home with you. We’ll spend about 30 minutes here, and then head up to the ruins of Pisac which sit atop a hill at the entrance to the valley.

At the Pisac archaeological site, we’ll explore the extensive ruins and enjoy the beautiful views across the valley. You’ll be given a guided tour of the ruins, passing through various structures that once served as homes, storage rooms, and temples. You can observe Inca altars, carvings, tunnels, caves, and the famous Intihuatana, the “hitching post of the sun.” We’ll explore Pisac ruins for about 90 minutes. Alternatively, if you’d like to spend more time in the market in Pisac instead of seeing the ruins, you can talk to your guide and arrange a time and a place to meet when the tour group returns through the market after the ruins. 

We will next head towards Urubamba, where we’ll stop for about 45 minutes for lunch (not included). 

After lunch, we will have another 30-minute drive, to reach the wonderful Inca town and archaeological site of Ollantaytambo. Ollantaytambo was the royal estate of the Inca emperor Pachacuti, who conquered the region and built the town and a ceremonial center. We’ll spend about an hour exploring these magnificent ruins, visiting the amazing Temple of the Sun, and seeing massive blocks of rock that were perfectly carved and polished by master Inca stonemasons. Ollantaytambo is also a fine example of Inca agricultural construction and hydro-engineering, with a complex series of stone water fountains, channels and agricultural terraces, the latter organized by elevation to create different microclimates for crop experimentation.   

We can see the extent of the water system when we return to the town, where fast-flowing water channels built by the Incas are still in use today. Walking to the town square, we’ll have great views of the ruins above us, as well as Inca granaries and storehouses built on the sides of the surrounding mountains. Here we can also watch the daily life of Ollantaytambo, where many of the locals still wear traditional dress. 

After Ollantaytambo, we’ll drive to the village of Chinchero where we’ll spend about 30 minutes visiting the famous church and the massive Inca stone wall in the main plaza, which has ten trapezoidal niches. The colonial church, meanwhile, dates back to the early 17th century and was built upon the foundations of an Inca temple or palace. The walls of the church are covered in wonderful floral and religious designs. The people of Chinchero are very much connected to the old traditions, and many still dress in colorful clothes that combine indigenous and Spanish influences. We’ll also have wonderful views from Chinchero, as the village is surrounded by the beautiful snow-capped peaks of Chicón and Veronica.  

This is the last destination on our Sacred Valley Tour, so now it will be time to head back to Cusco, where we’ll drop you off at your hotel.

We will pick you up from your hotel around 08:00 a.m. to take you to Moray “The Inca greenhouse" or agricultural laboratory. We will drive for approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes through the snow-capped peaks of the Andes, through lush green and yellow fields, and passing through some small villages. Finally, you will arrive at the fascinating terraces of Moray. Moray has three amphitheater-like terraces made by the Incas. These terraces, which are carved deep into the earth in the shape of a bowl, were thought to be used to determine the optimal conditions for cultivating crops. When we finish exploring Moray we will visit the salt mines of Maras which is about 2 miles away. This town is known as an old salt-producing center that is believed to date back to pre-Inca times. There are more than 3,000 salt pools, all carved into the mountainside. The highly salty water emerges as a natural outlet from the underground stream. The flow is directed into an intricate system of tiny channels built so that the water gradually flows into the several hundred ancient terraced pools. The water, which is exposed to the sun, evaporates and leaves salt on the earth.

Then, we will visit the town of Ccorccor (Chinchero) northwest of Cusco. This picturesque town was an important Inca center and is known for the traditional Andean weaving techniques still used by its inhabitants. It is also renowned for its cuisine where we will enjoy a delicious and nutritious lunch. Finally, we will transfer to your hotel in the Sacred Valley.

Our tour begins at your hotel, where we will pick you up at 09:00 and then head to the Ollantaytambo train station to board the train to Aguas Calientes (also known as Machu Picchu Pueblo). The train leaves at approximately 11:30 am, although the exact time changes sometimes. The two-hour train ride is a memorable experience in itself, as we pass through river canyons and the rolling hills of The Sacred Valley.

Aguas Calientes is the gateway to Machu Picchu, sitting in a deep gorge at the foot of the mountain on which Machu Picchu stands. It is a small town that mixes traditional life with a huge tourist infrastructure and houses a multitude of markets, souvenir shops, hotels, and restaurants. It's also largely pedestrianized, making it a fun place to explore on foot. Aguas Calientes is surrounded by mountains and jungle-covered cliffs, and the Urubamba River flows right through the town, sometimes roaring through the canyon.

Aguas Calientes is also the home of the hot springs and when we arrive you will have plenty of time to relax and enjoy a dip in one of the steaming natural springs. You will also have time to walk around the city and explore the colorful markets and the general hustle and bustle of this unique Peruvian town.

It's an early start the next day, so we'll make sure you're settled in your hotel and all set for the next day and your visit to Machu Picchu.

* We recommend you that keep your luggage in the storage room of your hotel in your Cusco Hotel) and bring the necessary items for your Machu Picchu visit. (You may also store your baggage at The Valencia Travel office for free). We also have a safe box for valuable items. Train Companies only allow 7 kilos of carry-on per person. If you bring more, they will ask you for an additional payment.

The Machu Picchu Cultural Heritage Tour.
To best appreciate Machu Picchu on your Machu Picchu tour, we’ll wake up early in the morning to arrive at the citadel in good time. You’ll have time for a hearty breakfast first, and then your guide will pick you up from the hotel at around 05:40 am. We’ll then walk to the bus departure point for the short yet zigzagging ascent along the road to Machu Picchu.
It's now time to pass through the gates into the Machu Picchu archaeological site. Here, you’ll begin your Machu Picchu sunrise viewing tour, a highlight of this 9 days in Peru tour package, accompanied by your experienced and highly knowledgeable guide.
Our Machu Picchu tour will last about two hours and will take you to all the most famous and most spectacular sections of the extensive archaeological complex. These include the House of the Guardian, Intihuatana, Temple of the Sun, Sacred Plaza, and other key locations. And as we walk around, we’ll have spectacular views across the agricultural terraces of Machu Picchu and across the surrounding mountains and plunging gorges.
Once we’ve finished our Machu Picchu tour, we’ll take the bus back down to Aguas Calientes where you can relax and have lunch (not included), before we board the train back to Poroy /Ollantaytambo. Upon arrival at the station, we’ll be waiting to take you back to your hotel in Cusco, where you can think back on your incredible Machu Picchu tour at one of the world’s most famous and most impressive attractions.

Optional Service:  Huayna Picchu – Cost per person USD $ 75 USD
There is time for those with enough energy to climb Wayna (Huayna) Picchu for those who missed out on one of the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu treks. For many people climbing Huayna Picchu is one of the highlights of the Machu Picchu tour. Huayna Picchu is the mountain behind Machu Picchu. The climb itself is interesting as you will see how the Incas cut out steps out of the rocks and as you wind around the side of a mountain, you will see Machu Picchu from a completely different angle. Huayna Picchu is one of the best Machu Picchu hiking experiences inside this magnificent site!

After breakfast, enjoy your final day at leisure before we transfer you to the Cusco airport for your return flight home via Lima.