Cusco & Machu Picchu Express

This tour begins in Cusco – we recommend arriving before midday to give you enough time for your early afternoon tour of Cusco. When you arrive, one of our friendly representatives will be waiting for you at the airport with your private transfer to your chosen hotel. Depending on when your flight arrives in Cusco, you may then have some time to relax and explore before your first tour begins. Your half day tour of this world famous UNESCO world heritage city includes several highlights within the historical center plus some surrounding Inca ruins, including the huge fortress of Saqsaywaman – the site of a key battle during the Spanish siege of Cusco in the early 16th century. This tour will give you a great overview of Cusco: with your professional, knowledgeable, and fully fluent English speaking guide, and with all your entrance fees included. At the tour’s end you will be dropped off at your hotel and the guide will let you know about tomorrow’s schedule (and any questions you may have – take full advantage of their local expertise!).

Tour includes: Koricancha ‘Temple of the Sun’, Plaza de Armas (main square) incl. Cathedral, ‘La Compañia de Jesus’ Church, Kenko, Puca Pucara (panoramic view), Sacsayhuaman Fortress.

Today, after your short stop in Cusco the night before, we will descend to the lower altitude of the Sacred Valley to discover the best and most culturally authentic aspects of the ‘Sacred Valley of the Incas’ with this full day tour which begins at the ‘Inca’s Balcony’: a beautiful terrace which gives you an impressive view of Chinchero – where twelve families still preserve their traditional customs, showing you the ancestral way in which they process & dye the wool to obtain those vivid colors for which they are famous. Later we will visit Ollantaytambo, one of the most monumental architectural complexes of the ancient Inca Empire, and one of the few places where the Spanish conquistadors lost a major battle. Very well known for its ‘andenes’ (terraces dug into the slopes of mountains for agriculture), Ollantaytambo was a highly effective fortress that also served as a temple. After exploring the ruins we will continue to the nearby town of Ollantaytambo, the oldest continually inhabited town in the Americas and one of the best surviving examples of Inca city planning, with its narrow cobblestone streets & unique architecture.

Tour includes: Chinchero, ‘Inca Balcony’, traditional weaving families, Ollantaytambo ruins & town.
Lunch is included.

In the morning we will drive to Ollantaytambo station to board your chosen train to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo), the small town from which the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu is visited. These breathtakingly spectacular ruins are located on a natural saddle between high mountains with steep terraced slopes falling away on either side down to the Urubamba River, which rushes around the mountain far below. There aren’t enough words to describe the impression these ruins have on you when you first see them up close. Once we get up to the ruins you will go on a full tour of all the main highlights of this New World Wonder, and after the tour you will have some free time to explore. It is possible to see Machu Picchu in just one day, but we don’t recommend it since it involves up to 8 hours of travelling in one day and just half a day at the ruins. Far better to see it over 2 days with an afternoon visit until closing time and then an early start the next day to catch the sunrise when there are fewer people around (and climb the optional Huayna Picchu or Montana trek if you’re feeling adventurous), giving you time to fully take in the surroundings.

Lunch is included at a local restaurant. Selected hotels also include dinner.

Today you will revisit the Machu Picchu citadel ruins, but this time you’re free to explore without a guide. Your tickets give you full access to the main ruins including Intipunku (the Sun Gate – where the Inca Trail finishes) – we recommend getting up early to be one of the first people at the gates when they open, weather permitting you will be treated to the spectacular site of the sun’s rays beaming in from over the mountains and slowly illuminating the ruins at sunrise. We can also include the permits for the popular Huayna Picchu trek or the longer but just as rewarding Machu Picchu Mountain trek, both treks give you impressive top down views from opposite sides of the ruins, weather permitting. Return bus tickets to the entrance are included and your guide will inform you about the logistics on the day before so that you know when to be at the train station in time for your relaxing & scenic journey back to Cusco. You will also have time to see more of the quirky tourist town of Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo) – such as take a stroll near the rapids and take a dip in the thermal baths which gave the town its (original) name.

Your entrances, bus & train tickets are all included

For your last day you will have some free time to explore the many interesting & picturesque locations in & around Cusco’s historic UNESCO centre. The time you have will depend on when you will be flying home from Lima. We recommend a later flight from Lima, if possible, to maximise your time – since Cusco is a very interesting city, but you need to ensure you have at least 2.5 hours to check in at Lima. You can use this free time to explore the arts & crafts markets to pick up some unique souvenirs, visit the art galleries, museums, restaurants & cafes, or simply walk through the picturesque streets & admire the fusion of Inca & Spanish Colonial architecture – very often with Spanish architecture built directly on top of impressive Inca foundations. You will already have a rough idea of the layout of the centre thanks to your city tour back on Day 1; feel free to ask us, your guide, or the hotel receptionist for recommended places to visit to help you make the most of your free time. At a pre-arranged time we will ensure your airport transfer is waiting for you at your hotel. Requesting a late checkout is advisable to give you a base for the day & have somewhere to freshen up before your flights, alternatively you can simply leave your luggage at the hotel reception until it’s time to head to the airport.

Homeward bound, or onward with you adventure? This tour package can easily be combined with extensions to Puno and Lake Titicaca, and onwards to Bolivia, Uyuni, the Atacama desert, and beyond! Ask us for more details about trip extensions.