5.0 (12 Reviews)
Get ready to see the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu on this awesome 2-day tour. It’s a great chance to check out the most important old Inca places around here like Pisac (around 9,751 ft / 2,972 m altitude) with its cool mountain terraces and markets Ollantaytambo and Urubamba (roughly 9,420 ft / 2,871 m).
We’ll walk through the cool old streets in the Sacred Valley of the Incas learn about how people lived back then and visit the Pisac Craft Market where you can grab some souvenirs. Around noon we’ll stop in Urubamba to grab some lunch then head over to Ollantaytambo (about 9,160 ft / 2,792 m). This place was a big deal built by the Inca boss Pachacutec for farming military stuff and religion.
After the guide shows us around we head to the Ollantaytambo train station to catch a train to Aguas Calientes (approx. 6,693 ft / 2,040 m) people often call it ‘Machu Picchu town’. Next day we take a bus up to the big one Machu Picchu Citadel itself with a pro guide. You’ll really get a feel for the Inca culture see amazing ruins and just enjoy the incredible nature all around. It’s all about soaking up the history and heritage here. Plus you get a night in Aguas Calientes to wander around or maybe even hit the hot springs.
The day kicks off around 7:30 AM when we pick you up from your hotel in Cusco (Cusco’s pretty high up about 11,152 ft / 3,399 m) for the trip to the Sacred Valley. First stop is the Pisac Archaeological Site about 45 minutes drive from Cusco. Pisac apparently means ‘partridge’ in the local Quechua language you’ll see how clever the Incas were with building terraces and planning towns. It was part of their huge road system called Qhapaq Ñan that connected the jungle areas like Manu National Reserve to Cusco.
Around midday we stop in Urubamba for a buffet lunch loads of tasty Peruvian food think lomo saltado or aji de gallina maybe. In the afternoon we explore the Ollantaytambo Archaeological Site. This place was used to store crops and was a key spot for the Inca army and their religious ceremonies. The huge walls and watchtowers kinda give away its history as a strongpoint. People sometimes call it a ‘living Inca city’ because you can still see the old layout. It even won an award as the “Best Tourist Town in the World”. The famous Inca Pachacutec really made this place important.
We wrap up the day by hopping on the train to Aguas Calientes that cool little town where we’ll crash for the night getting psyched for Machu Picchu tomorrow.
You’ll spend the night in Aguas Calientes.
Day 1: What’s Included
Day 1: What’s Not Included
Easiest
We start early heading to the bus station to catch the ride up to the amazing Archaeological Sanctuary of Machu Picchu (sits at about 7,972 ft / 2,430 m). It’s about a 25-minute bus ride up a winding road the excitement definitely builds you can almost feel the history in the air. We finally get to Machu Picchu hopefully catch that incredible sunrise and start the tour.
Our expert guide will lead you around the Historical Sanctuary telling you all about the fascinating history and how the Incas built this place. You’ll see their incredible skills and just be blown away by the mountains all around. Machu Picchu really is like something special engineering art and building all mixed perfectly with nature.
The citadel has farming bits and city bits with squares temples roads stairs terraces water channels all sorts of cool stuff. The farm terraces called andenes are held up by massive stone walls and they had a really smart system of channels and aqueducts to move water around. People say Machu Picchu is a perfect example of their farming smarts ancient knowledge meeting great building skills.
The guided tour takes about 2 hours. You’ll feel like you’re travelling back in time exploring every corner and learning the secrets of this historical gem.
After the tour we take the bus back down to Aguas Calientes. You’ll have time to grab some lunch maybe try some ceviche before we get on the train back to Ollantaytambo. Our crew will be waiting there to drive you back to your hotel in Cusco finishing up our awesome 2-day trip through the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu.
Day 2: What’s Included
Day 2: What’s Not Included
Easiest
Quick Tips for Your Trip
About the Train Options
The train route is the same for all these the difference is mainly the carriages and the service level.
How to Book Your Tour
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To lock in your booking we usually need a deposit of 40% of the total cost. You can pay the remaining 60% when you arrive here in Cusco.
We have a great selection of day tours and multi-day tours in Cusco, Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu, which were crafted by our expert team, if you did not find what you are looking for, please explore our similar tours below or email us to get further assistance.
