Cusco to Machu Picchu - The Cultural Journey

Pisaq ruin tour from Cusco to Machu Picchu

Duration: Cusco, City Tour, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu (4 days)

Location: City tour, Sacred Valley (Pisaq, Pisaq market, Ollnataytambo, Machu Picchu anf Huayna Picchu)

Price: From U$ 660

Thanks River Explorers for setting up and awesome trip. Everything exceed our expectations, from before during and after the tour. We already missing you.

Cusco to Machu Picchu tour

Cusco to Machu Picchu – The Cultural Journey

We invite you to explore what makes Cusco to Machu Picchu tour is such a unique and fulfilling vacation destination. Steeped in Inca and Spanish colonial charm, Cusco is a virtual historic paradise for cultural vacations from museums to ancient ruins, handicrafts to shopping stores, Andean people to valleys and much more. The vibrant Cusco’s city center offers a destination filled with restaurants, pubs, bars, jewelry stores and hotels from basic to 5 stars.

Day 1: Cusco City tour
Day 2: Sacred Valley
Day 3: Machu Picchu
Day 4: Cusco
Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Cusco - City Tour

As your airplane lands into Cusco, you’ll be transfer from the airport to your hotel. This drive will take you into the heart of Cusco, the mountainside of the Andes and the beauty architecture which sets it apart from any other place in the planet. You’ve already begun your introduction of this exciting five star city.

Start discovering Cusco with a guided tour of the city’s most memorable attractions, the Cathedral and Qoricancha. Welcoming millions of visitors, the Basilica of the virgin Assumption is one of the South America’s most most imposing structures. Ceremonies of deep spirituality, exalting Gothic-Renaissance architecture, artwork originated from the Cuzco school of art and exceptional colonial craftsmanship will continue to be appreciated for generations to come.

Few blocks south of Cusco’s cathedral, The temple of the sun (Koricancha) encompasses many years of history from the beginning of the Incas time to end of the Spanish Colony as well as the most finest architecture during the Incas time. The finest gold of the whole empire was used along the structures inside the temple. Bus north and up Cusco city to the Sacsayhuaman complex, a fortress building known for its giant walls that pass the 9 meters of height and 350 tons, its complex took more than seven decades and needed the work of 2o thousand men approximately. Few minutes away from Sacsayhuaman, we enter Qenqo Temple a unique in its construction, having been fully sculpted out of an enormous monolith mixes together with tunnels including natural man made chambers.

Puka pukara is another center just 5 minutes by bus from Qenqo, Puca-Pucara means Red Fortress and its composed by towers, stairways, passages, terraces with overlooks to the mountains side from Cusco. After enjoyed this place we will walk for 5 minutes directly to visit Tambomachay, this place it’s a threefold carved stonework made on top of a natural spring, and, one should note, Tambomachay is typically known as the Inca’s Bath. After this awesome tour ends we will drive back to your Hotel in Cusco.

Meals included: Breakfast.
Overnight: Hotel in Cusco
See full itinerary Cusco city tour

Day 2: Sacred Valley

The journey through the Sacred Valley stretches 85 km – 56 ml east to north eastern Cusco. Beginning and ending at your hotel in Cusco. This byway rambles through small charming villages, typical local markets and ancient ruins that brings the Sacred valley to life. The wild scenic Urubamba River one of the Amazon tributaries parallels much of the route offering recreational activities such as rafting and fishing. History buffs and everyone who is interested in history will take a great pleasure at the Inca ruins of Ollantaytambo and Pisaq.

Continuing on our quest from Cusco to Machu Picchu our next stop will be the Sacred Valley. We begin the tour at your hotel when your guide and van will pick you up from at 8 am.

You will move east from Cusco down to Corao stopping along the way to visit local markets, weaving centers based on the tradition of back-strap loom weaving and small charming villages.

With the Vilcabamba mountain range looming in the northeast we will stop to enjoy the outstanding scenery of the Sacred Valley and then reach Pisaq, a complex that served as a royal states for the Inca King Pachacutec, tells said that the Inca king enjoyed coming here for the relaxation and for good reason, everywhere you look is amazing the views includes terraces, fascinating Inca buildings with fountains, lookout towers and the famous Inti-watana or Intihuatana (Quechua words for Inti that means sun and wata or Huata that means year, or watay that means “to tie” and it’s identified as the Sun’s Temple are amazing.

Once Pisaq guided tour ends we will drive back to Pisaq town to visit the local market to explore handicrafts, jewelry, local food, spices etc. you can buy Alpaca products especially the baby Alpaca. You can see locals dressed in the traditional port, the local church or just simply to relax sitting with a nice cup of coffee.

North from Pisaq we will arrive to Urubamba where we will stop to have an exquisite buffet lunch at a typical restaurant. Thirty minutes away from Urubamba, we will come to Ollantaytambo town.

The 4 groups of Ollantaytambo comprise a well preserved constructions of buildings, chambers and watch towers, the most beautiful of all is called the Bath of the Ñusta (princess), from top of this carved rock constantly flows a high stream of water into a basin built. The big mystery of how the Incas, who didn’t know the iron or have the knowledge of the wheel, carried and mined huge stones and fitted them in remarkable perfect structures to built Ollantaytambo.

Just a few hundred meters from Ollantaytambo, stop at train station. The stretch of railroad from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, showcase the beauty of the Vilcanota gorge. Massive beautiful mountains flanks the railroad, and the river winds below dropping down into wild rapids. One exceptional formation, The Veronica Snow mountain overlook, can be viewed from the railroad.Passing through small rain forest villages and bridges, we will soon reach Aguas Calientes (town below Machu Picchu) where we will book into a hotel to relax. Night free.

Meals included: Breakfast – lunch.
Overnight: Hotel in Cusco

Day 3: Machu Picchu

Our journey from Cusco to Machu Picchu provides a spectacular ending to our days together. After breakfast, we’ll be in a 25 minutes shuttle traveling along a winding road where we can see far a top of a mountain, Machu Picchu posted over the edge of the walls of the Urubamba River gorge in a spectacular and defying show of engineering design.

Beginning at Machu Picchu entrance, we hike through the whole complex in a 2 hours guided tour around of one of the most significant and most visited Pre-Columbian complex in the Americas, an important symbol of Peruvian national pride and Inca civilization.

The monument is a uniquely sited religious sanctuary, royal retreat and resting place of the Inca rulers from Cuzco, magnificently built and perfectly fitted with the surrounding with an extraordinarily fascinating landscape.

We continue our day with a shuttle back to Aguas Calientes. we then take the train back to Ollantaytambo. Following a transfer to Cusco and then to your hotel arriving between 6 and 8 pm.

Extend your vacation and choose a river rafting in the rain forest, mountain biking or any other activities around Cusco or Machu Picchu.

Meals included: Breakfast.
Overnight: Hotel in Cusco

Day 4: Lima

After a nice last breakfast, we pick you up for a last time and say farewell at the airport in Cusco.
What is included?

Overnight: 3 nights in a 3-star hotel (Cusco and Aguas Calientes).

Transfers: All transfer are included after your arrival to Cusco

Transport: We use private transport for the Sacred Valley tour, tourist train Ollantaytambo – Aguas Calientes – Ollantaytambo and tourist bus Aguas Calientes-Machu Picchu-Aguas Calientes.

Meals: All breakfast, 1 lunch at Sacred Valley tour and 1 dinner.

Machu Picchu: Entrance fees, guided tours around Machu Picchu.

Huayna Picchu: Highest peak located behind Machu Picchu. Its important to book your Cusco to Machu Picchu tour with time in advance to get permits to hike Huayna Picchu, its only allowed 400 people to hike divided in two turns at 7 am and at 10 am.

Sacred Valley tour: Entrance fees, private transport, guided tour and lunch.

Cusco city tour: Private transportation, guided tour and entrance fees.

What is not included?

Meals: Lunch the first and third day, alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages at the restaurants.

Flights
What to bring
- Travel documents (Passports, international flight tickets), credit cards, cash in USD and soles.
- Video and photo camera
- T-shirts
- Shorts
- Warm jacket during Jun and August.
- Rain jacket during December to April
- Hiking boots or sports shoes
- Hat and sun glasses.
- Sun cream.
- Small Backpack to carry your own things while visiting the ruins.
Departure dates

Our full flexible departure aloud you to pick any date at any time. Our minimum number of people per group is only 2 and our maximum 12.