Your private Guide will collect from your hotel. Drive to the archeological site of Saqsayhuaman considered one of the most important temples in the Inca times. After your visit, you continue driving to Llama and Alpaca farm Awanacancha. Along this drive, you will stop at beautiful viewpoints to see the outstanding farming communities and the Sacred Valley, a large valley surrounded by snowy peaks and mountains. In the middle of the valley flows the Vilcanota or Urubamba River was very important during the Inca period for agricultural production until today. We used irrigation systems to produce corn, potatoes, quinoa, and vegetables in this valley, which is one of the sources of the Amazon River. Eventually, you will get to Pisaq archeological site, where you will explore with your private guide. After you finish, you will come to the colonial town of Pisaq. Where you will explore the biggest local handicraft market in the area. As well their specialty in this town is making Empanadas. Type of bread. If you like, you can try it after you drive along this beautiful valley, looking at the towns located on both sides and traditional Guinea pig restaurants. If you want to see and try it, let your Guide know to stop. You will choose the list of recommended restaurants to stop for lunch. After lunch, you will visit Ollantaytambo archeological site. From here, you will continue driving to visit Chinchero Community and the archeological site. After, you will return to Cusco to your Hotel.
This tour will take a full day. From 8:00 am to 5:30 pm, easy exploring day. Lower altitude 2800mtrs above sea level.
PROFESSIONAL TOUR GUIDE
All of our guides of Private Machu Picchu hold a degree in tourism, they studied at Cusco National University. They are passionate about sharing our Peruvian History, culture, gastronomy, and others, they are fluent in English speaking and many of them speak our local language (Quechua) they will make sure your safety and lifelong memories.
HOTELS
On this tour, we will include a one-night Hotel in Aguas Calientes. We can easily add extra nights before or after the tour if needed, please let know our travel specialist. Upgrade Hotels are always possible. We can also book the tour without any Hotels if you prefer to book them on your own.
TRANSPORTATION
We provide private transportation through the sacred valley to the train station and back to your hotel. It is also included trip bus ticket from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu.
TICKETS
The entrance fees are included to visit the sacred valley tour and Machu Picchu.
TRAIN TICKETS
Train tickets are in expeditions tourist class around trip from Ollantaytambo. If you would like to upgrade to Vistadome train, the fee is $75 one way and $100 round trip from Ollantaytambo.
CLIMATE AND WEATHER
The Cusco Region mainly presents two seasons, the rainy season, from November to April, with the heaviest rainfalls usually occurring between January, February, and March, and the dry season from May to October. The dry season is colder, so temperatures can drop to below 0 degrees at night.
Along the Inca Trail, the temperature ranges from 15-20°c during the day if it’s sunny, to 10-28°c during the day if not sunny, or 05-15°c at night in the first two campsites. At Wiñay Wayna and Machu Picchu, at a lower altitude, temperatures are usually warmer, though warm clothes are still recommended at night.
There are benefits and drawbacks to visiting Cusco and Machu Picchu during each season. The dry season is usually crowded at all the sites, and especially on the Inca Trail, you need to ensure your permit at least six months in advance.
The rainy season can be a very pleasant time for you who are looking to do cultural tours or for you who will design your vacations without trekking, including visiting Cusco and Machu Picchu with fewer people.
The altitude of Cusco city: 3400 meters
The population of Cusco: 1,300,000
MACHU PICCHU TICKETS
With the new regulations of the Peruvian government, the Machu Picchu entrance tickets go on sale from 6.00 am to 3.00 pm.
WAYNA PICCHU TICKETS
With the new regulations from the Peruvian government, the Wayna Picchu tickets go on sale from 7.00 am until 10:00 to 11:000 am. The hike Will take 45 minutes up and 30 minutes down all the way. The step is not recommendable for people who have vertigo.
Note: It’s essential to book in advance to ensure your entrance tickets to the sites.
MACHU PICCHU MOUNTAIN TICKETS
The hike will take you 1.45 hrs and 1:00 hrs down. The tickets go on sale in two windows of time from 6 to 7 a.m., and the second group is from 8 to 9 a.m. Takes longer, but it’s more beautiful.
STRIKES
It is the biggest problem in South America, not just in Peru. It can affect us on our tour treks. Roads are often blocked as well as trains stop their operations. Usually, the advice is two weeks in advance to prevent do not affect too much any of this country’s problems on our tours. In the worst-case, Private Machu Picchu Will let you know to cancel the tours or treks. Your health and safety are our top priorities.
ARRIVAL AT CUSCO
Cusco has an airport, mostly for domestic flights from inside the country. Our international airport is Jorge Chavez in Lima.
LATAM Airlines is the biggest company that operates in Peru and has connections all over the world. It is the only airline that doesn’t have too many cancellations in the weather conditions here in Cusco. The time flight from Lima to Cusco is one hour. You can always connect your flights to Puno, Arequipa, Puerto Maldonado Jungle, Iquitos, or the north of Peru, in our extension tours.
There is always a bus option from Lima to Cusco. The time will take you 22 hours.
FOOD
Peruvian cuisine is recognized for its biodiversity of products and continues conquering the whole world. Peruvian food is being awarded internationally for owning the most delicious food in the world.
The Cusco Region has unique gastronomy for the use of local products like potatoes, quinoa, corn, a variety of vegetables, and its exotic fruits, plus guinea pig and alpaca meat. Your travel expert will recommend restaurants that you can visit here in Peru and Cusco.
On our treks, we provide you with delicious food. You just need to make sure to let us know your dietary restrictions before departure on our treks, as well as our chefs are well-experienced in cooking in the mountains.
WHAT WE RECOMMEND TO BRING
OPTIONAL SERVICES TO BE HIRED
An extra hotel night in Aguas Calientes can be booked for you at an additional cost depending on the Hotel you choose. Please note that the additional entrance fee cost is not included if you wish to revisit Machu Picchu the following day.
Massage sessions: us$50 per 1-hour session. Our massage therapists have the highest recognition in Cusco.
RECOMMENDED PACKING LIST FOR TREKS
Private Machu Picchu is a professional licensed local tour operator based in Cusco, Peru. We offer tours packages and extensions to Machu Picchu, Cusco and Peru.