Trips to Machu Picchu
About this trip
This 2-day itinerary is designed to maximize your time by combining the "Super Sacred Valley" (which includes the traditional sites plus the Moray and Maras salt mines) with an early morning visit to Machu Picchu.
Tour Overview
Duration: 2 Days / 1 Night
Start/End Point: Cusco
Difficulty: Easy/Moderate (lots of walking at ruins)
Main Highlights: Chinchero, Moray Terraces, Maras Salt Mines, Ollantaytambo, and Machu Picchu.
What’s included
Briefing
Pre-departure briefing
Hotel Pick up
Collection from your hotel in the morning.
Entrance Ticket
Machu Picchu
Tour guide
English speaking professional guide (2 guides for groups of over 10 people)
Sacred Valley Tour
Suoer Sacred Valley Tour ending in Ollantaytambo
Bus Ticket
Round way Bus tickets from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes
Train Ticket
Round way Train ticket from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes (Expedition, Vistadome, upon request +US$160)
Bus Transfer
Transfer train station to Cusco
Lunch
Lunch at the Sacred Valley
Hotel
Hotel in Aguas Calientes
Breakfast
Breakfast in Aguas Calientes
What’s not included
Meals
1st day: Lunch and Dinner, 2nd Day: lunch.
Sacred Valley Entrance Ticket
You can purchase it at the first site of your tour.
Hot Springs
Visit to the hot springs in Aguas Calientes: a relaxing way to end-up the trek while you’re awaiting the return train to Cusco, only 10 minutes from the village center, entrance fee is s/15.00 (Peruvian Soles). Towels can be hired in Aguas Calientes
Huaynapicchu entrance fee
if you would like to climb this mountain a new entrance fee applies (US$ 80)
$480
Itinerary
2-Day Sacred Valley & Machu Picchu Adventure
Day 1: Super Sacred Valley Tour - Aguas Calientes:
This Tour begins at 7:00 a.m. when your guide will pick you up from your hotel lobby. We will start visiting the picturesque town of Chinchero, known as the city of the rainbow, to know the Church of Our Lady of Monserrat built in 1607 On the palace of Tupac Yupanqui, we will also see inka terraces and its artisan market. We will continue our tour visiting the town of Maras and the agricultural experimentation platforms of Moray. It is believed that in this fascinating area, the Incas created their own micro-climate to adapt plants, flowers, and many other products from different parts of the Inca empire. After this we will make a visit to the salt mines “salineras” located just below Maras. These mines continue to work and the peasants work in them during the day, Upon completion and back to our private transport, Then go to the town of Urubamba where we will enjoy the buffet lunch that will allow you to enjoy the delicious Peruvian cuisine, In the afternoon we will visit the Ollantaytambo Fortress that constituted a strategic military, agricultural and religious center to administer and control the Sacred Valley of the Incas; This is deduced by the constructions that are presumed to be for agricultural deposits and for military use such as walls and watchtowers (probably to protect themselves from jungle ethnicities). This archaeological site comprises a series of superimposed terraces, showing the impressive and large blocks of stone finely carved and located on the upper terrace and as a last point we will visit the city of Pisac, This impressive place will give you an idea of the advanced knowledge they achieved the Incas in architecture. As in other Inca constructions, some studies reveal that it was not a fortress, but a kind of “royal hacienda”, property of the Inca Pachacutec, composed of platforms, domestic structures, ceremonial and aqueducts that provided water for the agrobusiness operation. Another good reason to visit Pisac is its artisan market, where you can find some unique and authentic souvenirs.
NOTE: Clients visiting Machu Picchu Must end their tour after Visit the archaeological site of Ollantaytambo so they can take their train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu).
Brief description of all the places visited in this tour
CHINCHERO: This town is located 28 km from Cusco on the paved road to Urubamba. Where the remains of what used to be the royal hacienda of Túpac Inca Yupanqui are located”, it is like a beautiful colonial temple built on Inca foundations, its greatest attraction. However, it is its artisan market, originally dedicated to the exchange of agricultural products between the villagers of the valley and those of the upper parts. Currently, the market is a true spectacle of color and movement that causes the tourist’s fascination with its offer of handicrafts and textile garments made in the purest pre-Columbian style.
MORAY: It is located 7 km. from Maras, at 1 hour from the city of Cusco on the Chinchero route, it is one of the most spectacular visits where there are circular platforms of different sizes. They are terraces of agricultural experimentation and places of concentration of feminine energy, for which it is considered as a magnetic center of the Pachamama.
MARAS – SALT MINES: Located northwest of the town of Maras Known by some as “salt mines” are constituted by about 3000 small wells. Salt is obtained from pre-Hispanic times by means of a sun drying system of salt water that comes from an underground stream. Once the water has evaporated, the salt is ready for sale.
A great place with Inca productions, most importantly corn, and today a beautiful countryside, with great fruit production. An excellent place to enjoy our typical buffet lunch in the area.
OLLANTAYTAMBO: Typical Inca village located 21 km from Urubamba (2800 masl). it was named in honor of Chief Ollantay, famous for his romance with an Inca princess, daughter of Pachacutec, important area of Incan construction, built during the Inca’s heydays, Ollantaytambo Fortress that constituted a strategic military, agricultural and religious center to administer and control the Sacred Valley of the Incas; this is deduced by the constructions that presumably were for agricultural deposits and for military use like walls and watchtowers (probably to protect themselves from the jungle ethnic groups). This archaeological site comprises a series of overlapping terraces, showing the impressive and large stone blocks finely carved and located on the upper terrace, where descendants of the Incas are still living in the Incas house.
In the afternoon we will head towards Aguas Calientes town where we will spend our first night.
Day 2: Aguas Calientes-Machu Picchu.
We wake up early in the morning to walk all the way up to Machu Picchu for one hour a half. There in Machu Picchu you will meet your tour guide who will show you Machu Picchu two hours in a half, in the afternoon you will have a free time to walk by your selves and take some photos. At night you will take the train back from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo and from there we will take by bus to Cusco.
Location
Your Organizer
Trips to Machu Picchu
Trips to Machu Picchu by Manu Explorers Peru specializes in authentic tours to one of the world’s wonders. Our offerings include the Classic Inca Trail, Salkantay, Lares, and Choquequirao treks, alongside the high-adventure Inca Jungle Trek and scenic train tours to Machu Picchu. Looking for more adventure? We also provide expert-guided jungle expeditions to the Manu National Park Reserved Zone.
