Machu Picchu Honeymoon Package | 6 Days in Cusco & Peru

The first thing you notice leaving Cusco is that the air gets easier. The Sacred Valley of the Incas sits roughly 300 metres lower than the city — enough of a difference to feel, especially on the second morning of acclimatization. Your private car and driver picks you up at the hotel and heads northeast along the valley, where the Urubamba River runs between terraced hillsides and snow-capped ridges.

Pisac

The first stop is Pisac, which divides neatly into two parts. Above the town, the archaeological site climbs the hillside in a series of Inca agricultural terraces — some of the most extensive in the region — with a ceremonial sector and panoramic views over the valley floor that make the uphill walk worthwhile. Below, the town market spreads through the main plaza and surrounding streets: handwoven textiles, alpaca knitwear, carved stone, ceramic work, and silver jewellery made by local artisans. Worth spending time in both halves without rushing either.

Lunch in Urubamba

Midday stop in Urubamba — the valley's main town — for lunch at one of the local restaurants along the river. Time to sit, eat, and let the morning settle before the afternoon.

Ollantaytambo

The afternoon belongs to Ollantaytambo — the most complete surviving example of Inca urban planning, where the original 15th-century street grid, stone water channels, and residential blocks are still in daily use by the families who live there. Above the town, the fortress rises in near-vertical defensive terraces topped by the unfinished Temple of the Sun.

You overnight in Urubamba, in the valley. Tomorrow, Maras, Moray and Chinchero — and in the evening, the train to Machu Picchu. 

Private car from your hotel in Urubamba to Ollantaytambo station — about 20 minutes along the valley road. From there, the Vistadome panoramic train follows the Urubamba River downstream for 90 minutes through the cloud forest canyon: the walls of rock close in, the vegetation thickens, and by the time the train pulls into Aguas Calientes station, you are at 2,040 metres — nearly 1,400 metres lower than Cusco, and in a different ecological world.

A Tierras Vivas representative meets you at the station. The rest of the day is yours. Aguas Calientes is a small river town built for exactly this kind of afternoon: restaurants lining the water, the thermal baths a short walk from the centre, a waterfall trail that takes about 45 minutes return. Eat well tonight. Tomorrow begins early.

Early breakfast, then the bus from Aguas Calientes up to the citadel entrance. The road switchbacks through cloud forest, and the gates open at dawn — which is when you want to arrive. At that hour, the mist sits in the valley below the ruins, the light comes in at a low angle across the stonework, and the site is as quiet as it ever gets.

Machu Picchu sits at 2,430 metres above sea level, 122 km from Cusco, in the middle of a subtropical cloud forest that the surrounding mountains keep hidden from the lowlands below. UNESCO designated it a World Heritage Site in 1983 — both for its natural setting and for its archaeological significance — and it remains one of the finest surviving examples of Inca architecture and urban planning anywhere in the Americas.

Your private guide leads a two-and-a-half-hour tour through the citadel: the Intihuatana stone, the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the Three Windows, the Royal Tomb, the Condor Temple, the agricultural terraces cascading down toward the valley. The Inca built Machu Picchu to work with its mountain — the drainage, the orientation, the stonework fitted without mortar — in a way that has kept the structure intact through five centuries of Andean weather. That precision is visible in every wall you walk past.

After the guided tour, the citadel is yours to explore. The residential sector, the quarry, the lesser-visited eastern terraces — there is more here than two hours covers. When you are ready, the shuttle takes you back down to Aguas Calientes for lunch by the river before the return train to Ollantaytambo and the transfer back to Cusco.

Tomorrow: Cusco city — the last full day. 

After Machu Picchu, Cusco rewards a slower pace. Today belongs entirely to you — no transfers, no schedule, no guide required. The city is compact enough to walk, layered enough to spend a full day in, and different enough from what you have already seen to earn its own chapter in the trip.

Cusco was the administrative, religious, and military capital of the Tawantinsuyu — the Inca Empire at its peak — and the Spanish built their colonial city directly on top of it rather than clearing it. The result is a place where 15th-century Inca stonework supports 17th-century baroque churches, and where the cobblestone streets of the historic centre follow the same grid the Inca engineers laid out five centuries ago.

Archaeological sites near Cusco

All four sites are within 15 minutes of the city centre by vehicle and are covered by the Boleto Turístico del Cusco included in your package:

• Sacsayhuamán — A military and ceremonial complex built with limestone blocks weighing up to 130 tonnes, fitted without mortar with a precision that still puzzles engineers. Three parallel zigzagging walls run over 360 metres and have survived every earthquake since the 15th century.
• Q'enqo — A sacred site carved into a single massive limestone outcrop, with underground chambers, carved altars, and channels believed to have been used for ritual and astronomical ceremony.
• Tambomachay — The Temple of Water: a hydraulic complex of stone aqueducts and channels that still carry clean water after more than 500 years of continuous use.
• Puca Pucara — A red granite watchtower on the royal road to the Sacred Valley. Smaller than the others, but worth the stop for the views over the surrounding hillsides at altitude.

Qorikancha — the temple the Spanish built over

Back in the city, the Qorikancha is the sharpest lesson Cusco gives you about what conquest actually looked like. This was the wealthiest temple in the Inca Empire — the Temple of the Sun, its interior walls lined entirely in gold sheeting, housing a golden sun disc and sacred offerings to Inti. When the Spanish arrived, they stripped every gram and sent it to the Crown as tribute. Then, rather than clearing the site, they built the Santo Domingo Church directly on top of the original Inca foundations.

Those foundations are still there. You can see exactly where the Inca stonework ends and the Spanish construction begins — two completely different ideas of permanence, sharing the same ground. The Inca walls, built to flex during earthquakes, have needed no repair. The Spanish additions have required repeated restoration.

Use the rest of the day however it suits you — the Barrio de San Blas, the Mercado San Pedro, a long lunch somewhere with a pisco sour. Tomorrow is your last morning in Peru. 

Private transfer to Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport for your flight to Lima and onward international connection.

Six days. Cusco, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu. A beginning worth remembering.

If you would like to extend your stay in Peru — Lima, Lake Titicaca, Arequipa, the Colca Canyon — your Tierras Vivas travel designer can add it to your itinerary. Contact us at info@tierrasvivas.com. 

Your 6-day Machu Picchu honeymoon at a glance

• 6 days / 5 nights
• 3 destinations
• 100% private tours & transfers
• 1 UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Boleto Turístico Cusco included
• From USD 1,300 per couple

• Private airport meet & greet
  A Tierras Vivas representative meets you personally at Alejandro Velasco Astete Airport in Cusco — sign with your names, direct transfer to your hotel.
• All airport & inter-city transfers
  Private vehicle throughout — no shared shuttles, no waiting for other passengers.
• 5 nights in luxury hotels
  Costa del Sol Cusco (Cusco, historic centre) · Tierra Viva Machu Picchu (Aguas Calientes, beside the citadel access)
• All entrance fees
  Machu Picchu entry ticket · Boleto Turístico del Cusco — covers Sacsayhuamán, Q'enqo, Tambomachay, Puca Pucara, Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Moray and more.
• Private bilingual guides
  Licensed, MINCETUR-certified guides exclusively assigned to you — Sacred Valley, Cusco and Machu Picchu. No shared groups.
• Meals as per itinerary
  5 breakfasts · 1 buffet lunch in the Sacred Valley · 1 lunch in Aguas Calientes
• Round-trip Vistadome train
  Vistadome panoramic train tickets — Ollantaytambo ↔ Aguas Calientes, with panoramic roof windows through the cloud forest canyon.
• Round-trip shuttle bus
  Return bus from Aguas Calientes to the Machu Picchu citadel entrance — included both ways.

• International flights
  Flights to and from Lima are not included. Your Tierras Vivas travel designer can recommend routing options on request.
• Domestic flights
  Lima–Cusco and Cusco–Lima flights are not included in the base package. Ask your travel designer about adding them.
• Optional mountain tickets at Machu Picchu
  Huayna Picchu (Circuit 3A) and Machu Picchu Mountain (Circuit 1A) require a separate ticket — not included in the base price.Approximate cost: USD 80 per person. Slots sell out weeks in advance — book at the same time as your main Machu Picchu entry.
• Meals not listed in the itinerary
  All included meals are detailed above. Any additional meals, drinks, or dining outside the itinerary are at your own expense.
• Travel insurance
  Not included but strongly recommended — particularly a policy covering medical evacuation at high altitude.
• Gratuities
  Tips for guides and drivers are not included. Tipping is common practice in Peru and appreciated — the amount is entirely at your discretion.
• Personal expenses
  Souvenirs, optional activities, laundry, minibar charges, and any services not explicitly listed in the itinerary.

This itinerary moves between three distinct environments — the high Andes of Cusco at 3,399 metres, the Sacred Valley floor at around 2,800 metres, and the subtropical cloud forest of Aguas Calientes at 2,040 metres. Each has different temperatures and conditions. Packing for all three is easier than it sounds, and none of it requires specialist equipment — this is a hotel-based trip, not a trekking expedition.

A medium suitcase or a structured carry-on works well for the city stages. For the day visits to Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley, bring a small daypack — you will leave your main luggage at the hotel. 

Documents & essentials

• Passport — original plus a digital and physical copy
• Travel insurance documents: A policy covering medical evacuation at high altitude is strongly recommended
• Flight tickets — printed or digital
• Tierras Vivas service voucher: Sent to you by email before departure
• Cash in USD or Peruvian soles, plus a credit card: ATMs available in Cusco and Aguas Calientes; cards widely accepted in hotels and restaurants
• Entry visa and vaccination certificate if applicable

Clothing — layers are the key

• Comfortable trousers and shorts for daytime walks
• Warm mid-layer: fleece or wool sweater. Cusco evenings drop below 10°C even in summer
• Light waterproof jacket or poncho:Weather changes quickly at altitude — rain can arrive without warning, especially in the Sacred Valley and at Machu Picchu
• Comfortable walking shoes or light trekking shoes: Machu Picchu has uneven stone paths — trainers work but a sole with grip is better
• Swimsuit: For the thermal baths in Aguas Calientes — one of the best ways to spend the afternoon before Machu Picchu
• Hat or cap — for sun at altitude and cold at night

Health & sun protection

• High-SPF sunscreen: UV radiation is significantly stronger at altitude — SPF 50 recommended
• Sunglasses — polarised preferred
• Insect repellent with minimum 20% DEET: Relevant for the Aguas Calientes stage; not required in Cusco or the Sacred Valley
• Altitude sickness medication if prescribed: Consult your doctor before travel; coca tea and rest help significantly on arrival in Cusco
• Lip balm and moisturising cream: High-altitude air is very dry

Daypack essentials

• Reusable water bottle: Plastic single-use bottles are not permitted inside Machu Picchu — bring a refillable one
  Camera and charger: Battery drain accelerates in cold conditions — carry a spare or a power bank
  Small snacks for the citadel visit: No food is permitted inside Machu Picchu itself — eat before entering and after returning to Aguas Calientes
  Small towel and toiletries for the thermal baths
  Plastic bottles at Machu Picchu: single-use plastic bottles are prohibited inside the citadel. Bring a reusable bottle — water refill points are available at the entrance.