Machu Picchu Holidays

Your Machu Picchu vacation begins with an arrival to Cusco´s airport. A Tierras Vivas Representative awaits you in front of the Cusco´s airport arrival hall holding a sheet with your name so please leave the hall. Then he/she transfers you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to give you some time to acclimatize. So you can relax, have some coca tea (a natural tea of coca leaves and the best tool against altitude sickness!) or just walk around the city´s centre and visit some Colonial churches and see many Incan walls.

The Cusco City is the oldest continuously inhabited city of this continent as well as a hub of the South American travel network. The city attracts people from all around the world, who arrive not only to visit a unique destination, but also to experience an antique culture that differs a lot from the occidental 21st century´s way of life. One could easily spend a week just in and around this site. Inca-built stone walls line most of the central streets and it is not necessary to go far to see other major Inca ruins! This is a city steeped in history, traditions and legends!

Every year, Cusco is visited by thousands of travelers, who come to delve into its noble, but tragic past. It is a perfect base for optional explorations around the city´s surroundings as well as for a range of outdoor activities.

In the morning, your Tour Guide picks you up from your hotel and takes you onto the tour of Cusco City starting with a visit of the Cathedral located on the main square (Plaza de Armas). Its construction started in 1559 and it took 100 years to finish!! The Cathedral can pride on the biggest depository of Colonial art of the city.  A vault containing remains of the famous Incan historian - Garcilaso de la Vega is just past the entrance. 

Then, you visit Qoricancha - the golden temple of the Incas that was once the most significant temple of the Incan Empire! The temple was dedicated to the god of the Sun.

After that, we continue by our bus outside of the city visiting the huge Incan fortress of Sacsayhuaman. There are some magnificent Inca´s walls made up of huge and impressive stones weighing up to 130 tons. The stones fit together with an absolute peferction! Three of these walls run parallel to over 360 m. There are 21 bastions in the fortress. 

 
Later on, you continue to a nearby Incan labyrinth and a ceremonial site - Qenqo. After our Tour Guide has explained us about this enigmatic site, we board our bus to continue to the red fortress of Puca Pucara. Our last stop is in Tambomachay - a water temple of the Incas. 
  
Finally, you are taken back to our hotel in Cusco to relax. 

Today, we cover the distance of Cusco to Machu Picchu, but before we do so, our Tour Guide takes us into the Sacred Valley of the Incas that was once an important source of food for the Incas. The Sacred Valley is a lush agricultural region that keeps supplying the Cusco City with lots of its production. We visit the majestic ruins of Pisaq as well as its current famous handicraft market. Then, we stop in Urubamba, considered to be the capital of the valley, to have a buffet lunch offering Andean cuisine. Afterwards, we continue to the picturesque town of Ollantaytambo where we enjoy a guided tour of its Incan fortress.  The town and fortress of Ollantaytambo are strategically situated overlooking the beautiful Urubamba River Valley. Then, we board a train taking us to the town of Aguas Calientes (just below Machu Picchu), a perfect alternative on how to reach Machu Picchu when the Inca Trail hike is fully booked. There, we overnight in a comfortable hotel.

Today we will visit the highlight of the Machu Picchu trip. So we get up early and take the bus to the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu. Once you arrive, you will start the guided tour, our guide will then take you through Inca City and explain the history and purpose of each place during a 2-hour 30 min. After, you will have the opportunity to climb Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu mountain (If you added it to your Machu Picchu holidays tour). Climb up and down in 2 hrs to the peak of the mountain and take some panoramic photos of this city up close. On the other side, there is the Temple of the Moon which can also be visited.

Once you finish visiting the mountain, you will walk to Machu Picchu gate, you can't explore Inca city, there are new Machu Picchu rules, then you can take a bus back to Aguas Calientes.

The Aguas Calientes town offers varied restaurants and a handicraft market. You can visit one of the many very good restaurants offering both traditional Andean and international cuisine. At the end of our trip to Machu Picchu, we will return the train to Ollantaytambo. From there we will drive back to your hotel in Cusco by private vehicle.

Early, at agreed time (04:30 am approx.) You will be picked up from your hotel in Cusco, to make our beautiful trip to the South Valley of Cusco, located in the southern part of the ancient capital of the Incas (Cusco Peru), the trip will take a duration of 3 hours approximately.

Our first stop will be in the beautiful village of Cusipata where we will have a short break to enjoy our breakfast and after a brief explanation, we will start our trek towards the mountain Vinicunca or mountain of seven colors. We will start with our walk at the foot of the Ausangate, an approximately 2 hour climb, during this trip we will have the opportunity to see the different varieties of South American camelids and the beautiful reflection of the landscape is impressive. When we get to the mountain of colors we will have enough time to take pictures of this enigmatic and amazing place, later we will return walking until arriving to Pampachiri, where we will take our transport to go to Cusipata and enjoy the delicious lunch. Upon return we will make a stop to visit the beautiful colonial bridge of Checacupe. Finally, between 17:00 hours we will be in the imperial city.

Transfer to the Cusco´s airport. End of the tour, or alternatively, a good time to extend your trip!

Please note: a return flight to Lima can be arranged upon request. 

• Welcome by our Representative at arrival;
• Transfer from/to the Cusco´s airport at arrival and departure;
• Accommodation: 3* hotel (5 nights);
• Entrance fee to the Machu Picchu;
• Tourist ticket to the Sacred Valley
• Tourist ticket to the Rainbow Mountain;
• All entrance fees according to the itinerary;
• Professional bilingual Tour Guides as per the itinerary;
• Meals: 5x breakfast, 1x buffet lunch (during the Sacred Valley Tour);
• Transport by a private van during the tours and local transfers;
• A tourist train round trip to Machu Picchu;
• A shuttle bus Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu - a round trip.

• A private, comfortable and spacious minivan will take you from your hotel to the Ollantaytambo station in the Sacred Valley of the Incas to begin teh Machu Picchu tour. In the return, the transport will return from Ollantaytambo to your hotel.

• Pre & post tour accommodation,
• International nor domestic flights,
• Airport departure taxes,
• Entrance fee to Huayna Picchu mountain or Machu Picchu mountain (U$80)
• Meals not mentioned,
• Travel insurance,
• Tips and baggage portage (please note: it is a custom to give tips in Peru, however, it is not obligatory),
• Other extras not mentioned.

Single room: Please note that if you have booked the "Single Room" option for this tour, you receive your own single room for all overnights.
Local flights: There is no local flight included in the cost of the tour.

All Tierras Vivas adventurous group tours are accompanied by a Tierras Vivas Tour Guide, a Representative or an expedition team. The aim of our Tour Guides is to take a hassle out of our customers’ trips and to help them to have the best trip possible. The Tour Guides provide information on places visited, offer suggestions of what to see and to do, recommend a good place to eat and introduce to his/her colleagues. The Guides have a broad general knowledge of each country visited during a tour, including historical, cultural, religious and social aspects. We also use local Tour Guides where we think that more specific knowledge could add more enjoyment to visited places.

Accommodation during the tour to Machu Picchu Peru

These following hotels are used to accommodate you during your tour:

 Accommodation in Cusco:

Hotel Prisma

Address: Calle Matara N 394, Cusco

Tel: (+51)  84 224466

During the tour, we request our hotels to get ready your rooms for time of your arrival, especially, if you arrive prior to standard check-in time. Nevertheless, this is not always possible. In this case, you just store your luggage in that hotel storage room and you can explore around your new destination in between.

Please note! If you have purchased pre or post trip accommodation, you might be asked to change your room during your trip.

A kind of luggage you need to take with depends on a kind of tour you plan to undertake, a part of the country you like to visit, a year season and a length of your trip. In general, you should pack as lightly as possible because you carry your own luggage during most of our tours (however, there are not long walking distances – up to 30 minutes). We recommend you to keep weight of your luggage under 10 kg (22 lb.).

Most of travelers use a suitcase. However, a big backpack would be more suitable. In any case, please do not forget a small rucksack that you will need for daily travels (to carry your bottled water, camera, snacks, etc.). It is better to avoid a wheeled luggage and use luggage with shoulder straps.

What to Bring on the Machu Picchu Tour

• Passport Original and copies
• Travel insurance(+ copies for a case of lost),
• Flight tickets,
• Cash in USD or credit cards,
• Our service voucher (sent by us to you),
• Entry visa and a proof of vaccination (if applicable),
• Day pack (to carry your personal items during daily travels),
• Rain gear (a rain-jacket and a waterproof trousers or a rain poncho - this can be purchased in Cusco),
• Resistible footwear, waterproof trekking shoes are recommended,
• Sandals (for a higher comfort while at a campsite),
• Warm clothes such as a jacket, a fleece (thermal clothing is also recommended for cold nights during camping),
• Hat or a cap (to protect you against the Sun, rain as well as cold),
• Sun cream or sun block,
• After-sun cream or hydrating cream for face and body,
• Insect repellent– recommended minimum is 20% DEET (please note that no malaria has been reported during this trip!),
• Camera and its charger/batteries (please note that batteries are consumed quickly under cold conditions),
• Flashlight/headlamp + batteries,
• Handkerchiefs and toilet paper,
• Small towel and toiletries,
• Sufficient reserve of underwear,
• Swimsuit (to visit the thermal baths of Aguas Calientes),
• Snacks (biscuits, energy bars, chocolate, raw fruits, muesli, etc.)
  Please note: we do provide a daily morning snack and our meal service is very complete and well supplied. The recommendation of taken own snack applies only for customers who like a specific snack that might not be in our menu.
• Bottled water for the first morning and a water bottle.
  Important: plastic bottles are not allowed on the Classic Inca Trail! Please bring a metallic (alternatively Nalgene) bottles!
• Optional: walking sticks (please note: rubber covers are required for the Inca Trail!!); you can also rent it from us,
• Please note: we provide with filtered boiled water during entire Inca Trail, but if you like to use water from streams along the trail, you need to take some water-purifying tablets with you.

Cusco is the former capital of Tahuaninsuyo, the center of the empire of the four regions and the "navel of the world". From this city unfolded one of the most remarkable empires in the history of mankind. The Incas expanded their northern borders from Quito in Ecuador to the far south of Chili in less than a hundred years. In the eastern direction they reached Argentina. Although the Incas are not well known in the western world, they were one of the greatest known ancient cultures.

Machu Picchu is the most important place that the Spanish never discovered. American professor Hiram Bingham officially found this magical place in 1911. The sacred city and the Incas became very famous ever since, the Taj Majal of Latin America and probably one of the most beautiful places in the world. Archaeologists found out that the city was a religious place of pilgrimage, built in the fifteenth and first half of the 16th century and probably never finished. It could be that his work was interrupted by the Spanish invasion or civil war just before the conquest between Atahualpa and Huascar. Magic of Cusco

Cusco Sacred Valley Machu Picchu Holidays