This tour includes the Sacred Valley tour with an extension to Machu Picchu and back to Cusco.
Tour Location: Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Peru.
Type Tour: Package.
Tour Duration: 2D / 1N.
Start/End Tour: We will pick you up at your hotel in Cusco and bring you back after the whole tour.
Advice: Comfortable shoes, hat, sunscreen, repellent, warm cloth, raincoat (for rainy season).
Highlights: Cathedral, Temple of the Sun, Sacsayhuaman, Qenco, Puka Pukara, Tambomachay.
Overview
Day 1
First of all, we will pick you up at your hotel in Cusco. Then, with your guide and private transport, you will start a trip to the Sacred Valley. We offer the best places to visit in the Valley of the Incas such as the Chinchero textile center, The terraces of Moray, the Salt Mines of Maras, and the archeological complex of Ollantaytambo. After that, you will take a train to Aguas Calientes.
- Chinchero Textile Center
The first stop will be at the Chinchero viewpoint. Here you could enjoy the magnificent view of the Chinchero Temple, nearby terraces, that were used for agriculture, and as well, part of the Qapaqnan (Net of the roads of the Incas).
You will have a chance to feed alpacas, that are close to the Textile Center. The women will present you with a small show of the process of production and coloring of natural wool. They will offer you a grand variety of textiles of good quality.
- Terraces of Moray and Maras Salt Mines
According to scientists, these terraces were used as an agriculture laboratory. The difference between the top and bottom is 15 °C approx, which permitted the Incas to accommodate different plants to the different climate conditions. This complex is a great engineering construction, due to its complexity and depth. The whole complex consists of three amphitheater-like terraces, carved deep inside the earth. Here our guide will explain how it was built and what structure it has.
Close to, in 20 minutes drive, there is a small Andean village Maras. The local people are living by extracting salt from the artificial pools. There are more than 3000 of them, which are distributed between all families of the village to work. These pools are filled from the source, coming from the mountain. According to some statements, this water is the rest of the ancient ocean, which belongs millions of years ago. The origin of the place lies down many centuries before the Incas civilization.
- Archeological complex of Ollantaytambo
After exploring the Maras and Moray you will take a 1-hour drive to Ollantaytambo city. Arriving, you can get lunch in one of the local restaurants. The Peruvian food here is mixed up with the American and European cuisine, so you will be surprised to get that variety of options. Looking for a restaurant, you can enjoy the city, its streets, and the canals of water made by the Incas.
When you are done with your lunch, our guide will get to the entrance to the archeological complex of the city, one of the most famous places in the Sacred Valley. Here you can observe the “the lazy stones”, which are lying everywhere, the Temple of the Sun, which was one of the principal religious places, and the number of deposits for food, which surprised the Spanish when they arrived. As well you can find here the place of Nusta(the Incas Princess), where she was taking a shower.
- Train to Aguas Calientes and overnight
After that, you will proceed to the train station, where you will get the train to the village Aguas Calientes, which lies down from the citadel Machu Picchu. Here you will accommodate in the offered hotel or you could organize your hotel by yourself. You will have a chance to visit the local market, which is close to the train station, and find a lot of souvenirs to buy.
At the end of the day, you can relax and get ready for the next day.
Day 2
- The citadel of Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is one of the New Wonders of the World. It was discovered in 1911 by Hiram Bingham. He came back in 1912 under the sponsorship of National Geographic to start the excavation. The whole city was covered with vegetation. Even until now, not all the territory is cleaned and closed for the visitants. As well, there is some evidence that it was visited many years earlier, in 1867 by a German businessman.
To start your day, here, close to the New Wonder of the World, in the city Aguas CalientesAfter breakfast at your hotel, you will proceed to the bus station, close to the main square. The way to the citadel will take 30 minutes by the road named by its explorer Hiram Bingham.
- Coming back to Cusco
After the tour, you will go down back to Aguas Calientes. Here you can have lunch in one of the local restaurants. Then, you can spend some time in the local market, waiting for your train back to Cusco.
The train will take a 4-hour way, where at the station our transport will wait for you to bring you to your hotel in Cusco.