Cusco, Sacred Valley & Short Inca Trail – Private Tour Package (4 Days / 5 Days)

The tour begins upon your arrival in Cusco. Our team from Guiding Cusco Expeditions will be waiting for you at the airport to pick you up and transfer you in the company’s private vehicle to your hotel (a 3-star hotel). We’ll take a short break to drop off our belongings, and then we’ll set out on a tour of the city of Cusco.

Qoricancha, Sacsayhuaman, Quenqo, Puca-Pucara y Tambomachay:

All of these destinations boast incredible history and majestic structures—archaeological sites rich in information. Located northeast of Cusco, after this wonderful tour, we’ll head back to the hotel for a well-deserved rest and to prepare for the next day.

On this wonderful day, we’ll enjoy an incredible tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. We’ll continue with more stories and great adventures. In the morning, our guide and driver from Guiding Cusco Expeditions will pick you up at your hotel to begin the tour of the Sacred Valley. Our first stop will be the beautiful archaeological site of Chincheros—a destination rich in history—and we’ll also visit one of the largest textile centers in Cusco. We’ll finish the tour in Cusco and head to Moray: an archaeological site featuring circular structures. Historically, it’s said that this site was used to determine which crops to grow in different seasons and on each terrace, as well as to maintain soil moisture during cultivation.

Next, we’ll head to the Maras Salt Pools—one of the largest salt production centers in Cusco. This organic salt is very rich in minerals due to its traditional and organic production methods. At this destination, we’ll sample some of the products prepared using the exquisite Maras salt.

We’ll head to Urubamba, where we’ll have lunch at a very good and, above all, exquisite restaurant. After lunch, we’ll continue our journey to Ollantaytambo, the magical city of Cusco, with a rich history and, above all, incredible archaeological sites. Finally, we’ll check into a hotel in Ollantaytambo to rest and prepare for the next adventure awaiting us on the Inca Trail and at Machu Picchu.

We’ll pick you up at your hotel in Ollantaytambo or another location around 5:30 AM and head to the Ollantaytambo train station. If your hotel is in the Sacred Valley or in Ollantaytambo, pickup may be around 5:30 in the morning.

From the pickup point to the Ollantaytambo train station, we’ll catch the 7:30 AM train, traveling along the Urubamba River until we reach km 104—Chachabamba (located in the cloud forest). We’ll head directly to the Chachabamba checkpoint to begin your short hike along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Please note that you’ll need your original passport to pass through security, and you’ll have time to prepare for the hike, use the restroom, and warm up.

Our first stop is the beautiful Inca ruins of Chachabamba, where your tour guide will tell you about the history of the Incas and Machu Picchu. After exploring the ruins, we’ll hike along an ancient section of the Short Inca Trail toward Machu Picchu.

The first section of the Short Inca Trail is a 4-hour hike with a gradual incline leading to Wiñaywayna (the place that never ages); this is one of the most beautiful Inca sites on the Classic Inca Trail. We’ll take some time to explore this impressive archaeological site while enjoying spectacular views of the Andes. A packed lunch and drinks will be provided; once we’ve eaten and recharged our energy, we’ll continue our hike to the Sun Gate (Intipunku) to catch our first glimpse of the citadel of Machu Picchu—a truly unforgettable sight.