Must See Machu Picchu Tours 5D

Transport

• Collection from your hotel on the morning of your Machu Picchu tours departure
• Private transport to/from Cusco as described in the itinerary

Accommodation

• All nights hotel are included in the price (2 nights in Cusco, 1 night in Sacred Valley and 1 night in Aguas Calientes)

Meals

• Meals as listed

Additional inclusions

• Activities as described
• Boleto Turistico
• Entry fees as required

Trekking Team

• English/Quechua/Spanish speaking professional guide

Meals

• Meals on the first day.
• Snacks and water

Other

• Tips for the guide and driver
• Flights Lima-Cusco. We can arrange these for you on request. Please Contact Us for more info!
• Entrance to the Aguas Calientes hot springs
• Entrance to Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain. Note that these require separate permits which must be reserved at the time of booking.

We offer you the opportunity to personalize your Machu Picchu tours trip and make your experience more comfortable through our Optional Extras and Upgrades. All options are available during the reservation process; please ask your sales consultant for more information.

• • Light-weight aluminium walking stick. Two sticks are recommended for tough hikes.
  • If you’d like to hike Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain, let us know at the time of booking as it requires a separate permit.
  • If you’d like more flexibility in your return travel to Cusco, consider upgrading to the Vistadome train (Executive Class). This upgrade must be requested at time of booking.

Important!

• • When calculating the cost of renting equipment, calculate using the length of the entire trip, not just the number of trekking days.
  • Please be careful with rented equipment! You are responsible for the cost of replacement if something is damaged or broken.
  • Any upgrades or trip extensions must be requested at time of booking.

Cusco can experience every season in a single day, so you should be prepared for sun and rain, cold and hot weather on your Machu Picchu tours! We recommend a hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, sweater, rain gear or plastic poncho, winter hat or toque and gloves. In addition, you should bring:

• • • A light day pack to carry your things
    • Water bottle and snacks
    • Money for snacks, souvenirs and tips

You can also see What To Bring for our comprehensive recommendations on what to pack for a trek in the Andes. For more great suggestions, check out our blog about How to Prepare for a Trek in Peru.

• • 5% off a day tour listed price when you also book a 3-day or longer trek operated by Apus Peru
  • Students: USD $30 off, in certain circumstances. Please enquire for details about eligibility.
  • Youth 12-17: 5% off. A valid passport must be presented upon booking.
  • Children 5-11 years: 15% off. A valid passport must be presented upon booking.
  • Children 0-4 years: 75% off. A valid passport must be presented upon booking. Children under 4 will not count towards the total number of guests in a group, but will be charged 25% of the per person price based on final group size. For example, a group of 4 adults and one child under 4: adults will be charged the full price per person based on a group size of 4 and the child will be charged 25% of the per person price for a group of 4. Children under 3 will not be considered to occupy a seat on any train or bus, and instead must ride on a parent’s lap. Car seats, cribs and other baby needs may not be included and must be discussed in advance. For more information about travelling with infants and toddlers, please see this blog as well as the Age Requirements section of our Booking Conditions.

Remember that scans of the student card (for students) or passports (for children) need to accompany the booking in order to be eligible for the discount.

Want to join a trek? Ready to confirm a departure date of your own, but interested in having others join you? Then Trekkers Wanted is for you! Our innovative Trekkers Wanted system matches people up who are interested in hiking the same trek, bringing costs down and multiplying the fun for everyone! Read More about Trekkers Wanted, post your trek or search for confirmed departures!

General Information about our Machu Picchu tours

• • Each guide has their own preferred route and so the route you take on your Machu Picchu tours might not correspond exactly to the route described here.
  • The times cited in this Machu Picchu tours itinerary are approximate. Walking times depend on the group, and the guide may make changes depending on the progress of the group.
  • The Machu Picchu tours program is subject to change, due to weather and other unexpected circumstances

  Information about hiking the Inca Trail on your Machu Picchu tours

  • A scanned copy of your passport and a non-refundable deposit must be provided upon booking an Inca Trail trek. This is due to government regulations which require complete passport details and full payment of the Machu Picchu entrance fee in order to issue a permit. Your reservation will only be confirmed when we have your entrance ticket in our hands.
  • If your passport number changes after you book, you must tell us immediately or you will lose your booking. If the name or number on your passport is different from the name or number on your Inca Trail permit, you will not be allowed to start the trek and you will not be entitled to a refund.
  • You must carry your original passport with you on the trail.
  • If you booked the Inca Trail at a student rate, you must bring your valid student card on the trail with you. If you do not present your student card, you will not be allowed to start the trek and you will not be entitled to a refund, nor given an opportunity to pay the full rate.

  Visiting Machu Picchu & Riding the Train on your Machu Picchu tours

  • If you’d like to hike Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain, let us know at the time of booking as it requires a separate permit.
  • This trek includes transportation by train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo on the Expedition service (Tourist Class), followed by bus transport from Ollantaytambo to Cusco. Train times are variable and according to availability.  If you’d like more flexibility in your return travel to Cusco, consider upgrading to the Vistadome train (Executive Class) for an extra $30 per person. This upgrade must be requested at time of booking.

• Does this trek sound like just what you were looking for? If you’re ready to book or just want to find out a bit more information, fill out the Inquiry Form in the top right-hand corner of this page to get the ball rolling. You’ll be connected with one of our amazing sales people who will be able to turn your dream of hiking in the Andes into a reality. For more information on the entire booking process, please see our How To Book page.
• Travel insurance is a must! World Nomads offers travel insurance for adventure activities.

It’s Day One of your Machu Picchu tours! In the morning, we will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel. We recommend an early flight (no later than 8:30am) in order to get the most out of the day. If a later flight can’t be avoided, talk to your guide about how the day’s itinerary can be adjusted.

After settling in for a bit, we will set out to explore this fascinating city! Cusco (originally “Qosqo”) means “Navel of the World”, once the heart of the Inca Empire. During our walking tour we will wander the city’s enchanting narrow streets, visiting the Plaza de Armas, Santo Domingo Monastery (atop the legendary Q’oricancha Temple), the artisan quarter of San Blas and the lively San Pedro market. After lunch, we will venture out above the city to visit the Four Ruins, impressive archaeological sites located on the outskirts of town, including Tambo Machay, Qenko, and Puka Pucara. We will end Day 1 of our Must See Machu Picchu tours at the impressive fortress of Sacsayhuaman, overlooking Cusco.

No meals included this day.

Today we take a picturesque drive through the mountains to the Sacred Valley of the Incas which held great significance in Inca culture. The Valley has a milder climate than Cusco and we will see a succession of quaint villages, agricultural terraces, and many archaeological sites.

In the morning we will stop at Awanacancha to see llamas, alpacas and vicuñas before continuing on to Pisac where we will visit its extensive and beautiful ruins, followed by its lively tourist market.

We will have lunch in Urubamba before visiting a traditional ceramics factory where we can purchase beautiful earthenware. We then continue on to Ollantaytambo. The design of Ollantaytambo village and the majority of its foundations date from the Inca era when it was a strategic military, religious, and agricultural centre.

Ollantaytambo also has an impressive Inca fortress which guarded the entry of this part of the valley and protected it from possible invasion from the lower jungles. The fortress consists of a series of superimposed terraces of carved stones accessed by long staircases. We have time to stroll in the picturesque streets of Ollantaytambo after settling into our accommodations in this village.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today we have two options, depending on your interests and Inca Trail permit availability.

OPTION A – The Short Inca Trail: Km 104 – Wiñay Wayna – Machu Picchu
You will be picked up at your hotel around 5.30am and transferred to the Ollantaytambo train station. We travel by train, on a very picturesque route for an hour and 45 minutes until we reach kilometre 104 – the start of the Inca Trail for us. Shortly after crossing the bridge over the Rio Urubamba we visit the site of Chachabamba (2050m / 6726 ft) which is a lovely site with its water channels and fountains.

From here, we will hike upwards for about 8km (approximately 4 hours). The trail is well established, but there are many stairs and the hike is mostly upwards! While this is one of the easiest treks around the Cusco region, you still need to have a reasonable level of fitness to complete it.

After our upwards climb, we arrive at the Inca site Wiñay Wayna (‘Forever Young’) (2680m / 8792 ft). Here we will have our boxed lunch. This is an impressive complex made up of an agricultural centre with numerous terraces, a religious sector and an urban sector. Many consider this the most impressive site on the whole Inca Trail.

After lunch, we continue for about one hour further until we reach Inti Punku, the famous Sun Gate (2730m / 8792 ft) from where you will have your first dramatic and impressive view of Machu Picchu (2400m / 7873 ft). As you are arriving late in the day you may be lucky enough to enjoy the view by yourself!

After getting those classic photos, we will walk down the last part of the trail towards the ancient city itself. Before entering Machu Picchu, we will take a side path off the trail to go down to Aguas Calientes, saving the culmination of our Machu Picchu tours for tomorrow! Instead, we take the bus down to Aguas Calientes where we will check into our accommodations and enjoy a celebratory dinner before getting to bed early in preparation for the next day’s early start.

The prices quoted on this page include a standard hotel, but you can also choose a different style of travel and include a Comfort, Boutique or Luxury hotel instead. Read more about styles of travel here.

Please be sure to read the Inca Trail notes in the Important Information section!

• Total Walking Distance – 13km (8.1 mi)
• Total Walking Time – 6-7 hrs
• Minimum Altitude – 2050m (6,726 ft) / Maximum Altitude – 2730m (8,792 ft)

Included Meals:  Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

OPTION B – Train to Machu Picchu

If you choose Option B, then today we travel to Maras & Moray for a half-day tour of the archaeological site and the salt flats. After this tour, we return to Ollantaytambo in time to catch an afternoon train to Aguas Calientes. Arriving in Aguas Calientes, we check into our hotel and prepare for tomorrow’s visit to Machu Picchu – the highlight of our Machu Picchu tours!

Included Meals:  Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After an early breakfast, we take the first bus up to Machu Picchu. Your guide will give you a 2-3h walking tour of the historic citadel.

If you’re feeling adventurous you may wish to hike Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu mountain, but take note: this requires an extra permit, and they can sell out well in advance! Be sure to tell us at booking if you would like to add one of these hikes.

For some tips on what to see, check out our recommended Machu Picchu highlights.

We include in your tour a boxed lunch at Machu Picchu and your bus ticket back down to Aguas Calientes. From there, you will travel to Ollantaytambo by the Expedition (Tourist Class) train, unless you want an upgrade to your train ticket. We then continue to Cusco by car, stopping in Chinchero for a tour of the ruins, the colonial church and some prominent weaving centres along the way, time permitting.

Included Meals:  Breakfast, Lunch

After a jam-packed few days on our Must See Machu Picchu tours, today you have a bit of time to relax. Enjoy some last minute souvenir shopping or a stroll around Cusco’s atmospheric streets before getting ready for the journey home. We will then transfer you to the Cusco airport and assist you with your departure flight.

If you are flying to Lima and have an international connection, please make sure you allow enough time between your local flight arriving and your international flight’s departure.

Included Meals: Breakfast