City Tour of Cusco, Sacred Valley (Pisac – Ollantaytambo), Machu Picchu and Maras (percus08a)

Summary: Immerse yourself in Andean culture with this visit to the city of Cusco and its main tourist attractions, and then visit the major attractions in the Sacred Valley, as well as the citadel of Machu Picchu.
Duration: 3½ days / 1 night
Availability: All year
Price per person: US$ 379.00 (based on 2 persons)
Minimum: 1 person
Times: 01:15 pm to 02:30 pm +3
Meeting point: Pick-up from your hotel
Cancellation policy: 48 hours before the scheduled start of the tour

Itinerary:
Day 1: City Tour of Cusco
We will begin this city tour of Cusco by picking you up from your hotel. The first place we visit will be Cusco’s cathedral (entrance fee not included). Our guide will relate the history of the cathedral, its paintings and the magnificent gold and silver altars. Then, we will walk to Qoricancha, also known as the Temple of the Sun (entrance fee not included). Here, the guide will offer information about the construction of the temple, and you’ll have free time to explore and take photographs. We will then visit the archaeological sites of Tambomachay, Puka Pukara and Sacsayhuaman. At this last attraction, we will spend 30 minutes, as the guide talks about how it was built and you pause to take photographs of the ruins in the late afternoon light. Finally, we will visit Qenqo, before returning to Cusco and ending the tour at a point close to the main square, or Plaza de Armas, at around 06:30 pm.

• Departure from your hotel at 01:15 pm
• Group city tour of Cusco, visiting the Cathedral + Qoricancha + the 4 archaeological sites (Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Puka Pukara and Tambomachay)
• Professional guide in Spanish or English
• Shared transport

Day 2: Cusco – Pisac – Ollantaytambo – Aguas Calientes
We will meet at your hotel, where we will board a vehicle for the drive to the village of Pisac, around 40 minutes from the city of Cusco. In Pisac, there will be plenty of time to explore the handcraft market, before we continue to the archaeological site. At the ruins, our guide will offer historical information, before giving us free time to wander the site independently. Then, we will continue to Urubamba, where we’ll eat a buffet lunch, to give us energy for our next visit: Ollantaytambo. We will climb the terraces to visit the ruins of the Temple of the Sun, and learn a little more about how the Quechua people built their structures. Finally, we will go to Ollantaytambo train station, in time for our departure to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo).

• Excursion by bus to the Sacred Valley of the Incas
• Guide for the Pisac market and archaeological site, and the archaeological complex at Ollantaytambo
• Lunch in the Sacred Valley of the Incas
• Train Ollantaytambo – Aguas Calientes departing at 04:36 pm (be at the station 30 minutes before the scheduled departure of the train)
• Standard category hotel in Aguas Calientes

Day 3: Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – Cusco
In the early morning we will take a bus from Aguas Calientes to the citadel of Machu Picchu. Here, we will meet with our guide for an escorted visit of the ruins. The tour will last for 2 hours, during which time we will receive information on the history of Machu Picchu, from its construction to when it was rediscovered by Hiram Bingham. After this experience, we will return by bus to Aguas Calientes, making sure we are at the station 30 minutes before the scheduled departure of our train. Upon arrival in Ollantaytambo, our transport to Cusco will be waiting for us.

• Bus (return journey) to and from the citadel of Machu Picchu
• Entrance to the Machu Picchu archaeological site
• Guided group visit to the Machu Picchu archaeological site, for approximately 2 hours, in Spanish or English
• Train Aguas Calientes – Ollantaytambo
• Private transport between Ollantaytambo train station and your hotel in Cusco

Day 4: Cusco – Moray – Salines de Maras – Cusco
We will board a vehicle that will take us beyond the city of Cusco, passing through the handcraft community of Chinchero, where we will see how llama wool is worked by local people. From there, we will continue to our first destination: the saltpans of Maras. The guide will explain the salt extraction process and we will have plenty of time to take photos. Next, we will continue to Moray, an Inca agricultural laboratory once used to experiment with crops from the different regions occupied by the Incas. We will have time to wander the pathways from which excellent photos can be taken, and to feel how different climates were represented by the terraces arranged at varying depths, across a range of 150 meters from the highest to the lowest point. Following this 6-hour tour, we will return to Cusco.

• Excursion in shared bus
• Spanish and English speaking tour guide

Discounts

• Discount for children aged 11 to 12 years: US$ 23
• Discount for children under 11 years of age: US$ 85
• Discount for children aged under 8 years of age: US$ 108

To take advantage of one of the abovementioned discounts, contact us directly before booking online.

Included:

Day 1:

• Pick-up from your hotel in Cusco
• Shared transport
• Bilingual guide (in Spanish or English)

Day 2:

• Pick-up from your hotel in Cusco
• Shared transport
• Bilingual guide (in Spanish or English)
• Buffet lunch in the Sacred Valley
• Transport in train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes
• Accommodation in Aguas Calientes in a standard category hotel

Day 3:

• Transport by bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu (return journey)
• Entrance ticket to the Machu Picchu citadel (archaeological site)
• Bilingual guide (in Spanish or English)
• Transport by train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo
• Transport in private vehicle from Ollantaytambo to Cusco

Day 4:

• Pick-up from your hotel in Cusco
• Shared transport
• Bilingual guide (in Spanish and English)

Not included:

Day 1:

• Entrance to Cusco’s cathedral (S/. 25 Peruvian soles per person)
• Entrance to the Qoricancha temple (S/. 15 Peruvian soles per person)
• Tourist Ticket*
• Food and drinks
• Tips
• Accommodation in Cusco

Day 2:

• Tourist Ticket*
• Evening meal and drinks
• Tips
• Accommodation in Cusco

Day 3:

• Accommodation in Cusco
• Meals and drinks
• Tips

Day 4:

• Food and drinks
• Tourist Ticket*
• Entrance to the Maras saltpans (S/.10 Peruvian soles per person)
• Tips
• Accommodation in Cusco

*About the Cusco Tourist Ticket:

• Price of General Tourist Ticket: S/. 130 Peruvian soles per person
• Price of the Partial Tourist Ticket: S/. 70 Peruvian soles per person

The General Tourist Ticket allows access to 16 tourist attractions, divided into 3 circuits, over a period of 10 days, while the Partial Ticket allows access to places on just 1 of the three circuits, over a period of 1 or 2 days, according to the circuit selected.

Optional services:

• Not applicable.

How to book:

• Select your departure date from the calendar.
• Select the time.
• Select the number of persons.
• Select the optional services you’d like to add.
• Select the language for the visit to Machu Picchu
• Click on “Book now”.
• Pay online.

Once you have completed payment, the booking will be subject to confirmation according to availability. If you’d like to check availability before paying, write to us.

What to bring:

• Original travel document (passport or other)
• Comfortable clothing
• Hat
• Sunglasses
• Sun block
• Rain jacket or rain poncho
• Canteen or sports bottle
• Daypack (maximum 5 kilograms)

 

Frequently Asked Questions
How far in advance should I book the tour?
We accept bookings a minimum of 3 days in advance. However, spaces are limited and always subject to availability. There is very high demand for entrance tickets to the Machu Picchu citadel, and also for train seats. For some dates, these spaces are sold out many weeks in advance. Therefore, we recommend booking as far in advance as possible.

What is the difference between the partial and general tourist ticket?
There are 4 types of tourist ticket:
General Tourist Ticket (valid for 10 days) S/. 130 – Attractions: Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Puka Pukara, Tambomachay, the archaeological sites of Ollantaytambo, Pisac, Chinchero, Moray, Tipón, Pikillacta, museums, Qosqo Center for Native Art.
Partial Tourist Ticket I (valid for 1 day) S/. 70 – Attractions: Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Puka Pukara, Tambomachay.
Partial Tourist Ticket II (valid for 2 days) S/. 70 – Attractions: Archaeological sites of Tipón, Pikillacta, museums, Qosqo Center for Native Art.
Partial Tourist Ticket III (valid for 2 days) S/. 70 – Attractions: Archaeological sites of Ollantaytambo, Pisac, Chinchero, Moray.

Can the Tourist Ticket be bought online?
NO, the ticket must be bought directly at any of the attractions included on the ticket or at the main office Central Counter at the “Galerías Turísticas”, at Avenida El Sol 103.

Where can I buy the Tourist Ticket?
Central Counter (Avenida El Sol 103 “Galerías Turísticas”)
Monday to Sunday 08:00 – 18:00 hours
Tourist Information Office – DIRCETUR (Calle Mantas)
Monday to Saturday 08:00 – 12:00 hours / 14:00 – 18:00 hours
At all sites included on the Tourist Ticket (with the exception of the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Pachacutec Monument).

Are there special Tourist Ticket rates for children?
Children up to 9 years old do not pay. From 10 to 17 years old, children can access the student ticket rate, upon presentation of an identity document (DNI, passport, etc.).

What is the difference between the Machu Picchu citadel, Machu Picchu mountain, and Huayna Picchu mountain?
What is popularly known as “Machu Picchu” is the Machu Picchu Historical Sanctuary, which is composed of different areas. These include the Machu Picchu citadel (the archaeological site or ruins), and two nearby mountains: Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu

Can I take my luggage to Machu Picchu?
With each train ticket, passengers have the right to take hand luggage only (daypack or bag), weighing no more than 5 kilograms (11 pounds), and with maximum measurements of 157 linear centimeters (62 inches) (height + length + width).

Cancellation policy:

• More than 48 hours before the scheduled start of the tour, the Hotel Arqueólogo will retain 40% of the total value of the tour.
• Less than 48 hours before the scheduled start of the tour, no refund will be available.