Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu 2-Day Tour
Walk through the secrets of the Sacred Valley on your way to Machu Picchu
Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu 2-Day Tour tour information
Starts
From your accommodation in downtown Cuzco between 7:00 and 7:30 AM
Ends
To your lodging in Cuzco between 8:00 and 10:00 PM
Discover all the secrets of the Inca culture through the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu 2 day tour.
Travelers' favorite option to visit Machu Picchu because during the journey from Cusco you will stop by the different areas of the Sacred Valley. You will visit Pisac, Urubamba and the fortress of Ollantaytambo with a professional guide, before arriving in Aguas Calientes, the access point to the ruins of the Inca city.
The tour includes a 2-hour guided tour to Machu Picchu in a small group, after which you will have free time to explore every corner of the citadel. 👉Find below all the details of this 2-day excursion to Machu Picchu:
Tour itinerary
todayPREVIOUS DAY Briefing - Cusco
Location: Your lodging in Cuzco
Informative briefing
The day before the departure of the tour, the guide will visit you at your hotel or the place you indicate for the tour briefing. A small meeting in which he will explain all the details of the tour, tell you the exact time of pick up and give you the train tickets and your entrance ticket to Machu Picchu.
todayDAY 1 Cusco - Pisac - Urubamba - Ollantaytambo - Aguas Calientes
Group size: 10-12 travelers
Starting altitude (Cuzco) : 13,500 fasl (3400 masl)
Maximum altitude (Aguas Calientes): 8000 fasl (2040 masl)
Difficulty: easy
Pick up in Cuzco
On the first day of the tour, the guide will pick you up at your hotel between 7:00 and 7:30 am in a minibus that you will share with the other travelers in the group.
✅ The minibus has capacity for 18 people, and a maximum of 12 travelers + the guide will travel in it.
Mercado Tradicional Pisac
After an hour's drive, we will arrive at the first stop in the Sacred Valley, the town of Pisac and its handicraft stores. If you want to know another area of the town, we recommend that you ask the guide, who will tell you how to get to the Mercado de la plaza or Mercado Tradicional de Pisac. It is located just a few meters from the stop and is definitely worth a visit.
Archaeological complex of Pisac
The tour continues to the archaeological complex of Pisac. The guide will give you some historical explanations and you will be able to explore it on your own. If you do not have the tourist ticket of Cuzco do not worry, the guide will help you to buy it, since it is necessary to be able to access the archaeological zone.
💬 Tourist ticket of Cuzco
It is the ticket that gives access to the main tourist sites of Cuzco. There are two types of tickets: the partial ticket, which is valid for 2 days and only gives access to the places visited in the Sacred Valley. And the integral ticket, which is valid for 10 days and gives access to most of the tourist sites in Cuzco and its surroundings.
Urubamba
You will continue on to Urubamba, where you will enjoy a traditional buffet lunch in a restaurant located in a typical construction of the area.
Fortress of Ollantaytambo
After lunch, you will get back on the minibus that will take you to the last stop of this excursion through the Sacred Valley of the Incas: the incredible fortress of Ollantaytambo.
Free time in Ollantaytambo
You will have a guided tour and at the end the minibus will take you to the central square of Ollantaytambo, located 5 minutes walk from the train station. At this point the guide will return to Cuzco and you will have free time to have a drink until the departure of your train to Aguas Calientes, Expedition/Voyager category.
✅ The Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu 2 day tour includes train tickets in Expedition/Voyager category as they are the ones that offer the schedule that best fits the itinerary.
Aguas Calientes
You will ride this iconic train for an hour and a half, traveling along the Vilcanota River valley, which offers spectacular views of the snow-capped mountains, the semi-tropical zone and the high jungle area. In addition, a small snack is served for you to enjoy the ride.
When you arrive in Aguas Calientes they will be waiting for you to accompany you to your accommodation, they will tell you the exact pick-up time for the next day and you will have time to have dinner on your own in the village and rest.
todayDAY 2 Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu - Cusco
Group size: 8 travelers on the guided Machu Picchu tour
Starting altitude (Aguas Calientes): 8000 fasl (2040 masl)
Maximum altitude (Machu Picchu): 8,000 fasl (2,430 masl)
Difficulty: easy
Breakfast in Aguas Calientes
This day you will have to get up a little early to enter Machu Picchu, but believe us, it will be worth it 😊. You will have breakfast at the selected accommodation in Aguas Calientes and at the indicated time the guide will pick you up to walk with the rest of the group to the bus stop.
Normally, the wait is 20 minutes until you take the bus that will take you to the entrance of the Inca Citadel.
👉 The exact time of pick up at the hotel and departure of the bus will depend on the time of entry to Machu Picchu, so we advise you to book in advance, in order to get the entrance in the first shifts.
Arrival to Machu Picchu
When you reach Machu Picchu you will begin the two hours guided tour. In the beginning, you will have more time to enjoy the place and take photographs, as it is the best location because it is accessed from the top. The guided tour continues through the different areas of the citadel and the guide explains in detail everything that is known about Machu Picchu and the Inca culture.
🚶Free time in the Citadel
At the end of the guided tour, the guide will say goodbye to the group and you will have free time to walk around the citadel. You will walk around it at your leisure, until you decide to take the bus down to Machu Picchu pueblo (Aguas Calientes). There, you can have lunch at one of the many restaurants on your own and then take the train to Ollantaytambo (train schedule subject to availability).
🚆Aguas Calientes
Once in Aguas Calientes, you can eat at one of the many restaurants on your own and then take the train to Ollantaytambo (train schedule is subject to availability and will be indicated with your booking confirmation).
🚐 Ollantaytambo - Cuzco
Upon arrival at Ollantaytambo train station, a private transfer will be waiting to take you to Cuzco, where you will arrive at approximately 20:30.
👉 If you have selected the extra night in Aguas Calientes, you will be able to enjoy the afternoon in the town, taking the train the next day.
Tour details
Included
- Pick up from your hotel in the centre of Cusco
- Sacred Valley Tour (guided minibus) to Ollantaytambo
- Lunch in Urubamba
- Return train Ollantaytambo - Aguas Calientes (Voyage/Expedition category)
- Bed and breakfast in Aguas Calientes
- Round trip bus Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu
- Entrance ticket to Machu Picchu
- Guided tour in Machu Picchu
- Private Transfer Ollantaytambo - Cusco
Not included
- Tourist Ticket of Cusco (70 soles / $20 aprox.)
- Dinner on the first day
- Lunch on the second day
error_outlineImportant information
restoreCancellation policy
What to bring to Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu 2-Day Tour
- Backpack for two days
- Sunscreen
- Insect repellent
- Sunglasses
- Warm clothing
- Comfortable footwear
- Water bottle
- Raincoat/waterproof poncho
- Passport
- Bathing suit and towel (only if you want to visit the hot springs of Aguas Calientes)
- Medication to avoid altitude sickness (in case you consider it necessary).
Where does the tour Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu 2-Day Tour start
📍 The tour starts in Cuzco, and includes pick up from your accommodation, as long as it is located in the historic center of the city. If the street where you are located is not accessible for the minibus, the coordinator will accompany you from your accommodation to the pick-up point. In case your hotel is not located in the city center, the minibus will not be able to deviate so much from its pick-up route and you will be offered a pick-up point as close as possible to your accommodation.