Cusco, Sacred Valley, & Machu Picchu – 4 days
4 days
Duration
Moderate
Difficulty
Cultural / Scenic
Tour Type
2 or more
Group Size
Trip Overview
Over four days, this itinerary links the three great stages of the classic Andean journey: Cusco, the Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu.
Your experience begins in Cusco, ancient capital of the Inca Empire and today a vibrant highland city where Inca stonework, colonial façades, and everyday Andean life coexist. Walking its streets and visiting landmarks such as Koricancha, Sacsayhuamán, and the Cathedral reveals how centuries of history have overlapped without erasing what came before.
From there, the route descends into the Sacred Valley of the Incas, a fertile corridor shaped by the Vilcanota/Urubamba River. Terraced hillsides, traditional markets, and towns like Pisac and Ollantaytambo show how this valley functioned as both the agricultural heart and spiritual axis of the empire—and how many customs, languages, and farming techniques remain alive today.
The journey culminates at Machu Picchu, perched between cloud forest and deep canyons. More than an iconic postcard image, the citadel is a finely tuned composition of terraces, shrines, plazas, and water channels, carefully integrated with the surrounding mountains. Here, visitors encounter not only one of the world’s most famous archaeological sites, but also the broader sacred landscape that gave it meaning.
✔️Included
❌Not Included
Your Day-by-Day Adventure
On arrival in Cusco, you are met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. The morning is free so you can rest and begin adjusting to the altitude—coca tea or simply taking it slow are both traditional Andean strategies.
In the early afternoon (around 13:00), your city tour begins with a visit to the imposing Sacsayhuamán complex, set on a hill above Cusco. Here you’ll see some of the most astonishing examples of Inca stone construction: enormous blocks precisely shaped and fitted together without mortar, forming massive zigzag walls and wide ceremonial esplanades.
From Sacsayhuamán, the route continues to Qenqo, a carved rock sanctuary whose name in Quechua means “labyrinth” or “zigzag.” Altars, passages, and carved surfaces highlight the site’s ceremonial importance and offer broad views back toward Cusco.
Next, you visit Tambomachay, an archaeological complex known for its finely designed water channels, fountains, and terraced rock. Although its original function is still debated, many researchers associate it with ritual purification and the worship of water—one of the most sacred elements in Andean cosmology.
Returning to the historic center, you continue to Koricancha (Temple of the Sun), once the most important religious complex in the Inca world. Chronicles describe its walls lined with precious metals and sculptures, while today you can see perfectly cut stone foundations beneath the colonial church of Santo Domingo, a powerful symbol of how Inca and Spanish worlds overlap in Cusco.
The final visit is to the Cusco Cathedral on the Plaza de Armas, built between 1560 and 1654 atop an earlier Inca structure. Inside, you’ll find carved wooden altars, gold and silver decoration, and paintings from the Cusco School that subtly blend Catholic themes with Andean symbolism—details such as the jaguar carved into the doors speak to this cultural fusion.
At the end of the tour, your guide can point out restaurants, cafés, or give directions back to your hotel.
- Total walking distance: approx. 3 km (about 1 hour)
- Highest altitude: 3,750 m (12,303 ft)
- Lowest altitude: 3,400 m (11,154 ft)
Optional extra:
If you wish, you can add an evening visit to the Centro Qosqo de Arte Nativo to enjoy a live performance of traditional Andean music and dance.
You are picked up from your hotel at 08:00 and leave Cusco toward the Sacred Valley. The road passes near Sacsayhuamán and then climbs and descends roughly 450 m (1,500 ft) to reach the valley floor alongside the Urubamba River.
Your first stop is the village of Pisac, where you explore its colorful artisan market. Here you can browse woven textiles, ceramics, jewelry, and other crafts made by local families.
After about 30 minutes in the market, you continue up the mountainside to the Pisac archaeological site. From its terraces and viewpoints, you’ll enjoy sweeping views of the valley and see ruins that once served as dwellings, storage areas, and ceremonial spaces. Altars, carved stonework, tunnels, and the ritual stone known as the Intihuatana—the “hitching post of the sun”—illustrate the site’s religious and agricultural significance. The guided visit lasts approximately 90 minutes.
(If you prefer to remain longer in the market instead of visiting the ruins, you can coordinate a meeting point and time with your guide.)
You then travel along the valley to Urubamba, where you stop for about 45 minutes for a buffet lunch (not included unless specified in your package).
In the afternoon, the route continues to Ollantaytambo, both an archaeological site and a living Inca town. You visit its terraces and ceremonial sectors, including the impressive Temple of the Sun, built with large stone blocks shaped and polished by highly skilled stoneworkers. The system of fountains, channels, and agricultural terraces demonstrates advanced Inca knowledge of water management and microclimates.
Back in the town below, you’ll see fast-flowing stone-lined channels still in use, as well as ancient storehouses on the surrounding hillsides. The town’s layout, traditional dress, and active daily life make it one of the most atmospheric places in the valley.
Later, you walk to the nearby train station and board the train to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo). The journey of about 1.5 hours follows the river through narrow canyons and increasingly lush vegetation as you approach the edge of the cloud forest.
Aguas Calientes, nestled at the base of Machu Picchu, combines local life with a strong visitor infrastructure of hotels, restaurants, markets, and shops. Most streets are pedestrian, making it easy to explore on foot. After arrival, you settle into your hotel and rest in preparation for the next day’s visit to Machu Picchu.
To make the most of the morning light and quieter hours, you start early. After breakfast, your guide meets you at the hotel around 05:40. Together you walk to the bus stop for the approx. 25–45 minute ride up the series of switchbacks that lead to the entrance gate of Machu Picchu.
Inside the sanctuary, you begin a guided visit of about two hours, following the circuit assigned on your entrance ticket (typically one including the classic viewpoint). During the tour, you’ll discover key areas of the citadel, which may include:
- The Guardian House viewpoint
- The Intihuatana ritual stone
- The Temple of the Sun
- The Sacred Plaza
- Agricultural and residential terraces, stairways, and water channels
As you move through the site, the guide explains its history, architecture, and symbolic relationship with surrounding peaks and the Urubamba River far below.
After the tour, you take the bus back down to Aguas Calientes, where you have time for lunch (not included). Later, you board the train back to Ollantaytambo, where staff will be waiting to transfer you by vehicle to your hotel in Cusco.
After breakfast at your hotel, you have free time until the agreed transfer to the airport. At the appropriate hour, you are driven from your hotel to Cusco airport for your flight back to Lima or your onward destination, closing your four-day journey through Cusco, the Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu.
What’s included
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