Sacred Valley Tour & Short Inca Trail 3 Days

We will pick you up early from your hotel and head to the Sacred Valley. Our first stop will be at Pisac Market, where you will be able to appreciate the Inca textiles and other crafts.

Next, we will explore the Inca complex of Pisac. Discover the architecture and the Inca terraces that still remain, while we learn about the rich history, delivered by a local guide.

Enjoy an Andean buffet for lunch, served in the sacred valley of Urubamba. Then we head to the Inca citadel of Ollantaytambo, where we will explore the majestic Inca city surrounded by terraces and temples.

After exploring, we will go to our hotel where you can take a break.

Wake up early to go to the train station, which is only 15 minutes from our hotel in Ollantaytambo. We will take the train to Kilometer (Km) 104, which takes about 1 hour. Km 104 is an unscheduled train stop so you will probably feel a twinge of satisfaction that the train is stopping especially for you – and by knowing you are about to see things that no one else will get to!

At Km 104 we will get off the train and pass the Inca Trail checkpoint where we will see our first archaeological center called Chachabamba (2,170 m / 7,170 ft). These ruins were one of the last shelters that the Incas used before they reached Machu Picchu. This site was also used as a religious and administrative center and features several buildings.

Then, we will gradually ascend for about 2-3 hours climbing Inca stone steps while our guide points out different flora and fauna along the trail. We will then pass a tall waterfall before arriving at the archaeological site called Wiñay Wayna at (2,650 m / 8,700 ft), which is named after an orchid and means Forever Young in Quechua. We will climb to the top of the ruins and enjoy lunch with an incredible view of the Urubamba River and the Sacred Valley. This large site sits on a mountainside and features experimental terraces that the Incas used to grow different crops. We will visit an important temple with 7 windows that were dedicated to the rainbow as well as observe the amazing engineering of water channels that still function today.

Once we finish our tour here, we will continue our hike for about 1 ½ hours on a part of the Inca Trail which is relatively flat, with small ascents and descents along the way. At about 5:00 pm we will reach the Sun Gate (2,720 m / 8,920 ft), which is called Intipunku in Quechua. This is where we will have our first view of Machu Picchu and from there we will head down to the ruins. From Machu Picchu, we take the bus to Aguas Calientes hotel.

We will get up early and have breakfast in the hotel. Then we will catch the bus to Machu Picchu in Aguas Calientes. We will want to be at Machu Picchu by 6 am to see the sunrise. Once we reach Machu Picchu you will be given a 2-hour walking tour of the site.

If you have elected to climb Huayna Picchu mountain (the price for this is not included in your tour price) you will begin the hike at 10 AM. If you are not climbing the mountain, you will have free time to explore Machu Picchu before you return to Aguas Calientes by bus.

Upon arrival in Aguas Calientes, you will board the expedition train to Ollantaytambo ( train station). From Ollantaytambo, you will travel by private van to Cusco and we will drop you off at your hotel. The arrival time in Cusco depends on the time of your train ticket.