MachuPicchu SacredValley
3
Day Itinerary •
Peru
Three days across Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley delivers the most extraordinary ancient civilisation experience in the Americas, from the extraordinary Inca citadel of Machu Picchu rising from the cloud forest above the Urubamba River to the Sacred Valley's remarkable fortress of Ollantaytambo, the extraordinary terraced hillside of Pisac, and the living Inca culture still visible in the markets and communities of the Cusco highlands. This focused route covers the essential Machu Picchu and Sacred Valley experience. The extraordinary Sun Gate approach to Machu Picchu, the Ollantaytambo fortress and living Inca town, the extraordinary Pisac ruins and Sunday market, the salt pans of Maras descending in extraordinary terraces to the valley floor, the circular Inca terracing of Moray, and the finest Novo Andino cuisine in Cusco.
Best Time To Visit
May to October, dry season for clearest citadel views
Getting There
Fly into Alejandro Velasco Astete Airport (CUZ), Cusco
Getting Around
Train to Aguas Calientes, bus to citadel, taxi in Sacred Valley
Budget Per Day
Approx 100 to 250 USD per person per day
Difficulity
Moderate, high altitude at Cusco 3,400m, some steep steps
DAY 1
SACRED VALLEY
MORNING
PISAC INCA RUINS AND SUNDAY MARKET
The most extraordinary Inca site in the Sacred Valley, a vast hilltop complex of terraces, temples, sun observatories and extraordinary carved stone water channels perched 600 metres above the valley floor with panoramic views of the Urubamba River below. The Pisac citadel is the finest Inca site in the Sacred Valley outside Machu Picchu and visited by only a fraction of those who come to the valley. Entry approx 70 soles (boleto turistico). Then the extraordinary Pisac Sunday market in the village plaza below. 45 min drive
MIDDAY
MARAS SALT PANS
The most extraordinary salt production site in the Andes, where over 3,000 individual salt evaporation pans cascade down a hillside in extraordinary geometric terraces fed by a single saltwater spring that has flowed since before Inca times. The pans glow extraordinary shades of white, pink and terracotta depending on salt concentration and time of day. Still harvested today by local families. Entry approx 10 soles. The afternoon light is extraordinary. 20 min drive
AFTERNOON
MORAY AGRICULTURAL LABORATORY
The most extraordinary Inca site in the Sacred Valley, three concentric circular depressions carved into the altiplano creating extraordinary bowl-shaped terrace systems that function as sophisticated agricultural microclimates. The temperature difference between the top and bottom terraces is up to 15 degrees, believed to allow the Inca to cultivate crops from multiple altitude zones simultaneously. The extraordinary geometry is finest from the rim. Entry included in boleto turistico.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Chinchero village above the Sacred Valley, a traditional Quechua community at 3,762 metres with an extraordinary colonial church built directly over an Inca palace foundation, hosts a remarkable living textile demonstration where local women explain the extraordinary process of natural dyeing and hand-weaving of traditional Andean cloth from raw alpaca fleece to finished textile. Entry by donation.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Hotel breakfast in Cusco Good breakfast before the Sacred Valley drive. Most Sacred Valley day tours depart Cusco at 8am. | Lunch: El Huacatay, Urubamba The finest restaurant in the Sacred Valley. Outstanding Novo Andino cuisine in a garden setting. | Dinner: MAP Cafe, Cusco Outstanding Novo Andino restaurant in the courtyard of the Museo de Arte Precolombino.
DAY 2
MACHU PICCHU
MORNING
MACHU PICCHU CITADEL AT DAWN
The most extraordinary archaeological site in the Americas, the extraordinary 15th-century Inca citadel of Machu Picchu perched on a saddle between two mountain peaks at 2,430 metres in the cloud forest above the Urubamba gorge. The extraordinary Sun Temple, Intihuatana stone, Temple of the Three Windows and perfectly fitted dry-stone construction are without parallel in the pre-Columbian world. Enter at 6am opening for the extraordinary early light and minimal crowds. Entry approx 152 soles. Book months ahead. 2 hour walk or bus
MIDDAY
SUN GATE (INTI PUNKU) VIEWPOINT
The extraordinary Sun Gate above Machu Picchu, the ancient Inca gateway on the Inca Trail through which pilgrims first sighted the citadel on arrival. The 45-minute steep walk from Machu Picchu gives the finest elevated view of the entire citadel, with the extraordinary cloud forest and mountain backdrop in full panorama. The Sun Gate also frames the citadel perfectly at the winter solstice sunrise. Included in citadel ticket. Bus and train to Aguas Calientes
AFTERNOON
AGUAS CALIENTES HOT SPRINGS
The extraordinary geothermal hot spring pools of Aguas Calientes town at the base of Machu Picchu mountain, where hot volcanic water flows into a series of communal pools beside the Urubamba River. The extraordinary combination of soaking in hot springs after a full day at the citadel, surrounded by cloud forest and the roar of the river, is one of the finest end-of-day experiences in Peru. Entry approx 20 soles.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Mandor Waterfall 7km from Aguas Calientes along the railway track is one of the finest hidden walks near Machu Picchu, a 2-hour return walk through extraordinary cloud forest to a dramatic cascade. Almost no tourists make the walk despite its extraordinary beauty. The cloud forest orchids and extraordinary birds along the track are remarkable. Free entry to the gorge.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Early bus from Aguas Calientes Eat at the hotel before the 5:30am bus queue. The first bus to the citadel departs at 5:30am. | Lunch: Citadel cafeteria or Aguas Calientes Simple lunch after the Sun Gate walk. The view from the citadel cafeteria terrace is extraordinary. | Dinner: Indio Feliz, Aguas Calientes Outstanding French-Peruvian restaurant in Aguas Calientes. Finest dinner in the Machu Picchu town.
DAY 3
OLLANTAYTAMBO
MORNING
OLLANTAYTAMBO INCA FORTRESS
The most extraordinary living Inca town in existence and the site of the only Inca military victory over the Spanish conquistadors in 1537. The extraordinary fortress terraces of Ollantaytambo rise 200 metres above the valley floor in six massive stone platforms, topped by the extraordinary Temple of the Sun with its six enormous monolithic stone blocks hauled from a quarry on the opposite mountain. The living Inca urban grid below the fortress is still inhabited. Entry included in boleto turistico. 30 min walk
MIDDAY
OLLANTAYTAMBO LIVING INCA TOWN
The extraordinary lower town of Ollantaytambo, the finest surviving example of original Inca urban planning, where the ancient street grid of canales channels, narrow cobbled lanes and extraordinary canchas courtyard compounds is still inhabited by local families. The main plaza fountain fed by extraordinary Inca stone channels still flows as it did in the 15th century. The extraordinary view up to the fortress from the plaza is the finest in the Sacred Valley. 2 hours drive
AFTERNOON
RETURN TO CUSCO AND FINAL EVENING
RETURN TO CUSCO AND FINAL EVENING Evening The extraordinary drive back through the Sacred Valley to Cusco, passing the extraordinary Urubamba River and the Andean peaks above the valley. Cusco at 3,400 metres with its extraordinary fusion of Inca stone foundations and Spanish colonial superstructure, its Plaza de Armas ringed by extraordinary arcades and the gold-filled Qorikancha sun temple, deserves a final evening walk before departure.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Pumamarca ruins above Ollantaytambo, a rarely visited Inca hilltop site 45 minutes walk above the main fortress through extraordinary agricultural terraces, gives views down into the Sacred Valley that are entirely different from the main fortress viewpoint. Almost no visitors make the walk. The extraordinary Inca water channels and storage rooms at Pumamarca are in remarkable condition.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Aguas Calientes hotel breakfast Full breakfast before the train back to Ollantaytambo. | Lunch: Chuncho Restaurant, Ollantaytambo Outstanding Novo Andino cooking in a colonial courtyard below the extraordinary fortress. | Dinner: Cicciolina, Cusco Outstanding Cusco restaurant beloved by locals and travellers. Extraordinary tapas and wood-fired dishes.
DAY 4
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
DAY 5
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Where To Stay
Cusco, Night 1 Palacio del Inka or Casa Andina Premium. Plaza de Armas views. Approx 80 to 200 USD per night. Aguas Calientes, Night 2 Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel or El MaPi. Jungle garden setting. Approx 100 to 350 USD. Budget Option Hostal Rumi Punku (Cusco) or Terrazas del Inca (Aguas Calientes). Approx 25 to 70 USD per night.
Top Tips
1. Book Machu Picchu tickets online at machupicchu.gob.pe months ahead. Daily limits are enforced.
2. Enter the citadel at opening time (6am) for the extraordinary first light with minimal crowds.
3. Acclimatise in Cusco at 3,400m before going to Machu Picchu. Spend the first afternoon resting.
4. The Sun Gate (Inti Punku) viewpoint above Machu Picchu adds 2 hours but the view is extraordinary.
5. The Pisac Sunday market is the finest in the Sacred Valley. Arrive early before tour groups.
6. Novo Andino cuisine in Cusco is exceptional. Central by Virgilio Martinez changed Peruvian gastronomy.
Total Budget
155 to 570 USD/day