Cusco & Machu Picchu: 5-Day Sacred Valley & Salt Mines

Five Days Hitting Cusco, the Inca Trail Stops & Two Places Most Tourists Miss

You get airport pickup, a full city tour of Cusco's archaeological sites, two days in the Sacred Valley with Pisaq and Ollantaytambo, an early-morning visit to Machu Picchu with a 2.5-hour guided tour, and a separate day exploring Moray's agricultural terraces and the Maras salt mines. All transport, trains, entry fees, three-star hotel stays, and guides are included. You just show up at pickup times and follow the schedule.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Airport pickup and Cusco city tour

• Airport pickup and hotel transfer
• Rest and acclimatize in the morning
• 2:00 PM hotel pickup for city tour
• Visit Koricancha temple, 45 minutes
• Travel to Sacsayhuaman, guided tour 1 hour
• Visit Qenqo ritual center
• Visit PucaPucara red fort
• Visit Tambomachay Inca baths
• Return to Cusco hotel by 7:00 PM

Day 2: Sacred Valley tour and travel to Aguas Calientes

• 8:00 AM hotel pickup for Sacred Valley tour
• Travel 1.5 hours to Pisaq ruins, guided tour 1 hour
• Travel to Urubamba for buffet lunch
• Travel 30 minutes to Ollantaytambo ruins, guided tour 1 hour
• Go to train station and board train to Aguas Calientes
• Night guide briefing for Machu Picchu visit

Day 3: Machu Picchu visit and return to Cusco

• Early bus to Machu Picchu, 30 minutes
• Show entry ticket and start guided tour 2.5 hours
• Free time at Machu Picchu
• Return to Aguas Calientes for lunch
• Train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo
• Transfer from Ollantaytambo to Cusco hotel

Day 4: Moray and Maras salt mines tour

• 8:00 AM hotel pickup to Maras town
• Visit Moray agricultural terraces, guided tour 40 minutes
• Travel 30 minutes to Maras salt mines
• Guided tour of salt mines, 1 hour
• Shopping for salt and souvenirs
• Return to Cusco, arrive by 3:00 PM

Day 5: Transfer to airport

• Transportation to airport per flight time

The experience

The guide was supposed to meet us at the Ollantaytambo station at 6:15 pm, but the train ran twenty minutes late, and for a moment nobody was there. Just the crowd thinning out on the platform. Then a guy with a sign holding our names appeared, and that's when you realize the whole thing is actually coordinated, even when it doesn't feel like it. That's the rhythm of this five-day Cusco tour: you show up, someone's waiting, and the next place is already arranged. Day one starts with airport pickup and a rest to acclimatize, then a 2 pm city tour hitting Koricancha (the Temple of the Sun), Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Puca Pucara, and Tambomachay: basically the archaeological ring around Cusco that most people skip because they're already tired. The guide walks you through each one, explains what it was for, and you're back at the hotel by seven.

Day two is when the pace picks up. You leave at 8 am for the Sacred Valley, stopping at Pisaq ruins for an hour, then Ollantaytambo for another hour: both with a guide explaining the Temple of the Sun, the terraces, the engineering. Lunch is a buffet of typical Andean food in Urubamba, the valley's main town, and then you're on a train to Aguas Calientes (the town at the base of Machu Picchu) where you spend the night. The guide comes by the hotel that evening to brief you on what happens the next morning, which is good because you're tired and probably won't remember much. Day three is the one everyone came for: you take a bus up to Machu Picchu at dawn, get a 2.5-hour guided tour of the citadel itself, then free time to walk around on your own. After lunch back in Aguas Calientes, you train back to Ollantaytambo and drive back to Cusco, arriving in the evening.

What makes this different from the standard Machu Picchu dash is days four and five. Day four you're back at the hotel at 8 am for a pickup to Moray and the Maras salt mines: two places that aren't on the main circuit. Moray is a set of concentric agricultural terraces carved into the earth, and the guide explains how the Incas used it as a kind of laboratory to test crops at different altitudes. It's forty minutes of walking and looking, and it's quieter than Machu Picchu. Then you drive thirty minutes to the salt mines, where you get an hour-long tour of the ponds where locals still harvest salt the same way they did centuries ago, and you can buy bags of it if you want. You're back in Cusco by 3 pm. Day five is just a transfer to the airport whenever your flight is.

The whole thing includes a guide for every tour, all the buses and trains, three-star hotel rooms (double or matrimonial), breakfast every morning, entry to Machu Picchu, and the train tickets. You don't arrange any of it yourself. Someone picks you up at the airport, tells you when to be ready each morning, and handles the logistics. If you're the kind of traveler who wants to see the main Cusco sites, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, and two less-crowded spots without spending five days figuring out trains and tickets, this covers it.

What’s included

• Your five days include airport pickup and drop-off, guided tours at Koricancha, Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Puca Pucara, Tambomachay, Pisaq, Ollantaytambo, Machu Picchu, Moray, and the Maras salt mines.
• All transport by bus and train is covered, as well as train tickets to and from Machu Picchu, entry to Machu Picchu, three-star hotel accommodation with breakfast each morning, and a professional guide for every tour.
• You'll also have a briefing from the guide before your Machu Picchu visit.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day9 departure times: the first at 05:00, the last at 12:30

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 8 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditions

Operated by MachuPicchu Journey

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see Cusco's main archaeological sites, the Sacred Valley ruins, and Machu Picchu without arranging trains, tickets, or timing yourself: the fixed five-day schedule and included guide handle all of that, leaving you to show up and walk.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

How long is the Machu Picchu guided tour?

The guided tour at Machu Picchu lasts 2 hours and 30 minutes. After that, you have free time to explore on your own.

What's included in the price?

Tour guides for all activities, all buses and trains, three-star hotel accommodation, breakfast daily, Machu Picchu entry, train tickets, airport pickup, and all transfers between sites.

Do I need to be very fit for this tour?

The tour is suitable for all fitness levels. However, it's not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health or pregnant travelers, as it involves high altitude (Cusco is at 11,000 feet) and walking on uneven terrain.

What time do I need to be ready on Day 2?

Pickup from the hotel is at 8:00 am to start the Sacred Valley tour.

How long is the drive from Cusco to the Sacred Valley?

About 1.5 hours to reach Pisaq, the first stop.

Is lunch included?

Yes, a buffet lunch of typical Andean food is included on Day 2 in Urubamba.

What time do I need to wake up for Machu Picchu?

Very early. The bus to Machu Picchu departs early in the morning, and the journey takes about 30 minutes.

Can I buy souvenirs at the salt mines?

Yes, there's time to shop for bags of salt or souvenir items at the Maras salt mines on Day 4.

What hotel star rating should I expect?

Three-star hotels for all nights, with double or matrimonial rooms.

What happens on the last day?

Day 5 is a transfer to the airport, timed according to your flight departure.