Cusco: Sacred Valley & Machu Picchu 2-Day Private Tour

Two Days in Cusco's Sacred Valley and Up to Machu Picchu

You wake up in Cusco and spend two days moving through the Sacred Valley (Pisac, salt mines, Moray, Ollantaytambo) with a professional guide explaining the history and architecture at each stop. Lunch is included on day one. Day two takes you by bus and on foot through Machu Picchu with a guided tour of roughly two and a half hours, then free time to explore before the train ride back. Hotel pickup both mornings and accommodation in a 3-star hotel overnight in Aguas Calientes are included. You return to Cusco by evening on day two.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Explore Sacred Valley of the Incas

• Pick up at hotel at 7:00 am
• Visit Pisac with guide
• Visit artisanal salt mines
• Explore Moray agricultural site
• Buffet lunch in Urubamba
• Visit Ollantaytambo ruins
• Travel to Aguas Calientes

Day 2: Visit Machu Picchu and return

• Pick up at hotel
• Take bus to Machu Picchu
• Guided tour of Machu Picchu
• Bus back to Machu Picchu village
• Free time in village
• Train to Ollantaytambo
• Vehicle transfer to Cusco hotel

The experience

The alarm goes off at 6:30 am. By 7:00, you're in the car heading out of Cusco toward Pisac, where the first light is hitting the terraces that climb the mountainside. Your guide meets you at the hotel (they speak English or Spanish, whichever you need), and from there the day unfolds in layers. Pisac first, where the architecture tells you something about how the Incas thought about water and stone. Then the salt mines, where locals are still harvesting salt by hand the way their ancestors did, channeling mineral-rich water into shallow ponds and letting the sun do the work. It's not a museum piece. People are actually there, working.

After Pisac comes Moray, which is stranger than you'd expect: concentric circles carved into the earth, an agricultural laboratory where the Incas tested which crops would grow at which altitudes. Lunch happens in Urubamba, a buffet where you can actually taste what grows in that valley. Then Ollantaytambo, a town built on top of Inca foundations, where the structures are still holding up the houses and shops. By evening you're in Aguas Calientes, the town at the base of the mountain, staying in a 3-star hotel and trying to sleep knowing what's coming tomorrow.

Day two starts early again. The guide picks you up and you take the bus up the mountain (the switchbacks are tight, the views drop away fast), and then you're walking through the official entrance to Machu Picchu. The tour itself runs about two and a half hours, your guide pointing out the temples, the water channels, the precision of the stonework, the way the site sits in the cloud forest. You get time to move around, take photographs, stand in the places where the light hits differently depending on the hour. After the guided portion, there's free time in the village before you catch the train back down to Ollantaytambo, then the company vehicle takes you back to Cusco and your hotel.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup in Cusco on both mornings.
• professional guide in English or Spanish.
• entry to Pisac, the salt mines, Moray, and Ollantaytambo on day one.
• buffet lunch in Urubamba.
• overnight accommodation in a 3-star hotel in Aguas Calientes.
• bus transportation up to Machu Picchu.
• official entry to Machu Picchu and guided tour of approximately two and a half hours on day two.
• free time in Aguas Calientes village.
• train ticket back to Ollantaytambo.
• return transportation to your Cusco hotel by company vehicle.

Before you book

Days and timesSaturday and SundayDeparts at 01:00

AgesAdult (18 to 60 years) · Senior (61 to 70 years) · Youth (11 to 17 years) · Child (3 to 10 years) · Infant (1 to 2 years): free

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.Operator's directions: “go to the midpoint of the cuckoo square next to the statue located at the midpoint of the square of arms. there will be our staff of the company ̈Go Andes Expeditions ̈”

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 72h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleInfant seats availableNot for heart conditionsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Go Andes Expeditions

Is this one for you?Pick this tour if you want to see both the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu in two days without arranging your own transport, guides, or accommodation. The itinerary and logistics are already planned, which is what makes a full inland trip possible without spending half your time on logistics.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (11 to 17 years); Child (3 to 10 years); Infant (1 to 2 years): free.

What time does the Sacred Valley tour start?

Pickup from your Cusco hotel is at 7:00 am on day one.

Is lunch included?

Yes, a buffet lunch in Urubamba is included on day one. Day two does not include a meal.

How long is the Machu Picchu guided tour?

Approximately two and a half hours with your professional guide.

Where do I stay overnight?

A 3-star hotel in Aguas Calientes, the town at the base of Machu Picchu.

Do I need to arrange my own train ticket to Machu Picchu?

No. The tour includes the bus ride up the mountain and the train ride back down to Ollantaytambo on day two.

What happens after the Machu Picchu tour ends?

You have free time in Aguas Calientes village, then take the train back to Ollantaytambo and return to Cusco by company vehicle, arriving at your hotel in the evening.

Is this tour suitable for people with mobility concerns?

The tour is wheelchair accessible in parts, though Machu Picchu itself involves walking on uneven terrain and stairs. Discuss any specific concerns with the operator before booking.