Peru » Lima

Machu Picchu, Cusco & Sacred Valley: 7-Day Culture & Ruins Trip

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/26

Duration7d

GroupUp to 12

LanguagesEN · ES

PickupAt your hotel

Ancient stones, local markets and sunrise at Machu Picchu

You’ll taste Lima’s history, breathe in thin mountain air in Cusco, wander Sacred Valley villages with local artisans, and finally stand above Machu Picchu as mist curls around ancient stonework. This 7-day journey includes all transfers, entry tickets, guides in Spanish and English, plus daily breakfasts—so you can focus on soaking up every detail.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Explore Lima's Historic Center and Museum

Visit Convent of Santo Domingo
See Universidad Mayor de San Marcos
Tour Plaza Mayor and Government Palace
Visit Municipality and Cathedral
Explore Larco Museum and warehouse

Day 2 — Arrival and City Tour in Cusco

Arrive in Cusco and transfer to hotel
Visit Plaza de San Cristóbal
Explore San Pedro Market
Tour Qorikancha Temple
Walk from San Blas to Hatun Rumiyoc street
See Inca Roca Palace and Twelve Angled Stone
Visit Plaza de Armas and Cathedral

Day 3 — Visit Sacsayhuaman and Surroundings

Visit Sacsayhuaman citadel
Explore Q’enqo altar
See Puca Pucará lookout
Visit Tambomachay monument
Enjoy free afternoon in Cusco

Day 4 — Sacred Valley: Pisac and Cultural Center

Visit Pisac archaeological site
Walk through colonial Pisac village
Shop at artisan workshops
Tour Inkariy Museum exhibits
Lunch
Visit Yucay Live Culture Center

Day 5 — Sacred Valley: Moray, Maras and Ollantaytambo

Visit Moray agricultural terraces
Tour Maras salt mines
Lunch
Explore Ollantaytambo village and site
Transfer to Ollantaytambo train station
Travel to Aguas Calientes and hotel check-in

Day 6 — Machu Picchu Visit and Return to Cusco

Board train at Ollantaytambo
Arrive at Machu Picchu station
Bus ride to Machu Picchu site
Tour Machu Picchu terraces and sites
Lunch
Return by train to Cusco
Transfer to hotel in Cusco

Day 7 — Departure from Cusco

Departure transfer

The Experience

Landing in Lima felt like hitting pause on my regular life. I still had airport coffee breath when our guide, Lucía, waved us over with a paper sign (I always get nervous about missing those). She took us through the city’s old heart — Santo Domingo’s cloisters smelled faintly of incense and old paper. The Larco Museum wasn’t what I expected; the ceramics were so tactile I wanted to run my hands over them, but didn’t dare. By evening I was already losing track of time zones and centuries.

Cusco hit different — thinner air, brighter colors. We stopped at San Pedro Market first thing. It was noisy and full of fruit I’d never seen before; Lucía pressed a slice of lucuma into my hand (tasted kind of like caramel?). The walk from San Blas down to the Plaza de Armas is mostly downhill but somehow still left me winded. Our guide pointed out the famous Twelve Angled Stone — people actually line up to touch it. There’s something about those walls that makes you feel tiny but also sort of connected to everyone who ever walked here.

The Sacred Valley day trip from Cusco was one of those days that just keeps unfolding — Pisac ruins up on the hill, then weaving demonstrations in Yucay where I tried spinning alpaca wool (not well). Lunch was a blur of corn beer and laughter with locals who showed us how they dye textiles using bugs — never thought I’d see that. Moray’s terraces looked almost alien under the sun; salt mines at Maras shimmered white against red earth. Ollantaytambo’s stonework is so precise it doesn’t look real until you’re right there squinting at it.

I barely slept before Machu Picchu day — nerves or altitude or both? The train ride from Ollantaytambo was quiet except for bursts of chatter from other travelers. When we finally got off the bus at the top, clouds hugged the mountains and everything smelled green and wet. Our guide let us wander a bit after explaining the three different visitor circuits (apparently they change things up to protect the site). There was this one silent moment looking out over the terraces where it felt like time just folded in on itself. I still think about that view sometimes when I can’t sleep.

What’s included

Your week includes six nights’ accommodation with daily breakfast according to your chosen category, round-trip train tickets to Machu Picchu, all entrance fees for every site visited (like Sacsayhuaman or Moray), bilingual Spanish-English guides throughout each excursion, airport/hotel/railway transfers at every stage—and lunch on certain days such as during your Sacred Valley visit—so you won’t have to worry about any logistics along the way.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfants must sit on laps

Operated by VIPAC Travel