Lima, Cusco & Machu Picchu: 6-Day Sacred Valley Tour
Six days tracing the Inca path from Lima's colonial heart to Machu Picchu's stone terraces
You move through Lima's colonial plazas and museums on day one, then fly to Cusco and spend three days exploring the city, Sacsayhuaman, and the Sacred Valley's weaving villages and Inca terraces. Day five is Machu Picchu by train: the full citadel, lunch included, return the same day. All hotels, meals, entry fees, train tickets and transfers are arranged. You bring your passport details at booking and altitude medicine if you need it.
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Step-by-step itinerary
Day 1: Explore Lima's historic center and museum
- Visit Convent of Santo Domingo
- See Universidad Mayor de San Marcos
- Walk through Plaza Mayor
- Explore Government Palace and Cathedral
- Tour Larco Museum
Day 2: Afternoon city tour of Cusco
- Visit Plaza de San Cristóbal
- Explore San Pedro Market
- Tour Qorikancha Temple
- Walk San Blas artisans’ neighborhood
- See Inca Roca palace and Twelve Angled Stone
- Visit Plaza de Armas Cathedral
Day 3: Visit Sacsayhuaman and nearby sites
- Tour Sacsayhuaman citadel
- Visit Q'enqo Inca shrine
- See Puca Pucara watchtower
- Explore Tambomachay monument
- Free afternoon in Cusco
Day 4: Sacred Valley: Chinchero, Moray, Ollantaytambo
- Visit Chinchero village and textile centre
- See Chinchero Inca square and church
- Tour Moray agricultural terraces
- Lunch in Sacred Valley
- Visit Ollantaytambo village and ruins
- Admire views from Ollantaytambo heights
Day 5: Machu Picchu visit and return
- Board train at Ollantaytambo
- Arrive at Machu Picchu station
- Take bus to Machu Picchu site
- Tour Machu Picchu citadel
- Lunch at Machu Picchu
- Return by train to Cusco
Day 6: Departure transfer
- Transfer to airport or next destination
The experience
The Plaza Mayor opens in front of you on day one: the Government Palace, the Cathedral, the weight of four centuries of Lima stone. You're walking the Historical Center with a guide who knows which doorways matter: the Convent of Santo Domingo, where the university that predates Harvard still keeps 15th-century books in its library, where the remains of saints rest in the crypt. The Larco Museum comes next, gold and textiles and ceramics that tell you how Peruvian cultures saw the world. By evening you're in a Lima hotel, and the city's energy (the kind that moves through plazas at dusk) is already in your bones.
Day two lands you in Cusco by afternoon. The San Pedro Market hits you first: vendors calling out, the smell of fresh coriander and quinoa, locals moving through stalls that supply the entire city. Then the Qorikancha Temple, where walls used to be covered in gold before the Spanish came. You walk down Hatun Rumiyoc street and stop at the Twelve Angled Stone: a block cut so precisely that no knife slides between it and the next one, built into what is now the Archbishop's Palace. The Plaza de Armas Cathedral holds colonial paintings of impossible value. That night you sleep in Cusco, already at 11,000 feet, already feeling the altitude shift your breath.
The next morning takes you to Sacsayhuaman, the massive citadel above the city, before the crowds arrive. Colossal stone walls, concentric circles, the landscape opening in every direction. Q'enqo comes next: an Inca shrine carved into rock, with an altar for sacrifices embedded inside the formation itself. Puca Pucara and Tambomachay close the morning, both considered pillars of Andean cosmovision. Your entrance passport, included in the tour, gives you access to other sites in the area if you want to walk on your own in the afternoon. The guide is bilingual, Spanish and English, so nothing gets lost in translation.
Day four is the Sacred Valley proper. Chinchero first: the most typical village, famous for women weavers who still use ancient Inca techniques to dye and spin alpaca wool. You stop at a textile center to watch it happen, then visit the Inca square with its colonial church. Moray comes next, concentric agricultural terraces the Incas used as a laboratory to test different microclimates. Lunch happens somewhere in the valley. Then Ollantaytambo, the last living Inca village, where you see the Temple of the Ten Windows, the baths of the ñusta, the Temple of the Sun. The postcards from the heights close the day. You sleep in the Sacred Valley that night.
Day five is Machu Picchu. You board the train at Ollantaytambo station in the morning, the selected category ticket already in your pocket. The train follows the Urubamba River through a deep canyon, the view building as you descend. At Machu Picchu station, staff help you onto the bus that winds up the mountain. The Lost City opens: terraces, staircases, ceremonial precincts, urban areas carved into stone. Energy moves through the place. That's not metaphor, it's what the site does. Lunch is included. You return by train that afternoon and transfer back to your Cusco hotel. Day six is your departure transfer. The tour runs six days total, five nights of accommodation included, all transfers between airports and hotels, all admission tickets, the train to Machu Picchu. Note: Machu Picchu now uses three visitor circuits to distribute passengers and protect the site. You'll be assigned a route before tickets are issued, and the admission ticket itself is non-refundable and non-changeable. If your date shifts, you buy a new ticket. Book your domestic flight from Lima to Cusco for the morning. Arriving after noon is too late to start day two on time.
What’s included
- Your six days include five nights of accommodation in Lima, Cusco, and the Sacred Valley.
- all transfers between airports, train stations, and hotels.
- train tickets to Machu Picchu in your selected category.
- entry tickets to the Larco Museum, Convent of Santo Domingo, Qorikancha Temple, Sacsayhuaman, Q'enqo, Puca Pucara, Tambomachay, Chinchero, Moray, Ollantaytambo, and Machu Picchu.
- lunch on day four in the Sacred Valley and lunch at Machu Picchu on day five.
- and a bilingual guide (Spanish and English) throughout.
Options for this experience
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You pick the guide language when booking. Options with the same name differ in details you'll see when you pick a date.
Before you book
Prices and times updated yesterday
Operated by VIPAC Travel
Is this one for you?This tour works if you want the main Inca sites (Lima's colonial core, Cusco's temples, the Sacred Valley villages, and Machu Picchu) without arranging flights between cities, train bookings, or entry permits yourself. The fixed itinerary and included logistics mean you move through six days without negotiating transport or timing.
Traveler reviews
Top questions
What languages is the guide in?
Live guide in English and Spanish.
What's included in the 6-day Peru tour?
Five nights of accommodation, all transfers between airports and hotels, train tickets to Machu Picchu, entry to all attractions (Larco Museum, Sacsayhuaman, Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley sites), and meals as noted in the itinerary. Bilingual guide (Spanish and English) is included.
When should I book my flight from Lima to Cusco?
Book a morning flight. Arrival by noon at the latest is required. Arriving later means you'll miss day two's afternoon activities in Cusco.
Is Machu Picchu entry refundable if I need to change dates?
No. Machu Picchu admission tickets are non-refundable and date changes are not accepted. If you need to reschedule, you must purchase a new ticket.
What's the altitude in Cusco, and do I need medicine?
Cusco sits at 11,000 feet. If you're prone to altitude sickness, bring medication or consult your doctor before departure. The tour is suitable for all fitness levels, but cardiovascular health matters at this elevation.
What's the Machu Picchu visitor circuit system?
Machu Picchu now uses three circuits (routes 1B, 2, and 3B) to distribute visitors and protect the site. Route 2 is prioritized. If unavailable, you'll be offered route 3B or 1B before tickets are issued, and you confirm your choice then.
Do I need a passport for this tour?
Yes. Provide your passport name, number, expiry date, and country at booking. This information is required for the train ticket and Machu Picchu entry.
Can infants travel on this tour?
Yes, infants are permitted and must sit on an adult's lap during transfers and train travel.
Lima, Cusco & Machu Picchu: 6-Day Sacred Valley Tour
6d · EN · ES · at your hotel
from US$ 921 per person
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