3-Day Sacred Valley and Short Inca Trail Tour to Machu Picchu

• Start the tour at 8 am when we pick you up at your hotel and immediately begin heading out of Cusco towards the Sacred Valley.
• On the way, we will stop at a local alpaca farm, where you will have the opportunity to meet some of the locals and feed the animals.
• Our first stop in the valley will be Pisac, a local village with a thriving market and beautiful ruins. The guide will explain the ruins, and you will have time to explore both the ruins and the market on your own.
• After Pisac, we will continue to Urubamba, where we will stop for lunch at a local restaurant.
• After lunch, we will continue to our final stop of the day, Ollantaytambo. These famous ruins were built to match the sun's cycle, aligning the temple with the nearby mountains to track the solstices. This temple also has intricate agricultural terraces, allowing you to experience some of the ancient technology available to the Incas. Our guide will give you an explanation of the site, after which you will have free time to explore the ruins on your own.
• After some time, we will drop you off at your hotel in Ollantaytambo Village.
• Rest well for the following day.

Overnight accommodations: Hotel in Ollantaytambo Village.

Meals: Lunch, Dinner.

Entrance fee to the Inca site: Not included.

• We will pick you up from your Ollantaytambo hotel early in the morning, at about 5:00 am.
• Walk for 5 minutes to the train station in Ollantaytambo and take the train to Kilometer (Km) 104, which takes about three hours. Feel a twinge of satisfaction that the train is stopping especially for you, knowing you are about to see things that no one else will get to.
• Get off the train and pass the Inca Trail checkpoint, where we will see our first archaeological center, Chachabamba (2,170 m / 7,170 ft). These ruins were one of the last shelters the Incas used before reaching Machu Picchu. This site was also used as a religious and administrative center and featured several buildings.
• Gradually ascend for about 2-3 hours, climbing Inca stone steps while our guide points out different flora and fauna along the trail.
• Pass a tall waterfall before arriving at the archaeological site called Wiñay Wayna (2,650 m / 8,700 ft), named after an orchid and meaning Forever Young in Quechua.
• Climb to the top of the ruins and enjoy lunch with an incredible view of Wiñay Wayna and the Sacred Valley. This large site sits on a mountainside and features experimental terraces that the Incas used to grow different crops.
• Visit an important temple with seven windows that was dedicated to the rainbow, as well as observe the amazing engineering of water channels that still function today.
• Continue our hike for about 1 1/2 hours on this part of the Inca Trail, which is relatively flat, with small ascents and descents along the way.
• At about 2:00 pm, reach the Sun Gate (2,720 m / 8,920 ft), called Intipunku in Quechua. This is where we will have our first view of Machu Picchu.
• From there, head down to the ruins to take the bus down to Aguas Calientes.
• Upon arrival in Aguas Calientes, you will check in to your hotel.
• The natural hot springs in town are an unbeatable way to spend a late afternoon or early evening if time is available before dinner.

Meals: Box Lunch / Dinner

Accommodations: Hotel

Distance to walk: 9.3 miles / 15 km

Approximate walking time: 5-6 hours

• After an early breakfast, board the bus, which will take us to the most mysterious city of the Incas, Machu Picchu. The same professional guide will teach you about all the history of this mysterious and inspirational place.
• Visit the Sun Temple, Royal Palace, Main Temple, the Temple of the Three Windows, and the Intihuatana sundial.
• After the guided tour, we have left some free time for you to explore on your own.
• If you have booked the Wayna Picchu hike, you will need to coordinate with our guide regarding your scheduled time for this additional hike. For people not hiking Wayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain, there are other optional activities you can do on your own:

• Hike to the Sun Gate: You will have an opportunity to walk approximately 2 hours up and down to the Sun Gate (Inti Punku) to see Machu Picchu from a different angle.
• Trek to the Inca Bridge: The Inca Bridge offers a dose of adrenaline, and while not a strenuous trek, it is death-defying as the trail is very narrow with steep drops and is not for people with vertigo.

• Back to Cusco in the afternoon, you will return to the train station in Aguas Calientes for the trip back to Ollantaytambo.
• Upon your arrival at the train station, you will be transferred by car to your hotel in Cusco.

Meals: Breakfast

Lowest Elevation: 2,040 m / 6,691 ft

Highest Elevation: 2,440 m / 8,052 ft