2-Day Sacred Valley & Machu Picchu Tour from Cusco

Overview

Day by day itinerary

1. 1The Sacred Valley⌄

   This site functioned as the Southern Gateway to the Sacred Valley, and is known for its military, ceremonial and agricultural purposes. Here you can admire numerous agricultural terraces lining the mountainside, the most of any site in the Sacred Valley.

   After visiting the ruins we will walk through the local town of the same name and explore its colorful artisan market before heading to the town of Urubamba for lunch

   We head to Urubamba for a delicious lunch

   Our next stop will take us to the Inca Fortress and Citadel of Ollantaytambo, built to guard the Northern entrance of the Valley. It was designed to protect it from possible invasion from the various lower jungle tribes. As you walk through the quaint streets of the town, you will then make your way towards the steps of the fortress.

   As you make your way up the steps of the fortress, you will start to realize what an important strategic Military, Religious, and Agricultural Center it was during the reign of the Inca Empire. This is also the place where the Inca had their last stand against the Spanish before retreating to seek refuge at Vilcabamba.

   Meals: Lunch

2. 2Machu Picchu⌄

   Today is the day you’ve been waiting for! We will pick you up from your hotel to catch the train to Aguas Calientes, the gateway to Machu Picchu. One of the Seven Wonders of the World, Machu Picchu deserves all the attention that it gets for being an engineering and architectural masterpiece. Visitors will be impressed by the many plazas, temples, houses, storage facilities, sundials, stairs that still maintain their structure more than 500 years later despite constant exposure to intense weather and earthquakes. During your tour through this magnificent site, your bilingual guide will explain all about the historical sanctuary of Machu Picchu and visit all the major sites within the lost city. After the tour we will descend to Aguas Calientes, where you will have time to visit the hot springs that the town is named for (not included in cost of tour). Then, you will have the opportunity to eat lunch and shop for some souvenirs before catching the train back to Cusco.