The most-booked package for families and couples. Five days, four nights, three regions of the Cusco area — and no rushing. You arrive in Cusco, acclimate properly, see the Sacred Valley, reach Machu Picchu, and leave with the rare feeling of having actually understood what you visited.
This is the package we recommend to first-time visitors with five days available. It's also the most balanced from a logistics standpoint: no overnight treks, no early morning starts, but a deep enough itinerary that you don't feel like you skimmed.
Day one is arrival and a half-day Cusco city tour — Coricancha (the Sun Temple), the Cathedral, and the nearby Inca ruins of Sacsayhuamán and Tambomachay. Day two is the Sacred Valley: Pisac, lunch in Urubamba, Ollantaytambo, overnight in the valley. Day three is the train to Aguas Calientes and afternoon citadel visit. Day four is sunrise at Machu Picchu and return to Cusco. Day five is a free morning in Cusco and your transfer out.
Four nights of accommodation are included (two in Cusco, one in Sacred Valley, one in Aguas Calientes) along with all breakfasts, all transport, all train tickets, all entry tickets, and certified guides for every guided activity. The pricing assumes a 3-star hotel standard; 4-star and boutique upgrades are available.
Realistic timings, hand-built around weather, altitude, and the rhythm of actual Cusco operations.
Airport pickup at any arrival time and transfer to your Cusco hotel. We recommend arriving in the morning to allow afternoon participation in the city tour. If you arrive in the afternoon, your city tour shifts to Day 2 morning instead, with the Sacred Valley starting that afternoon.
After checking in and a light rest, we collect you at 1:30 PM for the half-day Cusco city tour. We start at Coricancha (the original Inca Sun Temple, overlaid by the Santo Domingo convent) — perhaps the single best-preserved example of pure Inca stonework. We then visit the Cathedral, walk through the historic center, and drive up to the ruins above the city: Sacsayhuamán (the massive zigzag fortress), Q'enqo (a ceremonial site), Puca Pucara (a small fortress), and Tambomachay (the water shrine).
Drop-off at your hotel by 6:30 PM. Free evening — most travelers eat dinner in the historic center and head to bed early to continue acclimating.
Hotel pickup at 8:30 AM (after a relaxed breakfast). Drive 1 hour to Pisac. Your guide leads you through the archaeological park — agricultural terraces, ceremonial temples, the Intihuatana stone, and the largest Inca cemetery in the Andes. Free time at Pisac artisan market afterward.
Buffet lunch at a restaurant in Urubamba (typical Andean cuisine — quinoa soup, alpaca or trout, fresh juice, dessert; vegetarian options always available). Then continue to Ollantaytambo, where your guide walks you through the towering fortress and the living Inca village below — the only place where the original 15th-century urban grid is still in daily use.
Hotel check-in by 6:00 PM at your Sacred Valley accommodation (Ollantaytambo or Urubamba). The valley is 600 m lower than Cusco, so most travelers sleep noticeably better here.
Hotel breakfast at your own pace. Check-out by 9:30 AM and we walk you to Ollantaytambo Station for the 10:30 AM train. The 1 hour 45 minute journey to Aguas Calientes drops you in the small mountain town below the citadel around 12:15 PM.
Walk to your Aguas Calientes hotel for early check-in and lunch on your own (your guide recommends three options). At 1:30 PM, we board the Consettur shuttle bus up to the citadel for an afternoon entry. Your guided Circuit 2 tour begins at 2:30 PM and lasts approximately 2.5 hours.
After the guided portion, you have approximately 1.5 hours of free time inside — perfect for golden-hour photography from the upper terraces. Bus down to Aguas Calientes by 5:30 PM and free evening. Many travelers visit the thermal baths or just rest before the early morning return tomorrow.
Optional sunrise visit: meet in the hotel lobby at 5:00 AM. First bus up at 5:30 AM. You'll have approximately 2 hours inside the citadel before the crowds arrive — perfect for photography from the iconic upper viewpoint. Most travelers consider this the highlight of the whole trip.
Return to Aguas Calientes by 9:00 AM for hotel check-out. Free morning (last chance to visit the market, thermal baths, or simply rest). Afternoon train to Ollantaytambo around 2:00 PM, arriving 3:45 PM.
We meet you with private transport for the drive back to Cusco. Hotel check-in at your Cusco accommodation by 6:30 PM. Free evening for a final dinner in the historic center.
Hotel breakfast at your own pace. Late check-out (usually 11:00 AM, can sometimes be extended). The morning is yours — wander the San Pedro market, visit the San Blas neighborhood, browse the artisan shops on Cuesta del Almirante.
Airport transfer at your scheduled time. We typically recommend arriving at Cusco airport 90 minutes before domestic flights.
The package ends here. Many travelers continue on to Lima for a few days, or to Puno/Lake Titicaca, or fly home directly. We're happy to suggest extensions.
Group rates in USD. No hidden fees. Single supplement available for solo travelers (typically +25%). Quote in your currency available on request.
Prices are valid for 2026 departures. We reconfirm pricing at the point of inquiry based on your exact dates, group size, and any upgrades.
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