The Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu tour unites the two largest and most requested tours: the Sacred Valley of the Incas and the majestic Machu Picchu.
Generally the first part of the whole adventure begins by visiting the sacred valley. Some of the most important archaeological centers such as Pisac, Ollantaytambo and chinchero are included in this tour.
The second part of the tour, is the trip to the Inca wonder Machu Picchu, also include the visit to Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu mountain depending on the plans or itineraries of the tourist.
Sacred Valley Tour
It usually starts at 0800 hours. And it ends at 19:00. It depends a lot on the time available to the tourist and the pick up of passengers is done from your hotel.
The Sacred Valley of the Incas, which is beautifully irrigated by the Vilcanota River, begins with a visit to the Inca citadel of Pisac, where you can also visit the typical handicraft market of Pisac, where we will have the opportunity to learn about the crafts and textiles of its inhabitants.
After a nice tour in Pisac we go to Ollantaytambo, located in the province of Urubamba and district of the same name (Ollantaytambo). You can enjoy the whole tour in Ollantaytambo and take the best pictures.
The last stretch of the sacred valley tour will be the trip to chinchero, called the land of the rainbow. In chinchero you will be able to visit the most important places like the colonial temple, the Inca walls and artisan centers.
After crossing chinchero the returning to Cusco will be between the 18:00 to 18:30 hours.
Details of the Sacred Valley Tour
Tour Sacred Valley beautiful tourist circuit, offers magnificent natural landscapes always accompanied by the river Vilcanota. During the Sacred Valley tour, impressive archaeological complexes are visited:
Pisac
The archaeological complex of Pisac, located on top of a mountain, from where you can observe a good part of the Sacred Valley, is presented as the gateway that begins a beautiful journey through the most important constructions of the Inca culture. This wonderful place is formed by groups of platforms and architectural structures scattered on slopes and built on the steep slopes of the mountain.
Pisac is one of the most beautiful monumental centers of the valley, because it combines the landscape with the impeccable finish of its Inca constructions. Besides looking like an agricultural building, Pisac was actually designed as a food storage center (seeds and crops). Therefore, during a tour you can observe tambos (storage center) and the famous door of the snakes “Amaru punku”.
Pisac Handicrafts Market
Located in the heart of the city of Pisac, the main square houses this market, colorful and cheerful place where the most beautiful handcrafted crafts are exhibited Cusco and many times with natural colors. Among the crafts stand out ceramic pieces, textiles, ponchos, bags and leather, which are reproductions of Inca archeological pieces, such as keros (ceremonial vessels).
Ollantaytambo
To make the tour to Ollantaytambo, after the tour in Pisac, take a short break and taking advantage of the time for lunch with all the companions of the trip.
In the afternoon the tour begins in Ollantaytambo, after lunch, you can visit the Inca Fortress, built to guard the entrance – military purposes – and protect from possible invasions or rebellions from other peoples.
We will have the opportunity to visit every corner of the Inca constructions and thus have a clear idea of how this military, religious and cultural center was designed during the Inca Empire.
The most important points that we will visit will be:
– The Royal House of the Sun
– The strong Choqana
– Mañay Raqay Square or ‘K’uychipunku’.
– The Temple of the Sun
– The Monumental Cover and the Precinct of the 10 Hornacinas
– The Bath of the Ñusta
– The Andes
Chinchero
After touring Ollantaytambo, it’s time to head for chinchero.
On the way back to Cusco, the last part of the day, we will visit the picturesque village of Chinchero, where the remains of the royal hacienda of Túpac Inca Yupanqui are found.
In Chinchero you will find the well preserved Inca Wall, in the main square you will visit the beautiful colonial temple with interesting frescoes in the portico, which was built on the basis of an Inca building.
In addition to knowing the Inca walls and the beautiful colonial temple, in chinchero, you will find the biggest markets of crafts and especially of Inca textiles. In spite of the passing of the years in chinchero the best textile confections are made with techniques that passed from parents to children.
Chinchero more than in other places presents much variety in crafts and textiles, to buy a beautiful textile with characteristics of Inca weave, is more economic, It is a question of that it organizes its purchases and acquires a beautiful souvenir of its trip.
At the end of the tour in chinchero, it is time to return to Cusco. The transfer to the hotel of each tourist is guaranteed.
Thus ends the first day of the sacred valley tour and Machu Picchu, the next day will be one of the most unexpected and unforgettable, as the trip will be to the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu.
Tour to Machu Picchu full day
The second day that includes the sacred valley tour and Machu Picchu, presents two options clearly differentiated by the schedule, so for example we have:
– The first travel time begins at 4:30 am from the city of Cusco to arrive at approximately 7:30 hours to Machu Picchu.
– The second schedule is 8:30 am from the city of Cusco to arrive at 12:00 am to Machu Picchu.
You can choose the schedule depending on your taste, but this time we will describe the most comfortable schedule that is “the second schedule” and starts at 8:30 am.
The tour to Machu Picchu starts between 8 and 9 in the morning, from Cusco. Generally, passengers are picked up from the hotel and start the tour to Ollantaytambo train station.
To board the train in established schedules is of high priority, it is necessary to be always very attentive to the schedules of exit.
Being in hot waters (Machu Picchu town), begins the journey by bus that takes you to the Inca citadel, located 25 minutes from hot waters.
Once at the entrance to the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, the guide will start the tour so that you can get to know the history and architecture of Machu Picchu in a better way. The tour has an approximate duration of 2 hours and will take you to the most important sites of the Inca city.
After the tour you must return to Aguas Calientes, at approximately 18 hours you must go to the train station to start your return trip.
In Ollantaytambo the bus will be waiting for you, if your trip is made by a tour operator, to transfer you to your hotel in Cusco, thus concluding this tour at approximately 23:00 hours.
Although it is well known that each section of this sacred valley and Machu Picchu tour can be taken separately, it is more convenient to include a small package (cheaper).
Nowadays there are many tourist companies that offer this type of tours, it is a question of asking for information and to adapt our trip to be able to enjoy it better.
