2026 Peru: In-Depth Sacred Valley & Machu Picchu

ARRIVING IN LIMA

Upon arrival in Lima (XX arrives Lima xx PM, RL xxx), you will be met at the airport outside the arrivals area by a local representative holding a Premier Tours sign.  You’ll be assisted with your luggage and transferred to your accommodations for the evening.  PLEASE DO NOT MOVE BEYOND THE GATED INTERNATIONAL ARRIVALS AREA.  STAY IN FRONT OF THE MAIN FLIGHT SCREEN AND DO NOT EXIT THE BUILDING.

Our local representatives will provide entrance tickets and transportation details during your itinerary.

PRO TIP: LUGGAGE WEIGHT RESTRICTIONS FOR PERU RAIL TRAINS TO MACHU PICCHU: Updated 2026

When traveling to Machu Picchu on the Belmond Hiram Bingham, PeruRail Vistadome, or PeruRail Expedition: one bag or backpack (carry-on luggage) with a maximum weight of 11 lb., measuring no more than 62 linear inches/157 linear cm (height + length + width).  Please coordinate luggage storage / options with your guide, who will assist with arrangements.

PRO TIP:  HOTEL PICK-UP TIMES FOR PRIVATE GUIDED TOURS

Your local guides will coordinate all your transfers for flights and daily excursions with you upon arrival.  Private morning tours generally start between 8:30 - 9:00 AM, and afternoon tours tend to start at 2:00 PM unless otherwise requested. 

Any transfer times provided in advance are an estimate and will be confirmed by local guides the night before.

INTERNAL FLIGHTS WITHIN PERU

If we booked your internal flights for you, we monitor them and adjust your transfers accordingly. No paper tickets are issued. All internal Peru flights are e-tickets and you will just need to provide your passports at the airport. If possible, we will print out your boarding passes in advance and hand them to you upon check in.

If you are already in the airport and your flight is cancelled, for immediate assistance, contact the emergency WhatsApp , email or phone number below.

WHILE IN PERU:  EXPLORANDES, our in-country partner in Lima, Peru.

During Office Hours: + 51 200 6100

After Hours WhatsApp Emergency Contact:  +51 1 709 9212

After Hours Email Emergency Contact:  help@explorandes.com

FLY TO CUSCO / SACRED VALLEY

ESTIMATED PICK UP TIME TO BE CONFIRMED BY LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE:

A local guide will assist you in the transfer from your hotel to the airport for the hour-long flight to Cusco (LA #     depart Lima      AM, arrive Cusco      AM). 

Once you arrive in Cusco, exit the airport and look for a local representative holding a Premier Tours sign with your last name on it.

YOUR PRIVATE GUIDE FOR THE SACRED VALLEY / MACHU PICCHU / CUSCO:   XXXXX

To help you acclimate to the altitude, you'll head directly to the Sacred Valley which is lower in elevation.

From Cusco, it’s roughly a two-hour drive to the Sacred Valley.  Your guide will share his wealth of information about the lives and history and culture of the Incans, including geography, architecture, legends and mysteries about these ancient people.  You are dropping in elevation to about 9,000 feet once you are in the valley.

En route to the Sacred Valley, you’ll stop at Awana Kancha, a community-run textile initiative. More than 400 families contribute their ancestral knowledge of weaving. Here you’ll find beautifully crafted blankets, hats and textiles coveted the world over in traditional bright reds, oranges and yellow colors. You’ll also find four members of the cameloid family (the llama, alpaca, vicuna and guanaco). Llamas are the most recognizable species, but alpacas have the most commonly used thick wool, while the vicunas are much smaller in size. Their fur is considered the finest.

The Indian markets in the Sacred Valley are a photographer’s dream. You’ll visit Pisaq, located about an hour outside of Cusco, where you can easily barter and shop for souvenirs.  Among the popular items you’ll find are locally made pottery, handicrafts, wool products, hats, weavings, jewelry, toys, textiles, beads and even antiques.  Farmers come down from the highlands to sell their vegetables as well.  You’ll often find open air grills with roasted cuye (guinea pig) on the menu! Nearby ruins are an added attraction, including 17th century churches and plazas, Inca terraces and walls. Pisaq Market is open daily. You can walk or drive up to the nearby ruins of a citadel which overlook stunning vistas.

The rest of the afternoon is at leisure for you to acclimate.

UPGRADE OPTION:  HACIENDA HUAYOCCARI / PERUVIAN PASO HORSE SHOW WITH LUNCH

At the historic Huayoccari Hacienda, one of Peru's most beloved farming estates, you'll meet the graceful Peruvian Paso horses.  Known for its four-beat lateral gait,  the Paso horse and the chalán (horse rider) demonstrate their equestrian skills.  Lunch at the hacienda is included.

PRO TIP:  Local “mate” tea is found everywhere and is a natural herbal alternative to help you adjust to the Andean high altitude (11,300’ above sea level in Cusco).  We recommend that you keep hydrated and drink lots of water (“sin gas” refers to non-carbonated water, “con gas” refers to carbonated or still water), limit your physical activity, and avoid smoking and alcohol if possible for the first 24 hours in the Andes.

SACRED VALLEY:  MARAS, MORAY, OLLANTAYTAMBO

ESTIMATED PICK UP TIME TO BE CONFIRMED BY LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE:

For a more in-depth understanding of the Sacred Valley, it’s worth visiting Maras and Moray, two sites that are often missed by travellers on a fast track to Machu Picchu.  Famous for its salt evaporation ponds, Maras is found down a canyon that descends to the Rio Vilcanota.  The view from above the terraced ponds are incredible. All of the ponds are polygon shaped with the flow of water carefully controlled and monitored by the workers. Shared maintenance is split among villagers. 

In Moray, the deep bowl-shaped hollows here look like a Roman amphitheater. They are circular in shape and have stairlike terraces climbing up to the valley floor above. The full purpose behind these concentric terraces isn’t fully known. However, it is widely believed that the ruins were once an agricultural laboratory used by the Incas. The circular terraces that lie here are thought to have been used as an agricultural research station. Their depth, design, and their orientation with regard to the sun and wind are all telltale signs that they have a specific purpose. Because of the different conditions at each level of the terraces there is a difference in temperature of 15 °C (27°F) from the top to the bottom. For many, it’s considered a sacred site.

Picnic lunch included.

In Ollantaytambo, the elevation is about 9100 feet above sea level. The town, dating back to the 15th century, was used by the Incas for ceremonies while Spanish conquistadors claimed it as their headquarters.  Look at the nearby cliffs where you will find the carved images of pre-Incan gods held sacred by villagers.

TRAIN TO MACHU PICCHU / EXPLORE RUINS / OVERNIGHT AT MACHU PICCHU

ESTIMATED PICK UP TIME TO BE CONFIRMED BY LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE:  

RE:  LUGGAGE STORAGE FOR YOUR OVERNIGHT AT MACHU PICCHU

* You will need to pack only a small overnight bag weighing 11 lbs or less  (locked and tagged with your name) and a day pack for essentials like your camera, water, guidebook, etc.  

Pick up at your hotel by your guide and driver.  The driver will collect the luggage you will leave behind and keep it safely stored while you continue on to Machu Picchu.  When he picks you up at the train station after your return from Machu Picchu tomorrow, you will be reunited with the luggage.

* Please have your passport ready today as you will need to show it to board your train to Machu Picchu, for the shuttle ride to the ruins, and then to enter the ruins.

Morning transfer to the train station for the nearly two hour ride aboard the Vistadome train to Machu Picchu. A light snack and small drink is provided on board. The route follows the Urubamba River gorge to the hilltop village of Aguas Calientes, located at the foot of Machu Picchu.

The scenery is stunning, and your guide will share amazing information about this area.

Disembark from the train with your guide for the short walk to where shuttle buses depart for the ruins, known as the famous Lost City of the Incas.  Hotel porters will be waiting to collect your overnight bag as you exit the train to bring directly to your hotel.  It will be waiting for you there when you return at the end of the day.

Those on private tours will lunch at the legendary Sanctuary Lodge, the only hotel at the foot of the citadel.

The ride up to the ruins follows a one of a kind, zig zag route that takes about half an hour.

Your guide will take you on a guided hike along the many trails in one of the Seven Wonders of The World.  You’ll find llamas wandering through the citadel – a terrific photo op! From the view at 7900 feet above sea level, the world is at your feet. For hundreds of years, until the American archaeologist Hiram Bingham stumbled upon it in 1911, the abandoned citadel’s existence was a secret known only to peasants living in the region. The site stretches over an impressive 5-mile distance, featuring more than 3,000 stone steps that link its many different levels. There is so much to explore.

Return with your guide to Aguas Caliente (now known as Machu Picchu Pueblo) using one of the shuttle buses later this afternoon.  Your overnight bag will be waiting for you at the hotel when you check in.

PRO TIP: LUGGAGE WEIGHT RESTRICTIONS FOR PERU RAIL TRAINS TO MACHU PICCHU:

When traveling to Machu Picchu on the Belmond Hiram Bingham, PeruRail Vistadome, or PeruRail Expedition: one bag or backpack (carry-on luggage) with a maximum weight of 5.0 kg/11 lb., measuring no more than 62 linear inches/157 linear cm (height + length + width).  Make sure it is locked and has your contact information on it.  

PRO TIP:  There are bathrooms located outside the Machu Picchu entry point (cost is a few soles, the local currency).  There are NO BATHROOMS once you enter the ruins.

Single entry into Machu Picchu only and circuits are one way only.  You are not allowed to enter the ruins, exit, and return into the ruins again.

Walking sticks are allowed inside the ruins ONLY if they are rubber-tipped.

No food is allowed inside Machu Picchu.  We recommend bringing a small water bottle for the hike.

DEPART MACHU PICCHU BY TRAIN, RETURN TO CUSCO

ESTIMATED PICK UP TIME TO BE CONFIRMED BY LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE:

After breakfast, bring your overnight bag to reception for check out.  It will be delivered to the train station  later this afternoon.

* Please have your passport ready today as you will need to show it to board your shuttle ride to the ruins,  to enter the ruins, and to board the return train to the Sacred Valley.

Today you'll be accompanied by your private guide as we include your shuttle ride, entrance fee and hiking permit to a second Machu Picchu mountain trail. Keep in mind that hiking the trails can take up to two hours or more, so plan your day accordingly.  

Lunch is included in town before boarding the Vistadome Observatory train to the Sacred Valley.  

Your overnight bag will be delivered from the hotel to the train station in time for your scheduled Vistadome Observatory train departure to Ollantaytambo  (1.5  hr ride with beautiful vistas).  A light snack and small drink will be provided on board. 

Your driver will be waiting for you at the train station (along with the luggage you left with him before departing for Machu PIcchu) with the for the drive to Cusco (approximately 1.5 hr drive). 

Estimated arrival into Cusco is very late afternoon.

PRIVATE CUSCO CITY TOUR / AFTERNOON AT LEISURE / COOKING CLASS

ESTIMATED PICK UP TIME TO BE CONFIRMED BY LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE:  

Today you'll enjoy a private half-day city tour  (2-3 hrs) to several ruins as well as the Cathedral of Cusco. Among the highlights will be many of Cusco’s ruins scattered about the cobblestone streets, churches, plazas and Incan walls.  Most likely you will visit Sacsayhuaman (pronounced almost like “Sexy Woman” and means “satisfied falcon in the Quechua language), which rests on a mountaintop overlooking the valley, and consists of three outer lines of gargantuan walls, 1,500 ft long and 54 ft wide, surrounding a paved area containing a circular stone structure believed to be a solar calendar. The ruins also include a 500,000 gallon water reservoir, storage cisterns, ramps, citadels and underground chambers.  The 'fortress' is composed of three large terraced walls, which are said to represent the 'Teeth of the Jaguar' (the original city of Cusco was said to have been in the shape of a jaguar). Above the magnificent terraces are the remains of circular structure called Muyuqmarka.

Tambo Machay is situated on a hillside 5.6 miles from Cusco. The Incas may have used this complex for religious ceremonies for worshipping water or for other rituals that included the use of flowing water. Specialists called it a "royal bath." Incan rulers stayed here only with the most loyal of followers, family members and personal guards while the rest of the people would stay at the nearby Puca Pucara (included if time permits).

Kenko (“zig zag” in Quechua) is an archaeological about 4 miles north east of Cusco. It is one of the largest huacas (holy places) in the Cusco Region. Many huacas were based on naturally occurring rock formations. It was believed to be a place where sacrifices and mummification took place.

Koricancha (Temple of the Sun) is built with many construction mechanisms used by the Incas, such as the vertical inclination of walls, trapezoidal shape of the structures, irregular shapes and rounded edges. Increased breadth on the bottom coupled with ~ 3-5 degree inclination gives the walls remarkable stability that has withstood centuries of earthquakes, which are common to the area. The staggered and mortar free assemblage of the stones also makes them seismically resistant in strong earthquakes because the stones are able to wiggle in place, thereby releasing the seismic stresses, settle back into position and then lock after earthquakes. These combined methods make the structures basically earthquake proof.

Afternoon at leisure.

UPGRADE OPTION: COOKING CLASS (2.5 hrs)

This morning you'll be transferred to a fantastic rooftop kitchen experience . After wandering through a local market, a friendly chef will teach you the basics of making a pisco sour from scratch, plus a favorite local dish using fresh ingredients.

FLY TO LIMA TO CONNECT WITH LATE NIGHT DEPARTURE 

ESTIMATED PICK UP TIME TO BE CONFIRMED BY LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE:

Morning at leisure.

A private transfer is provided for your late afternoon flight back to Lima.  

LA #  Depart Cusco    Arrive Lima.

Connect with late night departure. Safe travels home!

Your flight: 

 UPGRADE OPTION:  Fly to Lima in the morning and add on private Lima afternoon city tour.

Upon arrival in Lima, you'll be met by a local guide and taken on a private city tour of Lima.  

Lima was part of the Inca Empire until was founded by the Spaniard Francisco Pizarro on the 18th of January, 1535. The highlights of its historical center are its architecture and the urban design of the city, found in the old streets filled with colonial houses adorned with Moorish-style balconies. 

The highlights of your private Lima city tour may vary depending on your time frame and may include: the Paseo de la Republica (Promenade of the Republic), Plaza San Martin (San Martin Square) and the Plaza Mayor (Main Square), with their majestic buildings: Palacio de Gobierno (Government Palace), Palacio Arzobispal, (Archibishop's Palace), the Basilica Catedral (Cathedral Basilica) and the Palacio Municipal (Municipal Palace).

Drop off at the Lima airport.

24-HR EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION FOR PERU ADDED IN YOUR FINAL DOCUMENTS.