Cusco City, Sacred Valley & Machu Picchu 3 Days

Your private adventure begins with a comfortable hotel pickup at 8:30 AM, where your professional private guide and vehicle are waiting. Your first destination is the legendary Koricancha — once the most sacred and richly adorned temple in the entire Inca Empire, its original stone foundations now supporting the colonial Church and Convent of Santo Domingo, an extraordinary architectural contrast between perfectly fitted Inca stonework and Spanish baroque. You then pass through the historic center, the grand Plaza de Armas, and the magnificent colonial Cathedral, and immerse yourself in the vibrant central market — a colorful celebration of Andean produce, foods, medicinal herbs, and crafts. After a delicious included lunch at a quality traditional restaurant, your private vehicle takes you to the four remarkable Inca sites on the city's outskirts: Sacsayhuamán (massive zigzagging walls of perfectly fitted boulders up to 300 tons each), Qenqo (a ceremonial site carved into natural rock, with tunnels and altars), Pucapucara (a military checkpoint and resting station), and Tambomachay (the elegant "Bath of the Inca," whose engineered channels still flow with spring water). From Cusco, you continue into the Sacred Valley to the spectacular hilltop Pisac archaeological complex — terraces, ceremonial areas, and fortifications with sweeping valley views — followed by the colorful Pisac artisan market. The day concludes with a comfortable transfer to Urubamba for your first overnight stay in the heart of the Sacred Valley.

Day 2 begins with a hearty breakfast at your hotel in Urubamba before a full day of Sacred Valley exploration. Your first stop is the extraordinary Moray — famous circular terraces descending in concentric rings that created distinct microclimates, used by the Incas as a sophisticated agricultural research laboratory. Next are the breathtaking Salineras de Maras (Maras Salt Mines) — a vast network of over 3,000 salt pools cascading down the hillside in white, pink, and amber, fed by an underground spring in continuous use since pre-Inca times, where you can touch the crystals and buy artisanal salt. You then visit the highland community of Chinchero to see traditional textile workshops — where weavers explain their iconography, natural dyes, and ancestral techniques — and the colonial temple built directly on an original Inca palace. After a delicious included lunch at a quality restaurant in Urubamba (vegetarian and vegan options on request), your guide introduces authentic local experiences such as an Inca chicha bar and traditional guinea-pig (cuy) farming. The afternoon brings the magnificent Ollantaytambo — the largest, most complete Inca site in the Sacred Valley and the best-preserved example of original Inca urban planning, with its hilltop sun temple and still-inhabited street grid. From the Ollantaytambo station you board the Vistadome train — panoramic windows and a glass-dome ceiling — for the spectacular journey to Aguas Calientes, where you check into your hotel and enjoy dinner in town (at own expense) before your Machu Picchu visit.

Day 3 begins with an early breakfast at your hotel before the 30-minute scenic bus ride up to the main entrance of Machu Picchu — arriving early, when the citadel is at its most peaceful and beautiful. Once inside, your expert private guide leads a comprehensive and deeply engaging tour of the citadel, following your ticket's assigned circuit and visiting the temples, royal palaces, ceremonial areas, agricultural terraces, and iconic viewpoints, with expert historical, architectural, and cultural commentary throughout. Afterward you have free personal time to explore independently, photograph the classic viewpoints, or simply absorb the atmosphere. Optional climbs of Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain are available for those who booked them in advance, and the Sun Gate and Inca Bridge are free to visit for all ticket holders — just ask your guide. After your visit, the bus takes you back to Aguas Calientes for a delicious included lunch and free time to explore the town or the thermal baths (entry at own expense). In the afternoon you board the Expedition train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo, where your private driver is waiting for the comfortable 2-hour transfer back to your hotel in Cusco (arriving approximately 6:30 to 7:00 PM), completing an extraordinary three-day journey through Peru's most iconic destinations.