Machu Picchu Express 3 days

Description: Machu Picchu Express (Cusco City Tour and Mapi)

This tour is ideal for those who want to know Machu Picchu express in just a couple of days, with all the support of a highly professional and trained team. Enjoy every minute of all the touristic attractions on the city of Cusco.

The tour begins after your arrival in Cusco, with a transfer from the airport to the hotel. In the afternoon, we will start a city tour through the Imperial City, which allows you to visit the most interesting and attractive places, such as the historic center and its archaeological sites, located a few minutes from the city.

In the next day, we will continue our trip to Aguas Calientes to our dream visit, and get to know Machu Picchu, the lost city of the Incas, distinguished by its rich in details architecture. A very mysterious place, known by its incredible landscapes, ancient technologies and the amazing history of the Andean colonial culture inherited from the Inca Empire.

We will finish our trip with a transfer from the hotel to the airport, all taken care by our higly trained crew, providing all the comfort, security and tranquility that our clients deserve.

Itinerary

Day 1: Airport - Hotel Cusco (Schedule your flight to arrive in Cusco no longer than 10 am) - Cusco City Tour (Cathedral, Qoricancha, Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Puka Pukara and Tambomachay) - 05 hrs tour

According to the schedule of your flight, our team will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel in Cusco, where you will be greeted with a cup of the famous coca tea.

The city of Cusco is at an altitude of 3,399 meters above sea level

In this afternoon, you will get to visit the most exciting spots of Cusco and the surrounding area.

Starting with the Cathedral at Plaza de Armas, Imperial City main church, built on the palace of the Inca Wiracocha. The Cathedral has more than 300 paintings from the Cusco art school.

Then we will visit the Qoricancha, or “Temple of gold” in the Quechua language. It was the first temple built by the Incas, formerly covered with large amounts of gold and silver.

We will leave the city of Cusco and arrive at the Saqsayhuaman complex, famous for its huge lithic blocks of more than 150 tons. In the Inca era the temple was considered to lightning the god Illapa.

Next, we will visit the temple of Q’enqo , a place dedicated to the Pacha Mama (Mother Earth) where you can appreciate carved stone constructions.

Then we will arrive at the impressive Inca fort Puka Pukara, or “Red Fortress” in the Quechua language. Finally, we will arrive at Tambomachay, where is located the sacred temple dedicated to the cult of water and purification baths of the Inca rulers.

At the end of the afternoon we will return to Cusco, where we will leave you at your hotel or if you prefer in the Plaza de Armas.

IMPORTANT TIPS

First of all, when arriving in our city, you should take into account the higher altitude. Take coca tea, as it will help you with acclimatization, give you more energy and oxygenate your body.

It is important to drink plenty of water since the body is still acclimatizing.

The first days it is advisable to eat light meals.

Overnight: Hotel in Cusco
Check in: 12:00pm Check out: 9:00am
Meals included: none
NOTE: If your arrival time is before check-in time, you will be able to use the hotel’s common areas while you wait.

Day 2: Machu Picchu - Cusco 02:30h Tour

This day, in the morning at the agreed time, we will pick you up from your hotel to go to the Ollantaytambo train station (a journey of almost 02 hours), once there, we will board the train in order to go to Aguas Caliente. After, we will arrive to the Aguas Calientes train station, where our tour guide will be waiting for you with a sign with your name to head to the bus station for the 30 minute journey up to Machu Picchu. We will zigzag up 400m of road to arrive at the “Historical Sanctuary of Machu Picchu” also known as “The lost city of The Incas”. On arrival at the citadel with your guide, we will queue at the entrance to Machu Picchu and we will begin our tour of this mind-blowing, archaeological site. For two and a half hours, we will visit the principal sites inside the site such as the Plaza Mayor, The temple of the Sun, The Sacred Sun dial (Intiwatana) the royal quarters, The Temple of the Three Windows, The Temple of the Condor, as well as other important sites inside the citadel of Machu Picchu. After the guided tour, you will be allowed time to take photos, before we return to the town of Aguas Calientes. You will be able to have lunch in one of the many restaurants (lunch is not included), after which we will board the train on our return journey to Ollantaytambo (Depending on the departure time of the train) and we will return along the same road as we arrived, to get to the city of Cusco. In Ollantaytambo, the train representative will head you to the bus station in order to take you on the final leg of the journey back to Cusco.

TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION

Since January 1, 2019, the rules regarding the entrance to the Machu Picchu Sanctuary changed.

Now the time limit for the visit is 04 hours with entry shifts every hour. Our guided tour starts 8:00 am, as the overnight will be in Aguas Calientes.

The visit to the citadel of Machu Picchu is a one-way path; once through a part of the way, there’s no return to that point. Also, there’s no re-entry, once we leave, we can’t re-enter. Re-entering is only possible if your ticket includes the Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu moutains.

In that case, you can only have a 1:30h guided tour, approximately, since it takes more time to climb the mountain.

Important Tips

We suggest you to leave your bags in the luggage storage of your hotel in Aguas Calientes, taking with you only the entrance ticket, documentation, money, a hat, repellent and sunscreen. On the return, you may get back your bags on the way to Cusco.

If the schedule allows, we recommend visiting the Chavez Ballon Museum, wich is the site museum of Machu Picchu. Admission from 12:00h is free, just present your valid passport.

In both low and high seasons, it will be necessary to line up to board the bus and the train towards and back from our destination. Our crew will help in order to save your time.

TIPS THAT CAN MAKE YOUR TRIP EVEN MORE INCREDIBLE

Request an exclusive guide
Resquest lunch at the amazing Sanctuary Lodge. Just ask to one of our consultants to make the purchase (USD 45,00 per person)

Overnight: Hotel in Cusco
Meals: none
Visit to Machu Picchu via circuit 1 or 2: includes the complete guided tour and the walk to the classic photo.
Overnight: Hotel in Cusco
Meals included: breakfast

Day 3: Hotel - Cusco Airport (Buy return flights at the time of your choice)

According to the schedule of your flight, we will make the transfer from your hotel to the Cusco airport.

END OF OUR SERVICES

NOTE: if your departure time is after check-out time, you will be able to use the hotel’s common areas while you wait.

What's Included

Day 1- transfer from Airport to hotel in Cusco (private)
- Assistance
- Cusco City Tour: Transport, Guide and entrance tickets
Day 2- Tour Machu Picchu: Transfer Hotel – Train Station
- Train Ollantaytambo – Águas Calientes (EXPEDITION or INCARAIL)
- Bus Aguas Calientes Machu Picchu
- Entrance to Machu Picchu
- Professional guide in English
- Guided tour of Machu Picchu (private)
- Bus Machu Picchu - Aguas Calientes
- Aguas Calientes - Ollantaytambo Train station (EXPEDITION or INCARAIL)
- Transfer from Train station to Hotel Cusco
Day 3- Transfer from hotel – Cusco Airport
- Assistance
Hotels- 02 nights accommodation in Cusco with breakfast
- Agency services

What's Not Included

Drinks except those mentioned in the itinerary
Meals except those mentioned in the itinerary
Snacks
Phone calls
Extra spending money
Tips/gratuities
Travel insurance

Optional Services

Entrance to Huayna Picchu mountain or Machu Picchu mountain: USD 80.00 per person (must be booked in advance)
Return Train VISTADOME/360° with panoramic views, typical dance show (Aguas Calientes - Ollantaytambo) - Upgrade service: USD 65,00 per person

What to Take

Passport with at least 6 months validity
Light daypack
Refillable water bottle
Toilet paper
Sunscreen
Repellent
Sunglasses
Clothing for hot and cold weather conditions
Sunhat
Rain gear or poncho
Long-sleeved shirts, (due to there being mosquitos in Machu Picchu)
Walking shoes/boots
Camera
Extra memory stick and additional batteries
Personal medications (for headaches, anti-inflammatory´s etc).
Extra Cash in soles and small denominations if possible

Prices

General Information

If the tour is cancelled due to weather conditions, do I get my money back?

No. Tour cancellations due to bad weather conditions are non-refundable, as these are factors beyond our control.

If my tour is cancelled, is the entrance fee to Machu Picchu refundable?

According to the latest updates from the Direccion desconcentrada de Cultura de Cusco, all entrance tickets to Machu Picchu are for personal use. Therefore, tickets purchased for Machu Picchu are not reprogrammable, nor transferable to another date and/or person, nor are refundable.

For the train trip to Machu Picchu, what do I do with my luggage? do I leave it at the hotel or take it with me?

The company that takes you by train to Machu Picchu does not allow you to take a suitcase of more than 5 kg. This means that most people pack a smaller backpack to spend the day in Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu, but people have doubts about where the larger luggage will stay during this time, you can leave it in the storage of the hotel in Cusco, at no extra cost.

can I choose the number of seats on the train?

PeruRail and IncaRail, the companies that provide train services in Peru, do not allow you to choose the seats on the trains. The distribution is done automatically by the company’s system.

To travel by train to Machu Micchu, which one do you suggest: EXPEDITION or VISTADOME?

We usually recommend to book the Expedition/Voyager train for the outbound trip and the Vistadome/360° panoramic train for the return trip, mainly because the outbound trip only has earlier departures, so this would mean missing the guided visit to the Ollantaytambo archaeological complex.

Is it obligatory to be vaccinated against Fiebre Amarilla?

Fiebre Amarilla vaccination is not mandatory for visitors to Peru. However, it is an additional precaution, especially since it is a tropical country.

Is travel insurance obligatory?

Travel insurance is not mandatory, but it is extremely important, especially for tourists who decide to travel to Peru.

Electrical plugs and voltage in Peru

The standard voltage in Peru is 230 volts, however, in some hotels there are plugs with 110, in this case, there are transformers that reduce the voltage.

What is the best currency to use in Peru, dollars or nuevo sol, and where to change?

Almost all establishments accept payments in dollars, so this will be the most used currency in the country. The ideal is to have an amount of dollars and a smaller amount of nuevo sol to make purchases at craft fairs, for example.

It is recommended to take dollars with you and exchange them in Peru at reliable exchange houses recommended by the travel agency.

What is the weather like in Peru?

The country’s weather is divided into two main seasons: rainy and dry.

The rainy season runs from December to the end of March and the dry season from April to October. In the region of Cusco and Machu Picchu, there is a lot of variation in temperature, but normally the maximum reaches 20°C and the minimum is close to 0°C.

In the Lima region, on the coast of Peru, temperatures are higher and range from 12°C to 35°C.

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