Cusco – Ollantaytambo – Aguas Calientes

We will pick you up at 04:00 am (or 08:00 am) from your hotel and transfer you to the Ollantaytambo Train Station. Passing some small, colorful towns like Chinchero, Urubamba and Calca we will finally arrive at Ollantaytambo, where we will have a few minutes to have a coffee before boarding the train at 06.40 am (or 11:15 am).

From here, you will enjoy the incredible journey of 2 hours on the train with its panoramic windows where you can observe the Urubamba River descending from the high valley down to the cloud forest at 2000 meters. The landscapes changes drastically in front of your eyes! You will be amazed to see the tropical mountain ending in a snow carpet and the small waterfalls shimering on the hills, forming small rivers that flow down to converge at the Sacred River. After these spectacular natural views you arrive at Aguas Calientes where the warm atmosphere welcomes you with typical jungle sounds.

Our staff will be waiting for you at the gate of the train station in Aguas Calientes and bring you to your hostel. In the afternoon you will have plenty of free time. The guide will give you a few tips about what to do or to visit in Aguas Calientes – we personally recommend you to visit the botanical garden, the new Machu Picchu museum or to take a walk along the train line to the Mandor waterfall where you can also find a beautiful botanical garden with native plants (10 Soles entrance fee).

If you are looking for an extreme adventure and don’t suffer from dizziness, we suggest you to climb Putucusi Mountain. From the very top, you will have a great alternative view of Machu Picchu! The hike takes about 3 hours and has a steep gradient including ladders up to 20 meters – preferable don’t do the hike during rainy season!

At 07:00 pm you will receive a short briefing from your tour guide for the next day’s excursion, so please make sure you will be in the hotel at that time.

Accommodation: Hotel Hatun Inti Classic

Machu Picchu – Ollantaytambo – Cusco

The day you were waiting for!

Wake up very early in the morning to have your breakfast (at 04:00 am) and then take the bus uphill to the famous Inca Citadel of Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas. The first bus leaves at 05:30 am and takes a 25 minutes ride.

Optional take the path which is winding up the mountain to reach Machu Picchu.

Machu Picchu gate opens at 06:00, so arriving early you will be one of the first visitors of the day, avoiding the crowds. In case you don’t want to wake up early, please take the bus at 7 am.

At 07:45 am your bilingual tour guide will take you around the vast ruins for about 2.5 hours, comprehensively explaining the historical significance of Machu Picchu and its importance in the Inca Empire.

Machu Picchu is the best known of all the Inca Archaeological sites, as it is recognised worldwide as one of the new seven wonders, even though it’s not mentioned in any handwritten Chronicle of the Spanish Conquerors. Experts believe that Machu Picchu has been constructed around the mid-15th century by Inca Pachacuteq and was rediscovered in 1911 by American historian Hiram Bingham.

The guided tour of this fascinating site will be an unforgettable experience, visiting the Main Square, the Royal Quarters, The Temple of the Three Windows, the Circular Sun Tower, the Sacred Sun Dial (Intihuatana) and the Burial Grounds.

After the excursion, you can climb up the mountain Huayna Picchu from which you will have stunning views over the whole complex! However, there are only 400 entrance tickets per day. Therefore, please let us know in advance if you would like to do the hike when you do your tour reservation (extra cost of US$ 15.00).

Due Huayna Picchu is very fast oversold, we are offering Machu Picchu Mountain as a second climbing option. The advantage of this hike is that it is less crowed, but not less beautiful. The cost of this climb is also US$ 15.00 per entrance.

After this, you will have some free time to wander around. Optional you can do some unguided walks to Inti Punku, the Sun Gate, which is the traditional end of the Classic Inca Trail (1.30 hours hike both ways), or to the Inca Bridge (1 hour hike). Otherwise you can simply explore the ruins and enjoy the inspiring atmosphere and breathtaking views.

A frequent bus service takes visitors back to Aguas Calientes (included) at any time. If you prefer, take a walk down through the jungle – it will take you roughly 45 minutes.

You will arrive to Aguas Calientes for a late lunch or to enjoy a dip in the hot springs (not included). In the afternoon late afternoon at 07:00 pm, you take the train back to Ollantaytambo and then a tourist transport to Cusco. If you want to return to Cusco in the early afternoon, please let us know so we can book an early train at 02:30 pm or 04:12 pm (according to the service, it will have an extra cost of US$ 30.00).

Meals: Breakfast