Cusco, Sacred Valley & Machu Picchu, 4 Days
Met at the airport, shown everything, returned to the airport
- 4 days
- 3,700 m max
- Easy
- Cusco airport to Cusco airport
The whole Cusco region in four days with nothing left to arrange — airport transfers, a guided city tour, the full Sacred Valley circuit, the train to Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu with a guide. Two nights in Cusco, one at the foot of the citadel.
This is the trip most people actually want when they say they are going to Machu Picchu. Not a trek, not a day trip, but four days that take in the city, the valley and the citadel with somebody else handling the logistics.
The logistics are the point. Cusco to Machu Picchu involves two trains, two buses, a timed entrance ticket, a mountain road and an airport at either end, and the difference between a good trip and an exhausting one is usually whether those pieces line up. Here they are arranged as one booking, from the moment you land.
If you have longer, our five and six-day versions add Rainbow Mountain and Humantay Lake to the same spine. If you have less, the two-day Sacred Valley trip covers the citadel alone.
What you'll see
Nothing to book separately
Airport transfers at both ends, three hotels, both trains, every entrance fee, both bus journeys at the citadel and all the guiding, in one price.
Cusco properly seen
Qoricancha, Sacsayhuamán, Q'enqo, Puka Pukara, Tambomachay and the historic centre with a guide, on your arrival afternoon rather than left to you.
The full Sacred Valley
A camelid centre, the valley viewpoints, the Pisac ruins and market, Moray, the Maras salt pans and Ollantaytambo — ending on the train rather than back in Cusco.
The citadel on the first buses
You sleep in Aguas Calientes and go up early, which is the whole reason for the overnight.
Small groups
Eight people on average, not a coach party.
Circuit 2 requested by default
The most complete route through the citadel. If it has gone we tell you which circuit you have and why.
Cusco, Sacred Valley & Machu Picchu, 4 Days: day by day
Times are what we actually aim for, not a best case. Traffic into Cusco and the train timetable move them by a little.
Day 1
Arrive in Cusco, and the city tour
Met at the airport and taken to your hotel with time to rest and let the altitude settle. In the afternoon, a guided tour of the historic centre, Qoricancha, Sacsayhuamán, Q'enqo, Puka Pukara, Tambomachay and the viewpoints above the city.
- Meals
- None included
- Night
- 3-star hotel in Cusco
Day 2
The Sacred Valley, then the train
A full day down the valley — a camelid centre, the viewpoints, the Pisac ruins and market, Urubamba, Moray, the Maras salt pans and Ollantaytambo — with lunch in the valley. In the evening, the Expedition train to Aguas Calientes and dinner there.
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Night
- 3-star hotel in Aguas Calientes
Day 3
Machu Picchu, then back to Cusco
One of the first buses up for the guided visit of the citadel, then back down for the Expedition train to Ollantaytambo and a private transfer to your hotel in Cusco.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Night
- 3-star hotel in Cusco
Day 4
Home
Breakfast at the hotel and free time depending on your flight, then a transfer to the airport or the bus station at the time you need.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Night
- Not included — you fly out
What the price covers
Transfers and hotels
- Airport transfers on arrival and departure
- Two nights in a selected 3-star hotel in Cusco
- One night in a selected 3-star hotel in Aguas Calientes
- Three hotel breakfasts
- Private transport from Ollantaytambo back to Cusco
The guided days
- Cusco city tour with a professional local guide
- Sacred Valley tour with Pisac, Moray, the Maras salt pans and Ollantaytambo
- Every entrance fee for the sites named in the itinerary
- Lunch at a local restaurant in the Sacred Valley and dinner in Aguas Calientes on day two
Machu Picchu
- Return Expedition train between Ollantaytambo and Aguas Calientes
- Return bus between Aguas Calientes and the citadel
- Machu Picchu entrance, with Circuit 2 requested by default
- Guided visit of the citadel
Throughout
- Full coordination and support for the four days
- All taxes
Not included
- Flights to and from Cusco
- Any meal not named in the itinerary
- Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain
- Train upgrades to the Vistadome or the Observatory service
- Hotel upgrades
- Travel insurance
- Tips, which are genuinely optional
Cusco, Sacred Valley & Machu Picchu, 4 Days: prices and options
Add-ons
- +£45
Vistadome train, one leg
Panoramic glass roof instead of the standard Expedition carriage.
- +£60
Huayna Picchu
About two hours there and back on day three. Book well ahead.
- +£60
Machu Picchu Mountain
About three hours there and back, on a broader path.
What to bring
Papers and money
- Your original passport — they check it at the citadel gate and on the train
- Cash in soles for the Pisac market and tips
- Your medication and any personal first aid
Day to day
- A small daypack, 25 litres at most for inside the sanctuary
- A refillable water bottle
- A camera and a power bank
- An overnight bag for the night in Aguas Calientes
Clothes
- Comfortable walking shoes, already worn in
- Clothes you can layer — the valley is warm by day and cold at night
- A light jacket or fleece
- A rain poncho
Sun and skin
- High-factor sun cream — the UV at 3,400 m is unlike anything at home
- Sunglasses with UV protection and a sun hat
- Insect repellent for Aguas Calientes
- Lip balm
Questions we get asked
Is four days enough?
For Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, yes — it is the shortest itinerary that covers all three without feeling like a relay race. What it does not leave room for is anything else — no Rainbow Mountain, no trekking, no spare day if a flight goes wrong. If you have five or six days, our longer packages use them well.
Why does day one only have a city tour in the afternoon?
Because you have just flown to 3,400 m. The morning is deliberately empty so that you can arrive, unpack and drink some water before doing anything. The city tour is gentle and it is the right amount of activity for a first day at that altitude.
How much walking is there?
Graded easy. You walk around archaeological sites on uneven ground — Sacsayhuamán, Pisac, Moray, Ollantaytambo, and the citadel itself — but the distances are short and a vehicle does the travelling. Machu Picchu involves a fair number of steps.
Which circuit will I get at Machu Picchu?
We ask for Circuit 2, the most complete route through the citadel, and get it most of the time. The Ministry of Culture controls the allocation and caps it daily, so nobody can promise it outright. If Circuit 2 has gone we secure the best remaining route, usually Circuit 1 or 3, and tell you which before you fly.
Do I need to book flights separately?
Yes. This is a land-only package that starts and ends at Cusco airport, so your flights from the UK and the Lima to Cusco connection are yours to arrange. Aim to land in Cusco in the morning rather than the evening so that day one works properly.
Can I upgrade the train or the hotels?
Both. The Vistadome and the Observatory service are available in place of the Expedition train, and the hotels can be moved up a category or several. Tell us what you have in mind when you enquire and we will quote it against your dates.
When should I book?
For May to September, three to four months ahead, mostly because of the Machu Picchu tickets rather than the hotels. Circuit 2 in high season goes early.
Which meals are included?
Three hotel breakfasts, lunch in the Sacred Valley and dinner in Aguas Calientes on day two. Everything else is yours, which in Cusco is a feature rather than a gap — it has the best restaurants in the region.
Ask us about Cusco, Sacred Valley & Machu Picchu, 4 Days
Tell us your dates and we'll come back with availability, the circuit we'd recommend, and a firm price. No deposit to ask, and we answer within one working day.