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Tucked under the tawny skirts of formidable foothills about 15kms/9.3 miles north of Cusco as the condor flies, via a narrow road and hairpin turns, the Sacred Valley holds its head high. The valley has long been the home of attractive colonial towns, isolated weaving villages, handicraft markets and lofty 10th and 11th century Inca Citadels of Pisac, Ollyantaytambo and Urubumba.
Visiting the Salt Mines and Moray terraces which were made by building containment walls filled with fertile earth. They were watered through a complex irrigation system. At the base of the terraces, there is a rain water storage system. The entire system allowed for the cultivation of the Incas to grow over 250 types of vegetables.
Following in the ancient and remote footsteps of the Lost City of the Incas begin your connection to the great citadel of Machu Picchu, as you catch yourself traveling back in time as you experience this magical, sacred and mysterious place with the name of Machu-Picchu, “The Old Sacred Mountain.” Take your time exploring the majestic Machu Picchu, with its Incan ruins rich in history of its past and the thriving culture of the people who once resided there.
We will pick you up at your hotel at 7am, with our private van and head towards the Sacred Valley of the Incas, taking the direct route to Pisac. We drive first to the Ccochahuasi Animal Sanctuary, which has a variety of Peruvian animals including a Peruvian Puma, and the great Condor, the national bird of Peru. Then you are off to the mirador of Taray to enjoy a classic view of the Urubamba valley with crops dressing the mountains like a carpet. Onward, we drive to the archaeological site of Pisac, where you can see the biggest Inca cemetery with more than 2000 tombs. There we admire the incredible farming terraces carved into the mountain, explore the Inca tunnel and the religious area of this important citadel. Here we will spend more than 2 hours, exploring the Inca city. Then we head back to the colourful market of Pisac, spend some time visiting it with all of its handicrafts and treasures to discover and then drive to Urumbamba for lunch.
With its timeless charm, we visit the archeological site of Moray, also known as “The Greenhouses of the Incas” an evolutionary bowl of ecological terraces. The terraces are carved into a huge bowl, which were excavated by the Incas for agricultural purposes. The terraces have varied microclimates, depending on how deep into the bowl they are placed. It is believed they were used by the Incas to discover the optimal growing conditions for their different crops.
Expanding on our journey to the colonial town of Maras, you ascend downhill to the pre-Inca salt mines. A hot spring at the top of the valley discharges a small stream of heavily salt laden water, which is diverted into saltpans and evaporated to produce a salt that is used for both human and animal consumption. Finally, we drive to Ollantaytambo, having time to explore the age old and bustling Inca village and the massive Inca Ruins, with a tour provided by our guide. Then at 7pm, we will take the train to Aguas Calientes where we will spend the night in a hotel.
Bursting out with excitement on your final surreal day, we take the 5.30am bus to Machu Picchu archeological site, arriving in time for the sunrise, making sure we tour every nook and cranny of this New 7 Wonder of the World and UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. On your 2.5 hours private tour, your guide will expertly direct you through the energetic ruins and its diverse main streets. Then on your own, you can wander around the town squares of the world’s spiritual center of esoteric wisdom as well as climb the intricately carved stairways made of stone until the end of your session time.
If you wish to indulge in a few of the following activities on your own, you can (not included in the price)
After your time to enjoy Machu Picchu, you will descend to Aguas Calientes at 12pm. You can take in a leisurely lunch or explore Aguas Calientes handicraft market and board the Expedition train by 4:22pm for the return trip to Cusco stopping at the Ollantaytambo Train Station and then you will be driven back to your hotel in our private van, arriving around 8:30pm.
***There are now 2 sessions to enter the Machu Picchu Citadel; 6am to 12pm and 12pm to 5:30pm. If you wish to stay after 12pm, you must purchase a second entrance ticket.
***Passengers that purchase Huayna Picchu tickets are given an extra 2 hours at the Machu Picchu Citadel and those that purchase Machu Picchu Mountain tickets get 3 hours extra.
The Expedition service is designed for traveller’s comfort, being able to share your experience with four passenger seats located in front of each other. A luggage compartment offered above for the faithful backpack. Andean music is played throughout the journey, panoramic windows, air conditioning and heating.
“The Cusco City to Machu Picchu Tour is available on any date that is best for you, as long as we have a minimum of 2 hikers”
SAM (initials of Saul Alvarez Montalvo) Travel Peru is a family owned travel agency and direct local tour operator based in Cusco with personal experience over many years of trekking. SAM Travel Peru is a 1oo% Cusquenian Company without any shareholders.
My dream as the owner was to create small personalized tours & treks strictly and only operated by local professional staff catering in PERSONALIZED and HIGH QUALITY SERVICE.
We take pride in having a reputation as being a RESPONSIBLE & SUSTAINABLE tour operator. My staff are my extended family. I ensure they are supported financially by paying them a good wage. I am proud of my team without them I couldn’t give the best service and lifetime experiences to our clients.
In an effort to provide a more personalised service to our passengers, we in SAM Travel Peru have a policy that our groups will not exceed 8 people. This fact alone sets us apart from other companies that operate departures with bigger groups.
I am very proud of my guides! Highly professional, speaking in fluent English and very knowledgeable. Passionate for the Inca heritage/ history, dedicated to a steady personal development and learning to ensure that you receive accurate and recognised theories about the Inca Andean culture. Fun loving, great sportsmen and well educated some having a degree in Archaeology, Botany, History or Anthropology. Others are great entertainers and the best “Salsa Dancers” on this side of Machu Picchu.
SAM Travel Peru has always believed that we should “give back” to the communities we pass through on our treks. Therefore, as part of our commitment in responsible tourism, we socially support and employee from these communities.
SAM Travel Peru is proud to be able to support these beautiful people, not only in hiring them for work but to bring things back to grassroots, to share in their home and families. This makes us happy to have a holistic approach with our highland employees and their families!
A beautiful reflection of our attitude in everything we do, is that we wish to make life richer and more meaningful for all involved.
Please read carefully the following information; it will help you answer all of your questions about our services and tours
You will be welcomed at Cusco airport and taken to your hotel, please ensure that you inform us of your full flight details at least 14 days prior to your trek. Look out for our representative holding an orange board SAM Travel Peru at the arrival terminal. It can be done on any date that is best suited to you!
It will take place the night before the trekking departure at 6pm in our office which is located at Calle Santa Teresa Nº383 ; 303 (second floor), we are next to SUBWAY restaurant.
Of course! During the Cusco City to Machu Picchu Tour your main luggage can be store at our office or at your hotel, both are for free. Please don´t pack anything you will need for your hike.
FIRST, to book your Cusco City to Machu Picchu Tour, we need you to fill out our booking form by clicking on BOOK NOW on our homepage or click here the link BOOK NOW.
Please be ready with the following information (FROM EACH PARTICIPANT in your group). We cannot purchase an an entrance to Machu Picchu or the train without the following information:
SECOND, we require a deposit of US$200.00 per person in order to purchase a your entrance to Machu Picchu and train ticket. You can make you deposit by clicking on the VISA or PAYPAL symbols on the top of our home page, or you can click on the VISA or PAYPAL symbols on our booking page or click here on the payment method of your choice, either VISA or PAYPAL.
It would be greatly appreciated if you pay in cash at our office (US dollars or Peruvian soles) here in Cusco. We have many cash machines in the historical center to withdraw money. You can also pay by VISA or PAYPAL online but you will have to pay a 5.5% service charge, charged by VISA and PAYPAL. To pay your balance through PAYPAL, you need to log into your PAYPAL account using our email address of samtravelperu@gmail.com.
Unfortunately the answer is “No”. Once the tickets have been bought the government does not allow any changes, so we can’t change any departure date after the tickets has been bought. Tickets are also not transferable nor refundable.
*** If you cancel your Cusco City to Machu Picchu Tour, the deposit is not refundable at all!
Yes for sure!You have to bring your original passport and it is very important that it is the same passport number you sent to us to book your entrance to Machu Picchu, train ticket, other entrances and reservations. The rangers will check when you enter Machu Picchu. The train company will also check your passport before allowing you to board the train.
In case you are renewing your passport or changing your name, go ahead and send us your old passport information to secure your permit, and we can change it when you get your new passport number or updated your name for a fee of $25 per person. We must have a copy of your old and new passport to make the change. Before you change your passport keep a copy of your old one.
If you do not wish to pay this fee you will need to bring both passports to Peru with you. You can enter Peru with your new passport but you will need to show both passports, old and new to be to enter into Machu Picchu or the train. If you do not have both you will not be allowed to enter into Machu Picchu or get on the train. They are very strict about this here!!
The partial ticket, or 1 Day ticketcosts70 soles (US $20) and is valid for 1 day. You can visit a many sites as you like in one day with no further charge. There are no discounts with this ticket.
Both tourist tickets, of 1 day or 10 day, allows the access to different archeological sites around Cusco, and Sacred Valley. This is the best way to visit all the archeological sites of the region and the Sacred Valley. Most of the main archeological sites are not accessible for free.
The general ticket allows you over the next 10 days to enter16 archeological and cultural sites in Cusco, the south valley and the Sacred Valley. The price of this ticket is 130 soles (about US $40) and is valid for 10 days. This is the cheapest and most convenient way to plan to see different sites in a few days. The cost for students under 25 (with the presentation of a valid ISIC card) and for teenagers under 18 (with the presentation of an identity card) is 70 soles (US $20). Children under 11 are free.
First I would say that the weather is very unpredictable and it’s difficult to foresee. We recommend you to bring a warm jacket for early morning and rain poncho in case of a rain shower.
Absolutely! Included in our packages is dropping you off at your hotel on the return from your trek or tour. If you have booked your hotel in the Sacred Valley like Ollantaytambo or Urubamba, we will drop you there too!
If you spend the night at Ollantaytambo before the trek, we wil pick you up there.
In general if you have regular exercise and spend a couple of days in Cusco, or in the Sacred Valley for acclimatisation to the altitude, you may be fine.
The recommended medicine for altitude sickness is WATER, COCA TEA and OXYGEN IF NEEDED; our guides are trained to treat you for Altitude Sickness. See our detailed information about Altitude Sickness under FAQS.
We offer the Cusco City Tour or Sacred Valley Tour that you can book while you are acclimatizing. Check out our Day Tours on our Home Page.
If you’re happy with the services provided, a tip – though not compulsory – is appropriate. While it may not be customary to you, it’s of great significance for the people who will take care of you during the tour. It inspires excellent service and is an entrenched feature of the tourism industry across many SAM Travel Peru destinations. Of course you are free to tip more or less as you feel, depending on your perception of the quality and the length of your tour. Remember, a tip is not compulsory and should only be given when you receive excellent service.
Yes, we are a local sustainable & responsible tourism operator for that we incorporate the universal principles of tourism: protect the environment and benefit the local communities respecting their culture and religion. With this in mind, we have trained all our staff to know, understand and respect the local places and it´s people.
