How to see Cusco, the Sacred Valley in addition to Machu Picchu inwards v days.
For equally long equally nosotros tin give the sack remember, nosotros withdraw maintain wanted to see Machu Picchu. We’re plainly non lonely inwards this. In damage of ‘bucket list’ destinations, Machu Picchu is likely nigh the top of places to see for most travellers.
After spending most of the twelvemonth inwards Argentina, Republic of Chile in addition to Brazil, nosotros finally crossed into Republic of Peru in addition to couldn’t live to a greater extent than excited – nosotros were almost at ane of the vii Wonders of the World.
Being the adventure lovers that nosotros are, nosotros wanted to trek to the ancient Incan city. Options arrive at from the famous 4-day Inca Trail to the 9-day Choquequirao Trek, in addition to nosotros were keen to exercise one.
Unfortunately due to some exciting upcoming move plans to the Galapagos Islands, our fourth dimension inwards Republic of Peru was quite limited. We solely had a few days some Cusco, in addition to were stuck amongst a tough determination to brand – Do nosotros pass our entire fourth dimension trekking, or pass equally much fourth dimension learning most the Incan guild in addition to visiting some dissimilar sites equally well?
After much debate, nosotros decided to brand the most of our curt fourth dimension inwards Cusco in addition to sign upwards for a tour to see a few of the major sites. We tin give the sack ever furnish in addition to exercise a long trek, but for at ane time nosotros wanted our history in addition to civilization fix. Plus amongst so many function projects on the go, nosotros also didn’t withdraw maintain much fourth dimension or loose energy to computer program this ourselves.
We decided to bring together a 5-night trip amongst the tour fellowship Say Hueque, called the “Sunrise of the Inca Civilisation” tour, which would allow us to explore the most pop sites some Cusco in addition to the Sacred Valley, piece spending 2 days rather than ane inwards Machu Picchu.
With our transport, local guides, permits in addition to accommodation taken aid of, nosotros could acquire inwards in Cusco without wasting precious days trying to organise all of this ourselves.
Check out this article if y'all desire to a greater extent than data most backpacking inwards Peru.
One Day In Cusco
On our showtime solar daytime nosotros arrived to our hotel, the Jose Antonio, at 11am in addition to checked direct inwards to our comfortable room. The staff were great, in addition to shortly after dropping our bags off a fellow member from the tour fellowship who was looking after us met upwards inwards the lobby.
The guide had brought all of our tickets for the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Cusco in addition to the train, equally good equally some additional data most our plans for the side yesteryear side few days. When everything was sorted nosotros got ready to start our Cusco urban core tour.
Soon a minibus showed upwards to the hotel to pick us upwards in addition to nosotros were driven to the Church of Santo Domingo to laid out the excursion.
A licensed, English-speaking guide was waiting for us at the entrance, in addition to our pocket-size grouping were handed good sets so nosotros could explore the city’s busy attractions in addition to nonetheless hear every chip of data nosotros were given.
To start amongst nosotros walked some Coricancha, where nosotros learnt all most how the ane time gold-covered Temple of the Dominicus was the centre of the Incan empire, in addition to was generally destroyed yesteryear the Castilian conquerors inwards the 16th century.
In its house the Church of Santo Domingo was constructed, but some of the Incan stonework survived. Today it is a pop tourist attraction, in addition to the grounds are quite pleasant to walk around.
Then it was to the Plaza de Armas, the beating pump of Cusco, in addition to its famous Cathedral. One of the most stunning Catholic churches nosotros withdraw maintain ever visited, the Santiago Metropolitan Cathedral is adorned inwards intricate decorations in addition to fascinating paintings amongst curious Incan influence. No pictures are allowed inside, but trust us – it’s worth a visit, specially amongst a guide.
High higher upwards the urban core of Cusco is the ruins of Saksaywaman, an Incan citadel showtime built inwards the 11th. This was our side yesteryear side destination, in addition to for exactly nether an hr nosotros walked some the sprawling complex, admiring the enormous stones in addition to marvelling at how the ancient civilisation moved them into place.
With the Sun speedily dropping behind the surrounding mountains nosotros visited 2 to a greater extent than sites – Tambomachay in addition to Qenko, exactly farther exterior of town. To terminate the solar daytime nosotros finished at an alpaca habiliment centre, in addition to and so dropped off dorsum at our hotel.
Having a local guide accompany us to all these sites was sensational, in addition to nosotros felt similar nosotros waked away amongst Cusco amongst an splendid introduction to the Incan empire. Perfect, equally nosotros were most to caput into the Sacred Valley…
Two Days In The Sacred Valley
The Sacred Valley is a fertile stretch of reason used for farming inwards the days of the Incans. Stretching for 60km from exactly exterior Cusco towards Aguas Calientes, it is habitation to some of the best preserved Incan architecture inwards Peru.
With solely a few days beingness spent inwards the Sacred Valley in addition to Machu Picchu, plus at that spot beingness a baggage boundary on the train, nosotros left our large backpacks inwards the hotel’s secure luggage storage.
We left the Jose Antonio Hotel early on inwards the morning time inwards a transfer towards Moray in addition to Maras, our destinations for the day. Our English-speaking guide (different to the solar daytime before) was incredibly friendly, in addition to nosotros chatted the entire way to the Sacred Valley. We were meant to live amongst some other travellers, but they supposedly had suffered from height sickness in addition to could non attend. This meant nosotros had a individual trip, which nosotros were pretty stoked with.
It took exactly over an hr to accomplish the showtime destination, Moray. This huge, circular site is a wonderful to see, in addition to the job of its pattern has been debated on for years.
The mutual theory at ane time is that it was used for experimental agricultural function yesteryear the Incas. The terraces driblet downward upwards to 30m, in addition to remarkably the way the stones are aligned agency at that spot is a huge temperature divergence from the top to the bottom, sometimes upwards to 15°C.
Today it’s believed that this design allowed the Incas to essay what atmospheric condition allowed surely types of fruits in addition to vegetables to flourish, in addition to to genetically mix dissimilar species to live droughts.
Being on a individual tour meant nosotros arrived quite early, which resulted inwards us having the entire site to ourselves. Walking some Moray without anyone else at that spot was incredible.
Afterwards nosotros jumped dorsum inwards the van in addition to drove to the Maras common salt mines. Another ane of the unique sites inwards the Sacred Valley, these pools withdraw maintain been inwards constant job since before the Incas.
The mineral-encrusted ponds leave of absence a glistening, white land sandwiched betwixt a barren gorge. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 stream is funnelled into the terraces, in addition to yesteryear using evaporation techniques workers tin give the sack extract the common salt for personal in addition to commercial use.
What makes these common salt mines unique (besides the stunning layout) is that it is genuinely opened upwards to whatever fellow member of the Maras community. You volition encounter families wandering the pools, scraping upwards the common salt in addition to collecting it for their ain job or business. By entering the mines y'all are welcome to walk some in addition to sentinel them work.
It was at ane time exactly after dejeuner time, in addition to our driver dropped us off at our novel habitation for the side yesteryear side 2 nights – the absolutely divine Hacienda del Valle inwards the Sacred Valley.
Beautiful manicured gardens, enormous, decorated villas in addition to lovely views made surely our afternoon was spent relaxing amongst a mutual depression temperature beer inwards hand.
The side yesteryear side morning time nosotros woke upwards in addition to met our driver after breakfast. We were transferred to a viewpoint high higher upwards the Sacred Valley, where nosotros met our guide in addition to grouping from Cusco inwards some other minivan.
We drove dorsum downward to the hamlet of Pisac in addition to visited their famous markets. After spending so much fourth dimension inwards Argentina, Chile and Brazil, it was amazing to see a marketplace equally culturally rich in addition to colourful equally the ane inwards Pisac.
After walking some for an hour, sampling some of the local snacks in addition to trying our best non to purchase every handicraft for sale, nosotros jumped dorsum inwards the van in addition to headed towards Ollaytantambo, amongst a quick halt at a guinea grunter barbecue articulation (for photos, non to eat), in addition to so at a large eating spot for a high-end, buffet lunch.
Ollaytantambo is a picturesque, onetime hamlet at the terminate of the Sacred Valley, yet it is best known for its historical fortress carved into the side of a steep hill.
During the 15th century Pachacuti, the Incan emperor, conquered the town of Ollaytantambo in addition to laid most edifice housing in addition to terraces to farm the reason for his people.
Later when the Castilian arrived, Ollaytantambo was fortified, in addition to became ane of the finally Incan strongholds to fend off the invaders. Despite victories inwards many battles, the leader Manco Inca abandoned Ollaytantambo in addition to moved to Vilcabamba.
The structures at Ollaytantambo survived the centuries, in addition to today its marvellous construction attracts thousands of tourists every year.
We were given a one-hour guided tour of the architectural site, amongst ample fourth dimension to accept pictures equally well. Then it was dorsum to the van for the furnish to Hacienda del Valle.
Our fourth dimension inwards the Sacred Valley was up, in addition to nosotros had managed to see the most of import in addition to pop sites inwards a real efficient manner. However it was the side yesteryear side halt that would select the instant every traveller to Republic of Peru anticipates.
2 Days In Machu Picchu
The Sun had yet to rising when nosotros headed to the hotel’s reception in addition to met our driver in addition to guide, who would transfer us to the Ollaytantambo station for our develop to Machu PIcchu.
At the station the guide helped us banking concern tally in, in addition to waved us off equally nosotros boarded the develop at 7:15am. The journeying yesteryear develop takes exactly nether 2 hours from Ollaytantambo to Aguas Calientes, the town at the bottom of the Machu Picchu ruins.
We honey develop journeys, in addition to withdraw maintain been lucky plenty to sense everything from luxury trains inwards Australia to the roughest rides imaginable inwards China. We are pleased to enjoin that this ane inwards Republic of Peru is magical.
Even at the lowest class, the service is impeccable, in addition to the carriages withdraw maintain huge windows to allow views to the spectacular mountains in addition to glaciers above.
The seats are comfortable, in addition to the staff exercise everything they tin give the sack to brand your journeying smooth. We were given snacks in addition to hot drinks, in addition to the 2 hours passed rather quickly.
Upon arriving to Aguas Calientes, a guide from our tour fellowship was waiting exterior the develop station amongst a sign bearing our names. He took us the curt walk to the Lima Tours role (who were managing our on-the-ground logistics), correct side yesteryear side to the rider vehicle station, in addition to introduced us to our grouping of 8 people who would live taking a guided see to the ancient Incan citadel, Machu Picchu.
We were given headsets, the same equally nosotros used inwards Cusco, in addition to led yesteryear our guide to the rider vehicle station. The 30-minute ride to the ruins climbs a serial of steep switchbacks, in addition to presently plenty nosotros were piling out amongst dozens of people exactly before 10am.
The Peruvian regime has exactly brought inwards some new rules for visiting Machu Picchu (implemented inwards July 2017), which reason visitors are given 2 dissimilar times to motion into the city: Between 06:00 in addition to 12:00 inwards the morning, in addition to from 12:00 to 17:00 inwards the afternoon.
Visitors inwards theory must live accompanied yesteryear a licensed tour guide, although at the fourth dimension of our see inwards September 2017 this was non beingness enforced.
There are also strict laws most photography in addition to videography within Machu Picchu, in addition to anything deemed to live commercial equipment must withdraw maintain special permits. We had heard stories of people non beingness allowed within amongst professional person cameras, so nosotros were a chip nervous most entering the urban core in addition to having our gear confiscated.
We did our best to brand it await similar nosotros had less gear than nosotros did – Leaving our large photographic telly camera handbag at the office, putting dissimilar lenses inwards pockets, hiding a GorillaPod tripod inwards a jacket, etc – But this proved to live needless, equally the safety guards didn’t banking concern tally us. Still nosotros were thankful nosotros took the precautions.
Welcome To Machu Picchu
There’s few things quite equally overwhelming equally finally seeing a house that y'all withdraw maintain wanted to see for your whole life. When nosotros walked upwards the steep stairs, passed the sentinel tower, in addition to finally arrived at the terraces that give the iconic catch of Machu Picchu that everybody knows, nosotros were stunned.
It was exactly equally beautiful equally nosotros imagined it would be. The perfectly-placed walls stretching along a narrow stretch of land, positioned impossibly betwixt 2 steep mountains genuinely does accept your breath away…Even amongst the hundreds of tourists wandering around.
No ane knows what the truthful job of Machu Picchu was, or why it was built inwards such an incredible in addition to hard location. However most archaeologists believe it was a housing estate constructed yesteryear the emperor Pachacuti inwards the 15th century.
Our tour guide gave her talks most the history of Machu Picchu, but to live completely honest her enthusiasm was lacking in addition to nosotros establish ourselves tuning out a lot piece she was chatting.
We had also been paired amongst a few people amongst mobility issues, which inwards a house similar Machu Picchu is non ideal. Most of our 2-hour tour was spent waiting for people to climb stairs or accept residuum breaks, important nosotros barely visited a quarter of the site during our tour.
Eventually one-half the grouping decided to leave, in addition to the guide walked them out, quest us to hold off for her. After twenty minutes of sitting on a stone she finally returned, in addition to nosotros exactly said nosotros had had plenty in addition to would croak along without her.
We weren’t overly impressed amongst the guide’s service or yesteryear beingness position inwards a grouping amongst people who couldn’t genuinely walk (not that this is those people’s fault, in addition to nosotros applaud their efforts inwards visiting Machu Picchu despite obvious handicaps, but Lima Tours should withdraw maintain paired the groups ameliorate dorsum at the role or split upwards our grouping up). We felt much ameliorate continuing on our own.
Our Tip For Machu Picchu – Pay extra for a individual guide. The additional toll is minimal, in addition to your sense volition live much better.
Being without a guide for the residuum of the afternoon meant nosotros plainly couldn’t enquire questions or larn anything most the particular rooms nosotros were seeing or the history of the city, but it did hateful nosotros could explore on our ain fourth dimension in addition to accept a lot to a greater extent than pictures.
We visited all of the lower parts of the city, establish some llamas in addition to took a few minutes to exactly sit down downward in addition to accept inwards the epic views.
One affair that few people realise most the novel regulation for Machu Picchu is that despite the tickets beingness officially marked amongst times (6am to 12pm for example), ane time y'all are inwards the urban core y'all tin give the sack rest until closing, equally good equally withdraw maintain ane re-entry. Note – this is solely if y'all withdraw maintain a morning time ticket.
All of the trails through Machu Picchu are at ane time one-way, which is peachy for human foot traffic, but agency if y'all desire to revisit a department y'all demand to genuinely leave of absence the urban core in addition to come upwards dorsum in.
At most 2pm nosotros decided to see the Inca Bridge, in addition to took the go out out of Machu Picchu in addition to re-entered on the same ticket. This fourth dimension nosotros climbed to the top sentinel tower in addition to headed on the pocket-size walk to the backside of the city.
The hike to the Inca Bridge solely takes thirty minutes on a furnish trip, but access closes at 4pm, so it’s of import to acquire at that spot before then. We wandered out, took our pictures, in addition to returned to the primary gate to accept the rider vehicle dorsum to Aguas Calientes.
Once dorsum inwards town nosotros collected our handbag from the Lima Tours role in addition to were taken to our hotel for the night, which also happened to live ane of the nicest hotels inwards Aguas Caliente, Casa del Sol Machupicchu.
It was perfect timing, equally the instant nosotros checked inwards it started to pelting heavily. We relaxed inwards our room for a few hours, going through all of our photos from the day.
As constituent of our rest at Casa del Sol nosotros also had a delicious 3-course repast included for dinner. It was delectable, in addition to nosotros passed out quite early, ready for the side yesteryear side day’s finally adventure.
Climbing Machu Picchu Mountain
What genuinely stood out for us when joining the tour amongst Say Hueque was the hazard to pass a 2nd solar daytime inwards Machu Picchu. This is ane of the most remarkable architectural sites inwards history, in addition to it felt a shame to rush through it inwards a few hours.
For our 2nd solar daytime inwards Machu Picchu, Say Hueque had managed to secure 2 permits for us to climb Machu Picchu Mountain. These demand to live booked good inwards advance, in addition to tin give the sack solely live done at the fourth dimension of buying your tickets to Machu Picchu. Huayna Picchu had been sold out for our appointment months ahead, so this was our solely pick to acquire a bird’s-eye catch of the ancient city.
At 4:30am nosotros jumped out of bed in addition to headed direct to the rider vehicle station, aiming to live ane of the showtime people inwards the urban core for sunrise. Unfortunately most 300 other people had had the same idea, in addition to plainly laid their alarms much before than us, equally the line stretched upwards the street in addition to some the corner. We stopped yesteryear the Lima Tours role to position our backpack amongst laptops in addition to wearing clothing into a secured locker.
We jumped inwards line, in addition to took turns going dorsum to the hotel for breakfast, which opened at 5am, so nosotros wouldn’t lose our places. With stomachs total in addition to stocked upwards on coffee, nosotros waited inwards the queue until 6am, when the buses finally started driving people upwards the mountain.
Luckily the line moved fairly quickly, in addition to nosotros managed to saltation on a rider vehicle at most 06:20, getting us to the gate exactly before 7.
We basically sprinted through the gate in addition to ran upwards yesteryear the sentinel tower, where Alesha had scouted a spot the solar daytime before that she thought mightiness live expert for sunrise.
The Sun had already peaked higher upwards the mountains, but some sparse clouds gave off incredible light. Like the pro that she is, she managed to capture a stunning shot of the city.
Our tickets to climb Machu Picchu Mountain were allocated for betwixt 8-9am (there’s a 2nd fourth dimension from 9-10am equally well), in addition to amongst solely 400 permits a solar daytime nosotros knew it would live much quieter than the ruins below.
We had our tickets checked yesteryear the guard in addition to started climbing the steep, rocky steps towards the peak. The summit sits most 600m higher upwards Machu Picchu city, but it solely took us exactly over an hr to accomplish the top.
The views the entire way upwards were sensational, but beingness at the peak was a wonderful experience. Far below us was the ruins of Machu Picchu, in addition to nosotros were surrounded yesteryear the snowfall caps of the Andes Mountains. We had an early on dejeuner (sandwiches that nosotros had bought at a bakery the solar daytime before inwards Aguas Calientes), in addition to admired the view.
After snapping our shots nosotros noticed some dark clouds starting to coil inwards off the mountains, in addition to headed dorsum downward to the city. We wandered through ane time more, stopping to accept pictures of llamas equally nosotros went, in addition to so trekked to the gate in addition to bussed it to town.
As constituent of our tour Say Hueque included a dejeuner for us to enjoy, in addition to nosotros headed to ane of the nicest restaurants inwards town to eat. We feasted on Peruvian dishes, downed amongst boutique beer, in addition to so collected our handbag for the journeying dorsum to Cusco.
At 4pm nosotros jumped on the develop to Ollaytantambo, in addition to so transferred into a individual motorcar for the finally 2 hours to Cusco. We checked dorsum inwards to the Jose Antonio, grabbed our large backpacks in addition to passed out absolutely exhausted after the previous days’ excursions.
Final Thoughts
It was a tough determination opting to exercise a tour rather than trekking to Machu Picchu, but overall we’re happy that nosotros did. We’re surely we’ll furnish to Republic of Peru ane day, in addition to tin give the sack ever trek then, but exactly inwards instance nosotros don’t nosotros managed to see the most of import Incan sites in addition to learnt a lot most their history in addition to culture.
Booking amongst Say Hueque also worked out perfectly, equally nosotros were on a tight schedule in addition to didn’t desire to waste product too much fourth dimension trying to computer program these things ourselves. By leaving it all upwards to them nosotros knew our trip was inwards expert hands. Accommodation, transfers, permits, tickets, guides – everything was organised for us, important nosotros could focus on the destination.
We’d definitely recommend booking a trip to Cusco, the Sacred Valley in addition to Machu Picchu amongst them if making the most out of express fourth dimension inwards Republic of Peru is of import to you.
For at ane time our dream of visiting Machu Picchu was complete, llama pictures in addition to all. With the Galapagos Islands on the horizon nosotros had a lot to await forwards to, but our fourth dimension spent some the Sacred Valley is something nosotros won’t forget.
Our trip through Cusco, the Sacred Valley in addition to Machu Picchu was made possible yesteryear our partnership amongst Say Hueque. All thoughts, opinions in addition to selfies amongst llamas are, equally always, our own.
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