Extended Sacred Valley Tour & Machu Picchu – 2D/1N

Name: Extended Sacred Valley Tour & Machu Picchu 2 Days
Brand: Action Peru Treks
Availability: preorder

The Sacred Valley of the Incas is an incomparably beautiful stretch of small villages and ancient ruins spread across a broad plain and rugged mountain slopes northwest of Cusco. The Sacred Valley is the main valley of Cusco, the capital of the Inca Empire.

The valley was of great value to the Incas due to its special geographical location and ideal climate. It was the best place for maize production in Peru as well as a great source of natural wealth.

Through the valley rolls the Urubamba river (called the Willcamayu by the Incas; today part of it is also called the Vilcanota), a vital religious element of the Incas’ cosmology.

The Incas not only believed that the flow of the Urubamba was inevitably tied to the constellations and the mountain peaks, but also that the river was the earthbound counterpart of the Milky Way.

Machu Picchu is considered a masterpiece of architecture and engineering. Its unique architectural features and landscape contribute to a veil of mystery woven around much of the literature published about the site.

The magic and mystery of Machu Picchu is internationally recognized and it has been on the List of World Heritage Sites of UNESCO since 1983 as part of a cultural and ecological site known as the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu.

One of the most frequent questions we get asked is, “I have two days in Cusco, what do I NEED to see?” The answer is the Sacred Valley trip (Ollantaytambo and Pisac in particular) and Machu Picchu.

However, the Maras Salt Mines and Moray archeological site are close behind. Now, we have developed this tour that allows you to visit Maras, Moray, Pisac, Ollantaytambo, and Machu Picchu and as a bonus the Ccochahuasi Animal Sanctuary … in two days. This tour packs an incredible amount of beauty and history into a short time frame.

Action Peru Treks is highly recommended by TripAdvisor.

Join hundreds of happy trekkers who have experienced the adventure of a lifetime!

ITINERARY

Pre-trek briefing: You will have a thorough briefing with your guide 1 or 2 days before your trip. Your guide will meet you at our office or at your hotel in Cusco and you can take this opportunity to ask questions and make any final preparations.

Day 1: Cusco – Ccochahuasi Sanctuary– Pisac – Maras/Moray – Ollantaytambo – Aguas Calientes

We will pick you up at your hotel around 7 a.m. and our first stop is the Ccochahuasi Animal Sanctuary. This is an organization dedicated to rescuing and looking after animals which have suffered mistreatment of any kind from former owners or poachers and illegal hunters who commercialize protected species. Many of the animals they shelter are endangered.

One of the species at risk of extinction is the Andean Condor. The sanctuary has a dedicated program for this amazing bird, where they encourage their reproduction and later release the young Condors.

After our visit, we are off to Pisac to see our first Inca ruins of the tour. At Pisac you can see magnificent Inca remains. The ancient architecture and engineering of the Inca temples is breathtaking and will sweep you off your feet.

Our guided tour of Pisac lasts about 2 hours. Then we will head back to the town of Pisac to visit the most colorful and traditional local market in the Cusco region and where you can buy traditional textiles at low prices.

After our visit to the market, our sightseeing continues as we drive along the beautiful Sacred Valley. This is a good time to enjoy the deluxe box lunch we provide for the tour.

Located near the town of Urubamba, we find the Moray Inca Site and the Maras Salt Mines. The Moray Inca site is a fascinating display of terraces It boasts three amphitheater-like terraces. These terraces, which are carved deep into the earth in a bowl shape, were thought to be used to determine the optimal conditions for growing crops.

When we finish exploring Moray, we will head to the salt mines of Maras. This village is known as a former salt-producing center that dates back all the way to colonial times. The salt mines were used by the Incas and continue to be used to this day.

There are over 3000 salt pools carved into the mountain side, being filled daily by a little stream of water. The area is amazing and beautiful.

Back on the road, it is an approximately 30 minute drive to get to the last Inca ruins on our tour, known as Ollantaytambo (Inca palace). This ruin was built with pink granite rocks and is another impressive example of Inca craftsmanship.

Here you can see the second biggest rock from the Inca times (90 tons), which was used as part of the Temple of the Sun. We will have a guided tour of the site.

We will have dinner at a fantastic restaurant in Ollantaytambo featuring authentic Peruvian cuisine.

After dinner, we will go to the train station. We will take the train to Aguas Calientes. During the trip you will see many glaciers and snow-capped peaks, lush green valleys and Incan farming terraces on both sides of the valley.

Upon arrival to Aguas Calientes you will check in to your hotel room and relax before your exciting visit to Machu Picchu the next day.

Day 2: Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – Aguas Calientes

You will have breakfast at your hotel before we take the bus along the winding road to Machu Picchu, the city that was lost to the jungle but rediscovered in 1911 by Hiram Bingham. Declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1983, Machu Picchu exceeds all expectations.

Perched high on an inaccessible hilltop the citadel is protected by huge cliffs and the raging Urubamba River. Once there you will be given a 2-hour walking tour of the site.

After you have concluded your guided tour of the site, you will have some time to be at Machu Picchu before you return to Aguas Calientes by bus.

When you arrive in Aguas Calientes you will board the expedition train to either Ollantaytambo or to Poroy.

From Ollantaytambo or Poroy, you will travel by private van to Cusco and we will drop you off at your hotel. Arrival time in Cusco depends on the time of your train ticket, however is generally between 8 and 9 p.m.

INCLUDED

Professional English speaking bilingual guide
Transport from your hotel to sites of the Sacred Valley and the Ollantaytambo train station
Expedition train ticket from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes
Expedition train ticket from Aguas Calientes to either Ollantaytambo or to Poroy
Bus tickets from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu round trip
Entrance fee to Machu Picchu.
Deluxe box lunch on day 1
Dinner on night one in Ollantaytambo
Transportation from the Ollantaytambo train station to your Cusco hotel
Breakfast on Day 2
One night lodging in Aguas Calientes (double occupancy)

NOT Included

Breakfast on day 1
Lunch on day 2
Tourist ticket for entrance to Sacred Valley archeological sites (US $21 per person)
Entrance fee for Maras salt mines (10 soles / US $3 per person)
Entrance to Cochahuasi (20 soles / US $7 per person)
Huayna Picchu Permit (USD $75 per person).
Tips for staff
Travel Insurance

What to bring

Original passport
Backpack
Tourist ticket
Sturdy Hiking boots
Layers for variable temperatures
Sun protection (sunscreen/sun hat/sunglasses)
Insect repellent
Rain poncho or rain jacket
Toiletries / toilet paper / small towel
Bathing clothes for the hot springs (optional)
Water bottle
Personal medication

PRICES & ADD-ONS

Group: USD $600
Private: USD $650

Group versus Private Treks: What’s the difference?

Depending on the number of people in your booking, additional people may join the trek to make a full group.
If you choose “private”, no additional people will be joining your group, no matter the size.
Minimum booking size is two people; one person may book a group trek if Action Peru Treks is able to join that person with additional groups.

Upgrades

Return Vistadome train – USD $60 per person
Return Hiram Bingham train– USD $420 per person
Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel (5-star hotel) – USD $255 Per person per night (double occupancy)
Inkaterra El Pueblo Machu Picchu Hotel (5-star hotel) – USD $250 Per person per night (double occupancy)
El Mapi Hotel by Inkaterra (4-star hotel) – USD $115 Per person per night (double occupancy)
Tierra viva Machu Picchu (3+ star hotel) – USD $50 Per person per night (double occupancy)

Discounts

Under 18 years discount: UDS $20 per person

PRICE PER PERSON IN USD:

Group: $600

Private: $650

DURATION:

2 Days / 1 Night

AVAILABLE ADD-ONS

Huayna Picchu Permit – USD $75 per person
Return Vistadome train – USD 60 per person
Return Hiram Bingham train– USD 420 per person
Sumaq Machu Picchu hotel (5-star hotel) – USD 255 Per person per night (double occupancy)
Inkaterra El Pueblo Machu Picchu hotel (5-star hotel) – USD 250 Per person per night (double occupancy)
El Mapi hotel by Inkaterra (4-star hotel) – USD 115 Per person per night (double occupancy)
Tierra viva Machu Picchu (3+ star hotel) – USD 50 Per person per night (double occupancy)

INQUIRE ABOUT THIS EXPERIENCE

Name (required)

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Phone or Skype

Country (required)

Name of Tour (required)

Type of Service (required)
GroupPrivate

Number of Travelers (required)

Desired Depature Date (required)

Please give at least two alternative start dates in order of preference. Write none if there are no other dates available for you

Any Dietary Restrictions?

Do you want to hike Huayna Picchu?
YesNo - FAQ about Huayna Picchu

Is anyone in your group 17 or under?, If you answer yes, we need a copy of their passport. Please e mail to info@actionperutreks.com
YesNo

Trekker Details: Name as written on passport, Passport Number, Date of Birth and Nationality. Please list Full Names (as written on passport), Passport Number, Nationality, Dates of Birth and Gender for all in your party

How did you find us? (Optional)

Additional Details

WHY WE'RE DIFFERENT

Action Peru Treks is locally owned and operated.

We are proud to be a completely local indigenous tour company.
We are composed of a team of local Peruvians residing in the Cusco area.
We speak fluent Spanish and English. Most of our team members are also fluent in Quechua (the Inca language).
Through our tour company, we support the local economy and local businesses. The taxes we pay help fund local and national government projects aimed to improve Peru’s infrastructure.

We are highly rated on TripAdvisor.

Action Peru Treks is dedicated to the best service quality, and this is reflected year after year when TripAdvisor awards us with their Certificate of Excellence.
We also take great pride in our customer feedback: 99% of our travelers say they would recommend us to friends and family.

We go the extra mile so you can experience the best of what Peru has to offer.

We understand that this may be the first—and only—time you will be exploring Peru, so we’ll let you make the most out of your tour.
We will happily customize any trek to your specifications, making your dream vacation a reality.
For comfort and peace of mind, we include delicious meals, quality hotel rooms, porter services, durable tents, and other essential amenities to ensure that your journey is a safe and memorable one.

We have an extensive range of tours and treks to choose from.

We know that each individual and family has their own preferences when it comes to travel and exploration, that’s why we’re offering a wide range of tours and treks to choose from.
We specialize in the Inca Trail trek, Salkantay trek, Ancascocha trek, and Machu Picchu Tours, but also offer other less popular routes.
We are the only company in Peru that offers the Ancashcocha + Inca Trail trek.

We maintain small group sizes for a more intimate guided tour.

We ensure group sizes of our tours stay small so every customer gets the best personalized service.
If the group is larger than eight people, we provide two guides.

Our staff is highly experienced, skilled, and talented.

At Action Peru Treks, rest assured that you will work with people who know the land, culture, language, and terrain better than anyone else.
Our guides have a minimum of five years of experience, having worked in every facet of the business.
Our porters are friendly and hard-working, while our chefs are extremely good at cooking and preparing your meals.
At Action Peru Treks, it’s vital to understand how we all work together to complete the tasks at hand. We can easily transition between roles if necessary, enabling our customers to have a seamless adventure.

We care about the welfare and well-being of our local porters.

We have long-standing, positive relationships with our loyal porters. Most of them have stayed with us for five years or more.
Our porters tirelessly provide their services for our team and customers, so we make sure that they receive above-average compensation for their hard work and are considered a part of our family.
We offer equal opportunities to those who want to work with us, so you will be seeing more and more female porters on the Inca Trail.
Our porters have the hardest job in the business, yet they do it with a smile.
We strictly abide by the Inca Trail Porters Protection New Law No. 31614 (The Congress of the Peruvian Republic Lima, on November 2022) Decreed the New Law Number 31614.

We support the education and welfare of local children.

As a way of giving back to the community, Action Peru Treks is dedicated to providing opportunities for children in terms of education and continuous learning.
We have been supporting local schools in the Cusco region by repairing damages, providing school materials, and funding projects to help children stay focused on education.
Since we started our tour company, it has been our commitment to give priority to the education and welfare of the Peruvian children as we believe that they have the right to a bright and fruitful future.

We promote sustainable, responsible, and eco-friendly tourism.

We prioritize sustainable practices to minimize our ecological footprint, including waste reduction, responsible resource management, and support for local conservation efforts.
By engaging with local communities and employing indigenous guides and staff, we contribute to economic empowerment and cultural preservation.
We strive to raise awareness among trekkers and travelers about the importance of responsible tourism practices, encouraging them to be stewards of the environment and advocates for sustainable travel.

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Dream591504

2023-10-12

Inca Trail Exceptional Inca Trail private tour with Edy Tumbay! He was very knowledgeable, professional and delightful to be around with. Great experience all around!!!

jonathon c

2023-10-10

Good trip, excellent team. Firstly, Christian (tour guide) was fantastic! Christian was a key part to making this a real experience, he was knowledgeable of the local wildlife and flora and the history. Christian was caring for each and every person within the group, much appreciated. The support team who helped with luggage, tent set up etc were great. They were also great cooks and ensured we were well fed - more than you could actually eat. Much appreciated. Other than that what to say, the walk was great, views were amazing and weather was good.

Justine P

2023-10-07

highlight of our peru trip This experience was the highlight of our Peru trip. We were able to spend quality time hiking the Inca trail, explore Aguas Calienties, and of course become acquainted with Machu Picchu. Our tour guide was amazing. His knowledge and personal experience with the trail, the history of the Incas, and each detail of our adventure was the key to this being our favorite part of our trip. We leaned so much, and have photos to document everything. I have never had such a knowledgeable or involved tour guide. Also for context, i never write reviews - but this trek absolutely deserves one. We would recommend this to anyone going to Peru wanting an above-and-beyond Machu Picchu experience! Amazing!!

Jacob L

2023-10-02

Best experience ever! We did the SkyLodge, Cusco city and archeological tours and the 2 day hike to Machu Picchu. It was incredible! The food, the people, the culture, the adventure. Just an amazing experience. 10/10. Lino was our guide and he was fantastic, so knowledgeable! Edwin and Maximum our drivers were great too, those streets are tough to navigate! I would recommend Action Perú Treks without reservation.

floracheungwm

Muchas gracias APT! Big thanks to the team for the beautifully organised tour! Seamlessly professional communication by Roxner from the start - tour info was clearly presented and questions were always dealt with without haste. Our guides! Christian and Eddy were fun, always a reassuring presence and undoubtedly very knowledgeable. Their respect for the local culture, history and traditions was evident and humbling. Not to mention epic photos from Christian! Thanks for accommodating our bustling little group - will keep dear the memories of “Vamos chicos!” for a good long while :)

Andrew B

2023-10-01

Amazing Machu Picchu Trek My brother and I had an unforgettable trip with Action Peru Treks on the 4 day Classic Inca Trail and would highly recommend them to people looking for an adventure! The entire experience with team was amazing, from the outset Roxner helped answer our questions and worked with us to prepare us for our trip and know what to expect. Jorge, our guide, created an amazing atmosphere that was fun, informative and unique, offering insights about the Inca sites and local environment along the way! His knowledge, perspectives and encouragement made it really enjoyable. We ate incredibly well thanks to our chef Eliaquin, who prepared amazing meals for us (never eaten this well on a camping / hiking trip before)! Our head porter, Cirilo, assembled an incredible group from local communities who were always there with smiles to greet us as we came into camp (these guys are absolutely amazing)! Truly great experience that I would highly recommend to others looking to enjoy Peru and Machu Picchu

patrickrbiggs

The experience of a lifetime! 5 stars Our experience with Action Peru was AMAZING!!!! We embarked on the 4 day classic Inca trail ending at Machu picchu. The online reservation and communication with Roxner to prepare us for the trip was great. The locally owned and operated company from Cusco employs all local staff, who truly delivered an unforgettable experience. Our Guide Jorge, created a fun atmosphere and offered encouragement all along the way. His knowledge of the Incas and the sites visited made the adventures super enlightening and interesting. We were just two in our group, and Jorge was able to work with the park rangers to adjust our route to add additional challenge. Our chef Eliaquin prepared us a mix of local and fusion dishes that were truly incredible. I’ve never eaten so well camping. Cirilo was our head porter. He lead a team our team of porters over 4 days, greeting us with smiles all along the way. These guys are remarkable and truly amazing! I would highly recommend Action Peru to anyone heading for an adventure in Peru. We are looking at future trips to come back again!

Rachel W

2023-09-30

Transformative Adventure Just finished my 4 night/5 day Salkantay trek with Action Peru Treks. It’s really hard to put the experience into words. I’ve travelled extensively and with lots of different groups. I’ve never had a better experience than I did on this trip. I booked this trip on a whim after a very transformative few years. I wanted to challenge myself and challenge myself I did! I’ll be honest, there are some really high points and some steep drop offs where you’re fairly close to the edge — this made me a bit nervous as I thought I was slightly out of my depth. HOWEVER, our amazing guide Christian was with me every step of the way. He supported me and when I decided to skip a hike he ensured alternative accommodations were made so that I was happy and enjoying myself. I do reccomend researching this trek thoroughly and being physically AND mentally prepared. Ensure you ask questions and feel extremely confident— I will be doing this for all future treks. Christian and his team embraced us with such warmth and kindness. You can tell how proud they are of Peru and that they can share it with others. They honestly feel like family. My fellow travelers were some of the best people I’ve ever met. I’ll miss everyone terribly, but it’s not goodbye, just see you later! Cannot wait for my next adventure with Action Treks Peru! Ps- all photos shown were taken by our guide, Christian! Such incredible pics

Rossco27

A bucket list experience made better with Action Peru Trek Hard to know where to begin. I'll start with our guide and the company. Great communication throughout, they really do take care of you. Christian was our guide and host for the seven days and seven nights. He is nothing short of amazing. Great energy, charisma, full of facts and knowledge, he motivates the group and cares for everyone's wellbeing. Proper legend. Thinking back on the last week it's hard to summarise. The first day through the sacred valley to see the Inca ruins, get some education on alpaca clothing was a perfect introduction. The trek then is easily split into three parts. The first two days are challenging, and literally breathtaking ! The views, the nature, mountain, night stars make it incredible and just be prepared for the tough going at high altitude. The second part is easier and there is a little more fun to be had with learning about coffee and we had time for the hot springs. A final challenge awaits to climb the hill to see mucho Picchu before you descend. This then blends into the third part of the train that takes you to the site we all cannot wait to see. Throughout Christian and his team do an awesome job to serve up incredible food, set up and take down camp and make you feel so welcomed in their homeland. I only gave positive words to say about this company and Thier amazing staff

Jasjot K

Amazing experience Amazing hiking experience, was super well organised. Our guide Christian was super knowledgeable, friendly and took such good care of everyone. The cooking and porter team were top notch, serving excellent 3 course meals. The tents and sleeping bags were all of excellent quality. Highly recommended.