Machu Picchu Express

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival to Cusco & Afternoon City Tour

Upon you arrival to the City of Cusco, you will be met upon arrival by one of our representatives and transferred to your hotel in Cusco. You will have the remainder of the morning to rest and freshen up. It’s best to take it easy this morning to let your body adjust to the altitude. Some find enjoying a cup of hot coca tea a real help in adjusting to the high elevation and that’s what the locals traditionally use coca for. Both lunch and dinner are on your own today, as there are so many choices available at reasonable prices, either in or near your hotel. * Depending on which domestic flight you choose you will have more or less time to rest.

After lunch you will set out on grand tour of Cusco, the former capital of the once vast Incan Empire. The city’s Spanish Colonial architecture both overlays and is interlaced with the earlier Incan architecture. We walk Cusco’s impressive Plaza de Armas and visit both the Spanish cathedral and Incan temple of the sun, Qoricancha. The Spanish conquistadores destroyed significant portions of the Inca civilization while leaving their mark on Cusco. Ornate cathedrals, adobe walls, carved balconies, hidden courtyards and cobblestone streets add to the historic richness of the ancient Incan capital.

Next we set out to visit the ruins above the city that were considered an essential part of the ancient capital. We start with one of the most impressive of them all, Sacsayhuaman. This is where Inti Raymi, the Festival of the Sun, is held during the Summer Solstice. Some of the stones used to build the site weigh up to 70 tons yet are fitted so precisely–without the use of mortar–that one cannot slide even the thinnest object between them. Some believe that the site forms the head of puma or jaguar and that the huge triangulated walls form its teeth, or symbolize lightening. Tambomachay, the Temple of the Sacred Waters, is another site we will visit and is a marvel of hydraulic engineering. Its waters still flow today. At Q´enqo we’ll see the remains of a ceremonial site used for fertility rites and for celebrations of the solstice and equinox. * An extra day in Cusco can be added upon request. Please let us know if you like us to add additional activities or meals.

Day 2: Machu Picchu Full Day Tour (B, S)

The day you have been waiting for! After breakfast, we catch the train to the town Aquas Calientes at the base of Machu Picchu. From here, we continue by bus for the short ride up switch backs, to the Machu Picchu citadel overhead. We enter the ruins for a breathtaking view of the city in the sky. You will enjoy a full tour of the lost city of the Incas, and have lunch on your own after the tour. In the afternoon, we say farewell to Machu Picchu as we set out by train heading to the station at Poroy and then on to your Cusco Hotel by car arriving at night. * An overnight in MachuPicchu can be added upon request. Also, we can add bus and entrance tickets for a second day at the citadel. Please let us know if you like us to add additional activities and meals.

Day 3: Back to Lima – Home (B)

After breakfast at your hotel, your journey to Peru winds to a close as we provide transfer to the airport in Cusco for the flight back to the capital. Flight time will depend on your flight time back home. You could add a day hotel if your flight is late at night. Please let us know if you like us to add additional activities for this day.

Not exactly what you want?

Remember, that Magical focuses on providing the best available options, and can work with you in fully customizing your tour to better fit your interests and budget without compromising the quality of your tour. Just contact us with your questions and preferences, and we can modify this tour based on your expectations and requests.

Important Notes:

About MachuPicchu Entrance Tickets

As the popularity of MachuPicchu has increased in the last few years, and in order to preserve the ancient paths of MachuPicchu, the Peruvian Cultural Institute (INC) has restricted the number of people that could enter MachuPicchu to 2,500 people per day. This means that, once the 2,500 tickets are sold out, no further entrance tickets will available. Also, please note that to avoid a secondary market for these tickets, all tickets are issued with the name of the passenger, his/her passport number, nationality and date of birth. Therefore, tickets are non refundable and non transferable.

About Huaynapichu Tickets

Entrance tickets to Huaynapichu are not longer free, entrance tickets are now US$12.00 per person. There are two scheduled visits per day, with a limit of 200 people per visit (Total of 400 per day). If you are interested in hiking the Huaynapichu, we will need you to let us know at the same time you book your trip since the Huaynapichu tickets need to be purchased in conjunction to the MachuPicchu tickets.

Price

This tour (*) is available from:

USD$394.90 per person – Group with Private Transfers

For single supplement and prices in a private service, please contact us!

* Based on double occupancy, 4 people, Budget Accommodations

IMPORTANT: As price depends on each passenger choices, please contact us to send you an updated price based on your specific request. Please send us the following information and we will respond within 24 hours with your updated price.

• Number of people in your party
• Level of accommodation (3, 4, 5*). Please see options
• Choosing a Private or Group Tour?
• Train choice. Please see options
• Adding options: if you like to add day tours, extra days, meals, etc
• Need domestic or international flights?
• Have a special request (ie: special diet, wheelchair, children, senior, etc)

What’s Included?

• Round-trip Expedition train. Upgrade to other trains: Vistadome or Hiram Bingham upon request
• Bus to Machu Picchu round-trip.
• Expert leadership / guides & support personnel for all listed tours
• Accommodations: 2 nights in Cusco
• Meals as noted (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, S = Snack). We can add any meals upon request
• Land excursions as noted including entrance fees (Half BTG, Cusco Cathedral, Qoricancha & Machu Picchu)
• Private transportation: Cusco Airport/Cusco Hotel, Cusco Hotel/Train Station, Train Station/Cusco Hotel, Cusco Hotel/Cusco Airport.

What’s Not Included?

• Airport taxes: Local ($5-6) and International ($31) departure tax of payable in local currency by each passenger at Lima International Airport upon departure (if applicable)
• International and domestic airfares, usually quoted separately
• Insurance of any kind: mandatory evacuation insurance; suggested cancellation insurance, interruption, baggage loss, damage and delay
• Visas. Please be advised that some citizens other than Canadians and US may need visa to travel to Peru. Please advise us of your nationality to help you or check with the Peruvian Consulate
• Tipping & Gratuities (Guides $4 per person per day / Drivers $1 per person per day)
• Excess baggage charges
• Medical immunizations
• Items of a personal nature (clothing, sodas, liquor, snacks, laundry, etc.)

Domestic Tickets

Lima/Cusco/Lima: From US $190 per person. This is an example price. Prices depend on date and time of booking