Machu Picchu One Day Tour

Day 1: Cusco | Poroy - Ollantaytambo - Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu

Your epic day out begins today very early when we pick you up from your accommodation and take you to Ollantaytambo. Here, you’ll board the train to Aguas Calientes that’ll take you through the stunning Andean mountainous landscape and mysterious Amazonian cloud forest. During the trip, you’ll see several glaciers and snowy peaks, as well as fertile green valleys and Inca agricultural platforms on both sides of the valley.

Upon arrival in Aguas Calientes, you’ll board a bus that’ll take you straight to the entrance of the historic sanctuary of Machu Picchu. You’ll have a guided tour for 3 hours where you’ll receive detailed information on the culture and history of the city. You’ll visit the main temple, Condor’s Temple, the Inca Palace, the solar clock, as well as a stone quarry. You’ll be astounded by the amazing architecture and how innovative the Incas were for their time.

After the tour, you’ll have time to climb the Huayna Picchu Mountain or Machu Picchu Mountain (not included in the tour). Otherwise, you can explore Machu Picchu as much as you like or hike to the Sun Gate or Inca Bridge. You’ll return to Aguas Calientes in the afternoon. You’ll have some time to find a spot for lunch and explore the small town until you head to the train station.

In Aguas Calientes, you’ll board the train to Ollantaytambo and then travel to Cusco in our private transport. We’ll drop you off at the door of your accommodation. The time of your arrival will depend on the time of your train ticket.

WHAT IS INCLUDED?

At Pacha Peru Explorers, we specify the included and non-included services under all the tour itineraries listed on our website. We take care of all the logistics, but please pay attention to the details to avoid missing anything. Some items may be different for specific programs, so please read carefully before booking with us.

Pre-departure Briefing: You’ll meet your trekking guide and group in our office for an orientation before your tour. The meeting will be at 5:00 pm the evening before the trip begins.

Experienced Tour Guide: English and spanish speaking, professionally educated, and official tour guide. Your guide will explain the culture and surroundings along the entire route, including leading your group in ancient ceremonies! He or she will keep you safe, sound, and comfortable on your trek so that you can enjoy your time worry-free!

Medical Kit or First Aid Kit: All Pacha Peru Explorers guides have received specialized training in first aid. We hold mandatory training sessions with our guides every February. Your guide will always carry a first aid kit to face basic emergencies (altitude sickness, travelers' diarrhea, cuts, scrapes, etc.) as well as oxygen. If necessary, we’ll evacuate you from the path as quickly as possible and ensure that you arrive at a clinic for treatment.

Private Transport: You will be picked up from your hotel in the morning and will travel by our private transportation to Ollantaytambo train station, where you will take the train to Aguas Calientes.
Private transport from Ollantaytambo train station to your hotel in Cusco.

Train Tickets:

• Train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes.
• Train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo.

Bus Up/Bus Down: Round-Trip Consettur Bus Ticket Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu

Entrance Tickets: Entrance ticket to Machu Picchu Archaeological Site.

WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED?

Huayna Picchu Mountain: You can climb the famous mountain you always see in the photos behind the archaeological site of Machu Picchu. It’s 45 minutes uphill, and coming back down can be scary if you fear heights. You can take this excursion once your guided tour to Machu Picchu ends. The permit must be issued at least one month in advance due to high demand. Consider that there could be changes to protect your integrity, mainly due to weather conditions.
The ticket for Huayna Picchu Mountain has an extra cost of US$ 60.00 per person.

Machu Picchu Mountain:
Machu Picchu Mountain is another of the mountains that surround the archaeological site of Machu Picchu. It offers less steep, wider, and visually less frightening trails than Huayna Picchu, and it takes 1.5 hours to reach the top. This walk requires an entrance ticket which we can secure for you if we have time in advance.
The ticket for Machu Picchu Mountain has an extra cost of US$ 60.00 per person.

Meals in Cusco and Aguas Calientes

Travel Insurance

Tips for our Staff: Tipping is the norm on any excursion to Machu Picchu. Although we pay good salaries to our entire team, something extra is always welcome.

Additional costs or delays beyond our control: Landslides, bad weather conditions, itinerary modifications due to a safety concern, illness, pandemic, government policy changes, political instability, strikes, act of God, etc.

Essentials

• Original Passport
• Valid, STUDENT CARD (if you booked as a student)
• Immigration Card (given on the plane as you enter Peru)
• Good daypack (the smaller, the better)
• Water storage: Water reservoir like Camelbaks are encouraged – but enough for at least 2-3 liters.
• Comfortable hiking boots (lightweight with good soles)
• ISIC card (if you are a student and want to qualify for the discount)
• Waterproof jacket / rain poncho
• Warm jacket
• T-shirts
• Sun hat
• Sun cream (factor 35 or higher)
• Insect repellant
• Personal medication
• Camera and film
• November to April rainy season.

We want to make your trip to Peru as memorable and as carefree as possible. In this section, you’ll find the answers to all the questions you have about traveling with Pacha Peru Explorers in one place. Please read the following information carefully – it will help you with any questions about our services.

Briefing or Informative Meeting: All information meetings and briefings are held in our main office in Cusco (or your hotel) at 5:00 pm, one night before the tour begins. These meetings last approximately 30 to 45 minutes. If you’re unable to attend, you must coordinate another time by email, by phone or at the Pacha Peru Explorers office.

Trek Balance Payment (in Cusco): The trek has to be paid for in full at most 7.30 pm one day before your departure (generally after the briefing).
It would be much appreciated if you pay the trek balance in cash US dollars or local currency at our office in Cusco. You can withdraw some money from several ATMs along Avenida Sol (either in US dollars or local Peruvian Soles). You can pay by credit card or PAYPAL online, but you will have to pay an 6% service charge, charged by VISA and PAYPAL. We do not accept bank checks or payment of the balance by traveler’s checks.

Can I store my luggage at your office?: During the trip, your main luggage can be stored at our office (you can organize it with us on the briefing day or by email) or at your hotel, both free of charge.
Any equipment that you won’t need on the trek can be stored safely in your hotel. Nearly every hotel will provide this service. Don’t leave items of value with your bags; put them in the hotel safe and obtain an itemized receipt (in the unlikely case of theft, many insurance companies require that you have a copy of the receipt itemizing everything). It’s best to put items such as credit cards inside a sealed, signed envelope for extra peace of mind.

Pick up of guests: Pacha Peru Explorers can pick you up from your hotel, as long as it’s in the Historical Center of Cusco. Your guide will coordinate the pickup time in the briefing session, but please keep in mind that the time may vary between 30 and 45 minutes due to traffic.
Cusco is an old city, meaning it has many narrow cobbled streets. Some hotels and Airbnbs may be located on streets without access to cars or on long, steep slopes, making it difficult to transport luggage. We strongly recommend that you book accommodation with good access.

Return to Cusco: Returning from Machu Picchu requires quite a bit of logistics, but don’t worry. Everything is included in your tour!

• In Machu Picchu, you’ll board a bus that’ll take you for 25 minutes to the small city of Aguas Calientes. The buses are boarded according to arrival.
• In Aguas Calientes, you’ll board a train to Ollantaytambo (or Poroy). Your guide will give you the train tickets where the boarding time will be shown. Make sure you’re on the platform 30 minutes early. The train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo takes 1:45 hours.
• Once you arrive at the station, our representative, identified with the Pacha Peru Explorers, will be waiting to transfer you to Cusco or directly to your hotel. The trip from Ollantaytambo to Cusco takes 1:30 hours.

Group Tours: Group tours are made up of different types of people, then physical conditions and ages can vary. By agreeing to be part of a group tour, you also accept that some people may be faster or slower than you. Therefore, each person can go at their own pace on the route.
It may be the case that a group wishes to modify the tour; however, the guide will be the one who decides, after consulting with all the participants, if such modifications are possible.

Strikes and demonstrations: Strikes and demonstrations are usually common in Peru, and this may interrupt some of our tours. Roads can be blocked, and train tracks can be taken over. However, we will try to keep your trip as originally planned, even if it means leaving the night before the scheduled date. Under these circumstances, tours may also be canceled. In case of changes or cancellations, everything will be coordinated with you by our operations department. Your safety is our highest priority, and our decisions will be made to protect it.

Lost Objects: Please pay attention to where you leave your things and remember to take everything once you leave our transport or restaurants. You’re the only one responsible for your objects during the tour.

"Machu Picchu One Day Tour" can leave any day of the week, from January through December.

2022 Land Cost:

Group Price: US$ 350.00 per person
Required Pre-payment: US$ 200.00 per person
Balance (Cusco): US$ 150.00 (Commonly paid in Cusco after the briefing).

This small-group journey is guaranteed to operate with just two guests.
Notice that PayPal charges a fee of 6%, which we ask the client to cover since it's due to the use of its service. This tax is just for online deposits so that you will pay the remaining in cash (the briefing day in Cusco) without charges.
Please, after your deposit, send us the transfer number to contact@pachaperu.tours; only after that, we'll be able to confirm your deposit and reservation.

Extras & Upgrades: There are complementary services and upgrades you can include in this trip.

• Vistadome Train US$ 100.00

Extensions & Offers: There are several extensions you can include to your Peru Adventure.

• Rainbow Mountain: US$ 90.00
• Sacred Valley: US$ 90.00
• City Tour: US$ 60.00

Price Guarantee: Once your booking has been confirmed, we guarantee the price won’t increase, whatever the circumstances. So please, before booking, ensure you’ve read all our important tour information.

Student Discount: US$ 20.00 off.

Student discounts apply to anyone 17-years-old or younger, and we need a copy of their passport at booking time. Please send all documentation to contact@pachaperu.tours