Day 1:
Start the first day with pickup from your hotel in Cusco and travel to the first destination, Cruzpata. This is the ATV base camp, where you will be able to practice using your ATV, which you will drive to the first two destinations of the tour. Set out on your ATV with your guide to Moray in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. See the terracing system and irrigation using aqueducts, indicative of the ingenuity of the Incan civilization. Next visit the Maras Salt Mines. The salt mines, or the famous “salt pools” are located in the rural community of Pichingoto. This site is highly recommended for photography lovers because of its impressive landscape.
After visiting the salt mines, enjoy lunch in one of the local restaurants of Urubamba. Next, make your way to Ollantaytambo to hop onboard the train to Aguas Calientes. Depart at 3:37 PM and enjoy a scenic 1.5-hour journey. During the train ride, take time to appreciate the beauty of the surrounding valleys and Andes mountains. The train will arrive in Aguas Calientes, which is a small town located at the base of Machu Picchu. Your transfer will be waiting for you at the train station to take you to your selected hotel in Aguas Calientes. Have a meeting with your guide to find out the scheduled departure time for Machu Picchu the next morning.
Day 2:
It is recommended to wake up early in the morning to enjoy breakfast at the hotel. At the scheduled time, head to the bus station to try to catch one of the first buses, which begin at 5:30 AM and fill on a first-come, first-served basis. The bus journey will take about 25 minutes to get to Machu Picchu. As soon as you arrive at the complex, meet your guide who will take you to the best viewing spots throughout the ruins. Get a panoramic view of the landscape and the sunrise over the mountains. There will be a rendezvous to observe the sunrise in order to get spectacular views of the Lost City of the Incas.
Take a 2-hour guided tour around Machu Picchu, with plenty of free time afterwards to explore the ruins on your own. If you have tickets to climb the amazing mountain of Huaynapicchu, your guide will direct you to where this hike begins. Please make sure this is arranged at least 1 or 2 months in advance of your visit, as tickets do sell out fast. Once you are done exploring all Machu Picchu has to offer, take a bus down to Aguas Calientes then take the train back to Ollantaytambo. From here, be returned to the historic center of Cusco.
