Machu Picchu is the most visited place in Peru. It was built during the mid XV century, under the reign of Inca Pachacutec. “Machu Picchu” is a Quechua expression that means “old mountain”. It is located at 2453 meters (8047 feet) above sea level, between the Huchuy Picchu and Huayna Picchu mountains. Machu Picchu is considered by many as the “lost city of the Incas”.
Officially, Machu Picchu was rediscovered by an American expedition led by Hiram Bingham in 1911. After the initial explorations, Bingham proposed that Machu Picchu was the forgotten capital of the Inca Empire of Vilcabamba. However, later studies revealed that Machu Picchu actually was a religious sanctuary and residence of the royal Inca family.
Machu Picchu stands out for its imposing stone buildings. The most famous of them is the mysterious Temple of the Sun. This is the only circular building found in Machu Picchu. Some historians propose that the Temple of the Sun was an astronomical observatory, while others believe that the mummy of Inca Pachacutec is buried beneath the temple.
Another beautiful structure is the Palace of the Ñustas, located near the Temple of the Sun. The ñustas were priestesses dedicated to worshiping the numerous gods of the Inca pantheon. The walls of the Palace of the Ñustas are made with high quality stones. This suggests that the building could have housed members of the royal Inca family.
One of the most iconic buildings of Machu Picchu is the Temple of the Three Windows. According to some theories, the three windows represent three caves of the legendary Tamputoco mountain, which was the birthplace of Cusco city’s founders.
On this 4 days Lima to Machu Picchu tour you will explore the marvels of Cusco city, the Sacred Valley of the Incas, and the legendary citadel of Machu Picchu. You will get unique insights about the rich history of Cusco region, while traversing the enchanting landscapes of the Andes mountains.
We are a local travel agency committed to providing the best tours and treks in Peru. Our staff have years of experience planning vacations in Peru. During our tours, you will get unique insights about the history and traditions of all the places you will be visiting.
Our 4 Day Machu Picchu Tour from Lima is perfect for exploring Machu Picchu in a short time. We also offer day tours to the Humantay Lake, the Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain, and the Sacred Valley. You can also check our special tours to the Salkantay Trek and the Inca Trail. Explore the most incredible Inca archaeological sites of South America with us.
Lima Hotel Transfer.
4:00 am
We will pick you up at 4:00 am from your hotel in Lima. Afterwards, we will drive to the airport to board a plane to the Imperial city of Cusco. The flight will take around 1.5 hours to complete. Once we arrive in Cusco, we will take you to your hotel room. At 13:00, we will pick you up to take you on a guided tour through the beautiful city of Cusco and its surroundings.
The first place we will visit will be the imposing Cusco Cathedral. This colonial church houses numerous pieces of religious art, such as paintings and sculptures. The most famous are the paintings of the Cusco Art School, an art tradition that appeared during the colonial period. This art tradition is characterized by the mixture of Spanish and Inca concepts.
Then, we will explore the Convent of Santo Domingo, which was built on top of the ancient Qorikancha Inca temple. The Qorikancha was one of the most important temples of the Inca Empire. It was used to house hundreds of religious idols from the populations conquered by the Incas. After the Spanish conquest, the Qorikancha was partially destroyed to build the temple of Santo Domingo.
Our next stop will be the archeological complex of Sacsayhuaman. Sacsayhuaman is often considered as a fortress due to its giant stone walls. However, the complex was actually used as a temple to honor the sun and thunder gods.
After exploring the complex of Sacsayhuaman, we will visit the nearby Inca ruins of Qenqo. To this day, it is still unclear why Qenqo was built. Some people theorize that Qenqo was some sort of religious sanctuary, where ritual sacrifices were performed. Qenqo displays intricate stone carvings of snakes and monkeys on its buildings’ surface.
After visiting the mysterious Inca ruins of Qenqo, we will go to Tambomachay. Tambomachay is a beautiful Inca site famous for its stone water fountains, which still work to this day. Some historians propose that Tambomachay was a temple dedicated to worshiping the water gods.
Our final stop will be Puca Pucara, which was a small Inca fortress used to guard the entrance to the city of Cusco. Puca Pucara is a Quechua expression that means “red fortress”. This Inca site was named after the reddish color of its stone walls.
After exploring Puca Pucara, we will transfer you back to your hotel room in Cusco city.
We will wake up early in the morning to have a traditional Andean breakfast. Then, we will drive through the beautiful Sacred Valley to the Pisac Inca ruins. The archeological site of Pisac is one of the most famous places of the Sacred Valley. It comprises several stone buildings located on top of a mountain. Historians propose that Pisac was an Inca royal state that also served as a temple.
After exploring Pisac, we will drive to Ollantaytambo, another Inca jewel of the Sacred Valley. Like Pisac, Ollantaytambo was an Inca palace and temple. The site is easily recognizable due to its long stone staircases and terraces.
Once we have explored Ollantaytambo, we will drive to Urubamba town, located in the lowest section of the Sacred Valley. We will stop there to have a delicious buffet lunch.
After having lunch, we will drive to the Ollantaytambo train station to board a train to Aguas Calientes. Aguas Calientes is a small town located near Machu Picchu citadel. It serves as the entry point to Machu Picchu. The train trip will take around 1.5 hours to complete.
Once in Aguas Calientes, our staff will transfer you to your hotel room. Then, you will have free time to explore this cozy town and its famous hot springs.
We will wake up early in the morning. After having breakfast at the hotel, we will board a bus to Machu Picchu citadel. The bus trip is quite short and takes between 30 to 40 minutes to complete. Once we pass the security checkpoint, we will enter the famous Inca citadel of Machu Picchu.
You will have a complete guided tour of the place. You will visit the Main Temple, the Temple of the Sun, the Ñusta Palace, among other Inca monuments. If you have booked a trek to Huayna Picchu mountain or Machu Picchu mountain, our personnel will guide you to the respective trailhead.
After the guided tour, we will return to Aguas Calientes. Once there, you will have time to have lunch at a local restaurant. However, the lunch is not included in the tour price.
In the afternoon, we will board a train to return to Ollantaytambo. Once there, our staff will transfer you back to Cusco city, where you will be arriving around 9:00 pm.
After having breakfast at the hotel, we will transfer you to Cusco city’s airport. Then, you will board a plane to Lima city. Once you arrive in Lima, our staff will transfer you to your hotel room.
I really liked the comfort and attention of the agency, every place we visited I liked, the Sacred Valley especially beautiful scenery and the citadel of Machu Picchu left me shocked. Amazing!
