Machu Picchu & the Sacred Valley

A very important feature of this trip is our limited group size, as an experience of Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley is greatly enhanced by the intimacy of fewer numbers—not to mention we have a lighter footprint on the natural and cultural landscape alike.

This trip includes the private services of the region's most knowledgeable and experienced guides, each one specially selected by Natural Habitat Adventures to ensure that your Machu Picchu journey provides a superior and highly memorable travel adventure.

• Trip price includes: Accommodations, services of Nat Hab's professional Expedition Leader(s), round-trip train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, all meals from breakfast on Day 2 through lunch on final day, some gratuities, airport transfers on Day 1 and final day, all activities and entrance fees, all taxes, permits and service fees.

• Internal air fees includes: The internal air fee includes round-trip flights from Lima to Cusco, and if you are connecting with the Galapagos it also includes a flight to or from Lima. 

Travel to and from the start and end point of your trip, dinner on Day 1, alcoholic beverages, some gratuities, passport and visa fees (if any), optional activities, items of a personal nature (phone calls, laundry and internet, etc.), airline baggage fees, airport and departure taxes (if any), required medical evacuation insurance, optional travel protection insurance.

Moderate — High Altitude
The bulk of the trip takes place at elevations between 8,000 and 11,000 feet, and guests should be prepared for possible challenges in adjusting to high altitudes. Days 2 – 5 will primarily be spent between 8,000 – 9,400 feet. On Day 6, we return to the highest elevation portion of the trip in Cusco at 11,000 feet. The relative lack of oxygen may manifest in altitude sickness symptoms that can include headaches, dizziness, tiredness, nausea and vomiting during the first few hours or days of the trip. Hydration and rest usually help symptoms resolve, though participants may wish to talk with their doctor about taking along a prescription for a medication to better manage potential physical reactions to high altitude. On Day 2 we travel over rough, sometimes bumpy mountain roads to crest a 12,700-foot mountain pass, then descend to 9,700 feet and ascend again to 11,400 feet at Pisac, in the span of approximately three hours.

Our visit to Machu Picchu, at an elevation of 8,000 feet, involves walking over uneven natural terrain and up and down hundreds of irregular stone stairs within the ruins complex. While walking options of varying lengths are provided, guests should be able to comfortably walk two miles and/or for two hours in such conditions. They must also be able to get in and out of vehicles with ease. We do not recommend this trip for travelers with heart or respiratory ailments or those with bad ankles, knees or hips, and we recommend speaking with your doctor before participating. All activities on this trip are optional, though minimum mobility levels must be met in order to participate.

Our Machu Picchu adventure differs from the way most others experience this site in that we have a top Peruvian Expedition Leader at the helm from the time you arrive in Cusco to the time you depart. Traveling with a highly experienced local specialist is the only way to get the most out of the region's rich nature, culture and history in the integrated way it deserves. 

At certain times of the year, two of our scheduled Galapagos trips may end on the same day and will have concurrent dates for their respective Machu Picchu extensions. Should this occur, we will combine all Natural Habitat travelers booked on the two extensions together onto one trip. This enables us to use one vehicle and Expedition Leader, thus reducing our environmental footprint.

Arrival: Arrive in Lima anytime on Day 1.
Departure: Depart from Lima after 9 pm on Day 6.

Generally, international flights depart Lima in the late evening.

Arriving in Lima, Peru
If you are arriving on Day 1 or earlier and staying at the group hotel, you will be met by a Nat Hab representative and escorted to the hotel. Upon exiting Immigration and Customs, please look for our representative holding a Nat Hab sign.

Departing from Lima, Peru
You will be escorted to the airport on the final day of the adventure.

If booked following our Galapagos adventures aboard the Petrel:
When you are flying back to the mainland from the Galapagos, you will return to Quito and overnight at an airport hotel. The next day, you will fly to Lima (Day 1) and stay at an airport hotel in Lima. On the morning of Day 2, you will fly to Cusco. Our representative will be on hand to assist you with your flight transfer and arrivals at the Quito and Lima airports. At the end of your Machu Picchu tour, you will return to Lima at approximately 6:30 pm on Day 6. You are free to depart after 10 pm on the final day, and most flights to the U.S. leave around midnight.

If booked before our Great Amazon River Expedition:
At the end of your Machu Picchu tour, you will return to Lima at approximately 7:30 pm on Day 6 and will be transferred to an airport hotel for an included overnight. You will then require one additional overnight in Lima before Day 1 of your Great Amazon River Expedition. Please consult your Adventure Specialist for more details.

We can best serve you if our Natural Habitat Adventures Travel Desk makes your reservations, as we are intimately familiar with the special requirements of this program and can arrange the most efficient travel. Please call us at 800-543-8917. Note that while we offer you the best possible rates available to us on airfare and additional nights' accommodations, you may find special web rates or better fares online.