6-Day Cusco Andean Private Tour with Hotel Included

Cusco rewards a well-organized first visit. This six-day private tour brings together Cusco’s major Inca sites, the Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu without asking you to arrange each transfer, ticket, or hotel yourself. I like the private vehicle, the included entrance tickets, and the steady personal support from the Amantra team, especially when plans need adjusting.

I also like the sensible overnight stay in Aguas Calientes, which lets you visit Machu Picchu without rushing back to Cusco the same day. The main consideration is the pace. You cover a great deal in six days, and the altitude, stairs, early starts, and long touring days require a moderate level of fitness.

Five details that shape the experience

• Private transport throughout: Your group travels by private vehicle for the Cusco city tour and Sacred Valley visits, rather than joining a large shared bus.
• Two nights in Aguas Calientes: This gives you time for Machu Picchu and a relaxed evening in the town, including the option to visit its thermal baths.
• The classic Cusco circuit: The plan includes the Cathedral, Qorikancha, Saqsayhuaman, Q’uenqo, Puka Pukara, and Tambomachay.
• Tickets and train travel included: Entrance fees, the Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu train, return train, and Machu Picchu shuttle buses are covered.
• Personal trip support: Aidette, Ayde, Raul, Christian, and the wider Amantra team are praised for punctual transfers, WhatsApp communication, and help with last-minute changes.
• A good package price: At $940 per person, the cost covers hotels, five breakfasts, three lunches, transport, guides, trains, buses, and major entry tickets.

What $940 buys you in Cusco

At $940 per person, this is not a bare-bones Machu Picchu transfer. The price includes airport to hotel and hotel to airport service, private transportation, official guides, entrance tickets, train tickets, shuttle buses, five breakfasts, and three lunches.

You also receive three nights in Cusco and two nights in Aguas Calientes. Hotel details are not specified, so you should confirm the exact properties, room category, and meal arrangements before paying. The same applies to the train service and the exact departure times, since those details can affect how much free time you have.

The value is strongest if you want a package that handles the complicated pieces. Machu Picchu requires coordination between train schedules, buses, timed entry, and hotel nights. The Sacred Valley adds more driving and several separate archaeological tickets. Having those pieces arranged can be worth paying for, especially on a first visit.

The price does not cover food, drinks, services outside the plan, or travel insurance. You should budget for additional meals, snacks, and personal expenses. This is also a non-refundable booking, so read the terms carefully before making payment.

Day 1: A gentle arrival in Cusco

The first day is deliberately simple. A representative meets you at the airport and takes you to your Cusco hotel, leaving you time to rest and adjust.

Cusco sits at high altitude, so a quiet arrival day is useful. The tour does not load you with sightseeing immediately after your flight. If you are already staying in Cusco, the team checks whether your hotel is on its pickup list or agrees on a meeting point.

The listed meeting point is Plaza Regocijo in central Cusco. Since airport and hotel transfers are included, confirm the pickup details and contact instructions before arrival. Amantra’s personal communication is one of the package’s strongest practical features. Several comments describe frequent WhatsApp updates, airport welcomes, and follow-up messages after excursions.

Day 2: Cusco’s Inca and colonial center

The second day gives you a compact introduction to Cusco’s layered past. It is a city where Spanish churches and Inca stonework often occupy the same block, and the tour puts that contrast in front of you quickly.

Cusco Cathedral

You spend about 50 minutes inside the Cathedral. It was built on the site of the Inca palace associated with Viracocha and contains Renaissance, Baroque, and Plateresque elements.

The important point is not simply the decoration. Inside, you see how colonial religious art developed in Cusco, including paintings from the Cusco School and altars with gold leaf. The cathedral is a useful starting point because it introduces the cultural blending that you will keep seeing during the week.

Qorikancha

The visit to Qorikancha also lasts about 50 minutes. This was the principal Inca temple dedicated to the Sun. After the Spanish conquest, the Dominican Order built the Church of Santo Domingo on its foundations.

The site is especially useful for seeing Inca construction beside later colonial work. The walls once covered in gold are gone, but the surviving stonework helps you understand the importance of the temple before the Spanish takeover.

Saqsayhuaman

At Saqsayhuaman, you spend roughly 50 minutes among enormous fitted stones above Cusco. Some stones are said to weigh as much as 300 tons, and their tight joins remain the main reason the site commands attention.

The zigzag walls were part of a ceremonial and military complex. You also get broad views over Cusco from here. Wear shoes with good grip, since archaeological sites around Cusco often involve uneven ground and steps.

Q’uenqo

Q’uenqo is a smaller site, with about 40 minutes set aside. Its semicircular amphitheater, carved rock, channels, and passageways point to ceremonial use.

This stop is less immediately grand than Saqsayhuaman, but it helps you see how ritual spaces were shaped directly from stone. Your guide’s explanation matters here because the site can be difficult to interpret on your own.

Puka Pukara and Tambomachay

Puka Pukara receives about 45 minutes. Its reddish stone walls, terraces, plazas, and strategic position suggest a control post, military station, or tambo. The name means red fortress in Quechua, linked to the color of the stone at sunset.

Another 45 minutes goes to Tambomachay, known for its fountains, channels, and carefully managed water flow. It may have served purification rituals or water worship. Together, these final stops show two practical Inca concerns: controlling movement and managing water.

The six-stop circuit is efficient, but it is also full. Each stop has a short scheduled visit, so you should not expect a slow, independent exploration of every corner. The advantage is coverage. The drawback is that you may want more time at Saqsayhuaman or Qorikancha than the schedule allows.

Day 3: Pisac, Ollantaytambo, and the train to Aguas Calientes

Day 3 moves into the Sacred Valley by private vehicle. The drive to Pisac takes about an hour, and the scenery is one of the pleasures of having a private ride. You can look out at Andean mountains, farming areas, and valley settlements rather than focusing only on the next appointment.

Pisac Archaeological Park

Pisac receives about two hours, making it one of the better-paced visits in the tour. The site is known for terraces, temples, ceremonial spaces, and structures linked to astronomy.

The terraces are the visual highlight. They curve across the slopes and show how the Inca adapted steep ground for farming. Pisac is also associated with an artisan market, but the supplied plan does not specify how much market time is included. Ask your guide if shopping matters to you, since the archaeological site and market are separate parts of the stop.

Ollantaytambo

Ollantaytambo receives about two hours before you board the train. It is one of the best places in the region to see original Inca town planning, with terraces, canals, temples, and large stone blocks fitted into place.

This is not only a ruin on a hill. The town below still follows an Inca layout, which makes the visit more substantial than a quick photo stop. The climb and uneven surfaces require care, particularly if you are managing altitude or knee problems.

After the guided visit, you take the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, also called Machu Picchu Pueblo. Your hotel for the night is included. This overnight is a smart choice because it removes the need to return to the Sacred Valley after visiting Machu Picchu.

Day 4: Machu Picchu with time to look around

The day begins with a bus from Aguas Calientes to the Machu Picchu entrance. The ride generally takes about 30 minutes.

Inside the sanctuary, the guided visit lasts approximately two to three hours. Your official guide explains the site’s architecture and past, then you have free time to look around on your own. The total Machu Picchu visit is listed at about four hours, including the guided portion and independent time.

The return bus to Aguas Calientes takes about another 30 minutes. Afterward, you can spend time in town or use the thermal baths. That free afternoon is a useful feature. Machu Picchu can be tiring, and having no second major archaeological site on the same day gives you room to slow down.

Your entry tickets, shuttle buses, and the ticket described as Llapta Machu Picchu are included. Because Machu Picchu access follows set entry rules, confirm the exact circuit, entry time, and train schedule before the trip. Those details can shape what you see and how long you remain inside.

Day 5: Returning by train, then Maras and Moray

After breakfast, you return by train to Ollantaytambo. The plan includes lunch in the Sacred Valley before the afternoon visits.

Salinas de Maras

The salt terraces at Maras take about 90 minutes to visit. More than 3,000 salt pools step down the slope, each collecting water that evaporates and leaves salt behind.

This is one of the most visually unusual stops in the region. The terraces are still associated with local salt production, and the small pools create a bright pattern across the mountainside. You should follow your guide’s instructions about where you can walk, since working areas may have restrictions.

The nearby town of Maras has colonial streets and traditional buildings, though the scheduled visit specifically focuses on the salt terraces. If you want time in the town itself, ask how the afternoon is arranged.

Moray

Moray also receives about 90 minutes. Its circular terraces descend in broad rings, creating an almost theatrical shape in the ground.

The site is often described as an agricultural testing area because each level has different exposure and conditions. That explanation is useful, but the exact purpose is still discussed by scholars. I like Moray because it shows the Inca working with temperature, altitude, water, and soil in a highly organized way.

Maras and Moray make a good pairing. One is a working salt system shaped by evaporation. The other is a carefully formed agricultural site. Neither requires a full day, but both add variety after the larger ruins.

Day 6: Airport transfer and an easy finish

The final day includes breakfast and transfer from your hotel to Cusco airport. The plan ends without a final sightseeing stop, which is sensible if your flight time is not known in advance.

Airport transfer is included, but confirm the pickup time directly with the team. The package also lists the activity ending back at the meeting point, while the day-six description specifies airport transport, so clarify which departure arrangement applies to your booking.

How the private format affects the trip

Private travel changes the feel of this route. You are not waiting for a large group at every hotel or following a fixed crowd through each stop. You can raise concerns about pace, mobility, or meal timing more easily.

That flexibility has already proved useful for some bookings. Amantra staff have arranged alternative plans when members of a group could not manage high-altitude hikes, and they have handled last-minute changes and minor problems quickly. That does not mean every request is guaranteed, but it is a good reason to communicate health concerns before arrival.

The guides and drivers are repeatedly praised for punctuality, friendliness, and clear coordination. Names that appear in the service experience include Aidette, Ayde, Raul, and Christian. You may not have one guide for every stop, since the plan refers to guides for the different excursions, so ask who will lead each day.

Who should book this Cusco tour?

I would consider this package for a first visit when you want the major sights arranged in one purchase. It suits couples, families, and small private groups that value door-to-door help more than building every detail independently.

It is also a practical option for families with mixed fitness levels. The team has helped adjust plans for older parents, although the tour still includes altitude, stairs, uneven archaeological ground, and long days. You should be comfortable with a moderate level of physical activity.

Independent hikers may find the plan too structured. It does not include Humantay Lake or Rainbow Mountain, and the time at each main site is set in advance. If those high-altitude hikes are your priority, you would need a different or expanded program.

Should you book it?

Book this six-day Cusco private tour if you want Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley, and the main Cusco sites with hotels, transport, tickets, and personal coordination already arranged. The strongest reasons are the private vehicle, two nights in Aguas Calientes, included train and bus tickets, and the team’s record of staying in touch.

Before paying, confirm the hotel names, train times, Machu Picchu entry circuit, exact pickup arrangements, and what the three lunches include. Also remember that the booking is non-refundable and travel insurance is not included.

For a well-supported first trip at $940 per person, this is a strong value. It is not the right fit if you want a loose schedule or long, quiet visits at every ruin. For most people who prefer to spend their energy looking at Peru instead of sorting out its logistics, it makes a sensible choice.

FAQ

How long is the tour?

The tour lasts approximately six days.

What is included in the price?

The price includes airport, hotel, and airport transfers, private transportation, official guides, entrance tickets, train tickets between Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu, shuttle buses between Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu, five breakfasts, three lunches, three nights in Cusco, and two nights in Aguas Calientes.

How much does the tour cost?

The listed price is $940 per person.

Is the tour private?

Yes. Only your group participates in the private tour or activity.

Where does the tour start?

The listed meeting point is Plaza Regocijo, F2M9+5X2, Cusco 08002, Peru. Airport pickup is also included for arrivals in Cusco.

Where does the tour end?

The final day includes transfer from your hotel to Cusco airport. The meeting information also lists the activity as ending back at the meeting point, so you should confirm the exact departure arrangement.

How many nights are included in each place?

The package includes three nights in Cusco and two nights in Aguas Calientes.

Are Machu Picchu entry and bus tickets included?

Yes. The package includes entrance tickets for Machu Picchu, the listed Llapta Machu Picchu ticket, and bus tickets between Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu in both directions.

Is travel insurance included?

No. Travel insurance is not included, and food, drinks, and services not described in the plan are also excluded.