Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Peru at a slower pace: Lima, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu by Train
9 days at a slower pace: two nights each in Lima, the Sacred Valley, Aguas Calientes below Machu Picchu and Cusco, with a free afternoon every other day.
9 days · Lima to Cusco · up to 12 guests
The terraces of Ollantaytambo, at the lower end of the Sacred Valley Photo: Tydence Davis, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ruins_at_Ollantaytambo.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 9 days, 8 nights
- Start and end
- Lima to Cusco
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 2 h on day 3No drive day is longer than 4 hours.
- Activity level
Easy
Under 5 km on foot a day, in short stretches with places to sit, and our vehicle close by. The ground is the hard part: Inca sites mean uneven stone paths and steps without handrails, and Machu Picchu has steps on every circuit, about 3 to 4 km over 2 to 3 hours at about 2,430 metres. Heights run from sea level in Lima to about 3,500 metres at Moray and 3,400 metres in Cusco. Every site has a flatter option, and you can sit any walk out.
- Meals included
- 8 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 735 (estimated price)
- Season
- April to October
Highlights
Why this trip
- Two nights below Machu Picchu in Aguas Calientes, so the visit is one unhurried morning with the afternoon free, not a dash from the train
- Two nights in every base, with a free afternoon every other day and no drive over about 2 hours
- Moray's circular terraces from the rim and the Maras salt pans from the viewpoint above, then a seated lunch with a valley family
- Ollantaytambo's Inca town and lower terraces at 9 am, before the day tours from Cusco
- The panoramic-window train down the Urubamba gorge, both ways, in reserved seats
- A Lima food morning in the Surquillo market and a ceviche lunch in Barranco
- Sacsayhuamán by van, then the Cathedral and Qorikancha in one gentle Cusco morning
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day, and none is longer than 4 hours.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 735 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 2 h, on day 3.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Lima
Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM) to your hotel in Miraflores
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Lima
- Drive about 1 h
Fly into Lima's Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM) at any time. A driver meets you in arrivals with your name and carries your bags to the vehicle for the drive to Miraflores, about 20 km and usually under an hour, longer at rush hour. Miraflores sits on cliffs above the Pacific, and we stay here because the streets are flat, easy to walk after dark and close to cafés and restaurants. If you land early and feel like a stroll, the Malecón, the clifftop path of parks and gardens, has benches all along it and a level path to the Parque del Amor. At about 6 pm your See Sight Tours guide meets the group in the hotel for a briefing on the week: the flight to Cusco, how we take the altitude, what to pack for Machu Picchu and how the pace works.
Evening
Then a short walk to an early welcome dinner of Peruvian dishes such as causa and lomo saltado, back at the hotel by about 9 pm. Later arrivals are briefed at breakfast.
Included
- Pick-up at Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Early welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the 6 pm briefing; back at the hotel by about 9 pm
Activity: Under 1 km on foot, or about 2 km if you walk part of the Malecón.
Lima: a market, the old centre and ceviche
Miraflores to the Surquillo market, the historic centre and Barranco
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Lima
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
A late breakfast, then at about 9:30 am we drive the few minutes to the Surquillo market, where Lima's cooks shop. Your guide leads a slow tasting walk on its flat aisles: fruits rarely seen at home, such as lúcuma, chirimoya and granadilla, and the ají peppers, potatoes and corn behind Peruvian cooking, with a stool at a juice counter halfway. Then we drive about 40 minutes into the historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988, and step out at the Plaza Mayor, past the Cathedral and the Government Palace, for the short walk to the Basilica and Convent of San Francisco, with its cloisters and old library. The catacombs below have narrow stairs and low ceilings; go down with the guide or sit in the cloister garden.
Afternoon
Lunch is ceviche at midday, when Limeños eat it, at a cevichería in Barranco. We are back at the hotel by about 3 pm, and the afternoon is free.
Included
- Surquillo market tasting walk with your guide
- The historic centre of Lima: the Plaza Mayor, the Cathedral and the Government Palace (outside)
- The Basilica and Convent of San Francisco, with its catacombs
- Ceviche lunch in Barranco
Optional experiences
- Larco Museum and its pre-Columbian collection, in the free afternoon, by taxi
Easier option: Stay in the San Francisco cloisters and library while the group goes down to the catacombs.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free from about 3 pm
Activity: About 3 km on foot in short stretches on flat streets and market aisles.
Fly to Cusco, then down into the Sacred Valley
Lima to Cusco by air, then Pisac and Urubamba
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Sacred Valley (Urubamba)
- Drive about 2 h
Morning
One of the two early mornings of the trip: Lima to Cusco flights mostly leave in the morning, and we choose one after about 7:30 am where the schedule allows, so breakfast comes first. The flight takes about 1 hour 20 minutes. Cusco sits at about 3,400 metres, so we do not stay. Our vehicle meets us at the airport and we drive over the hill and down into the Sacred Valley, where the hotel is about 500 metres lower.
Afternoon
There is a stop at a viewpoint over the Urubamba River and its terraced fields, with a toilet break, then lunch sitting down in Pisac, at about 2,970 metres. After lunch, those who want to can stroll the flat market square; others sit on a bench in the plaza with a coca tea. It is then about 45 minutes down the valley to our hotel near Urubamba, home for two nights, by mid-afternoon. The rest of the day is for doing very little: rest, drink water and go to bed early.
Included
- Flight from Lima to Cusco
- Viewpoint stop above the Sacred Valley
- Sit-down lunch in Pisac and time at the market square
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free at the hotel
Activity: Under 1 km on foot. Your first day at altitude: walk slowly, drink water and skip alcohol tonight.
Moray, the Maras salt pans and a family lunch
Urubamba up to Moray, across to the Maras salt pans, then a valley village and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Sacred Valley (Urubamba)
- Drive about 2 h
Morning
A slow morning: we leave at about 9:30 am for the high plateau above the valley, about 50 minutes up a road of switchbacks to around 3,500 metres, the highest point of the trip. Moray is a set of circular Inca terraces set into natural hollows, the deepest about 30 metres from rim to floor, and many archaeologists believe the Incas used the levels to test crops. We see it the easy way, from the paths along the rim, with your guide explaining what you are looking at; the walk down into the lower rings is steep and optional. A country road then crosses farmland to the Maras salt pans, thousands of small pools stepped down a hillside, fed by a salty spring and worked by local families since before the Incas. Visitors watch from a path above the pools, which is also the best view.
Afternoon
We come down to the valley floor for a seated, home-cooked lunch with a village family, with no shop at the end, and are back at the hotel by about 3 pm.
Included
- Moray terraces with your guide, entry included
- The Maras salt pans, community entry fee included
- Home-cooked lunch with a family in a Sacred Valley village
Easier option: Stay on the rim paths at Moray and the upper viewpoint at Maras, with the van parked close by.
More active option: Walk down into Moray's lower terraces with the guide, about 30 minutes down and back on steep steps.
Free time: Afternoon free at the hotel from about 3 pm
Activity: About 2.5 km on foot at the two sites, on uneven paths at about 3,400 to 3,500 metres; walk slowly and rest often.
Ollantaytambo, then the train to Aguas Calientes
Urubamba to Ollantaytambo, then the train down the Urubamba gorge to Aguas Calientes
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Aguas Calientes
- Drive about 30 min
We pack a small bag for two nights and leave at about 8:30 am for the 30-minute drive to Ollantaytambo, arriving around 9 am, before most day tours from Cusco. Your main bag goes on to Cusco in our vehicle. Terraces climb steeply here to the Temple Hill and its wall of six huge pink stone blocks, and in 1537 Manco Inca held off a Spanish force from these walls. The climb is about 200 stone steps, so we offer it as an option. The rest of us stay on the lower terraces and walk the Inca town below, where families still live on the old street grid, with water channels running beside the lanes and the Plaza de Armas to sit in.
Afternoon
After a sit-down lunch in town we board the panoramic-window train in reserved seats for about an hour and a half down the Urubamba gorge, from dry hills into cloud forest. Aguas Calientes, at about 2,040 metres, is lower and warmer than the valley.
Evening
We check in, rest, and meet for dinner in town.
Included
- Ollantaytambo archaeological site with your guide, entry included
- Walk through Ollantaytambo's Inca town
- Lunch in Ollantaytambo
- Panoramic-window train to Aguas Calientes, reserved seats
- Dinner in Aguas Calientes
Easier option: Stay on the lower terraces and in the old town, with benches in the Plaza de Armas.
More active option: Climb the terraces to the Temple Hill with the guide, about 200 steep stone steps up and back down.
Free time: Late afternoon free in Aguas Calientes
Activity: About 2.5 km on foot, mostly on the flat lanes of the town. Bring a small bag of about 5 kg for the train.
Machu Picchu in the morning, a free afternoon
Aguas Calientes up to Machu Picchu and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Aguas Calientes
- Drive about 1 h
Morning
The second early start, because the site asks for it: we leave the hotel at about 6:15 am for one of the morning buses, a 25-minute ride up the zigzag road, and walk in on an early-morning entry time we book with your trip. Before mid-morning the site is cooler and quieter, and in the dry season the cloud lifts off the peaks. A licensed Machu Picchu guide, required by the site's rules, leads us on a circuit with the upper viewpoint and the classic view over the citadel and Huayna Picchu, and sets the pace to the slowest walker, with stops to sit on the terrace walls. There are no toilets inside, so we use the ones at the entrance before we start. Every circuit has stone steps; if you would rather not do the lower section, stay at the viewpoint terraces with a member of the group and walk out the short way.
Afternoon
We ride the bus down for a sit-down lunch in Aguas Calientes, and the afternoon is free, with no train or road to catch today.
Included
- Machu Picchu entry with a licensed site guide, on an early-morning time slot
- Every bus ride between Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu
- Lunch in Aguas Calientes
Optional experiences
- Aguas Calientes hot springs, in the free afternoon
- Manuel Chávez Ballón Site Museum, at the foot of the Machu Picchu road, by taxi
Easier option: Stay on the upper terraces by the viewpoint after the classic view, then take the short way out and an earlier bus down.
More active option: Add a Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain ticket, a steep climb with small daily numbers, if you ask when you book.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 3 to 4 km over 2 to 3 hours at about 2,430 metres, on stone steps without handrails. The bus ride counts as the day's driving.
The train back, then over the plateau to Cusco
Aguas Calientes by train to Ollantaytambo, then Urubamba, Chinchero and Cusco
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Cusco
- Drive about 2 h
No alarm today.
Morning
After a late breakfast we walk the short way to the station for a late-morning train back up the gorge, about 1 hour 45 minutes in reserved seats, with the river beside you most of the way.
Afternoon
Our driver meets us at Ollantaytambo station and we drive 30 minutes to Urubamba for a sit-down lunch, then climb out of the valley onto the Chinchero plateau, at about 3,760 metres, with snow peaks of the Cordillera Urubamba to the west on a clear day. We stop at a viewpoint to stretch, then come down into Cusco, at about 3,400 metres, by mid-afternoon. The drive from the station is about 80 km and 2 hours with the stops. If the train runs late, the driver waits, and your main bag is already at the Cusco hotel, a short walk from the Plaza de Armas.
Evening
The rest of the day is free to settle in; go slowly on Cusco's slopes on the first evening.
Included
- Panoramic-window train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo, reserved seats
- Lunch in Urubamba
- Viewpoint stop on the Chinchero plateau
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Cusco
Activity: Under 1 km on foot. Cusco's centre has steep lanes; take a taxi uphill in the evening if you like.
Cusco: Sacsayhuamán, the Cathedral and Qorikancha
Sacsayhuamán by van, then the Plaza de Armas and Qorikancha
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Cusco
- Drive about 30 min
At about 9:30 am our vehicle takes us ten minutes up to Sacsayhuamán, the Inca complex above the city, so there is no climb. The zigzag walls of fitted stone blocks, the largest estimated at more than 100 tonnes, face a wide, mostly level grassy esplanade, and your guide explains how they were built without mortar. Then the van takes us back down to the Plaza de Armas rather than the steep lanes of San Blas. Inside the Cathedral, built over an Inca palace, look for the colonial painting of the Last Supper with a roast guinea pig on the table; there are benches along the nave. A short, level walk takes us to Qorikancha, the Inca Temple of the Sun, where Dominican friars built their monastery on top of the curved Inca walls. Cusco's old centre has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983.
Evening
We finish with a sit-down lunch near the plaza at about 1:30 pm, the afternoon is free, and in the evening we meet for a farewell dinner.
Included
- Sacsayhuamán with your guide, entry included, by van both ways
- Cusco Cathedral, entry included
- Qorikancha, the Temple of the Sun, entry included
- Lunch in central Cusco
- Farewell dinner
Optional experiences
- Museum of Pre-Columbian Art, in the free afternoon
Easier option: Watch the walls from the esplanade at Sacsayhuamán, near where the van parks.
More active option: Walk down from Sacsayhuamán through San Blas, past the twelve-angled stone, on steep steps and cobbles, about 30 minutes.
Free time: Afternoon free from about 3 pm
Activity: About 2.5 km on foot at about 3,400 metres, mostly level, with seats in the Cathedral and the cloister at Qorikancha.
Cusco, then home
Cusco to Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport (CUZ)
- Breakfast
- Drive about 30 min
Morning
The last morning is free. Take a taxi to the San Pedro market for a fresh juice at one of the long counters, visit the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art in a colonial mansion on the Plaza de las Nazarenas, or sit in the Plaza de Armas and watch the city start its day. Your hotel holds your bags until the transfer. Cusco's airport is about 5 km from the centre, around 20 minutes by road, and our driver takes you there in time for your flight, with your guide checking your connection before saying goodbye. Most international flights leave from Lima, so you fly from Cusco to Lima first, about 1 hour 20 minutes, and connect there. Book a Cusco departure after about 11 am, and allow at least four hours between landing in Lima and your international flight. We can book the Cusco to Lima flight with your trip if you ask, and add extra nights in Cusco or Lima if you want to stay longer, which many travellers over 60 prefer before a long flight home.
Included
- Drop-off at Cusco airport (CUZ)
Optional experiences
- Museum of Pre-Columbian Art
Free time: Morning free
Activity: Book a Cusco flight leaving after about 11 am, with at least four hours to connect in Lima.
- Lima2 nights
- Sacred Valley (Urubamba)2 nights
- Aguas Calientes2 nights
- Cusco2 nights
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: The dry season, roughly May to September, brings clear days, cold nights in the Andes and the most visitors at Machu Picchu; Cusco is busiest around Inti Raymi on 24 June. The rains run from about November to March, heaviest in January and February, with afternoon showers, cloud over the ruins and occasional train disruption. Lima is grey and cool from about June to October and sunny from December to April. For this trip the dry season's cold matters most: Andean nights can drop close to freezing from June to August, so a warm layer and a hotel with heating are worth more than a packed day. April, May, September and October are milder and quieter.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers over 60 who want Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley and Cusco without long days or one-night stops
- Anyone who walks comfortably for 20 to 30 minutes at a time but not for hours
- Couples and solo travellers who want two nights in each base and a free afternoon every other day
- First-time visitors to Peru who want time to adjust to the altitude
Not for you if you want
- Wheelchair users or anyone who cannot manage some stone steps: Machu Picchu has steps on every circuit and no step-free route
- Anyone advised by a doctor not to travel above 3,000 metres
- Travellers who want to see as much as possible: the parent trip adds the Pisac ruins and a second Machu Picchu circuit at a faster pace
- Trekkers: our Inca Trail trip walks to Machu Picchu instead
Most guests are 60 and over
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
8 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Lima2 nights
- Sacred Valley (Urubamba)2 nights
- Aguas Calientes2 nights
- Cusco2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 8 nights: 2 in Lima (Miraflores), 2 in one Sacred Valley hotel near Urubamba, 2 in Aguas Calientes, 2 in central Cusco
- Central hotels of at least a 3-star-plus standard, with a lift or a room on a low floor, named when we confirm your dates
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up at Lima airport (LIM) and drop-off at Cusco airport (CUZ)
- The flight from Lima to Cusco
- Your own vehicle and driver in Lima, the Sacred Valley and Cusco, which carries your main bag from the valley to Cusco
- Panoramic-window train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes and back, reserved seats
- Every bus ride between Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide for the whole trip
- A licensed Machu Picchu guide inside the site, as the rules require, and local guides where other sites require them
Activities
- Lima: Surquillo market tasting walk, the historic centre, and the Basilica and Convent of San Francisco with its catacombs
- Sacred Valley: the Cusco tourist ticket, covering Moray, Ollantaytambo and Sacsayhuamán, plus the Maras salt pans
- Machu Picchu: an early-morning entry with a licensed site guide
- Cusco: Sacsayhuamán, the Cathedral and Qorikancha
- A home-cooked lunch with a family in a Sacred Valley village
Meals
- 8 breakfasts
- 7 lunches: ceviche in Lima, Pisac, a hosted village lunch, Ollantaytambo, Aguas Calientes, Urubamba and Cusco
- 3 dinners: welcome in Lima, Aguas Calientes and farewell in Cusco
Not included
- International flights to Lima and home, including the Cusco to Lima flight on day 9
- Visa, if your passport needs one
- Travel insurance, with medical evacuation cover and cover above 3,000 metres
- Meals not listed: 5 dinners, and lunches on days 1 and 9
- Drinks
- Tips for your guides and driver
- Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain tickets
- Optional activities, such as the Larco Museum and the Aguas Calientes hot springs
- Taxis in free time
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 735 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
Prices in these answers apply from Jan 1, 2027. Black Friday offer: 15% off the small-group price for requests received by Dec 1, 2026. From CAD 3,140 per person. Dec 2 to Dec 31: from CAD 3,400. From Jan 1, 2027: from CAD 3,695.
How slow is the pace, really?
Two nights in each of four bases, no drive over about 2 hours, under 5 km on foot a day and a free afternoon every other day. Most mornings leave at about 9 am or later; the exceptions are the flight to Cusco and the early bus up to Machu Picchu, and both are followed by rest.
Are there many stairs, and do the hotels have lifts?
Some, because Inca sites are built on steps. Every site has a flatter option: Moray from the rim, Ollantaytambo's lower terraces, the van up to Sacsayhuamán. Machu Picchu has steps on every circuit. We ask each hotel for a lift or a low-floor room, and tell you before you book if one has no lift.
Is the altitude safe for travellers over 60?
For most healthy travellers, yes, taken slowly. We sleep in the Sacred Valley and Aguas Calientes, lower than Cusco, for four nights before Cusco at about 3,400 metres. See your doctor first, especially with a heart or lung condition, and ask about altitude medicine. Tell your guide how you feel each day.
Can I come if I use a walking stick?
Yes, many travellers do, and walking poles help on Inca steps. You should be able to walk about 20 to 30 minutes at a time on uneven ground and manage some steps without handrails. If that sounds hard, call us before you book and we will tell you honestly which days would suit you.
What does the price include?
Eight nights in central hotels, the Lima to Cusco flight, the train to Machu Picchu and back in reserved seats, a Machu Picchu entry with every bus ride and a site guide, the Cusco tourist ticket and every other entry in the day plan, 8 breakfasts, 7 lunches and 3 dinners, airport transfers, your own vehicle and driver, and a See Sight Tours guide throughout.
How big is the group and who leads it?
7 to 12 guests, never more, led by a See Sight Tours guide from the Lima briefing to the Cusco airport. Machu Picchu's rules require a licensed site guide inside the citadel, so one joins us there, and local guides join at other sites where the rules ask for them. We name your guide when we confirm.
I'm travelling solo. What does a single room cost?
A room of your own costs from CAD 735 more, about 20 percent, shown before you request to book and never added later. If you would rather share, ask when you book and we tell you whether a share is possible on your departure.
When is the best time to go?
April, May, September and October suit this trip best: dry enough, milder at night and quieter than June to August, when Andean nights can drop close to freezing. From November to March the rains bring cloud over the ruins and the odd train disruption, heaviest in January and February.
How does booking work?
Pick your start date and request to book. We check availability and provide the final quote, itinerary and booking terms before you accept. No payment is taken when you send the request. No payment is taken when you request, and the price is per person sharing a room, with taxes, from CAD 3,695 for the small group.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip comes as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, at the same pace, from CAD 6,650 per person. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we quote the same hotels, trains and tickets.
Do I need a visa for Peru?
Most visitors from Canada, the US, the UK and the EU do not need a visa for a tourist stay; check the rules for your own passport. Your passport must be valid for the whole trip and often for 6 months beyond it, so check your airline's rule, and we need its details when you book to issue your Machu Picchu, train and flight tickets.
How is this different from your Lima, Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu by Train trip?
Same route, slower. This one spends two nights below Machu Picchu instead of one, so the visit has a day to itself, drops the Pisac ruins climb and the second Machu Picchu circuit, starts later and adds a lunch in Cusco. The other trip packs more in at a moderate pace.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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