2-Day Tour: Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu by Train

This was a great way to see the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. As a solo traveler going to Peru for the first time, I wanted to make this as simple as possible, especially as I was unsure as to how the altitude would effect me. First off, the logistics were handled flawlessly. From being picked up at the airport, to morning tours, to drop off back at the hotel and then airport at the end of the trip, every guide and driver was where they were supposed to be, when they said they would be there. This company is located at Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu), and contracts out airport transfers and the Sacred Valley Tour, (as do a lot of others as well - as everyone on my first day tour was from a separate tour company) - but everything truly was seamless - if it wasn't for the different uniforms, and that the first tour company told us that, I would have not noticed. I enjoyed all aspects of the first day, even though you end up in some tourist shops, I enjoy the learning aspect of that, seeing how the crafts are made, and exploring markets. At no time did I fell overly pressured to buy anything. I also really enjoyed the lunch spot they brought us to. Some times on tours like this you can end up at a pretty crappy lunch spot. This was probably the best buffet tour lunch I have had. A slightly less expensive alternative was offered as well, which I appreciated. The second day was great. Its Machu Picchu. Not much I can add. The train ride in and out of Aguas Calientes was gorgeous, and they got me a window seat on the river side of the train. I would not have even known to ask for that, but if you are booking the train, see if they can make that happen. Might have just been a happy coincidence for me. As a bonus, the car ride back from Ollyentembo (SP) to Cusco, went over the high Andean plain and seeing those farming and lake communities at between 10,000 and 12,000 feet was amazing - lucky for the time of year, but do try and see it in the day light. The only downside, and this is probably a Peru thing, was the hotel in Aguas Calientes (Wyman SP?). It wasn't horrible, and I did get a good night's sleep. But it really is a step or two up from a nice hostel. My original room on the second floor was loud, I could hear everything being said in the Lobby. They were kind enough to move me to a room on the 5th floor, which was a little better once they finished cleaning the restaurant on the 6th floor. However the breakfast was better than acceptable in a beautiful room of the 6th floor. And the water pressure was excellent in the shower. If you are picky about hotel rooms, I would suggest seeing if you can upgrade the hotel - but the place is fine otherwise. And the staff is very friendly and helpful. Oh yea - make sure you are in decent shape before going - climbing the steps at altitude will tire you out. But the guides were good at measuring the pace and provided rest as we went.

Great tour. Hotel was good. All tour guides were informative and friendly and made sure we knew what to expect. Would have liked a little more time exploring Ollantaytombo independently. Surprisingly delicious lunch. Would definitely recommend.

Unless you have an express kidnapping roleplay fetish or don't mind paying a lot of money for a self guided tour this may not be for you. Actual itinerary - stop at wool store, then quick visit to Pisac Site, stop at jewelry store for 20 minutes and half hour at market, one hour lunch (no Visa- cash only $25 USD per person), quickly visit Ollantaytambo for approx. 15 minutes then to the train station, then you are on your own. Aguas Caliente terrible hotel, "tour guide" picked us up late, took our money to store luggage put us on the bus and that's it. Machu Pichuu by ourselves. "Guided Tour not included in the price", back to the train station by ourselves, picked up by a man in a car that did not speak english. Car had been in an accident (driver air bag in steering wheel exploded and repaired) no working seatbelts. Driver says "it's no problem" but asks you to pull the belt over shoulder everytime we are near police. Scary as hell.

Machupicchu Latin America Journeys did a very good job arranging this trip. Their service was great! I lost my sunglasses in the car that they dropped me off at my hotel after tour. I didn't expect to get it back as I was leaving at 6 am next day for my flight to Lima. It turned out they delivered my sunglasses to my lobby around 5:30 am something next day. They do their best for their customers, which is awesome!

In the Sacred Valley we stopped at a few key spots and also stopped at some local stores. The only thing I'd say about that is that we didn't have enough time to buy everything we wanted - more time at both stores would have been appreciated. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. We had enough time at each of the Inca sites. Lunch was a buffet and had decent food. The guides that took us to the hotel and to Machu Picchu were not very friendly and weren't very considerate of the fact that we had a few people in our group that had to walk slow, luckily they weren't the main tour guides. At Machu Picchu we had a different tour guide - Alain. He was amazing. My grandma had some trouble walking around and he took care of her, taking her down paths that were easier and holding her purse, jacket, and water the whole time! Alain was also very knowledgeable about Machu Picchu and the Incas. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone, I would also say to upgrade on the hotel.

I had a great time on this tour. Both guides were knowledgeable and informative, and the pace worked really well for me. I have chronic foot pain that makes it difficult to be on my feet for long periods, and there was plenty of time on the bus in between locations on the Sacred Valley tour to rest. All the bus and train tickets were neatly organized for me and the directions were very clear. Highly recommended!

This trip started off very rocky. The main issue was that there was ZERO communication regarding where/when to meet the week leading up to the trip. I have purchased many tours on viator in the past and have always been contacted by the tour company prior to the trip regarding the trip details and what time pick-up will be/etc. In this case, I heard nothing at all from this tour even in the days leading up to my purchased date, and I had to search online for contact information to get in touch with the company. There were others in my tour group who had the same issue. One lady said that she had not heard anything from the tour company even the NIGHT before her tour was supposed to depart. It was not until she messaged them urgently that they finally sent her communication and sent information about where to meet the next day. This gave us the impression that the tour company was trying to take our money without giving us the tour as we had all paid up front, and therefore the tour company had no incentive to actually take us on the tour if we did not contact them. That being said, once we finally were able to get ahold of the tour company, the rest of the trip was smooth. The experience is delivered as promised. Overall, this tour company just needs to fix the way they handle the start of the tour.

Loved Macchu Picchu and the local tour guides and operators, but the organization of the trip left a lot to be desired. Did not hear from the tour operator until we contacted them ourselves - he requested to meet the evening before the tour however called the hotel at our original meeting time and postponed it another 1.5 hours so our evening plans had to be readjusted. Our 3 star hotel had no hot water and we felt hustled into some sales. That being said, macchu picchu was amazing and the van pickups and train rides well coordinated.

Our trip was very well organised. Contact throughout via WhatsApp was very helpful, as was the face to face briefing the evening before when we were given a clear itinerary and all relevant tickets. Punctual pickup on the day. Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu were incredible. Our guide Fabricio, whose English was very good, was excellent. His friendly enthusiasm and knowledge made the visits very informative and enjoyable. Our experience could only be improved by maybe upgrading the overnight hotel from three to four star if you want to pay the extra for one night and a bit more comfort. Overall we were more than happy with all the arrangements and our trip.

Great coordination and communication. Tour guides were helpful and clear. Would def recommend to others.