Vallée Sacrée Privée de 2 Jours et Tour du Machu Picchu

I always worry about these tours when I've never been to the country before, and I can say wholeheartedly I needn't have worried for this tour. Getting to Machu Pichu involves a lot of logistics: from obtaining a pass, to the van/train/bus involvement, and it was very nice having someone handle the plans. My daughter and I did the 2 day overnight hike to Machu Piccu (really just one day of hiking). Our guide, Mario, spoke excellent English, was a very nice person, and was quite helpful and knowledgeable. The hidden benefit of a private guide like this is you can get a better feel of what life is like in Peru by talking with an actual Peruvian for 2 days. The hike was strenuous, particularly for me at 56 years old, from sea level (Cusco, the highest part of the trip is 11000 feet) and who spent the previous day suffering severe fluid loss from traveler's diarrhea, but we did it and enjoyed it as well. Mario met us at our hotel the night before to finalize arrangements. Since the plans involve leaving Cusco at 5 AM, I strongly recommend giving yourself a full day in Cuzco prior to starting this tour. 2 days even better, as you can acclimate a little (though theories on that differ). He provides a lunch, you carry it. If it rains, it can rain quite hard for an hour or so. It's a lot of walking up stone steps. The stone wears on you a little more than typical hikes. To recap: Mario met us at 5 where he and a driver drove us in a private van a little over an hour from Cusco to the train station at Ollantaytambo. We took the train until KM 104 then disembarked and started the hike. The train continues on to Aqua Calientes where one can take a bus up to Machu Pichu ( be aware: you stlil have to climb a lot and this method is quite crowded). We hiked for about 6 hours, about 4000 feet vertical and about 9 miles. A few 20 somethings did it in about 5 and most others did it in around 8 hours. You stop at ruins at WinayWayna for lunch and then hike up to the Sun Gate, the spot where all the Machu Pichu pictures are taken. Just before you get to the gate, you ascend a steep area which takes away your waning energy, but it's quite a nice reward to get to the gate. From there, it is still another 45 minutes to an hour of hiking downward to get to the bus area. Great pics along the way, and much less crowded, as the climb to the gate discourages those who took the bus to Machu Pichu's entrance, which is at least 45 minutes walking distance away. We then took a bus down the switch back to Aquas Calientes for our hotel. We "upgraded" to a 5 star hotel, and it was very nice, in fact (Sumaq). The next AM, we took the bus up and toured the actual ruins (since your arrival time by hike is unpredictable, and you can only get a permit for the AM or the PM, it is best to wait until the next day to actually go in to the ruins). We were able to give Mario a travel bag (could have been a carry on) which he sent ahead to our hotel in Aqua Calientes. My pre-trip inquiries were vague on that and we thought we'd have to carry everything on our backs. It's nice just to send ahead toiletries and a change of clothes. You can get muddy and wet on this hike. It can be hot but can be cold too if rains, so bring layers, poncho, sun screen, bug spray, a hat, your camera, lots of water, and shoes that you can hike in while wet (eg boots or hiking shoes). Mario knew the history well and was just a nice guy to talk to, which is important given the amount of time you spend together. He knows when to just hike and be quiet and when to talk about something. After our AM at Machu Picchu, we took the bus back down to Aqua Calientes, took the train back to Ollantaytambo, and then our driver drove us the 1.5 hours back to our hotel. A lot of logistics and time involved to see it, but it's worth it, of course. The hike is a better way to avoid the crowd and also a better way to appreciate the location of these ruins.