Full day or half day
The tours fall into two groups. The full days of Inka Altitude and Tour Valle Sagrado VIP pack everything in: the weavers and church of Chinchero, the circular terraces of Moray, the salt pans of Maras, lunch in Urubamba, the fortress of Ollantaytambo and the ruins of Pisac, back in Cusco between 6 and 7 PM. Inka Altitude points out that the sites are far apart and that a large part of the day is spent on the bus. The half days of Apu Ausangate Trek, Viagens Machu Picchu and Inkayni keep to Chinchero, Moray and Maras and are back by mid-afternoon, with lunch on your own.
The Sacred Valley Full Day of Viagens Machu Picchu is the odd one out: despite the name it skips Moray, Maras and Chinchero. It covers Pisac, a silver workshop, Urubamba and Ollantaytambo, and ends on the main square of Ollantaytambo; the bus back to Cusco leaves at 5:45 PM and arrives around 7 PM.
Ending in Ollantaytambo for the train
The Sacred Valley is on the way to Machu Picchu, so several tours let you get off in Ollantaytambo and take the train to Aguas Calientes. Inka Altitude stops there at about 3 PM and recommends a train after 4 PM. Tour Valle Sagrado VIP sells an option that ends there at 3 PM. Viagens Machu Picchu ends in Ollantaytambo anyway. Inka Altitude allows one backpack of 30 liters on the group bus and Tour Valle Sagrado VIP up to 12 kg of luggage, so a large suitcase is a problem. If you want the organizing done for you, the two-day tours with the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu include the train and the night in Aguas Calientes; for the citadel on a single day see the Machu Picchu day trips.
The tourist ticket and the salt mines
Entry is not included on any of these tours. Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero and Moray are covered by the Boleto Turístico del Cusco, the regional tourist ticket. Inka Altitude lists the partial ticket as an extra and notes that the full ticket is valid for 10 days and covers most Inca sites around Cusco and the valley. Tour Valle Sagrado VIP sells the ticket at the first stop in Chinchero. The salt mines of Maras are not on it and have their own fee. Both are paid in cash, in soles.
Altitude
Most of the valley is lower than Cusco, which Viagens Machu Picchu puts at about 3,400 m: Urubamba at about 2,870 m, Ollantaytambo at about 2,790 m and Pisac at about 3,300 m, according to the same operator. Chinchero, at 3,762 m on two listings, is the highest stop, and Moray sits at 3,450 to 3,500 m. With little walking at altitude, this is a reasonable tour for the first days in Cusco, before Rainbow Mountain or Humantay. The climb in Ollantaytambo is more than 200 steps, without an elevator, says Inka Altitude. More: altitude and acclimatization.
Who should not book these tours
Inka Altitude does not recommend its full day for people with limited mobility, wheelchair users or people with breathing problems. Inkayni describes its private tour as wheelchair accessible; check what that covers at Moray and the salt pans before you book. The Viagens Machu Picchu group tours take children from age 4.
Meeting times
The two Viagens Machu Picchu group tours start at Plaza Regocijo between 7:45 and 8 AM, and late arrivals count as no-shows without a refund. Tour Valle Sagrado VIP confirms pickup times the evening before, from 6 PM. Inka Altitude picks up between 5:45 and 6:15 AM. Every tour on this page can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours before.
The valley tours run all year; for the rainy months see best time to visit. Moray and the salt mines also work by quad bike, and the South Valley is the shorter trip in the other direction.
