Private Tour: 6 days|| Cusco || MachuPicchu ||Rainbow Mountain||

Start high, then go higher. This six-day private tour packs Cusco’s Inca sites, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Rainbow Mountain, and Humantay Lake into one carefully arranged route. I especially like the private format, which gives your group its own guide and transport, and the broad package of hotels, meals, entrance tickets, and airport transfers.

I also like the practical planning. Chullos Travel Peru handles the airport pickup, trains, buses, mountain transport, and hotel changes, so you are not left solving a new puzzle each morning. The main consideration is the pace: two 4:00 a.m. starts, high-altitude hikes, and a long Machu Picchu day require solid fitness and a willingness to trade slow mornings for big sights.

Key points to know before booking

• Cusco begins gently: You have a free morning to rest and adjust before the afternoon city tour.
• The private setup is genuinely personal: Only your group participates, and a guide such as Jonathan Flores may accompany you through the major visits.
• Machu Picchu ticket availability matters: The entrance ticket itself is subject to availability and may be limited to Circuits 1 or 2.
• The schedule is physically demanding: Rainbow Mountain reaches about 5,200 meters, while Humantay Lake sits at 4,250 meters.
• Most major costs are bundled: Three-star hotels, many meals, trains, buses, guides, and listed entrance tickets are included.
• You get two mountain days: Vinicunca and Humantay Lake offer very different scenery, but both demand early departures and uphill walking.

What the $1,054.50 price buys you

At $1,054.50 per person, this tour is priced as a full-service package rather than a simple sightseeing outing. You receive five nights in three-star hotels, airport transfers, Cusco transportation, Sacred Valley transport, train tickets, Machu Picchu buses, professional guides, breakfasts, several lunches, and access to the listed archaeological sites.

That combination can be useful if you prefer one company to coordinate the moving parts. Train schedules, hotel changes, early pickups, mountain transport, and entrance arrangements can take time to manage separately. Here, the operator carries much of that burden.

The value depends heavily on the Machu Picchu ticket situation. The package includes the bus between Aguas Calientes and the ruins and a professional guide, but the Machu Picchu entrance ticket is listed separately as subject to availability. If a different circuit is available, you may need to pay the fare difference. If no Machu Picchu ticket of any type can be obtained, the package is to be fully refunded.

Read that condition carefully before paying. It is not a minor footnote. Machu Picchu is the centerpiece of the trip, and you should confirm the ticket arrangement with Chullos Travel Peru before treating the booking as final in practical terms.

Day 1: Easing into Cusco at Sacsayhuaman

Your first day starts with airport pickup and a transfer to your Cusco hotel. The free morning is a smart feature. Cusco sits at high altitude, and arriving visitors often need time to rest, drink water, and get used to the thinner air before sightseeing.

The afternoon city tour begins around 2:00 p.m. at Koricancha, the Temple of the Sun. A guided visit lasts about 45 minutes, giving you an introduction to Inca religious life and the later Spanish use of the site. It is a good first stop because you are still close to central Cusco and do not need to begin with a strenuous walk.

After about 30 minutes in the vehicle, you reach Sacsayhuaman. The huge stone walls are the star of the afternoon. The name is connected to a Quechua phrase meaning a place where the falcon is satiated, and the site gives you an immediate sense of the scale and precision of Inca stonework.

Qenqo follows, a ceremonial center set around an unusual rocky outcrop. The tour description emphasizes the site’s mystical feel, and the enclosed rock spaces give this stop a different mood from the open walls at Sacsayhuaman. Your guide’s explanations matter here because the remains can be difficult to interpret without context.

Puca Pucara, known as the red fortress, was a military construction. Tambomachay, the final stop, is associated with water worship and Inca baths. You return to Cusco at about 7:00 p.m., making this a full five-hour afternoon rather than a quick city circuit.

I like the order of this day. It gives you time to settle in, then uses nearby sites for a useful first look at Cusco and the Inca world. If altitude affects you, the free morning is valuable, but you should still avoid treating the afternoon as effortless.

Day 2: Pisac, Ollantaytambo, and the train to Aguas Calientes

Pickup is scheduled for 8:00 a.m. The drive to Pisac takes about 90 minutes, followed by a guided visit of roughly one hour. Pisac combines an archaeological site with the Sacred Valley setting, so you get both a major Inca stop and a look at the river valley that linked important settlements.

The route continues toward Urubamba along the Vilkamayu, or Sacred River. Lunch is a buffet of typical Andean food. Since lunch is included, you can focus on the day instead of finding a restaurant during a tightly timed route.

After lunch, you drive about 30 minutes to Ollantaytambo. Its archaeological complex includes the Temple of the Sun, the Intihuatana, the Princess Baths, and terraces. This is one of the most substantial historical visits on the tour, and the one-hour guided visit helps you understand how the town and its ceremonial structures fit together.

The day ends at the train station for the ride to Aguas Calientes, the town below Machu Picchu. You spend the night there rather than returning to Cusco, which is the right arrangement for an early visit to the ruins.

This is a 12-hour day, so the schedule is not leisurely. You will see a lot, but you will also spend plenty of time in the vehicle and must keep an eye on the train departure. The guide is expected to visit your hotel that evening with the details for the next day. That briefing is especially useful because Machu Picchu entry times, bus queues, train times, and walking circuits need to line up.

Day 3: Making the most of your Machu Picchu morning

You wake early in Aguas Calientes and take the bus up to Machu Picchu. The guided visit length depends on the entry type. Afterward, you return to the town for lunch and some free time before taking the train back to Ollantaytambo, followed by a bus to Cusco.

The package includes the round-trip bus between Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu, a professional guide, breakfast, lunch, the return train, and the onward bus to Cusco. Those details remove several common sources of stress, especially on a day when a missed connection can cause real trouble.

The key limitation is the entrance ticket. It is subject to availability through Peru’s Ministry of Culture, the only authorized seller. The arrangement described here centers on Circuits 1 and 2, while other circuits may cost extra. Confirm exactly which circuit you will receive, what time slot is available, and whether the entry fee has been secured.

Your return to Cusco depends on the train schedule, so the advertised seven-hour duration is approximate. Do not plan an important evening reservation around a guaranteed arrival time. This is also the tour’s centerpiece, so it deserves your full attention rather than being treated as one more stop on a busy checklist.

Day 4: The early climb to Rainbow Mountain

Pickup for Vinicunca, commonly called Rainbow Mountain, begins at 4:00 a.m. You drive toward Cusipata, arriving around 6:30 a.m. for a 30-minute buffet breakfast. At 7:00 a.m., the vehicle continues toward Wasipata, with arrival at the trailhead expected around 8:00 a.m.

The walk to the mountain takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes each way. You have around 40 minutes at the viewpoint before returning, with the descent taking approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. Lunch follows in Cusipata, and the group is expected back in Cusco around 5:30 p.m.

The attraction is the colorful mineral bands on the mountain, but the altitude is the real story. This is not a casual viewpoint reached by a short stroll. The tour provides walking sticks and oxygen, which are useful safety resources, but they do not make the climb easy.

The timing also matters. You complete the uphill walk after a very early start and spend about 12 hours away from Cusco. If you are still struggling with altitude on Day 1, you should take that seriously before committing to this day. A moderate fitness level is required, and the tour does not present this as an optional short walk.

Day 5: Humantay Lake at 4,250 meters

Another 4:00 a.m. pickup begins the journey to Mollepata. Breakfast is served there before you continue to Soraypampa, where the hike starts. The climb to Humantay Lake takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes.

At an altitude of 4,250 meters, the lake is a demanding destination even though the walk is shorter than the Rainbow Mountain route. The description promises views of local flora and fauna along the way, followed by a descent to Soraypampa.

You return to Mollepata for lunch, then head back to Cusco, arriving at about 6:00 p.m. Breakfast, lunch, walking sticks, and an oxygen balloon are included. As with Rainbow Mountain, the equipment is helpful but does not replace preparation, patience, and careful attention to how you feel.

Putting Humantay Lake immediately after Rainbow Mountain creates the hardest stretch of the program. I would choose this schedule only if you want both mountain experiences and understand that Days 4 and 5 will be long, tiring days. The reward is variety: Vinicunca is known for its striped mountain colors, while Humantay is a high alpine lake reached by a steep walk.

Day 6: A quiet morning before your flight

The final morning is free, depending on your flight time. Breakfast and airport transfer are included. You can use the extra time to rest, pack, or simply avoid ending a demanding trip with one more scheduled visit.

There is also an optional Peruvian gastronomy activity involving food preparation and a pisco sour, but it costs extra. Since no detailed timing is provided, ask whether it fits comfortably with your departure transfer before adding it.

The private guide and personal service

The private format is one of the strongest reasons to consider this package. Only your group participates, so the experience is not built around the pace of a large coach party. That can make a major difference at archaeological sites, where you may want to pause for an explanation or ask more questions.

One particularly praised guide is Jonathan Flores. He is described as having studied in London and elsewhere in Europe, and as handling the history of the places with confidence. The same account also credits the company owner, Julio Cesar, with reorganizing an entire tour after an unexpected cancellation without charging an additional fee.

That kind of flexibility is meaningful, though you should not assume every future change will receive the same treatment. The practical takeaway is to keep your contact with the company clear and save the written itinerary, pickup times, and ticket details.

The private setup does not mean the days are relaxed. It means the service is more personal while the route remains ambitious. You still follow train schedules, mountain departure times, and official Machu Picchu entry rules.

Hotels, meals, and what is not included

The package provides three-star hotels in Cusco and Aguas Calientes. Five breakfasts and four lunches are listed, including buffet meals in Urubamba, Cusipata, and Mollepata. Breakfast is also included on the final day.

Meals not specifically mentioned are your responsibility. The tour does not promise every dinner, every drink, or every meal during free time, so budget for those separately.

Transportation is one of the package’s strongest practical features. You receive airport transfers, hotel pickups, vehicles for the Sacred Valley and mountain days, the Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes train, the return train, the bus to Machu Picchu, and the bus from Ollantaytambo to Cusco.

Who should book this six-day route?

I would recommend it to someone with limited time who wants the major Cusco area sights handled in one package. It suits you if you value private guiding, prefer not to arrange trains yourself, and want both famous archaeological sites and two high-altitude hikes.

It is less suitable if you want slow mornings, long free afternoons, or a relaxed cultural trip. The two mountain excursions begin at 4:00 a.m., and the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu days are also long.

Before booking, confirm three things: your Machu Picchu entrance status and circuit, the exact hotel names, and the train departure times. Also make sure your fitness level is appropriate for walking at 4,250 meters and for the longer Rainbow Mountain route.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if convenience, private service, and a full Peru itinerary matter more to you than a gentle pace. The company covers the complicated transport chain well, includes many useful costs, and offers a personal guide rather than a large group experience.

Skip it if you dislike pre-dawn starts or if altitude is a serious concern. For the right person, the $1,054.50 price offers solid value because it combines Cusco, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu transport, two mountain days, hotels, meals, and airport service in one plan. Just confirm the Machu Picchu ticket before you commit.

FAQ

How long is the tour?

The tour lasts approximately six days and includes airport pickup on Day 1 and an airport transfer on Day 6.

Is this a private tour?

Yes. Only your group participates in the activity.

Is airport pickup in Cusco included?

Yes. Pickup from Cusco Airport on arrival and transfer to the airport on departure are included.

Are hotels included?

Yes. Three-star hotels in Cusco and Aguas Calientes are included as specified in the package.

Is the Machu Picchu entrance ticket included?

The Machu Picchu entrance ticket is subject to availability and is listed separately from the included bus and guide services. Tickets are purchased according to availability, generally for Circuits 1 or 2. Other circuits may require an extra charge.

What happens if no Machu Picchu ticket is available?

If no type of Machu Picchu ticket is available, the tour information states that you will receive a full refund of the tour package.

Are meals included?

Five breakfasts and four lunches are included. Meals not specifically mentioned are not included.

How difficult are the mountain days?

A moderate level of physical fitness is required. Rainbow Mountain involves about 1 hour and 30 minutes of walking each way, while the walk to Humantay Lake takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes. The elevations are approximately 5,200 meters for Vinicunca and 4,250 meters for Humantay Lake.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

You can cancel at least 24 hours before the local start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made within 24 hours are not refunded or accepted.