Sacred Valley Private Tour from Cusco — Just Your Group, Your Pace, Your Modifications

The Sacred Valley Private Tour is a full-day exclusive exploration of the Sacred Valley with just your group — no other travelers, no shared bus, no fixed schedule. You get a private vehicle and certified bilingual guide dedicated entirely to you for 10 hours, with the freedom to set your own pickup time, adjust the order of sites, spend more or less time at each stop, and add lesser-known destinations like Maras Salt Mines or Moray.

The base itinerary covers Taray viewpoint + Pisac + Ollantaytambo + Chinchero — fully modifiable based on your interests. Same iconic sites as our Sacred Valley Full Day Tour, fundamentally different experience because of the private format.

Same destinations, completely different experience.

Sacred Valley Full Day Tour (shared) ($33 USD):

• 8-10 travelers from different bookings together
• Fixed 07:30 AM departure (crowd-smart timing)
• Standard route, standard pacing
• Best for solo travelers, budget couples, value-conscious

Sacred Valley Private Tour ($33-$195 USD scaling):

• Just your group with dedicated guide + vehicle
• Flexible departure (07:00-09:00 standard, custom on request)
• Modifiable site order and timing
• Custom modifications: Maras, Moray, fine-dining, multi-language, special occasions
• Best for couples, families, honeymooners, photographers, premium travelers

Both at $33/person (group of 10) but completely different value propositions. Choose private for service quality + personalization, choose shared for value + standard experience.

Five concrete forms of flexibility:

1. Pickup time: standard 07:30 AM, but we can start as early as 07:00 (for photographers chasing golden light) or as late as 09:00 (for travelers who want to sleep in).

2. Site order: reverse the day to visit Chinchero first (high altitude, less crowded at 09:30), then descend to Pisac for afternoon (after morning bus tours leave).

3. Time per site: extend Ollantaytambo to 2.5 hours if Inca architecture fascinates you, skim Pisac market in 15 minutes if shopping isn’t your interest, or skip a site entirely.

4. Add-on stops: Maras Salt Mines, Moray amphitheater, Salinas viewpoint, traditional weaving cooperative, fine-dining restaurants.

5. Lunch choice: from quick sandwich to multi-course MIL Centro experience, vegetarian to fine-dining, your choice.

Yes — most popular customization. The shared Sacred Valley Full Day cannot include Maras and Moray because they’re on a different valley branch adding 1.5-2 extra hours.

In the private format:

• Add Maras Salt Mines: 4,500 cascading salt evaporation pools, one of Peru’s most photographed sites
• Add Moray Inca terraces: concentric circular agricultural amphitheater
• Add both: most popular combination

Day adjustment: adding both means we shorten time at Pisac market and Chinchero textiles. You still get full visits at Pisac ruins, Ollantaytambo, and Chinchero.

Additional cost: $15-25 USD per person depending on group size + Maras community fee S/20.

If you want Maras + Moray as default + all-inclusive: consider our Super Sacred Valley + Maras Tour (includes Maras + Moray + buffet lunch + ALL tickets).

Eight popular add-ons:

1. Maras + Moray (most popular) — adds ~2 hours
2. Premium fine-dining lunch: MIL Centro, Tunupa, Huayoccari (1 week reservation)
3. Wine tasting at Sacred Valley vineyard (5+ days advance)
4. Professional photographer for the day (1 week advance)
5. Hands-on weaving workshop at Chinchero (48 hours advance)
6. Multi-language guide: French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, etc. (1 week advance)
7. Special occasion touches: honeymoon, anniversary, birthday (no advance fee, free)
8. Half-day private option: morning OR afternoon only

Tell us your interests at booking — that’s the core promise of the private format.

Yes — one of our most-booked tours for honeymooners and anniversary travelers. The private format gives you the intimacy that a shared group bus simply cannot offer.

Honeymoon-friendly elements (free, included in private service):

• Flowers at the lunch table
• Champagne toast moment
• Private photo opportunity at iconic viewpoint
• Romantic dinner restaurant recommendation for the evening
• Vehicle setup more intimate (sedan or minivan for 2 travelers)

Popular romantic upgrades:

• Private fine-dining at MIL Centro by Virgilio Martínez (one of Latin America’s 50 Best)
• Hot air balloon ride at sunrise (additional cost, weather dependent, request 2 weeks advance)
• Professional photographer for couple portraits at Inca sites
• Wine tasting at Sacred Valley vineyard

Mention “honeymoon” at booking — we add small touches at no extra cost.

Excellent for families — arguably better than shared format because of the flexibility to manage child energy and interests.

Family-friendly elements:

• Shorter site visits for toddlers
• More time at Awana Kancha for animal-loving kids
• Breaks for snacks and restrooms whenever needed
• Option to leave a site early if a child gets tired or restless
• Booster seats and child seats free on request
• Kid-friendly lunch recommendations
• Family-friendly guides with experience entertaining children

Child discounts:

• Children under 10: 50% off Boleto Turístico
• Kondor Path family discounts — mention at booking

Bring: tablets or activities for the 1.5-hour morning drive, layers for variable temperatures, kid snacks.

Yes — one of our top recommendations for senior travelers. The private format adapts to your specific needs.

Senior-friendly modifications:

• Skip the steepest climb to upper Pisac terraces (lower terraces still offer dramatic views)
• Limit Ollantaytambo fortress to lower platforms (skip 200-step climb to Sun Temple)
• Wheelchair-accessible vehicles on request
• Extra rest stops at scenic restaurants en route
• Shortened day to half-day if 10 hours feels too long
• Vehicle drop-off close to each site
• Lunch at relaxed pace without rushing

Mention all mobility concerns and medical conditions at booking so we plan ahead.

Travelers with serious heart, lung, or blood-pressure conditions should consult their doctor first.

The vehicle scales with your group size:

• 1-3 travelers: comfortable sedan or small SUV with leather seats and air conditioning
• 4-7 travelers: modern minivan (Toyota Hiace or Hyundai H1 or similar) with individual seats
• 8-10 travelers: van (Mercedes Sprinter or similar)
• Larger groups: tourist minibus

All vehicles:

• First-aid kit
• Portable oxygen tank
• Bottled water
• Spacious luggage area
• Air-conditioning and heating

Drivers: experienced Andean drivers familiar with Cusco-Sacred Valley route, minimum 5 years professional experience.

Our private guides are certified by DIRCETUR (Peruvian Ministry of Tourism) with tourism or Andean history degrees, minimum 5 years full-time guiding experience.

In the private format:

• 100% dedicated to your group for the entire day
• Personalized attention to your questions, interests, and pace
• Cultural depth beyond standard tourism scripts
• Quechua-speaking available on request (valuable at Pisac market + Chinchero textiles)
• Photography expertise for specific viewpoint timing
• Family-friendly narration for children
• Multi-language: French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Mandarin, Russian, Hebrew (1 week advance)

We assign guides based on group profile: archaeology specialists for history buffs, gentle-pace experts for seniors, animated storytellers for families.

Lunch is NOT included — but in the private format we provide personalized recommendations beyond the standard.

Custom lunch options:

🍽️ Premium fine-dining (~$30-60 USD per person):

• MIL Centro by Virgilio Martínez — one of Latin America’s 50 Best
• Tunupa Sacred Valley — beautiful gardens with curated menu
• Huayoccari Hacienda — traditional hacienda multi-course
• Reservation 1 week ahead for MIL Centro

🥘 Traditional Andean (~$10-18 USD): Pisac, Urubamba, Maras village restaurants

🥗 Vegetarian/vegan/special dietary (~$8-20 USD): available everywhere, kitchen accommodation ensured by guide

🍔 Quick lunch (~$5-10 USD): sandwiches, empanadas

🥂 Wine tasting upgrade (~$25-40 USD): small Sacred Valley vineyard, 5+ days advance

Your guide adapts the lunch timing and location to your group’s preferences. You pay directly at restaurant. No commission added.

Standard private itinerary (modifiable):

• 07:30 AM — Cusco hotel pickup (flexible 07:00-09:00)
• Morning: drive to Sacred Valley with photo stops
• Taray viewpoint (~15-25 min)
• Pisac archaeological site (~60-90 min)
• Pisac market (~30-60 min, modifiable)
• ~13:00 PM — Lunch in Urubamba area (custom recommendations)
• Afternoon:
• Ollantaytambo fortress + village (~75-120 min)
• Late afternoon:
• Chinchero ruins + textiles (~60-90 min)
• ~18:00 PM — return to Cusco hotel

All blocks shiftable based on your group’s preferences. Add Maras/Moray, skip Pisac market, extend Ollantaytambo — your choice.

Yes — at no additional cost.

Two drop-off options:

• Cusco hotel (default)
• Ollantaytambo — for travelers continuing to Machu Picchu by train

Why Ollantaytambo drop-off matters:

• Train to Machu Picchu Pueblo departs from Ollantaytambo (not Cusco)
• Sleep in Ollantaytambo, catch early train next morning
• Avoids backtracking to Cusco
• Saves a full day of logistics

Mention at booking:

• Ollantaytambo hotel name (we drop at hotel address)
• OR Ollantaytambo train station (for evening train same day)
• Confirm train ticket time if catching same-day evening train

Private tour pricing scales with group size:

• Solo traveler: $195 USD (pays full vehicle + guide cost)
• 2 travelers: $110/person ($220 total)
• 4 travelers: $64/person ($256 total)
• 6 travelers: $48/person ($288 total)
• 8 travelers: $39/person ($312 total)
• 10 travelers: $33/person (same per-person as shared, but PRIVATE)

Key insight: at 10 travelers, the per-person price equals the shared tour — but you get all the private tour benefits (your group only, flexible pace, custom modifications). For groups of 8-10, private tour is excellent value.

For honeymooners and small families (2-4 travelers), the higher per-person cost is the price of exclusivity — typically worth it for special occasions.

Yes — solo private tours available.

Cost: $195 USD for solo (you pay full vehicle + guide cost).

Benefits for solo private:

• Complete schedule control
• Undivided guide attention for intensive learning
• Quiet meditation time at archaeological sites
• Freedom to skip stops that don’t interest you
• Multi-language guides without group consensus

Popular with: serious photographers, writers, archaeology students, travelers on once-in-a-lifetime trips.

If budget is priority: book the shared Sacred Valley Full Day Tour at $33 USD instead.

Year-round operation — the private format actually extracts value from non-peak seasons:

Dry season (May-September): peak crowds at sites, but private format lets you avoid worst crowd hours by timing modifications.

Shoulder seasons (April, October): arguably the best — lower prices, fewer crowds, lush green landscapes.

Rainy season (November-March): most overlooked — dramatic clouds, lush valleys, very few tourists, lower prices. Bring a poncho. Private format navigates rain easily by shifting indoor sites first.

High season (May-September): book 2-4 weeks in advance (private tours require specific vehicle + guide allocation).

Shoulder season (April, October): 1-2 weeks.

Low season (November-March): 5-10 days.

Last-minute bookings (within 48 hours): subject to availability.

Advance notice required for specific add-ons:

• MIL Centro reservation: 1 week minimum
• Multi-language guides: 1 week
• Wine tasting / professional photographer: 5+ days
• Hands-on weaving workshop: 48 hours
• Special occasion touches: mention at booking (no advance fee)

Two main options:

(A) Same-day train handoff: do the Private Sacred Valley Tour, end the day in Ollantaytambo, take the evening train to Aguas Calientes, sleep there, visit Machu Picchu next morning. Saves a Cusco-Ollantaytambo transit day.

(B) Two separate days: Private Sacred Valley as Day 2 of your Cusco trip, then Cusco-Machu Picchu tour on Day 3 or 4.

For full-package convenience: see our Sacred Valley + Machu Picchu 2 Day Tour.

Recommended: 100-200 Peruvian soles ($27-55 USD) per person.

Higher tips for private guide + driver: suggested 10-15% reflects personalized attention.

ATM locations in Cusco: Plaza de Armas has multiple ATMs (Scotiabank, BCP, Interbank). Withdraw before tour.

Cards accepted: most restaurants accept Visa/Mastercard. Cash only at ticket offices and market vendors.

Cancellations 72+ hours before departure: full refund.

Cancellations 24-72 hours before: 50% refund.

Cancellations within 24 hours: non-refundable, but can be rescheduled within 6 months at no extra cost (subject to availability).

Private tour considerations: because we reserve a dedicated guide + vehicle (and sometimes a premium restaurant table), last-minute cancellation costs are slightly higher than shared format — but we remain flexible.

Force majeure cancellations (extreme weather, strikes, road closures): full refund or free reschedule.

Travel insurance recommended — available through World Nomads.

Six concrete reasons:

1. Time control — spend 2 hours at Ollantaytambo instead of 75 minutes if Inca architecture fascinates you, or skip Pisac market entirely.

2. No waiting — avoid the inevitable 15-minute delays at every site while a 10-person shared group reassembles.

3. Better photography — revisit a viewpoint at golden hour, set up tripods, take your time.

4. Deep guide attention — your questions answered fully, not divided across 10 strangers.

5. Vehicle comfort — leather seats (sedan or SUV for 2-4), no shared baby cries or loud neighbors.

6. Customization — Maras, Moray, fine-dining, wine tasting, multi-language guides — the Sacred Valley becomes your Sacred Valley, not a checkbox itinerary.

At 10 travelers, per-person price equals shared format — meaning private tour value increases as group size grows.