Reviewed · MACHU PICCHU TOURS
Machupicchu Exclusive Experience
Machu Picchu is the headline, but this private trip gives you much more: Cusco’s Inca walls, the Sacred Valley, Huchuy Qosqo, and the stark colors of Rainbow Mountain. The guide and private transport take care of much of the hard work, so you can focus on Peru rather than bus lines and ticket counters.
I especially like the private format, which lets you ask questions and adjust the pace, and the chance to work with guides such as Fredy, Guido, Paul, Cesar, or Elistan, depending on availability. The team is praised for strong English, Inca history, patient pacing, and help with Machu Picchu and bus tickets.
The main caution is that the advertised package is not truly all-inclusive. Train tickets, meals not specified, the tourist ticket, travel insurance, personal costs, and glamping equipment are extra, and the Inca Trail is an optional addition. You must contact the operator before booking to confirm a Machu Picchu place.
In This Review
- Key points at a glance
- A big Peru itinerary with Machu Picchu at its center
- Cusco gives you a useful first look at Inca power
- The Sacred Valley combines scenery and living tradition
- Huchuy Qosqo adds a quieter trail experience
- Machu Picchu is handled with a private guide
- Rainbow Mountain is a demanding final test
- What private transport and guiding really add
- Is $1,199 a fair price?
- Fitness, timing, and preparation
- Who should book this Cusco adventure?
- Should you book Machupicchu Exclusive Experience?
- FAQ
- How long is the Machupicchu Exclusive Experience?
- Where does the experience take place?
- Is hotel, airport, or Airbnb pickup available?
- Is this a private tour?
- Does the price include Machu Picchu admission?
- Do I need to contact the operator before booking?
- Are train tickets included?
- Are meals included?
- Is the Inca Trail included?
- What level of fitness is required?
- Is travel insurance included?
- Can I cancel for a full refund?
Key points at a glance

- Private five-day format: Only your group takes part, with room to shape the schedule around your interests.
- Machu Picchu permits require advance contact: The operator asks you to check before booking so an entry place can be secured.
- A broad Cusco itinerary: You cover the city, Sacred Valley, Huchuy Qosqo, Machu Picchu, and Rainbow Mountain.
- Guides are the heart of the trip: Fredy, Guido, Paul, Cesar, and Elistan are among the guides associated with highly praised experiences.
- A serious physical challenge: The program includes a long Rainbow Mountain day and walking at high altitude, with moderate fitness required.
- Several important extras cost more: Train tickets, meals not specified, travel insurance, the boleto turistico, and camping equipment are excluded.
A big Peru itinerary with Machu Picchu at its center

At $1,199 per person, this is designed for you if you want a private Peru program rather than a single Machu Picchu day trip. Over roughly five days, you see the major sights around Cusco and add two very different mountain experiences: Huchuy Qosqo and Rainbow Mountain.
The appeal is breadth. You get archaeological sites, living Andean culture, old farming villages, mountain paths, and one of the world’s most famous ruins. A private guide can also explain how the places fit together instead of treating each stop as an isolated photo opportunity.
The package includes private transport, a professional guide, first-aid supplies, an oxygen tank, tours and activities, transfers, and the Machu Picchu entrance with a complete guided visit. That is useful in a region where transport, timed entries, and changing access rules can make planning fiddly.
Still, read the inclusions carefully. Train tickets are not included, and trains are a central part of most Machu Picchu visits from the Cusco region. Meals are included only when specified, and the boleto turistico, the tourist ticket used for several Cusco and Sacred Valley sites, is also listed as extra.
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Cusco gives you a useful first look at Inca power

The Cusco portion covers the city and nearby sites in about four hours. You visit Koricancha, the former Inca temple often described as the Golden Palace, then continue to Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Tambomachay, and other places near the city.
This is a good opening because Cusco can feel like a history lesson written in stone. Koricancha helps you understand the importance of the sun in Inca belief, while Sacsayhuaman shows the scale and precision of Inca construction. Qenqo and Tambomachay add religious and water-related context.
I like having a private guide here because this is the sort of outing where questions matter. You can ask why a wall was built in one way, how Spanish colonial Cusco developed around Inca foundations, or what certain sites meant to the people who used them.
The visit is not presented as a fixed, minute-by-minute schedule. That can work in your favor, especially if you need time to adjust to the altitude. It also means you should confirm the exact order and timing with Inca Soul Tours before arrival.
The Sacred Valley combines scenery and living tradition
The full-day Sacred Valley visit lasts about eight hours and includes Pisac, Ollantaytambo, and Chinchero, with stops along the route. The day is built around both Inca heritage and present-day Andean life.
Pisac is associated with terraces, market culture, and mountain views. Ollantaytambo is especially valuable because it remains a living settlement alongside major Inca stonework. Chinchero adds another layer, with local weaving and older textile methods included in the experience.
The operator also describes visits with local people who use traditional techniques. That matters because the Sacred Valley is not only an archaeological corridor. It is a working region where farming, weaving, and community life continue beside the old Inca sites.
Eight hours is a long day, but it is the right amount of time for this route. You will make several stops, and the private setup gives you more say over how long you spend at each one. The tradeoff is that a full day of driving and sightseeing can feel tiring, especially before the mountain days.
Huchuy Qosqo adds a quieter trail experience

Huchuy Qosqo is listed as a roughly six-hour outing. The route follows an original Inca path through traditional farming villages and leads toward the area connected with the two-day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.
This is one of the more distinctive parts of the program. Machu Picchu draws crowds and strict entry controls, while Huchuy Qosqo offers a more path-based view of the Inca world. You are not simply walking into a famous ruin. You are following old routes through rural communities and seeing how agriculture remains part of the setting.
The description also refers to reaching Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate and having the chance to see the citadel twice during the wider adventure. Treat that point as something to confirm carefully. The itinerary says the Inca Trail can be added, while the base package separately includes a complete Machu Picchu tour. Ask exactly which route, permits, transport, and overnight arrangements apply to your chosen version.
Glamping equipment is not included. If you add a camping or trekking component, get a written list of what the operator supplies and what you must bring or rent.
Same valley, a completely different kind of day:
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Machu Picchu is handled with a private guide

The Machu Picchu visit lasts about four hours and includes a guided tour of the citadel. You walk through major Inca temples and hear about the engineering and culture behind the site.
This is where the guide can make a real difference. The stonework is impressive on its own, but a good explanation gives meaning to terraces, temples, pathways, and water systems. The team connected with Inca Soul Tours includes guides such as Fredy, Guido, Paul, Cesar, and Elistan. You should not assume a particular person will lead your trip, but you can ask about guide availability when you contact the company.
Fredy is described as fluent in English, strong on Inca history, and good with photography. Guido is praised for his energy and effort to make the day memorable. Paul is associated with clear explanations of both history and engineering, while Elistan is noted for meeting his group promptly and explaining the site in detail. Those are useful qualities at Machu Picchu, where you want both a clear route and enough time for questions and photographs.
Another practical benefit is help with the entry process and bus tickets. The Machu Picchu bus and entry system can be confusing, and the operator handles the Machu Picchu entrance listed in the package. However, the request to contact the company before booking is important. Entry times and permits can sell out, so do not pay first and ask questions later.
Rainbow Mountain is a demanding final test
The Rainbow Mountain outing is listed at about ten hours. You climb toward the famous striped mountain, pass herds of llamas and alpacas, and walk among high mountain lakes and other hikers.
The colors are the draw, but the altitude is the real story. This is the highest point described in the tour, and the route requires a moderate level of physical fitness. A first-aid kit and oxygen tank are included, which is reassuring, but neither replaces gradual acclimatization or honest attention to how you feel.
I would not treat Rainbow Mountain as a casual add-on. It is a long day after several hours of walking and sightseeing elsewhere. If your main goal is Machu Picchu and you prefer a gentler schedule, ask whether this day can be modified or removed. If you want a broad taste of the Cusco region and enjoy mountain walks, it gives the trip a strong contrast to the ruins and valley towns.
The private format helps here because you can communicate directly with your guide about pace and breaks. It does not change the basic demands of altitude, uneven paths, or a ten-hour day.
What private transport and guiding really add

Private transport is one of the more useful inclusions. The company offers pickup from your hotel, airport, or Airbnb, along with transfers in and out. That reduces the need to work out local transport each morning.
You are also traveling only with your own group. This makes it easier to stop for questions, spend more time at a site, or move on when you have had enough. It can be especially helpful for families or mixed-ability groups, though the overall program still requires moderate fitness.
The strongest part of the service is likely the human help. Several experiences connected with the company describe guides who communicate well in English, answer questions patiently, and help with tickets and navigation. One guide even waited for better light for photographs, a small but thoughtful touch at a place where many people feel rushed.
Ask for the name and language ability of your assigned guide before the trip. The names above are associated with the company, but the information does not guarantee who will lead your particular dates.
Is $1,199 a fair price?

The price can be reasonable if you value private transport, several guided excursions, airport or lodging pickup, and help organizing a complicated Machu Picchu visit. Booking comparable private services separately could take time and create more chances for mistakes.
But the price needs context. It does not include train tickets, meals not specifically listed, travel insurance, personal expenses, the boleto turistico, or glamping equipment. The Inca Trail is also presented as an addition rather than a clear standard inclusion.
Before you commit, request a day-by-day cost breakdown. Confirm the train category, hotel arrangements if any, the exact Machu Picchu circuit, bus tickets, all entrance fees, meals, and the planned transport between each stop. The package description leaves some of those details open.
The value is strongest for people who want one operator coordinating a private program. It is weaker if you are comfortable booking trains, guides, permits, and taxis yourself, or if you want a slower holiday with fewer long days.
Fitness, timing, and preparation
The program combines four-hour city and Machu Picchu visits with an eight-hour Sacred Valley day, a six-hour Huchuy Qosqo outing, and a ten-hour Rainbow Mountain day. That is an active schedule, not a relaxed city break.
Build in time to adjust to Cusco’s altitude if your wider travel plans allow it. The supplied information only says that a moderate fitness level is required, so you should ask the operator for current elevation, walking distance, trail conditions, and the order of activities.
Bring travel insurance, since it is not included. Also ask what meals are covered and what clothing or equipment is needed for Huchuy Qosqo and any optional Inca Trail or glamping section.
Free cancellation is available when you cancel at least 24 hours before the start time. Within 24 hours, there is no refund, and changes are not accepted. The operator may also offer a new date, a different experience, or a full refund if its minimum group requirement is not met.
Who should book this Cusco adventure?
I would recommend it to you if you want the major Cusco-area sights in one private package and prefer having a guide manage the moving parts. It suits active couples, families with older children, and small groups who want cultural context rather than a quick photo stop.
It is also a good match if you care about guide quality. The company’s strongest pattern is personal service: English-language guiding, help with Machu Picchu logistics, flexible pacing, and strong explanations of Inca culture.
I would hesitate if you want guaranteed luxury, a fully inclusive price, or a gentle itinerary. The program has long days, significant walking, and several costs outside the headline price. I would also wait to book until Machu Picchu availability and the exact train arrangements are confirmed.
Should you book Machupicchu Exclusive Experience?
Book this experience if private service, broad coverage, and guide support matter more to you than a simple or fully itemized package. You will see far more than Machu Picchu, and the combination of Cusco, the Sacred Valley, Huchuy Qosqo, and Rainbow Mountain gives you a fuller picture of the region.
Before paying, contact Inca Soul Tours directly to confirm your Machu Picchu place, assigned guide, train tickets, tourist ticket, meals, and any optional trekking costs. If those details fit your budget and you are ready for several demanding days, this can be a practical way to see Peru’s most famous sights without arranging every piece yourself.
FAQ
How long is the Machupicchu Exclusive Experience?
The experience is listed as approximately five days and 30 minutes.
Where does the experience take place?
The experience is based in Cusco, Peru, and visits Cusco, the Sacred Valley, Huchuy Qosqo, Machu Picchu, and Rainbow Mountain.
Is hotel, airport, or Airbnb pickup available?
Yes. Pickup is offered from your hotel, airport, or Airbnb.
Is this a private tour?
Yes. Only your group participates in the private activity.
Does the price include Machu Picchu admission?
Yes. Machu Picchu entrance and a complete guided tour are listed as included.
Do I need to contact the operator before booking?
Yes. The operator asks you to make contact before booking so a Machu Picchu place can be secured.
Are train tickets included?
No. Train tickets are listed under items not included.
Are meals included?
Meals are not included unless they are specifically stated as part of the arrangements.
Is the Inca Trail included?
The Inca Trail can be added to the experience, but it is not clearly listed as a standard inclusion.
What level of fitness is required?
You should have a moderate level of physical fitness. The program includes several walking tours, a six-hour Huchuy Qosqo outing, and a roughly ten-hour Rainbow Mountain day.
Is travel insurance included?
No. Travel insurance is listed as an additional personal cost.
Can I cancel for a full refund?
Yes, if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time. Cancellations within 24 hours are not refunded.
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