How to get to Sacred Valley with a clear destination
Planning how to get to Sacred Valley starts with choosing a specific town. Pisac, Urubamba and Ollantaytambo belong to the same valley itinerary, but a hotel address, an archaeological entrance and a railway station are different destinations. Give your driver the full address rather than simply asking for the valley. Decide whether the arrival day ends at your accommodation or continues towards a train.
The road from Cusco can be part of an independent journey or a guided excursion. Keep these arrangements separate: a sightseeing tour has a meeting place and a programme, while an arrival transfer needs to fit your flight and luggage. Our accommodation guide helps connect the first journey with the place where you will sleep.
Taxi and transfers from Alejandro Velasco Astete Airport (CUZ)
Use Alejandro Velasco Astete Airport in Cusco, identified by CUZ, when arranging the airport leg. Request a quote for your exact destination, specify the arrival details and agree where you will meet. Ask how waiting after a delayed arrival, luggage and any requested stops affect the arrangement. Make the return journey a separate item if it is also needed.
If you spend time in Cusco before entering the valley, distinguish the airport journey from the later departure from your accommodation. For city planning, see Planning your stay in Cusco. Keep the hotel address and the chosen departure point with your travel documents so that a city meeting point is not mistaken for an airport collection.
Our take
This private valley visit includes Cusco hotel pickup and return, making it a guided visit option rather than an airport transfer.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of November 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
A guided valley visit after arrival
The private outing from a Cusco hotel combines a guide and private transport for sightseeing; airport travel is arranged separately.
Car rental and parking
For a rental car, select collection at Cusco Airport (CUZ), then plan the onward drive to your chosen valley accommodation. Match the collection time to your flight and read the rental terms for the vehicle, deposit and return arrangements before committing to the route.
Plan parking as part of each stop. The tourism inventory lists a vehicle parking area at Moray; ask about the current arrangements and charge rather than budgeting from an assumed tariff. At your accommodation, establish where you can leave the car and whether the meeting place for your next activity is accessible from there. A parking place at an attraction and access to its terraces are separate matters.
Pisac also illustrates why the exact destination matters. The cultural authority describes the paved Cusco to Calca road as 33 km to Pisac, followed by 9 km to the archaeological park. These are access distances, not an airport driving time. Read the Pisac guide before combining the town with the ruins.
Check rental car prices at Cusco Airport (CUZ) on QEEQ.
Onward trains from Ollantaytambo
Ollantaytambo station is on Av. Ferrocarril. Urubamba and Pachar are separate stations, so use the station printed on your ticket when arranging the road leg. The railway guidance calls for boarding 30 minutes before departure. Add your own margin for getting from the accommodation to the station rather than treating the departure time as the time to leave the hotel.
The train continues to Machu Picchu Pueblo, outside this valley guide’s area. The train ticket and admission to the archaeological site are separate purchases. Choose the date, service and station together with the onward visit, and review the operating notice for your travel day. Published timetables are planning information rather than a promise of available seats or uninterrupted service.
For the town and its station, use Ollantaytambo ruins and station. Keep a ruins visit distinct from a railway connection: time at the archaeological site is another part of the day, not an included part of the station transfer.
Hotel pickup for sightseeing and preparing for altitude
The private valley outing offered here starts with hotel pickup in Cusco and includes private transport, a guide and hotel drop-off. Admission and meals are extra. It is a sightseeing option after arrival, rather than an airport transfer or a transport-only booking. Compare the departure bases on our private tours page.
Allow a gentle start after reaching altitude. The CDC’s 2026 travel guidance recommends gradual ascent and light activity initially; physical fitness does not reliably prevent altitude illness. Avoid packing an arrival drive, strenuous ruins visit and tightly timed onward connection into the same plan. Leave room to respond to how you feel.
Questions about your plans
Does the sightseeing tour collect me at CUZ?
Its collection point is a hotel in Cusco. Arrange the airport journey separately, with your flight details and destination address.
Does a train ticket include Machu Picchu admission?
Buy the train journey and archaeological admission separately. The railway reaches Machu Picchu Pueblo; match the onward visit to your chosen train.
Which station should my driver use?
Use the station on the ticket. Ollantaytambo, Urubamba and Pachar are distinct stations, so the town name alone is not enough for every booking.