The Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Cusco: A Journey into Peru's Heart
Travel Day · 3 September 2026From BNA through ATL to LIM
Bags had been packed since the previous Sunday. My driver arrived early, and we headed to the airport. TSA PreCheck went smoothly, and I didn't have to remove anything. I stopped at Hudson's for a bottle of water. The gate was busy, which made me glad my seat was in row 2. We landed early at ATL, where I made a beeline for the restroom and then spent about 40 minutes in the Delta Sky Club. The lounge was crowded, with loud children everywhere.
The gate area for the Lima flight was quieter than the lounge. Boarding began after a while, but the ram air turbine generator had to be replaced. We departed 46 minutes late. About an hour in, Delta One began dinner service. The spinach artichoke ravioli I had pre-selected was okay. Dessert was a strawberry mousse cake, which I enjoyed. Halfway across, I put on Star Trek (2009), using the Twelve South AirFly Pro for the first time. It paired with my AirPods easily and worked well. The movie got me through the rest of the flight.
Customs and immigration went smoothly, and Jorge, the Belmond representative, was waiting in the arrivals area. The drive to the Belmond Miraflores Park Hotel took 40 to 45 minutes, during which Jorge talked about Lima, the area around the hotel, Cusco, and Peruvian cuisine. I checked in, settled into the room, and took a shower after a long day on the plane.
Lima and the Sacred Valley · 4 SeptemberFlying into Cusco and heading down into the Sacred Valley
Awake early without an alarm. Breakfast was on the 11th floor, and the local pastries were very good. I checked out, exchanged some larger bills at the front desk, and met Jorge in the lobby for the ride to the airport.
Security was quick, and I sat in the main waiting area for the domestic gates. The board said the gate wouldn't be announced until later, though I had a pretty good guess. When the announcement came, it sent me to a different gate. The arriving plane was running late, so my departure slipped as well. Once it deplaned, I boarded for Cusco. Just before landing, I felt like my bladder was going to burst, thanks to the acetazolamide I'd taken earlier that day.
First, the nearest bathroom. Then out to the parking lot, where my guide, Ruben, was waiting. We drove to the Museo Sulca Textiles, which weaves alpaca and llama wool by hand and maintains a museum of woven textiles alongside the workshop. The history of Incan textiles and the meanings behind the patterns took up most of the visit. In the barn, I fed a guanaco, an alpaca, and a llama. The llamas turned out to be friendlier than expected. Their shop sells locally made baby alpaca goods, and I came away with two chullos. Baby alpaca wool is super soft.
From there, we drove down to Pisac, a market town of stalls and shops, and walked the central plaza. One bakery there has been making bread the same way for many hundreds of years. Then we came across a guinea pig palace, with the guinea pigs housed near the kitchen. A local silversmith showed us how they make the purest silver jewelry, for which the town is known. Then we headed to the Belmond Rio Sagrado Hotel.
I checked in, got to the room, and took care of a few things. Before I knew it, it was time for my dinner reservation at Muju, the restaurant on the hotel property. I had trout with asparagus and a local potato sauce. The bread with herbed butter was excellent, too. Tomorrow was one of the major days of the trip, with several stops, and I was looking forward to it.
Sacred Valley · 5 SeptemberOllantaytambo, Maras Salt Pans, Moray, and UNU Restaurant
Early again, then down to the restaurant below for breakfast: pan de chocolate and quinoa pancakes. Ruben picked me up at 9 a.m., and we went first to the sun temple at Ollantaytambo, climbing to the fifth terrace for a view of the town. The temple sat at the top, with a resting area below for travelers on the Incan roads. There's also a water temple aligned with the solstice, where the Inca king bathed once a year to purify himself. A channel still runs through the town, fed by a stream from the Andes.
Then came the Maras salt pans, where a cooperative of 400 families owns more than 4,000 pans. The interesting part was how they extract salt from the area's minerals and water. I bought a grinder for flor de sal and two small chocolates made with it.
After that, Moray, where the Incan terraces really are perfect circles. Ruben explained that the Incas used them to research which crops grew best in which climate and that they developed more than 3,000 varieties of potato and 300 of corn. Lunch at the UNU Restaurant in Tiobamba was excellent. Then back to the hotel.
Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu · 6 SeptemberHiram Bingham, Sanctuary Lodge, and Machu Picchu Circuit 2
Woke up excited for this one. Repacked the luggage, then headed down the stairs to the lower terrace, where the restaurant served breakfast. Same order as the day before.
The road to Ollantaytambo was under construction, so the train departed from Panchar instead. Giovanni, the Belmond representative, and the driver picked me up at 9:45 a.m. for the ride to the station, where we waited for the Hiram Bingham. The station attendant served as the train steward and came aboard with us. My luggage was stored on the train and taken up to the hotel once we reached Aguas Calientes. Seven stars of service on a five-star scale.
Lunch was beef tenderloin alongside other regional dishes, all of it very good, with mango for dessert. The views on the way to Aguas Calientes held up throughout the ride. From town, I took a bus to Machu Picchu, where Ruben met me and let the Belmond Sanctuary Lodge staff know I'd arrived. They checked me in and upgraded the room, which I hadn't expected.
We entered the Citadel at 2:10 p.m. and completed Circuit 2, which took more than two hours. Ruben covered the different areas of the site and explained what the Incas used each one for. Educational and inspiring. Llamas and viscachas, too. After the circuit, we returned to the room to freshen up for dinner.
Dinner at Tampu set a bar I wasn't expecting. A local soup to start, then a white fish main that was very good, and local-flavored ice creams for dessert. The bread came with butter made from a local ingredient. Close to three Michelin stars, in my book.
Machu Picchu · 7 SeptemberMachu Picchu Circuit 3 and Gardens of Sanctuary Lodge
At 7 a.m., Ruben and I returned to the Citadel for Circuit 3. The early start suits Machu Picchu, which sits in the cloud forest. Circuit 3 takes you through the ruins themselves, so you see what's left of the royal area, the concubine area, and the Knowledge House, where children were taught. It also includes the Sun Temple and the famous Condor Temple, with its underground chamber.
Clouds sat on the mountains all morning. Lunch was the buffet at Tinkuy, fine for a buffet but nowhere near as good as Tampu the night before. Afterward, I sat on the quiet terrace and took pictures of the orchids, bromeliads, and other flowers there and in the cloud garden.
So what's my recommendation for visiting Machu Picchu in 2026? Get tickets for Circuit 2 or Circuit 3. If you can't get either, Circuit 1 will do, but it only leads to a viewing point and then back down. I had a Circuit 1 ticket as well, but I skipped it after getting the photos I wanted.
Around 4 p.m., I headed down to the group area for the bus to the station and the Hiram Bingham to Poroy. Dinner on board was excellent. At Poroy, Sebastian and the driver took me to the Belmond Monasterio Hotel. The room key was one of those large, old monastery keys. The room also had supplemental oxygen for the altitude.
Cusco · 8 SeptemberCusco City Tour, Temples, Cathedrals, and Markets
Four wonderful pastries for breakfast, then back up to the room to fiddle around until 9:30 a.m., when Ruben met me in the lobby for the morning walking tour.
First, at the Qorikancha site museum, Ruben explained how the site was built and why the stones lean the way they do to remain stable during seismic activity. The precision is evident in two places at once: how the site aligns with the stars and the sun, and how the stones were shaped and fitted together. There's also a painting showing how the Incas read the night sky, looking for particular constellations.
At the Cusco Cathedral, Ruben walked me through the significance of the statuary and the paintings, including how the Virgin Mary's garments were designed to look more mountain-like, blending with the Incas' worship of Pachamama. The statuary and the sheer quantity of gold leaf were striking. The Last Supper here has a very Peruvian twist, down to the local bread on the table.
Next, the San Pedro Market, a thriving local spot where you can find almost anything: health drinks, dried meats, fruit and vegetables, prepared food, and stalls for people seeking psychedelic experiences. Tourist trinkets, too, of course. The smell of the place was the best part. By the time we finished the rest of the city tour, it was lunch. Ruben suggested a few restaurants, and I picked the Chinese-Peruvian one.
Kion turned out better than expected. Chun Kun to start, a chicken spring roll, then Saltado with chicken.
Afterward, the twelve-sided stone, with a dog stationed in front of it. Back at the hotel, I reorganized a few things and debated whether to go out again. I went out again, looking for fridge magnets from Cusco, and stumbled into Artesanía Mendivil, where the magnets were good enough that I bought four. Then I went down to the Plaza de Armas for pictures of the Cusco Cathedral and the Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús in the square, and back to the hotel for the evening.
Cusco · 9 SeptemberSaqsaywaman, Qenqo, Aperitivos, and afternoon shopping
Awake before the alarm. Same pastries and orange juice as the day before, then back to the room for a short nap before heading to Qenqo and Saqsaywaman.
At 9:30 a.m., I met Ruben and the driver, and we went to Qenqo, where the Incas practiced mummification. How they understood the afterlife and where mummification fit in were fascinating. The caves stay cool and dry year-round, making the conditions ideal. They used salt and herbs after removing the vital organs and fluids that would have hindered the process. The stone table they carved for the work was cut to exactly the right height and slant so everything could drain. Not spooky at all, and quite calming. Outside, near the entrance, there's a stone that casts a puma-shaped shadow at the right time of year.
Then came Saqsaywaman, where we spent a long time. The joints are precise, and the stones are *pillowed* so water never got into the cracks and caused problems. They're laid in a zig-zag pattern that represents either a snake or a puma's mouth. On top of the site sits the foundation of a round building where the last Inca king stood his ground against the Spanish. The Spanish then destroyed nearly all of it and used the stones to build their churches around Cusco. However they shaped, carved, and moved stones that size, it wasn't slave labor. They were actual workers.
Ruben took me to a hotel restaurant afterward for appetizers and a signature cocktail, mine a mocktail. Then he dropped me off at my hotel, and I thanked him for guiding me all week. He explained the sites in a way that was actually intelligent, unlike some guides who try to sell you a load of alternative theories.
Mint tea in the inner courtyard, then out to look for an alpaca sweater and some souvenirs, both of which I found in the same shop. Two ceramic bulls and a sweater later, I walked to La Osteria for pizza and tiramisu. Back through the Plaza de Armas for a photo of the Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús, then back to the hotel. After my shower, something started up in my sinuses: a head cold or severe allergies.
Cusco and Home · 10 SeptemberFlights home and a head cold
Woke with a runny nose. Packed the travel bag and the venture sling, then went downstairs for pastries, orange juice, and muna tea. Back up to the room to nap until late checkout.
Lunch at Inkazuela: lamb stew and a brownie with lucuma ice cream, both delicious. Then back to the hotel to wait for the ride to the airport and the first of three flights home. Sebastian carried my bag as far as the security screening area, which I appreciated. Past security, the gate was right there. The Cusco airport has only five gates. Boarding started after a short wait.
The flight to Lima was smooth. The airport was not. Getting anywhere means walking miles. Jorge met me in arrivals and pointed me to the security line at the international terminal.
Security and exit immigration, then The Club lounge, which was extremely busy. At boarding time, I set off on the long walk to the Atlanta gate, where they ran a secondary 100 mL liquids check on carry-ons. The flight was smooth. Sleep wasn't. The lie-flat seat wasn't the problem. I just couldn't settle.
Global Entry and TSA both went smoothly. Then the plane train out to the B concourse, where my gate was just about the last one. At BNA, I was glad I'd booked a private-hire driver home.
Final thoughts on the trip. The Belmond staff, Ruben, and the crew on the Hiram Bingham Train: every part of it held up. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, and Cusco. If there's one reason to make this trip yourself, it's that alpacas are docile, kind, and smart creatures. Right up until it's time to eat, when nothing gets in their way 😊