Cusco & Machu Picchu: The Sacred Valley the Slow Way

Most people rush Machu Picchu and feel the altitude the whole time. This route does it properly: a couple of gentle days in Cusco to acclimatize, then down into the Sacred Valley where the ruins of Pisac and Ollantaytambo are honestly as moving as the famous one — and far emptier. You'll take the train through the cloud forest, sleep in Aguas Calientes, and be at the Machu Picchu gate for the first buses. I've got the ticket-and-train logistics (the part everyone messes up), the coca-tea routine for the altitude, and the市markets where the weaving is the real thing.