Most visitors will see the Sacred Valley through the window of a bus during a whistlestop day trip from Cusco or while darting for Machu Picchu.
Yet, this beguiling, ancient region has buckets of the magic that draws throngs of tourists to Cusco and Machu Picchu each year. Come for the ruins and nature, stay for the living Quechua culture and intangible enchantment in the air.
I had initially planned a five-day trip but I ended up staying for 12 days. Let me share the very best of my experiences in the valley.
Why go?
- Lower altitude than Cusco → perfect for acclimatization
- Endless hikes, from easy viewpoints to multi-day treks
- Local markets (Pisac, Chinchero) are some of the best in Peru to shop for handicrafts, textiles, and authentic souvenirs
- In the Sacred Valley you can truly feel Peru’s history
How many days? You could see parts of the Sacred Valley in 3–4 days, but a full experience really calls for about a week. The schedule to follow includes 1–2 nights in Pisac, 1–2 nights in Urubamba, 1 night in Chinchero, and 3 nights in Ollantaytambo, with Huchuy Cusco as a day trip from any of these locations. (Read along for all the details!)
This guide goes in depth on all the hidden ruins, local markets, and scenic hikes. Don’t have much time? For a quick intro to the Valley, this full-day small group tour offers a fun and convenient experience.
Check Sacred valley tours
The Sacred Valley extends from Pisac to Machu Picchu and was once the heartland of the Inca civilisation, the ruins of which endure today. The people of this region, isolated from the Spanish Viceroyalty centered on Lima have retained many of their ancestral customs like the Quechua language, dress and tradition of weaving.
The Sacred Valley also sits astride lots of different ecological zones – beneath there are sweltering jungles with some of the world’s highest concentrations of bird species, while snowcapped mountains soar above. Its relative isolation also means that it does not attract the same masses of tourists as you get in central Cusco and Machu Picchu.
Whether your thing is history, experiencing living culture, shopping, relaxing in the pleasant climate, hiking, or birdwatching, the Sacred Valley has something for everyone.
Andean Mountains valleys & Inca ruins (iStock/Jekaterina Sahmanova)
Where to start
The beauty of the Sacred Valley is that it also suits lots of different time scales. The sites are well connected, and the distance from one site to another is no more than two hours.
So those pressed for time can easily dip their toe in without committing to a week’s travel. Each place can also be reached as a day trip from Cusco.
Additionally, Machu Picchu is effectively at the end of the valley, so a visit can easily be tied in with ticking that world wonder off your bucket list of adventures in Peru.
If I had just days and had to pick two sites to visit, I would personally opt first for Pisac.
Flowers and cacti seem to pop from every inch of the town, the hike to the Inca ruins is one of the most memorable in Peru, and it includes maybe the best hostel I’ve ever stayed in – Wolf Totem.
My second pick is Ollantaytambo because it is effectively an un-ruined Inca town with a week’s worth of hikes surrounding it. Both are easily reachable directly from Cusco.
Your trip will begin in Cusco, the former Inca Capital and today Peru’s most visited tourist destination. Cusco is an amazing city, but with its crowds of visitors and focus on tourism, it can feel exhausting and difficult to have authentic interactions with people and culture. Certainly, my most profound experiences in the region happened while taking my time meandering around the idyllic Sacred Valley.
The cheapest and best way to get from Cusco to the valley towns is by collectivo.
These are minivans used by the locals for transit between surrounding towns. They typically charge between 2-8 Soles (or ~1–2USD) per journey.
They have no schedule; they leave when the bus is full, so sit back, relax and embrace Latin timekeeping. They are also surprisingly modern and often air-conditioned. They will tie large baggage on the roof, including a 6-foot-tall Gandalf-esque hiking staff I found in the woods of Chinchero.
For Collectivos from Cusco to Pisac, Ollantaytambo and Urubamba, head for Calle Pavitos. In each of the valley towns, collectivos will leave from their Plaza de Armas.
Tip: Before visiting the Sacred Valley, I highly recommend that you buy the Boleto Turistico.
This is a ticket costing 130 soles (or ~37USD), which grants access to 16 Sacred Valley sites and museums for 10 days. It becomes value for money once 2 sites have been visited, as each cost 70 soles (or ~20USD) per entry. It is quite simply a necessary expense for your Sacred Valley adventure.
You can buy this at the COSITUC office on 103 Avenida del Sol in central Cusco or at the entrance to any of the ruins.
Pisac
Pisac means “Partridge” in Quechua and is believed to be named for the sweeping terraces that look like the swish of a bird’s wing. This site is really two towns. One modern, charming, and abounding with yoga workshops, another ancient, ruined and brimming with temples and the shells of Inca houses. Both are worth visiting.
Pisac is set in an idyllic location in the Sacred Valley. It is at a lower altitude than Cusco, so it escapes the biting cold. The farmland is particularly fertile, meaning a millennia-old human presence of farmers here.
For the intrepid traveller, it is possible to reach Pisac by hiking via Sacsayschuman, Quenqo, Tambomachay and the Puka Pukara ruins. Simply pass Sacsayschuman and Quenqo on a clearly marked path until reaching Puka Pukara. Once there, hail a collectivo bound for Pisac and ride the rest of the journey.
For everyone else, go to Calle Pavitos and pay 2 soles (or ~1USD) for passage to Pisac. The journey will take 40 minutes. The modern town is a pretty affair, with streets adorned with tarot readers, yoga studios and sellers of goods radiating out from a tidy plaza.
It is more relaxed than Cusco, and with expanses of fields beyond, it is a great place to chill in the balmy climate and spiritual atmosphere.
1. Visit Inca ruins
The star attraction in Pisac is the Inca ruins. Inca villages, replete with houses for common people, storehouses and temples, were staggeringly carved into the solid mountainside. Combine this with staggering views of the valley floor and the Urubamba below, and you have an unforgettable day of walking.
By spending a night in Pisac or taking a prolonged day trip, you can get a much more profound encounter with these remnants of a lost world than from a tour trying to cram the Sacred Valley into a single day.
The tour buses will drive up the mountain roads straight to the summit of Pisac, allowing tourists to glance at the magnificent temples and terraces before spiriting them away to the next stop. The slow traveller to Pisac will, by contrast, walk straight from the plaza to the entrance of the archaeological site.
Stone structures and terraces on Piasc’s mountainside 
Inca ruins on the hiking path in Pisac archeological park (iStock/Jekaterina Sahmanova)
I walked up in June, the sky was cloudless, and the whole experience was heightened by the fragrant eucalyptus trees. The walk up is steep in places but is often on original Inca staircases. I found it hard to feel out of breath when enraptured by imagining Incas making the same climb and poncho-clad people tending their crops on the terraces.
There are two ruined villages on the trail. Being able to peer into Inca dwellings and temples without a person in sight made me feel a lot more connected to the past than even the majesty of Machu Picchu did. The path also includes patches of cacti and tunnels carved through outcrops. Complete the 2 – 2 1/2 hour climb with a refreshing soft drink and watch alpacas graze at the summit. Entry is included in the Boleto Turistico.
2. Go to a traditional market
Every Sunday, a decades-old traditional artisan market spills into every street of Pisac. What makes this special is that tourists are not the only audience.
Farmers come from the surrounding valley to sell quinoa and potato crops, and artisans sell pure alpaca wool jumpers rather than the mass-produced acrylics that can trick many a backpacker.
The sales tactics are much less pushy, and it has a genuine community vibe.
3. Urubamba – at least 1 or 2 nights
Urubamba is blessed with its setting. It is at an altitude with mild temperatures and faces soaring snow-capped mountains. One of the best activities is to recuperate from hiking exertions elsewhere in the Sacred Valley by living slowly in one of its vibey cafes or treating yourself to a spa or hotel break.
4. Go white water rafting
The stretches of the Urubamba River around the town have class I – III rapids, meaning that complete beginners and those with technical experience can feel the thrill of the surging white water against a backdrop of mountain peaks and tropical fauna.
Urubamba River
5. Walk to Mirador Tantanmarka
This 2-mile track from the Plaza de Armas to a viewpoint above the town offers a panoramic view of the Sacred Valley. On one side is Urubamba dwarfed by the Sacred Valley’s natural walls, and on the other, the glaciated peak of Chicon glowing in the sun. Walk off some big lunches in this 2-hour route.
6. Go horse riding
There are several agencies offering horseback tours around Urubamba. I would recommend Lunas Horses. The music of the clopping hooves and the extra height certainly does enhance the mystic air of the Sacred Valley.
7. Explore Peruvian cuisine
Lomo Saltado, an Asian-Peruvian stir fry 
Fried guinea pig — a typical peruvian dish
Peruvian food is an increasingly badly kept secret. It is now internationally recognised, TheBest Restaurant in the World 2025 was awarded to Central in Lima. Urubamba is a great place to sample Peruvian food. I would especially recommend Tierra Cocina Artesanal to experience high-end versions of Peruvian classics like the Lomo Saltado.
Chinchero
1. Explore the ruins of an Inca palace and storehouses
Chinchero was a key urban centre on a junction of the famous Inca roads. Here, woollens and freeze-dried food were stored in enormous warehouses. When the Spanish defeated Manco Inca at the siege of Cusco, he torched the whole place to frustrate the invaders as he fled into the jungle.
The Inca settlement also included 43 hectares of terraced mountainside, which survive perfectly today. Explore the archaeological site to appreciate the Inca achievement in turning barren mountains into lush gardens. Entry is included in the Boleto Turistico.
2. Visit Chinchero’s church
This church is fascinatingly built atop the foundations of Tupac Yupanqui’s palace. Mortarless Inca stonework blends with whitewashed Spanish brickwork. The inside is decorated with pieces by the renowned Cusco school of Baroque artists. I was particularly struck by the church’s scarlet red ceiling. This is made with cochineal red, one of the world’s most expensive dyes, obtained by crushing beetles.
3. Watch weavers at work
Chinchero is the best place in the Sacred Valley to learn about the rich textile traditions in Peru. Chinchero includes several weaving collectives, who seek to keep ancient techniques alive and to help local artisans profit from their craft.
Wonder at how they spin alpaca thread into striking garments on looms whose design is unchanged for centuries. Head to The Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco in Chinchero for demonstrations with local weavers.
4. Hike to Poc Poc waterfall
This route follows an original Inca road clinging onto the side of a canyon. Walk from the archaeological site for about an hour before reaching Poc Poc. I found this by complete accident when looking for a quiet place to eat lunch. I met a Peruvian family on the way down who shared their potatoes and alpaca meat with me!
The waterfall has two streams and vines grasping at the surrounding rock. The walk is easy as it is completely downhill. To avoid the climb back out, follow the trail down the valley to the village of Urquillos. From there, you can jump on a collectivo back to Chichero or Cusco.
6. Visit the Sunday fair
Every Sunday, the town becomes one massive market as local artisans and farmers sell their wares. Get great deals on woollens and marvel at the explosion of colour.
Huchuy Cusco
This ruin, whose name is “Little Cusco” in Quechua (also spelled Huchuy Qosqo or Juchuy Coscco), is the ruin of a 13th century Inca estate. While the ruins themselves are staggering, what I remember most was the change in altitude with the bleached high Puna giving way to waterfalls and banks of tropical plants. What is more, is that the track is an original Inca road.
The famous Inca circular terraces
The trek to Huchuy Cusco is not particularly demanding, but it is long as it’s a 20km round trip, so give yourself 7 hours to complete the journey. Entry is also free.
To reach it from Chinchero, get a collectivo or a taxi to Umasbamba. From there, the trail is clearly marked. Instead of returning the same way, walk the steep three-mile-long trail down to Lamay. From there, collectivos are plentiful to both Pisac and Chinchero.
Ollantaytambo
Ollantaytambo, or Ollanta, as it is affectionately called by locals, is the Sacred Valley site that most backpackers will have heard of, and it is not just because of its proximity to Machu Picchu. This is a fantastic destination in its own right and is well worth four days of enjoyment.
Ollanta is 500mlower than Cusco, and so enjoys a milder climate. This is the town where I was most aware that I was in a valley. Ollanta is hemmed in by soaring mountain ramparts. The effect at night, where half of the sky is obscured, is remarkable.
The Inca archaeological site of Ollantaytambo
1. Visit the Inca temple fortress ruins
This is quite simply the star of the show. Included in the Boleto Turistico, it is a beautiful temple complex and agricultural terraces chiselled into the mountainsides. Manco Inca, the hero of Peruvian resistance against the Spanish Conquistadores, faced Hernando Pizarro from this site and drove the Spanish off by unleashing a flood against his enemies and pelting them with stones and arrows from the heights.
At the top of the steep terraces is a sun temple with exquisitely carved details. Admire the sweep of the valley and the scale of the ruins from this viewpoint.
2. Walk the streets
Ollanta has been continuously inhabited since the days of the Inca Empire. It is unique in the Sacred Valley in that you can see Inca architecture, not as a relic but as living buildings. I could not get over stooping under a 600-year-old doorway to get my laundry done.
The Inca drainage channels, where canals of running water are carved into the streets, are truly stunning. Above the town, you can scramble up to the ruins of Inca granaries.
3. Visit Salineras de Maras
This is a staple of Sacred Valley tours, and quite rightly. This has functioned as a salt mine for centuries, but its division into small plots has made it into a quilt of maroons and whites. There is nothing quite like it in Peru.
To visit, take a collectivo from Ollanta’s Plaza de Armas and ask the driver to stop at Media de Luna. Cross the bridge over the Urubamba and walk uphill for about an hour until you come to the salt mines.
I felt very smug avoiding the mob of selfie sticks and day trippers at the viewpoint frequented by tour buses and seeing more of the mines than them. To return, walk from the mines to the village of Maras to get a collectivo back to Ollanta.
4. Visit Moray ruins
This is an enigmatic ruin that puzzles archaeologists but wows visitors. There are three carefully terraced circular sinkholes. The leading theory is that the Incas used it as a laboratory for testing how various plants grew in each microclimate. Others believe that it is a water temple.
Visit and decide for yourself! You will not regret it. To visit, get a collectivo to Maras and walk for 6km on a flat path parallel to the stunning Cordillera Vilcabamba range of mountains. You might even catch a Quechua herder moving her alpacas or purple corn drying in the sun.
It is possible to combine Moray and Salineras de Maras into a single hike if you fancy a 27km mission.
I did it and it took 8 hours, though it did require a breakneck race against the sun to get back to Maras before dark because I completely lost track of time admiring Moray!
5. Hike to Intipunku
This is a sun gate, built in the classic Inca trapezoidal shape, that frames the snow-capped mountains to the North of the Sacred Valley. Archaeologists believe that it was used to observe the stars. Admire the stunning views over the Sacred Valley and pre-Inca tombs along the path.
The hike is well signposted and is 18km in total. With the elevation gain and time spent at the sun gate, expect the hike to take 5 hours. Start from the Inca Bridge in Ollantaytambo and follow the marked trail.
The Sun Gate of Machu Picchu
6. Take a train or a bus to Machu Picchu
Ollantaytambo is the closest train station to Machu Picchu, so it is easy to combine a visit with the ultimate bucket list destination. If you would prefer not to hike to Machu Picchu and are interested in saving some soles, take a collectivo to Hidroelectrica, and walk along the train tracks to Aguas Calientes at the base of Machu Picchu.
I chose this route and had no difficulty hearing the slow-moving trains coming, and I never ended up walking alone as it is a fairly popular route. I even ended up picking wild coffee beans and swimming in the Urubamba beneath Machu Picchu with a German couple I met on the bus!
Tip: our 2 weeks in Peru itinerary lays out the best ways to experience Machu Picchu, from reaching the site by train or bus to walking there on a multi-day trek.
Lesser known sites
Andahuaylillas
This quaint village, 45km from Cusco, has little else save for possibly the most beautiful church in the Americas. Often compared to the Sistine Chapel, it is a riot of exuberant baroque painting and gleaming gold.
To get there, get a collectivo to Urcos and ask the driver to stop at Andahuaylillas.
Visit during mass to enter for free.
Choquequirao
This is Peru’s other lost city. Like Machu Picchu, it was a mountain citadel enveloped by jungle and rediscovered, but unlike Machu Picchu, it has not been flooded by tourist hordes. It is also three times larger than the more famous site. The reason it is not better known is most likely becauseit is reachable only by a 4-day trek through the mountains overlooking the Sacred Valley.
Even with porters and mules, this is not for the faint-hearted. Though those who persevere will be rewarded with the majesty of Inca architecture, secluded from tourist crowds.
Tipon
This is a huge archaeological site comprising carefully cut terraces, water channels and temples with the air of a landscaped English garden. It is built around natural springs, and the Incas, ingenious as ever devised systems to circulate the water through intricately carved passages.
Admire the remarkably well-preserved buildings and terraces to the sound of gently gurgling water. Entry is included in the Boleto Turistico.
Tipon is famous for its Inca terraces, water channels, and hydraulic engineering
To get there, board a collectivo bound for Urcos and tell the driver to stop at Tipon. The walk from the modern town to the archaeological site will take 15 minutes, including past a zoo that you can peer into from the road! This is a great day trip.
Yucay
Yucay, not the UK, was once the main city of the Sacred Valley, but is today a pretty colonial town just 10 minutes’ drive from Urubamba. Many claim it has the nicest climate and vibe in the Sacred Valley. The abundant expats from Europe and America would agree with this. The town is easily reachable by collectivo from any Sacred Valley town.
Visit the ruins of an Inca temple platforms
The terraces for the now-gone temple in Yucay are the largest in the Sacred Valley. To ascend these gigantic steps, climb an original Inca staircase. The site includes the “Mythological Stone”, a representation of the Andean universe.
See neolithic rock paintings in Saywa
In the nearby Saywa area, archaeologists found paintings that are 4000 years old. Drink in the mystery of this ancient site on the short walk from the centre of Yucay.
On a Peru trip researching binge? Then you don’t want to miss these unobvious things to do in Cusco, this essential compact 2-week itinerary featuring all the top highlights in southern Peru, or Tom’s in-depth guide to Huaraz, Peru’s northern trekking capital.
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