Sacred Valley (VIP) - Full Day Trip

based on 63 reviews

Duration:12 hours (approx.)
Location: Cusco, Peru

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The Sacred Valley is a region in Peru's Andean highlands. Along with the nearby town of Cusco and the ancient city of Machu Picchu, it formed the heart of the Inca Empire. Stretching roughly 60 kilometers, it’s an area of fertile farmland and Spanish colonial villages like Pisac and Ollantaytambo. Pisac is known for its Sunday handicraft market and hilltop Incan citadel.

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WHAT TO EXPECT

1.
Chinchero is a small Andean Indian village located high up on the windswept plains of Anta at 3765m about 30km from Cusco. There are beautiful views overlooking the Sacred Valley of the Incas, with the Cordillera Vilcabamba and the snow-capped peak of Salkantay dominating the western horizon. Chinchero is believed to be the mythical birthplace of the rainbow. Its major claim to tourism is its colourful Sunday market which is much less tourist-orientated than the market at Pisac. The village mainly comprises mud brick (adobe) houses, and locals still go about their business in traditional dress. The village may have been an important town in Inca times. The most striking remnant of this period is the massive stone wall in the main plaza which has ten trapezoidal niches. The construction of the wall and many other ruins and agricultural terraces (which are still in use) are attributed to Inca Tupac Yupanqui who possibly used Chinchero as a kind of country resort.
2.
Everywhere you look in Cusco you can see how advanced the Incas were in their agricultural techniques, such as the terracing system and irrigation using aqueducts. In Moray, for example, they used circular terraces that demonstrate the high level of culture the Inca civilization achieved. Moray is 4.5 miles from the town of Maras and 39 miles from Cusco. The main feature that impresses travelers is its system of circular agricultural terraces, which are up to 330 feet deep. They are build using retaining walls connected by an irrigation system. Moray can be considered a crop lab– they used the terraces to create micro-climates and grow various products.
3.
The salt mines, or the famous "salt pools" of Maras are located in the rural community of Pichingoto. This site is highly recommended for photography lovers because of its impressive landscape that stretches out in all of its splendor. It is also perfect for hikers and mountain bikers, since this trail connects the salt mines with the villages of Tarabamba and Pichingoto. Highlights of this area include the Moray archaeological site, a sort of amphitheater formed of various circular terraces. Also worth visiting is the Sanctuary of Tiobamaba, a colonial church built of adobe that houses paintings from Cusco such as The Last Supper.
4.
Ollantaytambo is a lovely village that preserves the designs of Inca buildings located at an altitude of 9160 feet in the province of Urubamba. Among this place's most impressive attractions are the ceremonial temple in worship of water and a fortress that guarded the entrance to the valley to repel any invasions. The temple has a set of terraces lying one atop the other which visitors scale via a steep stairway. The fortress is a stone colossus that was built between two mountains to protect the valley. The area also holds the Temple of Inti (the sun god), Incamisana, the baths of the Ñustas (princesses), the Cachiccata funerary towers, and a group of tiered and very steep terraces on the side of a hill. Ollantaytambo also contains the mountain called Pinculluna or Tunupa, which holds the vestiges of Inca architectural structures which seem to have been a storehouse for various foodstuffs. Ollantaytambo is also a meeting place for nearby communities, such as the Huayruros de Willoc, who can be recognized by their red and black ponchos and hats
5.
Pisac’s fascinating stone block walls show a balanced proportion, from its size to the perfect joints of each stone, forming a wonderful architectural complex that captivates visitors in the Sacred Valley. The word Pisac has a Quechua origin meaning partridge, a hen-like bird that inhabits the area. According to theories, this complex was slightly similar to the “Royal Estate” of the Inca Pachacutec, that’s why it has a variety of facilities such as terraces, a ceremonial room, palaces, walls, and towers all connected to each other, without any amalgam. Intihuatana Known as the most important ceremonial and religious site in Pisac, it has buildings made of sedimentary rocks. The translation of its name from Quechua means “Sundial”. It is located at the top of the mountain and from that point the whole valley can be appreciated. The Intihuatana is considered as Pisac’s Temple of the Sun, as it served as astronomical observatory during the Inca Empire. The fineness of its carved rock walls is perfectly aligned with the rising of the sun during June Solstice (the onset of winter). La ciudad de las torres (the City of the Towers) It is believed that its developments served as water channels, which still exist today. Their fine finishes are similar to the constructions of Sacsayhuaman. Furthermore, about 20 towers were erected on the edges of the mountain. Ñusta Encantada (Enchanted Princess) It is a rocky complex that can be seen from the Ñustáyoc hill, to the south. It is called ñusta (Inca princess) because it has the shape of a woman carrying saddlebags on her back. A famous Andean legend tells that the cacique of Pisac (village chief) Huayllapuma had a daughter named Inquill Chumpi. She had to marry a prince who had the strength to build a bridge in one night. The possibility of building that seemed ridiculous for most villagers, being a very hard task. Once upon the time, after turning down many potential suitors because of the difficulty of this task, the Inca prince Asto Rimac appeared and asked for the princess’ hand. They fell in love, and he began to build the bridge. However, Inquill Chumpi had to climb the hill without turning until her beloved finished the request; otherwise, they both would turn into stone. After hours of work, when the bridge was almost done, the worried daughter of the cacique turned to see her fiancé. At this disobedience, they both were turned into stone until this day. Pisac’s diverse and incredible Inca architecture that endures the lapsing of years captivates travelers because of its ancestral history and culture.

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Posted By : Monicg89
Excelente experiencia! Me fueron a buscar y a dejar al hotel, visitamos muchos lugares, el guía y chofer fueron muy amables en todo momento la pasamos súper bien y aprendí muchísimo.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-06-26 21:36:58

Posted By : Jennifer_P
Great tour, our guide Irving, was very knowledgeable and kept everything on time. Saw some great spots, learned a lot and have wonderful pictures!
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Posted On : 2024-06-22 19:11:11

Posted By : 622anikas
Sandro was an amazing tour guide! He took great photos each step along the way, and he gave us a lot of information at each stop. He was also very good about keeping us on a schedule. I would highly recommend this tour!
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Posted On : 2024-05-28 12:33:26

Posted By : Yana_A
This tour was INCREDIBLE! Jhonnatan was such a great guide and was able to provide the tour bi-lingually with such enthusiasm! This was a fun jam-packed day where I felt we truly got to see the sights of Peru and learn so much about the Incas and the culture.
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Posted On : 2024-05-22 12:49:52

Posted By : elenav473
Interesting stops, fascinating history, and loved the unique salt mines. It is a long day but a good one to rest up in between doing the big excursions around Cusco.
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Posted On : 2024-04-25 19:27:32

Posted By : Fischer235
We knew from the start that it would be a long day, but the tour description didn't quite correspond to the actual itinerary.
- Chinchero: First the process of processing wool is explained. Basically very interesting, but everything was rattled off pretty quickly. You just noticed that tons of tourists come here every day. We then had the opportunity to buy products made from alpaca wool. The second stop, at the Chinchero archaeological site, was very interesting and our guide knew many facts. In general we were super happy with him. He explained a lot and was friendly.
- Moray: Here, according to our guide's explanations, we only had 10 minutes of free time to look at the site. But you can at least see the entire terraces from the upper viewpoint, so it was okay that we didn't have time to go down.
- Maras: First stop was at a shop that sells local products (salt, chocolate, etc.). Although quite interesting, we increasingly got the impression that the focus of the tour was not just on the sites, but also on the sales. At the salt mines we only had time for the upper viewpoint. We would have liked to go closer to the pools.
- Urubamba: Lunch here was amazing! Also very suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
- Ollantaytambo: Probably the most stressful stop. There were extremely many people there, which limited the already short time even more.
- Pisaq: The time allocated here was quite good. However, we didn't need the subsequent stop at the silver workshop/jeweler.
Based on the description, we were hoping that this tour would involve less rushing from one place to another, and we were therefore a little disappointed. However, our guide was great and the respective places are absolutely worth seeing. If you have more time, it is best to split the Sacred Valley into two days.

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Posted On : 2024-04-02 13:22:15

Posted By : P499UKmandyv
Wow!!! It was a spectacular day, I had the best time with Guide Ketmar, thank you for doing our guiding with an additional bonus of fun and a lot of teaching, I definitely recommend the agency.
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Posted On : 2024-03-26 13:57:50

Posted By : F5068HFjosea
Good experience, the guide Jonathan is incredible, always explaining everything during the visits and respecting the schedules for the visits.
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Posted On : 2023-12-06 10:39:39

Posted By : Auro2484
Great experience!! Got to see so many different places. Jhonnatan, our guide was very knowledgeable and offered to take pictures.
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Posted On : 2023-11-27 20:08:59

Posted By : ayudrey79
Well organised fantastic trip covering a lot in a day! Jonathan is a great bilingual guide very knowledgeable ! Thank you! Highly recommended would come back again ☺️
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Posted On : 2023-11-18 20:02:14