Explore the Most Significant Archaeological Sites Around Cusco
The Sacred Valley of the Incas is a popular tour for everyone who visits Cusco. Its sacred river, also known as Vilcanota or Willcamayu, runs through the valley, making for some of the best scenery while you explore some of the Inca's archaeological sites, including
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- Itinerary
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During our tour along the Sacred Valley of the Incas, our tour guide will show you the Incredible landscapes of the Andes, located 45 minutes driving from Cusco, it begin In Pisaq town with its local handicraft market it offers colorful souvenirs for these who wants to bring surprise for your loves one. Pisaq archaeological site a great farm engineering place where the ancient people grew important crops. Ollantaytambo a build with perfect architecture where every traveler be surprised with their immense stones, and Chinchero perfect combination between Inca and colonial architecture.
Highlights: Pisaq, Ollantaytambo & ChincheroHiking distance: 20 Minutes in each archaeological site
Considerations: Permits required
Season: Whole Year
Max. Altitude: 3130m/10269ft
Itinerary at a Glance
- Day01
Cusco - Pisaq-Ollantaytambo & Chinchero
Highlights
- Enjoy the extensive Pisac Inca complex, which boasts many impressive examples of Inca architecture.
- Wander around the colorful Pisac market and observe local people who are keeping traditional culture alive.
- Take in the stunning views as you drive through the Sacred Valley and observe locals going about their daily lives and lots of local produce growing in the fields.
- Hike around that amazing site of Ollantaytambo and learn all about its history.
- Visit the Chinchero Weaving Cooperative to learn about local textile techniques and a tradition that goes back generations.
Detailed Itinerary
What To Expect?
Embark on adventure to explore the authentic Andean culture of the ancient Inca civilization as you explore the main archaeological sites of the Sacred Valley near the empire’s former capital of Cusco. start your day with a morning pickup from your hotel in Cusco, continuing first to the historic city of Pisac.
After have explore Pisac we will drive to Ollantaytambo where you'll enjoy the buffet lunch of Peruvian specialties before continuing to the Fortress of Ollantaytambo to discover its impressive Temple of the Sun. continue back to Cusco, where you’ll be dropped off at your hotel.
Cusco | Qorao - Sacred Valley Lookout - Pisac - Urubamba - Ollantaytambo - Chinchero - Cusco
Highlight of the day: Learning a lot about the Inca culture, and explore wonderful Inca archaeological sites.
Explore the Most Significant Inca Sites in the Sacred Valley
We’ll collect you from your accommodation and set off on our day out in the Sacred Valley. Our first stop is at Qorao where you can explore the market and buy gifts. Next, we’ll make our way to Pisac. Here, you’ll get to wander around the colorful market and visit the fascinating archaeological site that boasts some unique features. After, we’ll head on to Urubamba, where we’ll enjoy a delicious buffet lunch.
This afternoon, we’ll drive to Ollantaytambo—a quaint Inca town. You’ll explore the archaeological site and enjoy stunning views. Our final stop is in Chinchero. You’ll observe a colonial temple and the plaza before enjoying a lesson on textiles from local women. Finally, it’ll be time to head back to Cusco city, where we’ll drop you off at your hotel.
Our exciting day out begins between 7:20 and 7:50 am when we collect you from your accommodation and set off in our private transport to our first destination of the day.
On our way to Pisac, we’ll make our first stop of the day, about thirty minutes from Cusco. We’ll be visiting Qorao market, to wander around and see locals selling their handicrafts. There are handmade souvenirs and some stunning art pieces that you can buy as a reminder of your trip or as thoughtful gifts for friends and family back home. Here, you’ll also get the chance to take some photos of the incredible landscapes and local wildlife, like llamas.
Next, we’ll keep heading to “El Mirador Del Valle Sagrado.” This lookout over the valley will provide you with the perfect opportunity to photograph the Andean mountain range and the Sacred Valley together.
We will soon arrive in Pisac to visit the archaeological site. The Pisac complex is well-known because of its terraces that rise from the bottom of the mountain to the top in a harmonious way. You’ll also see the biggest Inca cemetery and Pisac’s Intihuatana, which is famous for predicting the solstices and equinoxes that determined the ancient culture’s agriculture calendar.
Once finished, we’ll drive for another hour to Urubamba and enjoy a delicious buffet lunch of traditional Peruvian dishes. There’ll be a wide range of options available, and it’s the perfect chance to try many foods.
In the afternoon, we’ll visit Ollantaytambo town to tour its unique and extensive archaeological site that’s home to water sources, high terraces, temples, and more. The site is surrounded by towering mountain peaks and colorful valleys (plus a view of a faraway glacier)!
This town is the most well-preserved layout of a typical, Incan-built city with its narrow, cobbled streets and stone walls. It’s the only original Inca town where people still live to this day. Its conservation allows for the enduring legacy of the Incan people to live on and for us to understand the ancient culture better.
On our way back to Cusco, we’ll make a final stop at the town of Chinchero. You’ll have the opportunity here to visit a beautiful colonial temple, best known for its mural painting above the entranceway (this temple was built on top of Inca foundations). We’ll also get to see the Incan walls in the main plaza.
The highlight in this town is watching local women making textiles. They’ll teach you the process and you’ll get the chance to support them by purchasing their handmade pieces if you wish. Finally, we’ll continue onto Cusco and drop you off at your accommodation early evening.
At Vidal Expeditions, we are transparent and provide specific details of what is included and excluded from our tours. We know this is very important so that you know exactly what to bring and don’t miss anything. We provide this information to ensure that you have an incredible experience during your cultural tour.
What Is Included?
High Quality Service & Safety
Pre-departure briefing
You’ll meet your trekking guide and group in our office for an orientation before your trek. The meeting will be at 5:00 p.m. the evening before the trip begins.
Experienced Tour Guide
English and spanish speaking, professionally educated, and official tour guide. Your guide will explain the culture and surroundings along the entire route, including leading your group in ancient ceremonies! He or she will keep you safe, sound, and comfortable on your trek so that you can enjoy your time worry-free!
Medical Kit or First AID Kit
All Vidal Expeditions guides have received specialized training in first aid. We hold mandatory training sessions with our guides every February. Your guide will always carry a first aid kit to face basic emergencies (altitude sickness, travelers' diarrhea, cuts, scrapes, etc.) as well as oxygen. If necessary, we’ll evacuate you from the path as quickly as possible and ensure that you arrive at a clinic for treatment.
Customer Service 24/7
We have telephone service available 24 hours/day for ease of communication with Vidal Expeditions leading up to your trek.
Meals
Buffet Lunch in Urubamba
Transportation
Private Transport
All your transportation is included in this package. We will pick you up from your hotel to explore the Sacred Valley. Once you complete the tour, we will take you back to the door of your hotel.
What Is Not Included?
Boleto Turistico or Cusco Tourist Ticket
This ticket is necessary and allows you admission to many of the most popular attractions in Cusco and the Sacred Valley, including archaeological sites and museums.
From PEN 70.00 (US$ 20.00) to PEN 130.00 (US$ 40.00) per person.
Breakfast & Dinner
Travel Insurance
Tips for our staff
Tipping is the norm on any excursion in Peru. Although we pay good salaries to our entire team, something extra is always welcome.
Additional costs or delays beyond our control
Landslides, bad weather conditions, itinerary modifications due to a safety concern, illness, pandemia, government policy changes, political instability, strikes, act of God, etc.
At Vidal Expeditions, we focus on making your trip an unforgettable experience, and we want to provide all the details you need to know before leaving your country and starting your life experience in Peru.
What you need to pack?Important
- Passport
- Good daypack (the smaller, the better)
- Water storage: Water reservoir like Camelback is encouraged - but enough for at least 2-3 liters.
- Comfortable hiking pant
INSIDE YOUR DAYPACKS:
A daypack can be any size for hiking, but we always say the smaller, the better. If it is larger, try to make it as light as possible.
- Rain gear
- Sun hat
- Sunscreen
- Camera
- Water bottle
- Bug spray
- Hand sanitizer
- Toilet paper and small plastic bag for waste
- Extra Money for Souvenirs, Drinks & Tips
- Personal medication or Own first aid kit
- Snacks (Chocolate, energizing bars, caramels, etc.)
PREPARING FOR YOUR SACRED VALLEY DAY TOUR!
Here some frequently asked question about our Sacred Valley day tour in CuscoAt Vidal Expeditions, we make the booking system as easy as possible for you. Once you decide to do some of our day tours, we will send you a booking form where you need to complete all the required details that we need to book your tickets. We also need a previous deposit of 50% of the price per person. As soon as you pay, we immediately book a spot for this tour. Once we are done with it, we will send you your invoice and a confirmation form that all the booking processes have been satisfactorily set up..
The Sacred Valley a source of important archaeological sites and beautiful natural landscapes, it runs along the Urubamba river, from Pisaq to Ollantaytambo more than 50km. On this tour you can find different Inca complex as Pisaq which was an important center for agriculture, trading and a religius site, and Ollantaytambo which is one of the largest Inca side in the entire Sacred Valley, it was the royal estate of Emperor Pachacuti who built fanstastic temples at the top of the mountain. The Sacred Valley land is intensively cultivated with corn and has an average width of approximately 1 kilometer. The lateral valleys and agricultural terraces expand the cultivable area.
According to different studies, there were many reasons why they called it Sacred Valley: it was the largest food source in the high Andes; the soils are reachable in minirals, which are suitable for any crop, especially white corn; and the Urubamba River is always running water in the same direction as the Milky Way.
Well, we highly recommend going first to Sacred Valley; visiting some Inca sites around will help you understand better about Inca history. This is also a great option to acclimate to the altitude before going on any trek to Machu Picchu.
If you are not used to altitudes over 3,000 meters, staying at the Sacred Valley is a great option; it will also allow you to explore more Inca sites around. Actually, there are different big cities where you can find great hotels: Pisaq, Calca, Urubamba, and Ollantaytambo. all these under 2,900 meters above sea level.
Of Course! If it is one of the most visited places after Machu Picchu, the beautiful landscapes surrounding it, surrounded by green fields, snow-capped mountains, and interesting Inca sites, make it the best destination for culture and tradition lovers. The full-day tour will be enough to enjoy the different breathtaking views along this valley.
Yes, the Sacred Valley of the Incas is located on the north-east side of Cusco, and it is located on the way to Machu Picchu. Everyone who visits Machu Picchu through different tours, hikes, or train trips will cross part of the Sacred Valley, especially Ollantaytambo, which is the train station to Machu Picchu.
The Sacred Valley runs from 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) to 2,680 meters (8,792 feet), and you can enjoy different huge mountains with breathtaking views.
Well, as we mentioned before, the Sacred Valley is formed by different cities: Pisaq, which is located just 40 minutes driving away from Cusco; Urubamba, which is 1,10 hours away from Cusco; and Ollantaytambo, which is 1,30 minutes away from Cusco.
Yes, the Sacred Valley has many places where you can stay: a hostel, lodge, hotel, and different airbnbs that offer different prices.
The weather along the Sacred Valley can vary according to your location; however, it is less cold than Cusco. The dry season is from May to October, and the other months can be quite rainy. We usually recommend going there during the dry season. May could be a great month to visit it because it is the end of the wet season and the start of the dry season.
From: USD 55.00 per person
USD 50.00: from 4 people to more
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WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT?
At Vidal Expeditions we offer the best service for all our customers and here is what makes us different than others.
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Small groups: Along our excursion group size is a capped at 8 people. This guarantees that you will enjoy every step of our excursion
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Hotel: During our excursion to Machu Picchu, we offer a 3 stars hotel stay for the last night. This ensures you are well rested and ready to explore Machu Picchu.
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Bus to Machu Picchu: To enjoy Machu Picchu, we provide a round trip ticket on the bus from Aguas Calientes to the main entrance of the archaeological site.
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Local Tour guides: Our team consists of 100% local tour guides, who have expert knowledge in our ancient culture.
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Best Camping Equipment: We have the state-of-the-art camping equipment for our excursion. The equipment is thoroughly cleaned and sanitized before and after every excursion.
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Best Trekking team: At Vidal Expeditions we focus to create the best experience during our excursions. Our team that consists of tour guides, cooks, porters, horse drivers are handpicked. We train our team to offer you the best service. We take care of our team by providing them with good equipment and paying them fairly.
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