Absolute Sacred Valley Tour - Full Day
The Sacred Valley of the Incas is one of the most visited places in the whole Peru, and if you don’t have it on your Peru itinerary yet, you definitely should.
The Sacred Valley of the Incas boasts with mysteries, Incan history, an uncountable number of ruins, stone terraces and the beautiful natural settings in the photogenic valley carved by Urubamba River, all of that catch travelers’ attention for decades.
What also put the Sacred Valley and Cusco on every traveler’s bucket list is the proximity to Peru’s iconic site, Machu Picchu and also nearby trailheads of some of the most beautiful hikes in the world. One hundred kilometers long valley stretches from Pisac Ruins and Pisac town to the citadel of Machu Picchu.
At Inca’s times, the valley was not only an important area for constructing several checkpoints (nowadays ruins or archeological sites) and the main path from Cusco to Machu Picchu but thanks to friendly temperatures all year round, sustained source of water from Urubamba river, and two distinct seasons, wet and dry – the area was and still is perfect for agriculture.
Incas were people skilled in plant cultivation, and when traveling in the valley, you can notice agriculture terraces which, for us, are nice to look at, but local people still use them to grow crops.
If you’re planning on visiting multiple sites in one full day, then this is the tour you were looking for.
Cusco – Chinchero – Moray – Maras – Ollantaytambo – Pisac – Cusco
This Absolute Sacred Valley tour is the best way to witness the wonder of the area, the tour starts with an early pick up from your hotel in Cusco (3,400 m / 11,154 ft) at around 7:00 am. It will continue with a drive to the Sacred Valley. The first stop of your tour will be the Archaeological Site of Chinchero (3,800 m / 12,467 ft), this site has beautiful Inca terraces, a colonial church, and a large plaza. Chinchero is known for as a weaving community, and their artisanal handicraft items are very much sought after. In the main plaza of Chinchero you’ll find local woman proudly selling items.
Next must see on your tour is the Archaeological Park of Moray (3,500 m / 11,482), a very unique and interesting site in the region; enormous natural depressions where the Incas built huge circular agricultural terraces used as a prototype of a greenhouse or experimental biological station, very advanced for its age.
After exploring and learning about Moray, the next stop will be the salt mines of Maras (3,200 m / 10,498 ft), on the way you’ll enjoy beautiful views of the farming fields and the Urubamba snow capped mountain range. The villagers of Maras harvest the salt from this collection of over 3,000 thousand ponds using the same technology that their ancestors did 500 years ago, and then, the salt can be sent to the local markets.
Of course you have to fuel up your batteries during a day full of amazing sites. That’s why you’ll stop in Urubamba (2,870 m / 9,416 ft) to enjoy adelicious buffet with different Peruvian dishes. Once you’re done, you’ll continue driving along the Urubamba river until reaching the Archaeological Park of Ollantaytambo (2,800 m / 9,186 ft) to see the oldest continuously inhabited dwellings in South America, where people are still living in the same houses and palaces as 500 years ago. You will also observe the impressive buildings created out of gigantic boulders and learn of the ancient heritage.
Further along the road is Pisac, located on the other side of the Sacred Valley, you’ll visit the Colonial village, where you’ll see the famous “Indian Market” and the handicrafts or “souvenirs” market. This is your chance to enjoy a blend of color, traditions and people, and bargain for exotic crafts. Also visit Pisac ruins; one of the most important Archaeological Parks in the region. Visit the fine temples, palaces and the well preserved and vast farming terraces; built even as far as the edge of precipices that still keep their straight sometimes vertical aqueducts. The photo opportunities are endless with views down the valley that are beyond compare.
Once your tour is over, your guide will return you to your Cusco hotel to enjoy the rest of your evening.
- Hotel pick up in Cusco
- Private transport to the Sacred Valley all day long
- Professional Tour Guide
- Personalized service
- Small group tour max 8 people
- Entrance fee ticket to the Salt Mines
- Entrance fee tickets to all Archaeological Sites
- Active itinerary with unique cultural features
- Lunch in the Sacred Valley (options for vegetarians & vegans)
- Non alcoholic drinks while on tour
- Private walking tour in Chinchero, Maras, Moray, Salt mines
- Private walking tour in Ollantaytambo, Pisaq
- Emergency first aid kit
- Emergency oxygen bottle
- Hotel drop off in Cusco
- Breakfast
- Extra expenses
- Hotel in Cusco
- Dinner in Cusco
- Gratuities
- Souvenirs
- Travel insurance
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