The Sacred Valley of Cusco is one of the destinations that absolutely must be in your travel plan if you plan to visit Machu Picchu, since just one hour away from the beautiful city of Cusco, you will come across its beautiful movie-like landscapes.
Several movies were literally filmed there, one of the latest and super famous ones being Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. In this blog, we will show you the 5 must-see places in the Sacred Valley of Cusco.
Watch this video to learn the history of the Sacred Valley in a complete and detailed way:
1. Chinchero, a village of artisan weavers in the Sacred Valley:
Just one hour away from the city of Cusco, in the highest part of the Sacred Valley at 3,750 meters above sea level, is this picturesque community. Chinchero is a town where 30% of its inhabitants dedicate themselves solely and exclusively to spinning alpaca wool.
In this place you will find handicrafts at very good prices since they are manufactured right there. Usually, tours such as the VIP Sacred Valley visit the houses prepared by the local women.
Likewise, in this town there is an archaeological site that bears the same name, designed in the form of a small plaza and Inca terraces with original walls everywhere, and at the top of it there is a church dedicated to the Virgin of Montserrat.
On the way to the Chinchero archaeological center, you will find small handicraft stalls where you can also buy those little souvenirs that friends or family will surely ask you to bring.
In summary, Chinchero in the Sacred Valley is a good place to get handicrafts while also learning a little more about Inca history.
2. Moray, Inca “agricultural laboratory”:
The Sacred Valley of Cusco is a box full of surprising landscapes and archaeological sites everywhere. Moray is one of those enigmatic destinations, and I use the word enigmatic because at the time of the Spanish conquest this place was under reconstruction and, given that the Incas themselves were in the middle of a civil war, this place was simply abandoned and consequently the use that the Incas gave it was lost over time.
In another post we will discuss in more detail what Moray was and the role it played in the Sacred Valley of Cusco during the Inca Empire.
3. The Maras Salt Mines:
In the Sacred Valley of Cusco you will also find a super spectacular and Instagrammable destination called the Maras Salt Mines, in the town of Maras at 3,000 meters above sea level. This place undoubtedly should not be missing from your itinerary.
The Maras Salt Mines are salt ponds 20 centimeters deep each, where the locals harvest natural salt coming from a salty spring in the upper part, which was channeled since pre-Inca times and which even today the locals mine using practically the same ancestral methods and tools.
Today they have more than 3,000 salt ponds, all of them managed by families from the town of Maras in the Sacred Valley, who formed a company called MARASAL S.A., which is managed by the community members and which other investors cannot access unless they are married to someone from the Maras community.
4. Ollantaytambo: Inca city, temple and military fortress:
A key point in the Sacred Valley is the city of Ollantaytambo. At this point you will find the busiest train station to Machu Picchu and how could you pass through this beautiful place without first visiting the beautiful Inca city that bears the same name, considered the living Inca city of the 21st century because it preserves almost intact all the Inca urban planning, as well as many of the Inca descendants who live here.
This city was built by order of the ninth Inca and first emperor Pachacuteq (the one who transforms the world), at the beginning of the 15th century, with an estimated workforce of twenty thousand workers over an initial period of 40 years.
It bears this name thanks to a general of the Inca army who fell in love with Princess Kusi Qoillor (shining smile), daughter of Emperor Pachacuteq (who ordered the construction of many cities and roads, including Machu Picchu).
However, this love was forbidden because General Ollantay was not of noble birth, so he decided to rebel against the emperor by declaring war on him. Obviously, Pachacutec did not like this, so he ordered his execution.
Princess Kusi Qoillor, upon seeing the love of her life being massacred, could not bear the pain and ran away to the top of a mountain, from where she threw herself into the Vilcanota River, thus becoming a snow-capped mountain called Wakay Willca (the sacred mountain that cries).
In architectural terms, Ollantaytambo is a much larger city than Machu Picchu, although with a rather rustic wall style given that it was built first.
On the Sacred Valley tour you will be able to see in the upper part of this place a very fine stonework that belongs to a different stage from that of the 15th century, since Ollantaytambo was used as a strategic defense point against those Incas who joined the Spaniards during the conquest period (Myths, Rituals and Politics of the Incas, Mariusz Ziółkowski); the architecture of Ollantaytambo began to undergo a serious modification in the Temple of the Sun, which could not be completed because, as we already said, the Incas were in the middle of a bloody civil war and foreign conquest.
Experience this firsthand with our guides:
5. Pisaq, Inca city for corn cultivation:
Pisaq, also located in the Sacred Valley of Cusco, is another Inca city larger than Machu Picchu, built on top of a mountain with a fairly intricate design wherever you look.
The Inca architects adapted the architecture of an empire that preceded them (Wari). In Pisaq, they built multiple terraces averaging 2.40 meters in height each to cultivate corn on a large scale.
This monumental work of Inca architecture still has its original irrigation channels in operation. To this day, several terraces in Pisaq, especially in the lower part, are used for the cultivation of white corn.
FAQs
1. How to get to the Sacred Valley of Cusco?
1.1. Hiring a travel agency:
The most practical and convenient option, no matter how you look at it, is booking a tour to the Sacred Valley. With us you will have all entrance tickets included, modern transportation with up-to-date licenses, accredited professional guides and a good buffet lunch at an A1 restaurant included.
1.2. On your own:
This option may appear economical, but it will only make you waste time, spend more money and not even learn about the wonderful and enriching history of each place that the Sacred Valley of Cusco offers.
Now you are probably thinking, of course you say that because you are a travel agency and you want me to buy from you.
Well NO!.
Let’s talk about distances and costs of traveling to all these destinations on your own. First of all, keep in mind that you will not find local guides at all these destinations except in Ollantaytambo. The itinerary would be for you to leave the city of Cusco, head to Grau Bridge and take a public bus costing 7 soles (cost per person), wait for the vehicle to fill up and finally depart toward Chinchero.
The journey will take an hour and a half since the bus makes stops to drop off and pick up passengers along the way, then you will have to use Google to make your way to the archaeological center, walk through some streets and perhaps buy handicrafts.
Up to this point everything is “fine”, the part that almost no travel agency tells you is that you have to pay an entrance fee of 70.00 soles per person to enter. Once inside, you are on your own since there are no site guides here.
After finishing your tour of Chinchero, you would have to visit the salt mines, for which you must return to the main road, wait between 20 and 25 minutes for a bus that will take you to Maras. This section will cost you 5 soles and then you will have to take a private taxi that will charge you about 40 soles, or if you prefer to save that money, you will have to walk for one hour just to reach the salt mines (I will not deny it, the landscape is beautiful and the heat really burns).
At the salt mines you will have to pay another 15.00 soles per person as an entrance fee and again you will be alone, missing out on the history of the place, but if you are only going for the photo it can be an option.
The tour inside the Maras Salt Mines in the Sacred Valley usually takes forty-five minutes from the moment you get out of the vehicle until you return.
Once your visit to the Maras Salt Mines is finished, you will have to walk for about 3 hours to Moray or tell the man who took you by taxi to also take you to Moray. This service will cost you another extra amount, for which they usually charge you an additional 50.00 soles.
Moray is usually visited in an average of 45 minutes on your own without a guide. Unfortunately, there are no site guides at this place either.
Well, up to this point you have already spent 90.00 soles just on transportation. Of course, you should always arrange the service as a round trip, not for them to simply leave you at the destination and that is it. Keep in mind that if you do not hire the complete taxi service, you will definitely have to walk.
As for time, not even worth mentioning, by now your day has probably already gone by, but let us continue with this hypothetical case.
You return to the main road, wait another 20 to 25 minutes for a bus to appear and travel to Urubamba, a section that will cost you 5 soles per person. Here you can have lunch at a local restaurant with prices starting from 8 soles for the menu (keep in mind these are quite far from the main road, about a 10-minute walk).
Another option you can take is to get off in Urubamba and take a bus to Ollantaytambo. Again, you have to wait for it to fill with passengers before it leaves, a journey that will take about 45 minutes since these vehicles make stops to drop off passengers (keep in mind these vehicles are very small combis with an interior height of 1.50 meters, so if you cannot find a seat, it is better to wait for the next vehicle or you will have a bad time, we tell you this from experience).
Upon arriving in Ollantaytambo, you can find several lunch options with menus ranging from 8 soles at the market (be careful with hygiene), up to 65 soles at tourist restaurants.
Visiting the Ollantaytambo archaeological site usually takes one hour. Here you will be able to hire a guide whose cost is 80.00 soles (price for all participants).
After finishing your tour, you will have to take the same small combi back to Urubamba and then take another vehicle that will take you to Pisaq. All this traveling will take you three and a half to four hours just to reach the town of Pisaq, not the archaeological site.
Once you are in the town of Pisaq, you will have to hire a taxi service and there are few of them (they usually work from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm). This service will cost you 40.00 soles without waiting at the ruins, meaning they take you there but then you figure out how to return (keep in mind that this trip takes another 30 minutes). If you want them to wait for you, then they will charge you about 70.00 to 80.00 soles (make sure to pay them at the end).
After finishing your tour of the Sacred Valley of Cusco, you will have to head to the other Pisaq – Cusco bus terminal, a journey that will take approximately one hour and fifteen minutes (again you will have to wait for the vehicle to fill up before it departs).
By this point, you have probably already realized that it is impossible to do the Sacred Valley tour on your own in one or two days. It will take at least three days of your vacation if you truly want to enjoy it. If you would like to choose this option, add the hotel nights, quality of the facilities and necessary logistics regarding clothing, luggage weight, etc.
Consequently, it is not an option we recommend, since in the end it will cost you more than hiring our professional services and your vacation will be spent on one destination that you can visit in a well organized and professional way with us.
2. Where to eat if I do the Sacred Valley tour?
2.1. Hiring a travel agency:
Our VIP Sacred Valley tour includes a buffet lunch at an A1 restaurant, where you will be able to choose all the dishes you want and, above all, taste the varied, delicious and renowned Peruvian cuisine. GET IN PERU has special agreements with several restaurants in the area so that you simply arrive and enjoy.
2.2. Traveling on your own:
In the Sacred Valley there are options at all price ranges, starting from 8.00 soles in the markets (watch out for hygiene), as well as very renowned restaurants such as Tunupa, which require a prior reservation and your own transportation.
Likewise, in the towns of Pisaq and Ollantaytambo you will find interesting à la carte options ranging from 35.00 soles to 70.00 soles.
3. Is it advisable to visit the Sacred Valley of Cusco?
Absolutely YES, its landscapes are so spectacular that they will leave you amazed and, above all, enrich your vacation experience. The culture, gastronomy and tourist infrastructure make the Sacred Valley the favorite place of many travelers.
4. What is the best season to visit the Sacred Valley of Cusco?
At any time of the year, it is advisable to visit the Sacred Valley; its landscapes simply take on a special touch every month.
During the dry season, which runs from April to October, the mountains look yellowish and somewhat dry, but the sun and the few clouds give them a spectacular contrast.
During the rainy season, which runs from November to March, the mountains have an intense green color, making each landscape look like a work of art by Picasso. It is simply one of the most beautiful things that God could have created and the hand of man transformed.
5. Are there hotels in the Sacred Valley of Cusco?
Yes, and some of the most luxurious. The Sacred Valley of Cusco is home to some of the luxury hotels in the world, among which the Sky Lodge Hotel, San Agustin, Taypicala, Mountain View Lodge, among others, stand out.
If you have a romantic plan in mind with your favorite person or perhaps you are celebrating a special date, without a doubt the Sacred Valley of Cusco is the option to choose and spend a memorable vacation.
Live this and many other memorable experiences with GET IN PERU, thank you for reading this post.