The Sacred Valley day tour is one of the most popular tours in Peru, and our trip includes all the best places to visit.

Highlights include:

• Pisac

• Ollantaytambo

• Weavers at Chinchero

• Alpaca farm

• Urubamba

Lasting a full day, you enjoy the beautiful scenery along with immersion into the Inca and pre-Inca culture. You’ll learn how the Sacred Valley was the crucial cog in the Inca Empire and about its role as a spiritual and agricultural center.

We show you the best markets where you can see the mind-boggling variety of food this area produces. We see traditional crafts being practiced in tandem with modern ones as we tour the valley.

The Sacred Valley is situated at around 3,000m/9,800ft, lower than Cusco, and makes an ideal day trip while acclimatizing to the altitude. It’s also perfect before traveling to Machu Picchu.

This tour highlights all the best of the Sacred Valley in one day. Don’t forget to read our FAQs, covering altitude, money, COVID, and more.

Sacred Valley Day Tour Itinerary

Our driver picks you up at 8 am from your hotel (Cusco or the Sacred Valley).

From Cusco or the Sacred Valley, there is a 45-minute drive through beautiful mountains and farmlands to Awanacancha. This is a farm where we can see and feed llamas, alpacas and vicuñas and even take selfies with them!

Pisac market and ruins

Next up is Pisac – and it’s not just the market to see – there are majestic ruins at Pisac. We see terraced Inca ruins that are situated high on a mountain. From here, we climb to the top of the ruins and take in amazing views of the Sacred Valley. Your guide can explain the religious, astronomical, and military functions of these ruins at Pisac.

After visiting the Inca ruins, there will be a chance to hike on a little-known, seldom used original Inca trail and through a tunnel that was built by the Incas. One of the largest Inca cemeteries is also located in the ruins at Pisac and we can tour this part of the site, too.

Urubamba market

Next, we drive to Urubamba, which takes about an hour, and we have lunch in a local restaurant.

After lunch, we go to the local market in Urubamba. Here we see local families selling things such as fruits, vegetables, flowers, and natural medicinal plants. Your guide shows you the market and you can taste Peruvian fruits and foods such as passion fruit, lucuma, and chirimoya.

We also learn about the ingredients needed to make chicha, a corn beer that has been an important part of Peruvian culture since Inca times.

Ollantaytambo

We will then drive for half an hour to visit the Inca ruins at Ollantaytambo.

Ollantaytambo is one of the best-preserved Inca towns in all of Peru. Many of the original buildings from the 15th century are still standing. Ollantaytambo was an important town – it was home to the Inca emperor Pachacutec – and was the base for military victories against the Spanish.

Today we explore the exquisite terracing, fountains, aqueducts, and ruins that surround the town. A highlight is Temple Hill with its Sun Temple and the impressive Wall of the Six Monoliths. The Pinkuylluna Inca storehouses are also spectacular.

If your hotel is in Cusco, we stop on the way back at Chinchero to visit the women's weaving cooperative.

Centro de Textiles Tradicionales del Cusco

In Chinchero, we visit the women's weaving cooperative where we watch a demonstration of local weavers. They use traditional Inca techniques for dyeing fabric and for weaving traditional patterns. The local community has used its internationally-renown weaving skills to regenerate the village.

There is time to browse in the shop, where the items you’ve seen being made are sold. This is a great place to get a souvenir, from Inca-style purses, colorful tablecloths, wall hangings, and many more exquisitely patterned artisanal goods.

We drive you back to your hotel in Cusco, and the tour ends.

Prices

Minimum 2 people

1 DAY

Groups of 2: $145 per person

Groups of 3-5: $365 total price

Groups of 6-8: $399 total price

Groups of more than 8: Please contact us

-INCLUDED-

Private driver & private guide

-NOT INCLUDED-

Lunch, Boleto turistico: (130 soles-$40 covers entrance to Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero, Moray, multiple museums in Cusco, & Sacsayhuaman)