Sacred Valley Guide

What the Sacred Valley is

The Urubamba river runs through a broad, fertile valley north-west of Cusco, and the Incas valued it for its maize and its milder climate. The valley is dotted with agricultural terraces, ceremonial sites and royal estates, and the towns along it still hold much of the Inca layout. It is not a single sight but a stretch of countryside that you move through, usually by road, with several stops.

Two things make it more relaxed than Cusco: it is lower, and it is quieter in the evening. Many visitors prefer to sleep here and visit Cusco in day trips, especially at the start of a trip. Who benefits from each choice is set out in Sacred Valley and Cusco as a base.

The valley also changes character along its length. The Cusco end is open and agricultural, the middle is wide and green, and the far end narrows into a steep gorge as the river heads towards the cloud forest and Machu Picchu. That variety is why a slow drive through it is worth as much as any single ruin.

Choosing a base

Pisac is at the Cusco end of the valley, with its artisans' market, a ruined hillside citadel and a more small-town feel. Urubamba is the central town, with the largest range of hotels, restaurants and quiet haciendas, and it works as a hub for day excursions. Ollantaytambo, at the far end, is the most atmospheric: a living Inca town with cobbled lanes, an imposing fortress and the main train station for Machu Picchu. If you have an early train, sleeping in Ollantaytambo removes a stressful start.

Smaller villages and rural lodges between these towns are quieter again, and suit those who want views and a slow pace over convenience. See Pisac and Ollantaytambo for the detail of each town, and where to stay in the Sacred Valley for how to weigh price, comfort and location.

What to see

The ruins and markets are the core. Pisac and Ollantaytambo each have a major Inca site, and the circular terraces of Moray and the salt pans of Maras are often combined in one half-day. Chinchero, on the plateau above the valley, is known for its weaving. Distances between stops are short, but the roads wind and traffic in the towns can be slow.

A full day by tour or private car covers several of these. Independent travellers can use local buses and shared taxis between the towns, which is cheap and straightforward but slower. Sacred Valley tours explains what the standard day trips include and what they leave out.

Using the valley to acclimatise

Sleeping in the valley first is a widely used way to ease into the Andes. The floor of the valley is roughly 2,800 to 2,900 m, a clear step below Cusco at about 3,400 m, so most people sleep better and get fewer headaches on the first nights. After two nights you can go up to Cusco with a better chance of enjoying it.

This works best if you fly from Lima to Cusco and then drive straight down to the valley, rather than staying in the city first. Be sure to plan a quiet first day regardless of where you sleep. For the symptoms to watch for and when to seek medical advice, see altitude sickness; none of this replaces a conversation with a doctor or travel clinic.

Travellers who plan to walk the Inca Trail or another trek will gain the most from this approach, since the extra nights at moderate altitude are the best preparation for the high passes ahead.

Getting here and onwards

From Cusco, the valley is reached by road in somewhere between one and two hours depending on the town and the traffic; getting from Cusco to the Sacred Valley compares buses, shared taxis and private cars. From Ollantaytambo, the train runs to Aguas Calientes, the base for Machu Picchu, and there are also buses and taxis to the train station at other points. Buy train tickets early in high season, since seats on the most convenient departures sell out.

If you are heading to Machu Picchu, see trains to Machu Picchu and how to get there for the options. Treat the station times as the fixed point of your day and plan the valley around them, not the other way round.

When to go

The dry season from roughly May to September gives clear days and cold nights, and the busiest months. The rainy season, roughly November to March, makes the valley very green but can disrupt roads and tours. Harvest and festival dates also bring crowds, so check dates before you commit to an exact base.

Mornings in the valley are often bright even in the wetter months, with showers more likely in the afternoon, so an early start is useful at any time of year. Evenings are cool and can be properly cold in the dry season, which surprises people who expect a lower valley to be warm. What each means in practice is described in the dry season and the rainy season.

Mistakes to avoid

The commonest mistake is trying to do the whole valley in a single rushed day on the way to Machu Picchu. Pisac, Moray, Maras and Ollantaytambo are each worth an hour or two, and visiting them back to back leaves little memory of any. Choose two or three and give them time.

A second mistake is booking a hotel in Pisac or Urubamba on the night before an early train, which means a long drive in the dark. Sleep in Ollantaytambo instead. A third is leaving all your sightseeing to the last day, when the weather or a transport delay can ruin it. Build a spare half day into the plan, particularly in the rainy season, when road disruptions are more likely.