Although it is clear that our excitement about traveling to Peru is great, it cannot be complete without considering our passage through the beautiful Sacred Valley of the Incas, a place so incredible that in its extension it contains an incredible number of traditional villages that still stand today. They keep continuing with their customs which are inherited from Inca times. Let it be your 2024 adventure at the Sacred Valley with Auri Peru, we will guide you at every moment to enjoy these wonderful places before visiting Machu Picchu.
No advice or list of ideas of what to see in the Sacred Valley helps us if we do not first know a little more about the place, for this reason we must first know what the origin is, what are the main places that we can visit traditionally on a tour to the sacred valley and what are the best ways to get to each place.
Chinchero town at Sacred Valley
1.- WHAT IS THE SACRED VALLEY?
Its origin is not typical of the Inca culture, before them the sacred valley was home to the Wari culture and with the passage of time and expansion it was directly linked to the city of Cusco, which in Inca times functioned as the center and capital of the entire Inca civilization. A very interesting peculiarity of the entire Sacred Valley is that its composition is fertile land, which allows agricultural activity to be developed more continuously and added to the fact that it is located at 2871 meters above sea level, it is lower than the altitude that we have in Cusco, allowing the better adaptation of some products, as the giant corn, potatoes, etc.
By having spaces in which it was not possible to carry out this activity, during the Inca Empire, they built terraces that served both for agricultural purposes, in an ornamental way and support for urban centers since these areas were the main places where it developed civilization. For strategic reasons, these areas were located in the high parts of the mountains and not next to the river as we see today. This also served as a means of control and strategy since if the enemies decided to invade them at some point, having the advantage of height, they could finish them off easily.
Chinchero Sacred Valley
2.- HOW TO GET FROM CUSCO TO SACRED VALLEY?
Located 30 km northeast of the city of Cusco, the Sacred Valley is a natural paradise due to the beautiful landscapes it shows us. In order to explore Sacred Valley we will have many options that we can choose from.
The first and most traditional is to do it on the Sacred Valley tour, where we can enjoy visiting the main places and having everything already reserved, this is the favorite of many people and we, at Auri Peru, have it available for you, remember that we will also have to use a entrance ticket, that will allow you to enter to the archeological sites located at the Sacred Valley. This ticket cost s/70.00 Peruvian soles ($23.00 US dollars). Likewise, here there are 2 routes that you can choose from, the first is the traditional Sacred Valley tour that allows us to visit the towns of Pisac, Ollantaytambo and Chinchero. While the second option, somewhat shorter than half a day, allows us to get to know Maras salt flats, and Moray.
Local People Ollantaytambo
The second option is to hire a private service that allows us to get from Cusco to Sacred Valley of the Incas and can give us more time in each place of visit and depending on the number of people it could be a van, a sprinter or a bus. The budget will depend on the group size, inclusions, places to visit, etc. Although we must consider that the destinations have a particular opening hours from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Along the Sacred Valley, you can find different hotel options that will provide us comfort and security. We have many options from standard hotels to luxury hotels, for more information you can visit our article on Hotels in the Sacred Valley. It is important to know all these details during our planning so that when the time comes you can just enjoy and relax!.
3.- HOW TO GET FROM SACRED VALLEY TO MACHU PICCHU?
Spending the first days at the Sacred Valley after our arrival to Cusco, is ideal to enjoy a better acclimatization to the altitude, and the best towns for that are located in Ollantaytambo and Urubamba. After finishing the Sacred Valley tour, it is possible to spend the night at that part of the region, making our stay more comfortable, due that it is located closer to the train station, which takes place in Ollantaytambo town.
In case you spend the night in Urubamba, you can take transportation that takes you to Ollantaytambo, this transportation can be hired at your hotel or around the town, and can cost between s/50.00 and s/70.00 Peruvian soles ($23.00 US dollars). This trip will take approximately 30 minutes and leaves you at the same train station to continue the trip to Machu Picchu. Now, if we stay in Ollantaytambo the route is easier because you will not have to take any transportation, you can walk from your hotel to the train station which takes around 5 to 10 minutes. You can do this on your own since this town is one of the smallest in the entire sacred valley.
4.- WHAT TO SEE IN SACRED VALLEY OF THE INCAS?
During our Sacred Valley tour we can visit magical places full of history and culture, now we will see a little about each one and have a better idea of what we can see:
TARAY VIEWPOINT: We consider it as the door or entry point to the Sacred Valley, because it allows us to enjoy a panoramic view of the Andes and the serenity that we can find only at the base of these gorgeous mountains, this viewpoint is located at 3200 masl. From a privileged view we can observe the course of the Vilcanota River in a meandering manner and at the same time enjoy a pure air that will renew us.
Taray Pisaq Sacred Valley
PISAC: We will have the opportunity to get to know its 2 sectors. The first is located at the top of the mountain at 3,300 meters above sea level, it is an archaeological center, which attracts all visitors due to its carved stone enclosures and the complex system of platforms. During the Inca times it was an important center of agriculture, commerce and a site of religious worship. It was also used as a control point due to its location. Near this place we can also find the potato park, which is a space where you can currently learn about many of the potato varieties that exist in the area, it is a perfect complement to our experience.
The second space is the town located at the base of the mountain, with an altitude of 2950 meters above sea level. This has its origins in the colony and it is where the artisan market is currently located where its residents exhibit the best of their textiles and silverware.
Pisaq Sacred Valley
URUBAMBA: It is the center of the sacred valley, it is located at 2871 meters above sea level, from this point onwards the river that runs along one side of the road, changes its name to Urubamba River, and will remain until passing through the Machu Picchu sector. In this area, you can perform many adventure activities such as canoeing, rafting, etc. Many people choose it as a resting place on their first day due to its pleasant, semi-dry and temperate climate. This is also the place where you can enjoy food during your Sacred Valley tour since the best restaurants of the region are located around.
CHINCHERO: It is undoubtedly the highest point in the entire Sacred Valley since it is at 3,754 meters above sea level. This traditional town has the peculiarity of textiles, since this is a custom that is inherited and remains alive until now. For this reason, the town is constantly adorned with colors and emotions so the visitors can feel this energy. In this place, we also find an archaeological center, according to the chronicles this place belonged to the Inca Tupac Yupanqui of whom it was his royal palace and also place of residence, currently above this palace is located a colonial church “Nuestra Señora Natividad” full of art and paintings captured on its walls. In the surroundings we can find an impressive number of platforms that confirm the importance of this place.
Chinchero Textiles
MORAY AND MARAS: They are considered 2 curious places but at the same time important because they represent the Inca culture, during our Sacred Valley tour we will be able to visit them. The first, which is Moray, is located at a height of 3,500 meters above sea level and has the appearance of circular terraces that, according to research and records, at the time served as an acclimatization center for seeds, which allowed them to adapt to the altitude and before cultivating them. This way they would have a better result. Something very clever without a doubt that helped in the evolution of the culture since as far as is known its economy was based mainly on agriculture and livestock.
Moray Sacred Valley
The second place to visit is Maras, located at 3,385 meters above sea level and its notable salt flats where the famous Maras salt is obtained. It fulfilled the function of being used as a form of barter or trade since at the time it was extremely important to obtain other elements that were not in the area. Currently we can distinguish varieties of this salt and use it in various ways as food, medicinal and others.
The entrance ticket for Maras can be purchased separately to the main general ticket, and for foreign visitors it costs S/20 or (USD 5.00 per person).
Sacred Valley: Maras
OLLANTAYTAMBO: It is a very well-crafted architectural complex and, like Pisac, is located at the top of the mountain, it is located at 2792 meters above sea level. Initially, it was a place of rebellion against the Incas, but the Inca Pachacutec conquered it and then integrated it into his reign. Currently we can find the vestiges of what it represents since the Spanish arrival destroyed the enclosures of the town located at the base of the mountain where a traditional market is currently also located. This is undoubtedly also one of the necessary stops during our Sacred Valley tour and is ideal for travelers who want to visit Machu Picchu since the train station is located here.
Ollantaytambo Sacred Valley
We can also find the Pinkuylluna sector that is located in front of the archaeological center, where many ceramic pieces have been found which are connected to the structures of the platforms. Its name is also associated with the place where the pinkuyllu sounds, which is a wind musical instrument very similar to what we know today as a flute.
Pinkuylluna Sacred Valley
5.- IS SACRED VALLEY WORTH VISITING?
Whatever the purpose of the trip, during our explore Sacred Valley of the Incas experience you will feel a sense of excitement, so, of course, it is worth it.
For our 2024 planning, our tour in the Sacred Valley is without a doubt unmissable. At Auri Peru we strive to give you unforgettable emotions and memories, contact us now and design your next unforgettable experience.
“Live life with no excuses, travel with no regret.”
