The Sacred Valley of the Incas is the valley of the Urubamba River, between Pisac and Ollantaytambo. It’s milder and lower than Cusco, which makes it ideal for your first few days of acclimatization.
Must-see places
- Pisac: Inca terraces and a handicrafts market.
- Ollantaytambo: an Inca fortress and a town that keeps its original layout; this is where you catch the train to Machu Picchu.
- Chinchero: a colonial church built on Inca walls, plus traditional weavers.
- Moray: circular terraces used as an agricultural laboratory.
- Maras Salt Mines: hundreds of salt pans on the mountainside.
How to explore it
The most practical way is a full-day tour from Cusco that covers the main sites with a guide and lunch. You can also spend the night in the valley and catch the train to Machu Picchu from Ollantaytambo the next day.
