Sacred Valley
Inca terraces, weaving communities and towns where daily life continues around centuries-old stonework. The Sacred Valley offers plenty to explore between Cusco and Machu Picchu. We’ll help you choose the visits and the time to give them.
Plan your journeyWhat to see
Walk through Pisac’s market and visit the Inca ruins above the town with your private guide. We leave time to understand the terraces and the landscape, then continue through the valley for lunch and the next part of the day.
Stone streets, water channels and homes sit below the great terraces. Explore both the archaeological site and the town with your guide. Ollantaytambo is also the gateway to the train journey toward Machu Picchu.
Visit a local weaving cooperative for a demonstration of natural dyes, spinning and handweaving. The weavers explain their work and the traditions behind it. We plan time for questions and arrange the visit around your interests; buying textiles is your choice.
More about meeting the weaversSee Moray’s circular Inca terraces and the salt pans of Maras. Your guide explains how each place fits the valley’s history and working landscape. We coordinate the stops, lunch and travel time with your train departure, or give them a separate day when your schedule allows.
Where we stay
Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba is a base we often recommend for your valley visits, with Belmond Río Sagrado among the options to discuss. Your proposal confirms the hotel, room category and nights included.
Price on request
Best time to visit
May is our favorite month to suggest for the valley as part of a Machu Picchu journey. April–October is broadly the drier Andean season; rain and chilly evenings remain possible. November is a transition, rather than a promise of dry weather.
Peru’s official tourism information.
Read our guide to timing your visitFor altitude preparation and warning signs, read Altitude in Cusco: how to prepare. CDC Yellow Book.
A few useful answers
We often recommend spending time in the Sacred Valley before staying in Cusco. The final order depends on your arrivals, plans and personal circumstances; we’ll explain our recommendation as we build your itinerary.
Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba is the valley hotel featured on our four sample itineraries. Belmond Río Sagrado is among the alternatives we can discuss.
Yes. We can discuss a more focused cooking or textile experience during planning. Availability, format and cost are confirmed before it is added to your itinerary.
Journeys that bring you here
5 days / 4 nights
Sacred Valley · Machu Picchu · Cusco
Peru’s essentials in five days: begin in the Sacred Valley, spend two nights beside Machu Picchu and finish with a night in Cusco. A focused private journey for travelers with four nights to spend.
Featured hotels: Inkaterra. Confirmed in your proposal.
From $3,295 pp
Explore this journey
7 days / 6 nights
Sacred Valley · Machu Picchu · Cusco
Our complete introduction to Peru: two nights in the Sacred Valley, two beside Machu Picchu and two in Cusco. Private cultural visits, Inkaterra throughout and an open day to make the city your own.
Featured hotels: Inkaterra. Confirmed in your proposal.
From $4,395 pp
Explore this journey
9 days / 8 nights
Sacred Valley · Machu Picchu · Cusco
Nine days to explore more deeply: three nights in the Sacred Valley, two beside Machu Picchu and three in Cusco. A slower valley stay, private cultural visits and two open days in the city.
Featured hotels: Inkaterra. Confirmed in your proposal.
From $5,295 pp
Explore this journey
10 days / 9 nights
Lima · Amazon · Sacred Valley · Machu Picchu · Cusco
From the Amazon canopy to the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Cusco. Ten days with three nights at Inkaterra Reserva Amazónica, two nights beside Machu Picchu and a final stay at JW Marriott El Convento Cusco.
Featured hotels: Inkaterra. Confirmed in your proposal.
From $5,495 pp
Explore this journeyYour Peru, privately designed
Tell us what you’d like to experience in the Sacred Valley. We’ll recommend how to fit it into your trip.
