Bucket list experience:
Cusco Region, Peru
Towering snow-capped mountains, myriad Inca ruins, time-forgotten villages – the landscapes of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, which lies some 15km north of Cusco, are magnificent. Spending time here is a must.
The best way to appreciate this beautiful place is by getting active. Hike to the Inca ruins at Pisac for astonishing views; white-water raft on the Urubamba past the vast fortress at Ollantaytambo, horseback ride, mountain bike or zip-line over the valley; stay in a hotel room stapled to the side of a vertiginous cliff.
There’s a wealth of excursions – easily organised from Cusco as a day trip or multi-day stay.
There are no Novoandino gourmet eateries in the Sacred Valley but most villages have simple café restaurants. In Pisac, Kula serve healthy and hearty veggie options.
The Parwa Restaurant in Lamay village about 15 minutes’ drive from Pisac and 30 minutes’ drive from Ollantaytambo, serves authentic Quechua Andean food and is run by an indigenous cooperative.
There are no Novoandino gourmet eateries in the Sacred Valley but most villages have simple café restaurants. In Pisac, Kula serve healthy and hearty veggie options.
The Parwa Restaurant in Lamay village about 15 minutes’ drive from Pisac and 30 minutes’ drive from Ollantaytambo, serves authentic Quechua Andean food and is run by an indigenous cooperative.
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Destination Guide >The upper Sacred Valley is easy to reach from Cusco – lying just 15km north. Taxis from the city are inexpensive and myriad Cusco agencies offer archaeology or light adventure trips.
The best day hike is from Pisac village (45 mins from Cusco) to the ruins, a six-hour walk which is great for views, acclimatisation and which is clearly signposted. The best spot for white-water rafting is the stretch of Class III rapids between Ollantaytambo and Chilca.
All-inclusive day excursions from Cusco typically leave around 8am, returning after dark.
You can mountain bike pretty much anywhere, but the route between the Inca terraces at Moray and Chinchero village (via the hilltop ruins at Machu Colca) is particularly spectacular and can be cycled in a day.
If you have time, it’s well worth staying over in the valley. Urubamba, Pisac and Ollantaytambo villages have plenty of places to stay from backpacker to luxury. Or try the (Ed: terrifying) Skylodge Suites…
You can take the train to Machu Picchu from Ollantaytambo rather than Cusco; all services also leave from the village so there’s no need to double-back.
Activities are good all year round. However, the best months to visit the Sacred Valley are April to October, when there is less chance of rain, and skies are generally blue; especially in August and September, though it can be cold at this time. June is also a good month, when there is the Inti Raymi festival.
White-water rafting is best May-September. The Urubamba river is too rough at other times; even for advanced rafting.
Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity
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Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first
Ollantaytambo, Cusco Region, Peru
Extraordinary glass-walled pods pinned to the side of the canyon offer a condor’s view of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, but getting there is scary.
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Cusco, Cusco Region, Peru
A tranquil, family-run guesthouse sits in up-and-coming, arty San Blas neighbourhood, with views of central Cusco at every street corner.
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Cusco, Cusco Region, Peru
Good-value, centrally located hotel with modern rooms fitted into the cloisters of the Spanish-colonial market.
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Cusco, Cusco Region, Peru
A luxuriously-restored convent with a glittering baroque chapel, filled with Cusqueno artworks and home to one of Cusco’s top restaurants.
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Destination guides including or relevant to this experience
Peru
A land of spectacular deserts, high mountains and rainforests that teem with wildlife, Peru is also home to an array of dramatically situated pre-Colombian ruins, including Machu Picchu.
Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first
Cusco, Cusco Region, Peru
One of the world’s most spectacular train rides, the journey between Cusco and Machu Picchu via the Sacred Valley combines dramatic landscapes and absolute luxury.
Best for ages: 18+ | £550 | 3 hours
Cusco Region, Peru
After Machu Picchu, this huge fortress cut into the side of a mountain is the most spectacular – and most poignant – of all Inca ruins.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
Cusco, Cusco Region, Peru
A vast, fortified Inca sun temple that perches over Cusco, housing boulders and masonry astonishingly jigsaw-pieced together, without cement or metal tools.
Best for ages: 18+ | £24
Cusco, Cusco Region, Peru
Colourful parades and ancient Inca ceremonies are re-enacted at this world-famous winter solstice festival.
Best for ages: 8+ | Free | 5 hours
Other worthwhile experiences near this experience if you have time or interest..
Cusco, Cusco Region, Peru
Looking like bone-white Balinese rice terraces and surrounded by dramatic mountain scenery, these ancient salt pans, cut in Inca times, are still in use today. Accessed from the town of Maras in the Sacred Valley, 40kms from Cusco.
Best for ages: 18+ | £1
Cusco, Cusco Region, Peru
This little village in the Sacred Valley near Cusco is a centre for traditional indigenous weaving in Peru. It has a lively market and ancient Inca agricultural terraces.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
Cusco, Cusco Region, Peru
This, the shortest and easiest of alternative Inca trails, takes three days from Cusco and offers wonderful mountain views, little-visited Inca sites and a final day at Machu Picchu itself.
Best for ages: 18+ | £4 | 3 days
