The 14 Best Things to Do in the Sacred Valley/Cusco, Peru
by Rebecca Hollman
updated Dec 27, 2018
Sacred Valley, Peru
The Sacred Valley was the heart of the Incan empire. It spans 60 kilometres of fertile farm land in the valley of the Peruvian Andes. Because of its fertile soil, it became the main area of the Incan empire with the city of Cusco as its capital. It also contained other Incan cities or temple sites like Chinchero, Pisac, Ollantaytambo and Urumbamba - many of which are still modern cities today. It runs west from the ruins of Pisac all the way to the infamous ruins of Machu Picchu. It is easily Peru’s biggest tourist destination, drawing in over 1.2 million people every year.
1. Moray
The Incan ruins of Moray are a series of concentric terraces that create a bowl/ampitheatre-like shape in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. It’s not known exactly what the circles were used for but its assumed that it was a crop research center. Each level of the circle is a different temperature, with a difference of 15 degrees from top to bottom - representing all the different temperatures of Peru from coastal sea level to high altitude Andes mountains. Also, each level had soil imported from different areas of Peru. It was likely that the Incans were testing which crops grew best in which places, since their empire spread over many different climates of Peru.
It is easy to walk around the ruins in about 30 minutes to an hour. Entrance into Moray is included in the price of your Boleto Turistico. This ticket costs $25 and includes your entrance into Moray, Chinchero, Ollantaytambo and Pisac. You can purchase the ticket in Cusco or at entrances to any of the ruins included in the ticket. Please note that it is only valid for 2 days. I highly suggesting hiring a cab driver from Cusco to take you to Chinchero, Moray, Maras and Pisac all in one day and waiting for you at each of the ruins.
2. Maras
Maras is a town in the Sacred Valley most notable for its salt ponds that have been in use since pre-Incan times. The unusually salty water comes from an underground stream and feeds the pools from the top down. As the water evaporates, the salt crystallizes and can then be harvested by the workers. The salt varies in color from pink, to red, to brown depending on the skill of the worker. Each family from the community of Maras is allowed to have their own pond and harvest their own salt. The location and size of the pond depends on when they joined the salt ponds and how large their family is.
It is easy to walk around the salt ponds in about 30 minutes. Entrance into Maras is included in the price of your Boleto Turistico. This ticket costs $25 and includes your entrance into Moray, Chinchero, Ollantaytambo and Pisac. You can purchase the ticket in Cusco or at entrances to any of the ruins included in the ticket. Please note that it is only valid for 2 days. I highly suggesting hiring a cab driver from Cusco to take you to Chinchero, Moray, Maras and Pisac all in one day and waiting for you at each of the ruins. There is a gift store outside of the salt ponds that sells salt harvested from the ponds, as well as other goodies like chocolate and fruits.
3. Ollantaytambo
Ollantaytambo is a town in the Sacred Valley. During the Incan empire Ollantaytambo was the royal estate for Emperor Pachucuti and then became the stronghold for the Incan resistance against the Spanish conquest. Nowadays, Ollantaytambo is a vibrant town and the main starting point for the Inca Trail.
I suggest spending two days in Ollantaytambo before heading to Machu Picchu or farther south in the valley. The Ollantaytambo ruins are arguably better than Machu Picchu and there are other ruins and old Incan trails to explore in the area. The town is adorable with a great town square, tons of markets, and amazing restaurants and food options.
4. Ollantaytambo Ruins
The main attraction of Ollantaytambo are the architectural ruins of the original palace and temples of Emperor Pachucuti. The original site was made up of many stepped levels of agricultural terraces, leading to the military zone at the top of the fortress which gives a view all the way down the Sacred Valley. From there, it enters into the temple area with the Temple of the Sun. As you move horizontally from the temples, the area changes into agricultural storehouses and more terraces. At the bottom of the terraces are royal bathhouses, which served as both an irrigation system and as a religious center.
Entrance into the Ollantaytambo ruins are included in the Boleto Turistico and are open from 8 AM to 5 PM everyday. I highly suggest dedicating at least three to four hours to fully explore the ruins. There are a few smaller trails that lead to different viewpoints, so going to all the spots in the ruins will take some time. These ruins are arguably better than Machu Picchu because there are very few people in the ruins at the same time and the ruins are just as impressive.
5. Pisac
Another small town in the Sacred Valley, Pisac is also home to an impressive Incan ruin site. The purpose of the site is unknown but it was assumed to be a strategic military point along the main road from the Sacred Valley to the Peruvian jungles to the east. Many people say the ruins of Pisac are equally as impressive as Machu Picchu.
The ruins are an hour and a half walk above the town of Pisac. You can either walk or taxi from Pisac or have a prearranged taxi drive you to multiple sites in one day. Entrance to Pisac is included in the Boleto Turistico. I would suggest giving yourself at least three to four hours to fully explore the ruins. The hike up from town is pretty taxing given the altitude and would be considered intermediate to advanced depending on your fitness level and altitude acclimation.
6. Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu
Let’s be honest - this is probably the reason you’re in the Sacred Valley in the first place. Or maybe even the reason you’re in Peru, so it’s obvious that if you’re in the Sacred Valley you will probably be going to Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu doesn’t really need its own introduction, however I have a lot to say about getting there/how you buy your tickets/the best time to go/etc. You can read everything you need to know about Machu Picchu on my other article HERE.
7. Inca Trail (or other treks to Machu Picchu)
One of the best ways to truly appreciate an area is to trek through it. The same applies to Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley. Looking out over Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate after 4 days of trekking makes it that much more beautiful. The most common trail is obviously the Inca Trail - which ends at Machu Picchu. However, there are a few other multi-day treks that go through the Sacred Valley. The Inca Trail is super popular and so therefore is expensive and needs to be booked in advance. Most of the other trails are just as, if not more, beautiful than the Inca Trail and are exponentially less crowded. Make sure to research a good tour guide company in advance since you will need a guide to go on any of these treks. Expect to pay around $200-500 USD for any of these multi-day treks.
8. Chinchero Market
Chinchero is famous for it’s weaving and the town is home to the Interpretation Center of Andean Textiles. At this area, women in traditional clothing give demonstrations on how to clean the alpaca hair, how to dye the fibers, how to spin the fiber into yarn, etc. After the demonstration you are free to wander around and look at the products they have for sale. The demonstration is free but it is nice to either buy something or tip the ladies if you opt not to buy an alpaca sweater. The ladies here are super nice and are happy to answer questions.
9. Chinchero Ruins
The town of Chinchero actually sits at a higher altitude than the city of Cusco. The ruins in Chinchero consist of agricultural terraces and temples built of massive stone blocks. It is thought that one of the Incan emperors used the area as a “country resort” but it was mostly used for farming and agricultural purposes. At the corner of the ruins is a Spanish church, built in 1607 on top of the Incan temple foundation. Beside the church is a marketplace where people sell textiles and food grown from the surrounding area.
It is easy to walk around the ruins in about 30 minutes to an hour. Entrance into Chinchero is included in the price of your Boleto Turistico. This ticket costs $25 and includes your entrance into Moray, Chinchero, Ollantaytambo and Pisac. You can purchase the ticket in Cusco or at entrances to any of the ruins included in the ticket. Please note that it is only valid for 2 days. I highly suggesting hiring a cab driver from Cusco to take you to Chinchero, Moray, Maras and Pisac all in one day and waiting for you at each of the ruins.
10. Cusco
Cusco was the capital of the Incan empire and so is steeped in history and archaeological sites of both the Incan and pre-Incan peoples. Modern Cusco is one of the busiest and most popular cities in all of Peru. It is full of locals, expats and backpackers alike and has almost endless amounts of activities to do and things to see. Most people use Cusco as a base city for reaching Machu Picchu, but others end up staying in Cusco for weeks. Visiting this city is a must. I’ve listed some of the top attractions in Cusco below.
Q’enqo/Qenko - Q’enqo is an archaeological site located 6 kilometers northeast of Cusco. It is the largest huaca in the Cusco region. A huaca is a holy site based on naturally occurring rock formations. It is about a 15 minute drive from Cusco. It’s open from 7 AM to 6 PM everyday and the price is included in the Boleto Turistico.
Sacsayhuaman - Sacsayhuaman is an Incan archaeological site used as a fortress and lookout point located in the San Blas area of Cusco. You can walk from most any area of Cusco to the site, although it is a pretty steep incline. It is open 7 AM to 5:30 PM everyday.
Qurikancha/Qorikancha/Coricancha - This is an Incan archaeological site that was home to the most important temple of the Incan empire. The Spanish used the temple as the foundation to build the Santo Domingo church and convent. It is open 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM everyday but Sunday (closed on Sunday).
Plaza de Armas - Your visit to Cusco wouldn’t be complete without spending some time in the Plaza de Armas. Even though its full of chaos and people trying to sell you things, it is the heart of the city. Spend some time people-watching and sitting on park benches or walk around and shop in stores surrounding the plaza.
San Blas Barrio - San Blas is one of the districts of Cusco and is known for being the fancier but also hipster part of town. This area has really cool restaurants, coffee shops, clothing stores and hotels. It is so much more calm and empty than the main parts of Cusco so you can take a leisurely stroll around and enjoy the cobblestone streets and architecture of the city without getting hassled every 10 seconds.
Inca Museum/Pre-Columbian Art Museum - For being a city steeped in so much history, I was surprised at the lack of museums that Cusco had. However, they do have two museums - the Inca Museum and the Pre-Columbian Art Museum. Both are nice museums but are pretty small so you can be in and out of there in no time.
San Pedro Market - The San Pedro Market is located just outside the Plaza de Armas and is full of food vendors, restaurants, clothing vendors, and literally anything and everything you could ever imagine. Walk around the stalls and buy some exotic fruit or some smoothies and just take in the atmosphere.
Cusco Planetarium - The Planetarium is only open from 6 PM - 8 PM everyday, but you can learn all about Incan astronomical concepts and view the sky and stars through the telescopes. Try to visit on a clear day so you can get a view of Jupiter, its 4 moons, and the binary system spinning close to it. Entrance is 50 soles per person (or $15 USD).
11. Rainbow Mountain
One of the most common day trips from Cusco is Rainbow Mountain. A lot of people really enjoy Rainbow Mountain, and a lot of people really really hate it. First off, the tour leaves at 3 AM and it takes about 4 or 5 hours to drive there from Peru. The hike itself is extremely strenuous and generally in bad condition. The weather is extremely unpredictable and can snow, rain and be sunny all in the same hour. The rainbow-ness of Rainbow Mountain is overly dramatized on instagram and the colors don’t really look like that. And lastly, the amount of tourists that go to Rainbow Mountain are destroying this area as it has only recently been discovered and so does not have a strong tourism infrastructure. It sees around 3,000-5,000 tourists PER DAY in the high season and no site can sustain that amount of people. Overtourism is a huge issue at the moment and Rainbow Mountain is the perfect example.
Although Rainbow Mountain is a beautiful location, I would recommend against adding to the number of tourists going per day and instead explore less visited archaeological ruins in the Sacred Valley instead.
12. Tipon
Tipon is an Incan ruin site about 40 minutes southeast of Cusco. It is an area of sprawling agricultural terraces, with a network of water irrigation channels fed from a natural spring. It was probably used as a agricultural experiment in the same way as Moray. The terraces contained many different micro climates and soil types and so we’re probably for determining which crops grew best in which temperatures.
You would have to arrange your own transportation to this site since it is about 45 minutes from Cusco. I would suggest hiring a taxi to take you to this site and to Pikillaqta in the same day, as they are both to the southeast of Cusco in the same general area.
13. Tambomachay and Puka Pukara
Both of these sites are located within walking distance from each other so I have included them together. Puka Pukara translates from Quechua to “red fortress” and it was an Incan military fort and administrative center. It is open from 7 AM to 6 PM everyday.
Tambomachay is another Incan archaeological site sometimes referred to as El Baño del Inca, and is an ancient bathhouse consisting of aqueducts, canals and waterfalls that run through terraced stones. It is thought that it was a spa resort for Incan political elite.
14. Pikillaqta/Piquillacta
Pikillaqta is another archaeological site about 12 miles east of Cusco. It was a site of the Wari peoples and was occupied from 550 to 1100 AD. The Wari people occupied many other sites around the Sacred Valley and this ones main use was just for ceremonies. It is open from 7 AM to 6 PM everyday and costs 6 soles to enter for adults (and 3 soles for students).
You would have to arrange your own transportation to this site since it is about 45 minutes from Cusco. I would suggest hiring a taxi to take you to this site and to Tipon in the same day, as they are both to the southeast of Cusco in the same general area.