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Sacred Valley drive

Route: Cuzco - Sacred Valley - Cuzco

In this Sacred Valley tour, you’ll be visiting the valley by private car with driver. During your Peru trip, you can set your own pace and stop off at places that tourists rarely see. To get the most out of your stay here, we've set out a tailored route for you. Though this Sacred Valley tour is a very comfortable way to see the Valley, it’s not all sightseeing from your backseat window. You'll have the opportunity to visit Machu Picchu from Urubamba and we've thrown in a bit of (optional) outdoor adventure. On your last day, you can go rafting down the Urubamba river or, if you prefer to keep your feet dry, mountain biking through the hills. Please get in touch with our Peru travel specialists for more details and pricing.

Unlike our other Sacred Valley modules you’ll be staying in one location, either a former monastery or a hacienda. If you’d like to add a special touch to your stay here, then check out our Sacred Valley eco lodge. If you would like to see where you can visit after your Sacred Valley tour, have a look at our Peru tours.

Duration	3 days / 2 nights Departure daily	Accommodation	Double room incl. breakfast Comfort level 4 (see accommodation)
Price	£268 per person - based on 2 people sharing	Includes	Transport and accommodation only
Transport	Private car with driver Cuzco - Urubamba, minibus Urubamba - Cuzco	Excludes	Guide during Sacred Valley tour (extra £28 per person), private rafting excursion in Sacred Valley including guide and lunch (extra £118 per person), entrance fees to the Valley (£17 per person)

Day 1 Cuzco - Urubamba

On day one of your Sacred Valley tour, you’ll be picked up at your hotel around 8am and you’ll set off for the Sacred Valley. The Valley, which gets its name from the many religious Inca sites scattered around the region is just a couple of hours drive north of Cuzco. A whole day with your own car and (Spanish speaking) driver may sound like a lot, but because there’s so much to see and there’s a lot of ground to cover we’ve given you a route for the day. That way you can make the most of your time here and you won’t need to miss anything.

Sacred Valley tour - Ruins of Sacsayhuaman

Just beyond the outskirts of Cuzco lie the ruins of Sacsayhuaman, perched high on a hilltop with sweeping views across the city. The three colossal zigzagged walls that form the main fortifications are made up of huge boulders. Every year in June the Sun Festival 'Inti Raymi' takes place here, drawing thousands of Indians from across the region dressed in their Sunday best ponchos. The festival is one of the most colourful in Peru and also attracts many tourists. It's a real highlight of your Sacred Valley tour.

On the road to Pisac, you’ll pass several other Inca ruins and small valley villages. Stop off every now and then to take a closer look. You’ll get a good impression of the daily life in the valley as you pass laughing children on their way to school, men with donkeys in tow, herds of sheep, a llama farm and lots more. Just let your driver know whenever you want to stop to take a picture or stretch your legs.

The first scheduled stop of day one of your Sacred Valley tour is at Moray, to see the ancient Inca terraces built in the shape of an amphitheatre. People used to think it was some kind of agricultural lab and even today various crops are grown here. Scattered around the terraces are several beautiful colonial houses with the snow-capped peaks of the Cordillera looming up in the background.

From Moray, you’ll continue your Peru trip on to the nearby Salina, or salt terraces of Maras. These basins (over 4000 of them), have been used for salt extraction since the Inca times. The water trickles down from a saline-rich hot spring into the terraces below. The water evaporates, leaving a salt crust that is harvested in the dry months. During this dry period, it can take 4-5 weeks for a basin to fill up with salt ready for extraction. You’ll be able to walk across the basins, which have a different colour depending on how dry the salt is ($US3 per person).

Sacred Valley tour - Colourful market stalls

Towards the end of the morning, you’ll continue your Sacred Valley tour into the Sacred Valley to the famous market of Pisac. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays are the busiest market days when the main square and side streets are filled with stalls offering everything from fresh fruit and vegetables to jewellery and clothing. Other days of the week, the market’s a lot smaller but also a lot less touristy.

Pisac is a good place to stop for lunch. Depending on what time you’re done shopping in the market you can grab a bit to eat before visiting the ruins of Pisac. You won’t be the first to think the ruins are a very close second to Machu Picchu. You drive up the hill as far as you can go and, from there, it’s another 20 minute walk to the Sun Temple. From the temple, there’s a wonderful view across the terraced valleys, split in two by a rough mountain ridge.

Around 4pm it’s time to get back in the car and drive on to Ollantaytambo, following the banks of the Urubamba river. Ollanta(ytambo) was a primary defence for Machu Picchu during the Inca period and the immense rocks that were used by the Incas to build the fort are pretty impressive, as are the views across the village and surrounding valley.

Depending on the time, you can go for a walk through the village or through the nearby countryside. The original Inca layout of the village is still intact, with several portals leading to small courtyards. As the sun sets in the sky, painting the green a deep purple your driver will drop you off at your accommodation for tonight of your Sacred Valley tour; a historic monastery in Urubamba.

This 16th Century Franciscan monastery was recently renovated and the 30 comfortable rooms have private bathroom, A/C and a safe. The monastery lies off the main road in quiet surroundings and the place oozes peace and serenity. There’s a small chapel, several cosy patios and a real bell tower (which, luckily for your night’s sleep is no longer in use).

You can climb up to the top of the bell tower for a wonderful view across the valley. In the evening relax at the bar or out in the garden, or curl up by the fire in the restaurant.

If you’d like to add an extra special touch to your stay in the Sacred Valley on your Peru tour, check out our Sacred Valley Eco Lodge.

Day 2 Urubamba (optional visit to Machu Picchu)

On the second day of this Peru trip, you can choose to visit Machu Picchu independently, or spend the day in Urubamba. Because it’s protected from fierce winds and clouds by the high mountains, the Sacred Valley has a wonderfully mild climate. If you’re planning on staying in the valley on day 2 of your Sacred Valley tour, you can go on a hike or go horse-riding to the neighbouring villages.

For Machu Picchu, book at taxi at hotel reception to take you to Ollantaytambo station early in the morning. You’ll need to book the train in advance, so ask our travel specialists for more details. The trip takes two hours and it’s not cheap because the train is the only way to get to the ruins. It’s a very scenic route through the Andes with views across the jagged mountain peaks. Towards the end of the day you’ll make your way back to Urubamba by train and taxi, where you’ll be staying another night in your peaceful monastery.

Day 3: Urubamba - Cuzco (optional rafting or mountain-biking excursion)

Rafting
In the morning of day three of your Sacred Valley tour, around 10am, you’ll be picked up at your hotel and driven through the Sacred Valley to Pachar on the Urubamba river. After a short briefing and all the safety instructions you’ll be given your kit: life-vest, helmet, waterproof jacket. What to wear: swimming gear, shorts and t-shirt (it’s going to get wet). What to bring in a small rucksack: towel, dry clothes, warm sweater, waterproof jacket, drinking water, toilet paper, small snacks, cap or hat, sunglasses, sunscreen.

When you’re all kitted out, it’s time to climb onto your raft and, after a small practice run, you’ll start paddling down river. Ollantaytambo and the Inca terraces lie further downstream and to get there you’ll encounter a couple of Class II and Class III rapids. Two hours later, you’ll finish off with El Resbaladero (“the slippery one”), a hair-raising Class III with crashing waves and whirlpools, a real highlight of your Sacred Valley tour module.

Back on dry land you’ll sit down to a hearty picnic lunch on the banks of the river. There are toilets here but bring your own toilet paper. Around 3pm you’ll be driven back to your hotel.

Rafting is available all year round on the Urubamba River, though in dry season (June – September) it’s a lot less thrilling due to the low water levels.

Mountain-biking
If you prefer to head higher into the hills on your Sacred Valley tour, you can book your own mountain-biking trip locally. Around 8am you’ll be picked up in Urubamba by minibus for the 50 minute drive to Chequerek. Part of the trail is paved but most of it is along narrow bumpy mule tracks. They’re still in use so watch out for the donkeys!

Though most of the trail is downhill there are a couple of climbs and you’ll need to be reasonably fit. You’ll be covering a lot of miles so we don’t recommend doing this when you’ve just completed a strenuous trek in the Andes!

For other Peru tours and treks in the area, please see our Machu Picchu holidays page. From Cuzco you can fly back to Lima or continue your Peru trip further east on our Amazon jungle lodge module.

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