Overview Sacred Valley Cusco – Full Day
- Duration Full Day
- Tour type Tour Sacred Valley
- Difficulty Easy
- Max altitude 3762 m.a.s.l
- Accommodation Not Included
- Group size Minimum 2 people
Sacred Valley Tour from Cusco: Full Day
Our Sacred Valley tour from Cusco is a guided full day by tourist bus, run in reverse to most groups to escape the crowds: Chinchero first (3,762 m / 12,343 ft, the highest point), then the Inca terraces of Ollantaytambo, a buffet lunch in Urubamba and the ruins and market of Pisac. The group leaves our Cusco office at 8:00 a.m. and is back at about 6:00 p.m. The bus, an English-speaking guide, lunch and the tourist ticket for the archaeological sites are included, from US$55 per person.
Who this tour is for
- Fitness: easy. Walks around the sites and markets; the Ollantaytambo fortress has long stone staircases.
- Highest altitude: 3,762 m / 12,343 ft in Chinchero.
- Minimum age: ask us.
- Travelers: first-timers who want Chinchero, Ollantaytambo and Pisac in one day, and anyone interested in Andean weaving and markets.
- Starting the Classic Inca Trail or Lares trek next morning? Choose Option B and sleep in Ollantaytambo.
- When to go: daily departures. Sunday is market day in Chinchero, and Pisac’s market is more local that day. Pack a rain jacket or poncho.
Key facts
- Option A, Cusco to Cusco (8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.): Chinchero (weaving and natural-dye demonstration, market) → Ollantaytambo → buffet lunch in Urubamba → Pisac ruins and market → a short stop at Sacsayhuaman if time allows.
- Option B, Cusco to Ollantaytambo (9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.): Pisac → lunch in Urubamba → ceramics workshop → Ollantaytambo fortress, where the tour ends. No Chinchero; the night in Ollantaytambo is not included.
- Departure: group service from our Cusco office; private service picks you up at your hotel, both at 8:00 a.m.
- Included: round-trip tourist bus, English-speaking guide, lunch in Urubamba, tourist ticket.
- Not included: tips and expenses outside the itinerary.
- Group: up to 15 people · Price: from US$55 per person, paid in full when you book.
Related guide: Sacred Valley of Peru: map, what to see, tickets and altitude
Good to know
- 3,762 mChinchero (12,343 ft) is the highest stop of the day and the first one in Option A.
- Reverse routeChinchero and Ollantaytambo in the morning and Pisac last, the opposite order to most standard groups, to escape the crowds.
- Sundaymarket day in Chinchero; Pisac’s market is open every day but more local on Sundays.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Option A and Option B?
How hard is the Sacred Valley tour?
What time is pickup and when do we get back?
What does the US$55 price include?
Does the tour visit Moray and the Maras salt mines?
Which day is best for the markets?
What should I bring?
How do I book and pay?
Itinerary Sacred Valley Cusco – Full Day
-
In order to escape the crowds, Terra Quechua Peru does their Classic Sacred Valley tour in reverse to many of the ‘standard’ tour groups.
We start early and head to the high mountain village of Chincheros, famous for its weaving and spectacularly sited at high altitude. (3,762 m / 12,343 ft). We will visit a weaving house and have a demonstration on dying and weaving techniques as well as visiting the famous Chinchero market. From Chinchero, we descend to the base of the Sacred Valley and then Ollantaytambo, which features an impressive set of terraces leading from the village centre.
We have a buffet lunch in Urubamba before heading to Pisac – our final stop for the day. In Pisac we first visit the Inca ruins and then descend to the market at Pisac before returning to Cusco, via the ruins at Sacsayhuaman. (If you are short of time this visit might be only very short).
This is a long but rewarding day for those who want to experience the best of the Sacred Valley in a short amount of time.
Approx time: Depart Cusco 8am, return Cusco 6pm.
Market days in Chincheros: Sunday
Market days in Pisaq: Every day, but a little more local on a Sunday, with fruits and food stands.Our Sacred Valley tour runs every day, but if clients have a particular interest in visiting on market days, they should organize their itinerary to suit these days.
-
We recommend staying overnight in Ollantaytambo, its an atmospheric village with a great ambience. Also, if you are heading off on the Classic Inca trail or a Lares trek the next morning you save yourself quite a lot of driving!
The Pisac ruins are some of the finest and largest in the entire valley. Despite the excellent condition of many of the structures, little is conclusively known about the site’s actual purpose. It appears to have been part city, part ceremonial center, and part military complex. It might have been a royal estate of the Inca emperor (Pachacútec). It was
certainly a religious temple, and although it was reinforced with the ramparts of a massive citadel, the Incas never retreated here to defend their empire against the Spaniards (Pisac was, unlike Machu Picchu, known to Spanish forces).After visiting the ruins, we will descend to the village of Pisaq, famous for its market, where hundreds of stalls crowd the central square – marked by a small church, San Pedro Apostol, and massive pisonay trees.
We will have lunch in Urubamba before visiting a traditional ceramics factory where we can purchase beautiful earthenware. We then continue on to Ollantaytambo with its impressive Inca fortress that guarded the entry of this part of the valley and protected it from possible invasion from the lower jungles. The fortress consists of a series of superimposed terraces of carved stones accessed by long staircases. The design of Ollantaytambo village and the majority of its foundations date from the Inca era when it was a strategic military, religious, and agricultural centre. The tour ends in the village, with time to stroll in its streets.Approx time: Depart Cusco 9am, end Ollantaytambo 4pm
Market days in Chincheros: Sunday
Market days in Pisac: Every day, but a little more local on a Sunday, with fruits and food stands.
Our Sacred Valley tour runs every day, but if clients have a particular interest in visiting on market days, they should organize their itinerary around those days.
Includes / Does not include Sacred Valley Cusco – Full Day
Includes
- Tourist Ticket for archeological sites. sites(Pisaq,Ollantaytambo,Chinchero,Moray)
- Lunch in Urubamba (a town lying between Pisac and Ollantaytambo)
- Round-trip transportation (tourist bus)
- English-speaking Tour Guide.
Not included
- Does not include the entrance ticket to the salt mines of Maras.
- Additional expenses outside the itinerary.
- Tips
Packing list Sacred Valley Cusco – Full Day
- Sun hat
- Sun protection cream (factor 35 recommended)
- Waterproof jacket/rain poncho
- Water
- Camera and films
- Money for shopping, fees, etc.
Prices Sacred Valley Cusco – Full Day
Tour price
Price per person · ask us for group-size rates
- Starting from US$55 per person Check dates
- Groups & private service Rate based on your group per person Get a quote
Group Service Price:
US$55 per person
Group size: Up to 15 people
Overview
- Duration Full Day
- Tour type Tour Sacred Valley
- Difficulty Easy
- Max altitude 3762 m.a.s.l
- Accommodation Not Included
- Group size Minimum 2 people
Sacred Valley Tour from Cusco: Full Day
Our Sacred Valley tour from Cusco is a guided full day by tourist bus, run in reverse to most groups to escape the crowds: Chinchero first (3,762 m / 12,343 ft, the highest point), then the Inca terraces of Ollantaytambo, a buffet lunch in Urubamba and the ruins and market of Pisac. The group leaves our Cusco office at 8:00 a.m. and is back at about 6:00 p.m. The bus, an English-speaking guide, lunch and the tourist ticket for the archaeological sites are included, from US$55 per person.
Who this tour is for
- Fitness: easy. Walks around the sites and markets; the Ollantaytambo fortress has long stone staircases.
- Highest altitude: 3,762 m / 12,343 ft in Chinchero.
- Minimum age: ask us.
- Travelers: first-timers who want Chinchero, Ollantaytambo and Pisac in one day, and anyone interested in Andean weaving and markets.
- Starting the Classic Inca Trail or Lares trek next morning? Choose Option B and sleep in Ollantaytambo.
- When to go: daily departures. Sunday is market day in Chinchero, and Pisac’s market is more local that day. Pack a rain jacket or poncho.
Key facts
- Option A, Cusco to Cusco (8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.): Chinchero (weaving and natural-dye demonstration, market) → Ollantaytambo → buffet lunch in Urubamba → Pisac ruins and market → a short stop at Sacsayhuaman if time allows.
- Option B, Cusco to Ollantaytambo (9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.): Pisac → lunch in Urubamba → ceramics workshop → Ollantaytambo fortress, where the tour ends. No Chinchero; the night in Ollantaytambo is not included.
- Departure: group service from our Cusco office; private service picks you up at your hotel, both at 8:00 a.m.
- Included: round-trip tourist bus, English-speaking guide, lunch in Urubamba, tourist ticket.
- Not included: tips and expenses outside the itinerary.
- Group: up to 15 people · Price: from US$55 per person, paid in full when you book.
Related guide: Sacred Valley of Peru: map, what to see, tickets and altitude
Good to know
- 3,762 mChinchero (12,343 ft) is the highest stop of the day and the first one in Option A.
- Reverse routeChinchero and Ollantaytambo in the morning and Pisac last, the opposite order to most standard groups, to escape the crowds.
- Sundaymarket day in Chinchero; Pisac’s market is open every day but more local on Sundays.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Option A and Option B?
How hard is the Sacred Valley tour?
What time is pickup and when do we get back?
What does the US$55 price include?
Does the tour visit Moray and the Maras salt mines?
Which day is best for the markets?
What should I bring?
How do I book and pay?
-
In order to escape the crowds, Terra Quechua Peru does their Classic Sacred Valley tour in reverse to many of the ‘standard’ tour groups.
We start early and head to the high mountain village of Chincheros, famous for its weaving and spectacularly sited at high altitude. (3,762 m / 12,343 ft). We will visit a weaving house and have a demonstration on dying and weaving techniques as well as visiting the famous Chinchero market. From Chinchero, we descend to the base of the Sacred Valley and then Ollantaytambo, which features an impressive set of terraces leading from the village centre.
We have a buffet lunch in Urubamba before heading to Pisac – our final stop for the day. In Pisac we first visit the Inca ruins and then descend to the market at Pisac before returning to Cusco, via the ruins at Sacsayhuaman. (If you are short of time this visit might be only very short).
This is a long but rewarding day for those who want to experience the best of the Sacred Valley in a short amount of time.
Approx time: Depart Cusco 8am, return Cusco 6pm.
Market days in Chincheros: Sunday
Market days in Pisaq: Every day, but a little more local on a Sunday, with fruits and food stands.Our Sacred Valley tour runs every day, but if clients have a particular interest in visiting on market days, they should organize their itinerary to suit these days.
-
We recommend staying overnight in Ollantaytambo, its an atmospheric village with a great ambience. Also, if you are heading off on the Classic Inca trail or a Lares trek the next morning you save yourself quite a lot of driving!
The Pisac ruins are some of the finest and largest in the entire valley. Despite the excellent condition of many of the structures, little is conclusively known about the site’s actual purpose. It appears to have been part city, part ceremonial center, and part military complex. It might have been a royal estate of the Inca emperor (Pachacútec). It was
certainly a religious temple, and although it was reinforced with the ramparts of a massive citadel, the Incas never retreated here to defend their empire against the Spaniards (Pisac was, unlike Machu Picchu, known to Spanish forces).After visiting the ruins, we will descend to the village of Pisaq, famous for its market, where hundreds of stalls crowd the central square – marked by a small church, San Pedro Apostol, and massive pisonay trees.
We will have lunch in Urubamba before visiting a traditional ceramics factory where we can purchase beautiful earthenware. We then continue on to Ollantaytambo with its impressive Inca fortress that guarded the entry of this part of the valley and protected it from possible invasion from the lower jungles. The fortress consists of a series of superimposed terraces of carved stones accessed by long staircases. The design of Ollantaytambo village and the majority of its foundations date from the Inca era when it was a strategic military, religious, and agricultural centre. The tour ends in the village, with time to stroll in its streets.Approx time: Depart Cusco 9am, end Ollantaytambo 4pm
Market days in Chincheros: Sunday
Market days in Pisac: Every day, but a little more local on a Sunday, with fruits and food stands.
Our Sacred Valley tour runs every day, but if clients have a particular interest in visiting on market days, they should organize their itinerary around those days.
Includes
- Tourist Ticket for archeological sites. sites(Pisaq,Ollantaytambo,Chinchero,Moray)
- Lunch in Urubamba (a town lying between Pisac and Ollantaytambo)
- Round-trip transportation (tourist bus)
- English-speaking Tour Guide.
Not included
- Does not include the entrance ticket to the salt mines of Maras.
- Additional expenses outside the itinerary.
- Tips
- Sun hat
- Sun protection cream (factor 35 recommended)
- Waterproof jacket/rain poncho
- Water
- Camera and films
- Money for shopping, fees, etc.
Tour price
Price per person · ask us for group-size rates
- Starting from US$55 per person Check dates
- Groups & private service Rate based on your group per person Get a quote
Group Service Price:
US$55 per person
Group size: Up to 15 people
