Peru
2 Day Machu Picchu Tour by Bus from Cusco
Hidroeléctrica, Puente Ruinas, Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu
From
US$215
≈ €184 · billed in US$ ≈ £158 · billed in US$ per person
In short
The Sacred Valley runs between Cusco and Machu Picchu at around 2,800 m — lower than Cusco, which makes it the best acclimatisation day in Peru. Pisac market, the Ollantaytambo terraces and lunch in Urubamba fill a full day. Ollantaytambo is also where the train to Machu Picchu leaves from.
It follows the Urubamba river for about 60 km, and the Inca built their most productive agriculture here precisely because it is warmer and lower than Cusco. That is also why it works so well on day three of a trip: you go down to breathe, not up.
Pisac still functions as a market rather than a performance, and the ruins above it are emptier than anything nearer Cusco. Ollantaytambo is the other end — a working Inca town on the original street grid, with terraces climbing the hillside and the train station for Machu Picchu at the bottom.
Maras and Moray are the alternative circuit: thousands of salt pans worked since Inca times, and a set of concentric agricultural terraces that functioned as a crop laboratory.
What Sacred Valley is known for
- Pisac market and the ruins above it
- Ollantaytambo — a working Inca town and the Machu Picchu train station
- The Maras salt pans and the Moray terraces
- Lunch in Urubamba, at 2,870 m
- The best acclimatisation day between Cusco and Machu Picchu
Practical detail
- Altitude
- 2,800 m — lower than Cusco, which is the point
- How long
- A full day, 10 hours from Cusco
- Best on
- Day 3, between Cusco and Machu Picchu
- Tickets
- The Boleto Turístico covers Pisac and Ollantaytambo
What a trip to Sacred Valley costs
Per person, including hotels, transfers and the guided days each trip lists. International flights are never included.
Peru
4 Day Best of Cusco Tour Package
Cusco, Sacred Valley of the Incas at the Urubamba
From
US$309
≈ €265 · billed in US$ ≈ £227 · billed in US$ per person
Peru
5 Day Highlights of Cusco Tour Package
Cusco, Rainbow Mountain, Urubamba and More
From
US$444
≈ €381 · billed in US$ ≈ £326 · billed in US$ per person
Peru
6 Day Best of Cusco Tour Package
Cusco, Humantay, Urubamba, Salkantay and more
From
US$580
≈ €497 · billed in US$ ≈ £425 · billed in US$ per person
Peru
7 Day Ultimate Cusco Tour Package
Cusco, Humantay, Urubamba
From
US$721
≈ €618 · billed in US$ ≈ £529 · billed in US$ per person
Peru
5 Day Best of Cusco & Machu Picchu Tour Package
Cusco, Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley, Urubamba and more
From
US$870
≈ €746 · billed in US$ ≈ £638 · billed in US$ per person
| Package | Length | Price p/p | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Day Machu Picchu Tour by Bus from Cusco | 2 days | US$215 | Book |
| 4 Day Best of Cusco Tour Package | 4 days | US$309 | Book |
| 5 Day Highlights of Cusco Tour Package | 5 days | US$444 | Book |
| 6 Day Best of Cusco Tour Package | 6 days | US$580 | Book |
| 7 Day Ultimate Cusco Tour Package | 7 days | US$721 | Book |
| 5 Day Best of Cusco & Machu Picchu Tour Package | 5 days | US$870 | Book |
No package matches that search.
Frequently asked
Is the Sacred Valley worth a full day?
Yes, and it is the day that makes Machu Picchu go well. Lower altitude, big ruins with fewer people, and a market that still works as a market.
Should you visit the Sacred Valley before or after Machu Picchu?
Before. It sits 600 m below Cusco, so it doubles as the acclimatisation step, and Ollantaytambo is where the train to Machu Picchu leaves from anyway.
Can you stay in the Sacred Valley instead of Cusco?
Many people do, and it sleeps better at 2,800 m. The trade-off is that the city, its restaurants and the museums are an hour away.