Things to do in Sacred Valley Peru travel guide
The Sacred Valley stretches between Cusco and Machu Picchu, and travelers who rush through it on the way to the ruins miss one of the richest concentrations of Inca history and living Andean culture anywhere in Peru.
Lower altitude, milder weather and fewer crowds than Cusco make it worth at least a full day, ideally two, before continuing to Machu Picchu.
Pisac ruins and market
Pisac combines an archaeological site with one of the region’s best markets in a single stop. The ruins sit high above the valley floor, with agricultural terraces carved into the mountainside that still function much as they did centuries ago.
Down in the town itself, the market runs daily but grows considerably larger on Sundays, when vendors from surrounding villages bring textiles, ceramics and produce into the main square. Bargaining is expected, and prices drop noticeably once you move past the stalls closest to the tour buses.
Ollantaytambo fortress and living town
Ollantaytambo holds the distinction of being the only place in Peru where you can walk through a genuine Inca urban settlement still inhabited today, not just visit ruins. The narrow stone streets and water channels running through town date back to the original Inca layout.
The fortress above town involves a steep climb up massive stone terraces, rewarded with views over the entire valley and some of the finest stonework outside Machu Picchu itself. Most trains to Machu Picchu also depart from Ollantaytambo’s station, making it a natural overnight stop.
Moray and Maras salt mines
Moray’s circular terraces create a striking optical effect, descending in concentric rings that ancient farmers likely used to test crop varieties across different microclimates. Each level down shifts the temperature enough to grow different crops, an agricultural laboratory built centuries before the concept existed elsewhere.
A short drive away, the Maras salt mines cascade down a hillside in thousands of individual pools, still harvested by local families using methods largely unchanged since Inca times. The contrast of white salt terraces against the surrounding mountains makes this one of the valley’s most photographed spots.
Chinchero weaving villages
Chinchero preserves traditional textile weaving more visibly than almost anywhere else in the region. Local cooperatives demonstrate the entire process, from washing raw alpaca wool to dyeing it with natural pigments made from plants and cochineal insects, and finally weaving it on traditional looms.
Planning your Sacred Valley visit with Yeska Tours
Most of these sites cluster close enough together to cover in a single well-planned day, though travelers who split the visit across two days avoid feeling rushed at any single stop.
At Yeska Tours, we design Sacred Valley itineraries around each traveler’s pace, whether that means an efficient day trip from Cusco or an overnight stay in Ollantaytambo before continuing to Machu Picchu the next morning. Our guides bring the history of each site to life in ways a guidebook simply can’t.
The Sacred Valley isn’t a detour on the way to Machu Picchu, it’s a destination that stands on its own, and travelers who give it proper time consistently rank it among the highlights of their entire trip.
Food and dining in the valley
Restaurants throughout the Sacred Valley have started drawing serious attention from food travelers, not just history buffs. Farm-to-table concepts built around the valley’s own produce, quinoa, native potatoes and fresh trout from local rivers, have opened in towns like Urubamba and Pisac over the past decade.
Traditional pachamanca, meat and vegetables cooked underground over heated stones, still appears at family-run restaurants throughout the valley, offering a genuinely local meal that predates the Inca empire itself. Market stalls in Pisac also serve simple, affordable versions of Andean classics like chicharrón and rocoto relleno for travelers who prefer to eat where locals do.
How much time to spend here
A single day trip from Cusco covers the highlights efficiently, typically Pisac in the morning and Ollantaytambo in the afternoon, with Moray and Maras added for travelers willing to start early. That pace works well for anyone with limited time before continuing on to Machu Picchu.
Two full days allow for a more relaxed rhythm, with an overnight stay in Ollantaytambo or Urubamba breaking up the sightseeing and giving travelers time to properly explore Chinchero’s weaving cooperatives or linger longer at any single site. Given the valley’s lower altitude compared to Cusco, spending a night or two here also doubles as useful acclimatization before tackling any of the region’s higher-altitude treks.