Sacred Valley of the Incas, Peru

The Sacred Valley runs West to East and stretches from Cusco to Pisac to Ollantaytambo to Macchu Picchu. First settled in 800 BCE, the region was taken over by the Incas in 1400 AD. This fertile valley has breathtaking scenery, several ancient Incan ruins, amazing cultural experiences, and some of the world’s best hiking trails.

Destinations

Key sights to see

Pisac

Pisac is a village in the Sacred Valley best known for its Incan ruins that are scattered over a hill above the village. It is also very famous for its large market which is held every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday.

Ollantaytambo

Ollantaytambo is a town and Inca archaelogical site that was once the royal estate of Emperor Pachacuti, who conquered the region. Dating back to the 15th century, it has some of the most important Inca ruins in the Sacred Valley…

Moray Inca Ruins

Located on a 3500 m high plateau, Moray is a unique Inca archaelogical site with large circular terraced depressions that make it look like an amphitheater. Each level has a different temperature, micro-climate, design and orientation to the sun, and…

Lares Valley

Traversing part of the Sacred Valley, the Lares Valley is home to several weavers and farmers and is famous for homemade textiles. It is also home to several towering peaks and turqoise blue lakes. The Lares trek, which goes through…

Maras Salt Mines

Maras is a town in the Sacred Valley that is famous for its salt evaporation ponds that have been in use since Inca times. There are over 5,000 salt ponds that are assigned to families based on the size of…

Accommodations

Great places to stay

Lamay Lodge, Lamay (near Pisac)

Lamay Lodge is an idyllic hideaway in the Sacred Valley town of Lamay, at a…

Huacahuasi Lodge, Huacahuasi

At an altitude of 3,840 m (12,599 ft), Huacahuasi Lodge is an imposing structure with…