We arrive on a flight from Lima to the city of Cusco to begin the tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, and end in the town of Ollantaytambo. The valley is located 15km from Cusco and surrounded by the Peruvian Andes. Ollantaytambo is located about 97 km from Cusco. These destinations can be reached by car or van in a trip of approximately 40 minutes between each destination, enjoying the wonderful views of the towns that precede it.
Tips for traveling
We recommend starting with a tour not only for reasons of time but also to learn more about the history of the Valley. Now if you have several days you can move around the different places in the Sacred Valley by renting a car or taking different buses or vans.
In our case we did it with the company Perou Magique and it was super good. There are also many different tours, some with lunches, more or less places to visit or with some extra activities. Most of the tours start at 6:00 AM and end at 6:00 PM, departing from Cusco and returning to Cusco, however we prefer to stay in Ollantaytambo.
Also keep in mind that you will have to buy a tourist ticket to enter the different archaeological sites.
We did it at the entrance to the Moray archaeological site and paid a Partial ticket that has a value of 70 Soles/20 dollars per person and lasts a day. It covers the routes of Chinchero, Pisac, Moray and Ollantaytambo. The rate is different for Peruvian residents and for foreigners. If you get the complete Ticket it has a value of 130 soles and in that case it lasts 10 days and is useful for many of the archaeological sites in Cusco.
Regarding the issue of altitude, we took the recommendation of the locals, when we arrived at the hotel at night we had a muña tea to fall asleep and reduce the effects of altitude. We did the same thing in the morning with a coca tea to have more energy to begin the tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. It is very important to always stay hydrated with water.
the Incas’ Sacred Valley
The Sacred Valley of the Incas is one of the most important destinations in South America. There the Incas built ancient citadels such as Pisac, Ollantaytambo and Chinchero. They also grew a great diversity of agricultural products on terraces such as Moray. FIt was a sacred area for the Incas since it included an extensive territory that was very productive for agriculture. This is why the Incas decided to build their main temples and cities there.
The Valley was historically inhabited by small Andean communities until the conquest of the Incas, mainly under the rule of Emperor Pachacutec from 1438 to 1471. With the conquest, the territories of the valley were occupied by the Spanish. The main temples were destroyed and Christian churches were built in their place. Today many parts of the Inca archaeological sites are deteriorated, both by the passage of time and by the occupation of the colony.
This is why today, this visit is undoubtedly unmissable to learn about its history and then go on to see Machu Picchu.
If you are going to do the tour on your own, the visiting hours are usually from 7:40 a.m. to 6:40 p.m. every day.
Chinchero
The town of Chinchero is located in a very ancient pre-Hispanic territory of the Peruvian Andes. From here in the times of the Inca Empire there was a straight road that led to Machu Picchu, today to get there you normally start from the city of Ollantaytambo. This located 28 km from the city of Cusco and is a great point to visit, since it is a place where you can still appreciate the Inca culture. Not only through the conservation of their customs, but also for their fascinating archeology and crafts.
Visit to the Palace of Tupac Yupanqui
It is one of the towns where the ancient traditions of the towns that were there for approx. 2,000 years. Here was the palace of Emperor Túpac Yupanqui, built in 1480 and which was destroyed by the Spanish. In its place they built the colonial church of Nuestra Señora de Monserrat (year 1536). By the year 1781, Túpac Amaru II began his revolt against the Spanish government, but was defeated by the Chief of Chinchero. This victory was painted on a mural in the Church, where a puma, representing Chief Mateo García, is seen defeating a snake representing Túpac Amaru II.
The archaeological site of Chinchero
In Chinchero the Incas built an impressive network of Inca platforms and roads that surrounded the palace of Túpac Yupanqui. However, prior to the Incas the place was populated by the Killke Culture.
Today the archaeological site has almost 50 hectares where we can see cultivation terraces, different stone constructions and everything that was part of the daily life of the place. Of course, of all this we can only see ruins. Not only due to the passage of time but also due to the war with the Spanish, since the Incas burned part of these platforms and buildings to prevent the Spanish from taking all the provisions.
Regarding this place there is also iincluded in the tourist ticket previously mentioned.
Chinchero textile cooperatives
We begin the tour at 3800 meters above sea level, in an artisanal textile center where you learn how they handle the dyeing and weaving of fabrics and wool, all handmade. They will tell you about the process of preparing wool to weave fabrics, ponchos and quilts. Obviously, like every tour, at the end you are offered the local products to buy and although it is a little expensive, we bought something to help said community.
It is good to see what is interesting about this attraction, that these textile cooperatives have specialized for years in recovering the traditional techniques of dyeing fabrics, which are done with the natural dye of chinchillas. The most beautiful thing is to see how all the locals still maintain the custom of traditional clothing, especially the women.
In the lower part of the route are the Inca ruins of Chinchero, where you can see the remains of Tupac Yupanqui’s palace. An interesting detail is the snake symbols that appear on some stones at the base of the cross in front of the church. This is because in their belief, snakes represented with lightning shapes attracted rain, therefore fertility to the earth.
On Sundays, a fair is held in the main square of Chinchero, where you will see local products, handicrafts and, above all, their textiles traded.
Chinchero main square
It is another tourist place due to the cheerful and colorful of its Sunday market, located in the main square. At this fair, you will find all kinds of foods such as native potatoes and Andean grains, as well as the high-quality artisan products that they showed us in the cooperatives. This place is one of the few where barter is still practiced as a form of payment.
If you are going to do the tour on your own, the visiting hours are from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day.
Moray archaeological site, the first in the Sacred Valley of the Incas
The visit continues through the first archaeological site in the area, Moray, just 7km from the Maras salt flats. You will be able to reach the circular agricultural terraces of this archaeological circuit, but it is not allowed to enter its central circles.
This set of circular platforms is one of the main ‘agricultural research centers’ of the Inca empire. They were dedicated to experimenting and planting crops from different places and with different genetics. Its staggered shape is precisely for the different climates (more than 20 microclimates) and soils that each sowing needed.
Thanks to this system, in which there is a temperature difference of 15c° between the highest and lowest terrace, they were able to grow many plants from the Andes, but also from tropical regions. They even created hybrid species.
We believe that it is very important on this trip to know these stories told by its own inhabitants, because it gives another value to the visit, being something sacred for them and something that they tell us with pride about their towns.
Visiting hours are from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day. This tour is included in the partial ticket.
Maras salt mines
The town of Maras is known for its proximity to more than 3,500 salt wells that form a spectacular natural landscape. Each of the wells has a dimension of 5 square meters.
It is a pre-Inca site and today continues to be a source of work for more than 800 families in this Community. The salt flats are made up of thousands of small pools dug into the mountainside and it is a landscape to take millions of photos. The most incredible thing is that they were probably built by the Wari civilization between 500 and 1100 AD. C. and They continue to be fed by a hypersaline underground spring that originated 110 million years ago during the formation of the Andes Mountains.
Las Salinas de Maras is one of the 4 places in the world where Pink Salt is extracted, which is then sold in the main markets of Cusco. It gets its beautiful color from the natural elements in spring water including: magnesium, calcium, potassium and silicon. They are located 10km from the town of Maras and can be reached by collective taxis that take tourists around the main historical points.
As a particularity, the wells have their own owners, some of them can have up to 5 wells and they are inherited from generation to generation. Tourists were previously allowed to enter the salt flats, but since 2019 they prohibited it to prevent the deterioration of the area.
In fact, the salt flats have their own company called Marasal. Currently it is a key company in the development of the district with constant social responsibility, attending to various institutional and individual needs. Its mission is to produce quality salt in a sustainable way, revaluing the knowledge of its ancestors in the production and extraction of natural salt and thus encouraging healthy eating.
This tour was not included in the partial Ticket and the cost of entry is 10 Soles per person. They do not accept dollars or cards. Visiting hours are from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day.
Pisac
The town of Pisac is known as “the gateway to the Sacred Valley”, important for its location and for also being known as an ideal place for spiritual retreats. World famous for its huge craft market and incredible archaeological remains located in the upper part of the town.
The archaeological park is made up of remains, among which aqueducts, platforms, paths through walls, water channels and bridges stand out. Everything is a wonderful work of engineering carried out hundreds of years ago (approx. 1438), which is undoubtedly worth knowing.
This tour is included in the partial Ticket. Visiting hours are from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.every day.
However, it was not included in our tour since there is not enough time to see them all. In addition, it is the furthest archaeological site and we could say the distance from the entire route that is normally taken. Which is why Pisac is usually done on a separate day.
Ollantaytambo. Unmissable town in the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
Ollantaytambo during the Inca era was a fortified city with temples and defense walls, and was one of the most important urban and agricultural sectors in Peru and South America. Also considered one of the most important archaeological sites. Located 97 km from the city of Cusco and, today, one of the places that have best preserved its ancient and particular essence.
The main restaurants are located in the central square of the town, simple and small to stop to rest and hydrate. What is definitely worth it about this place is to explore and get lost in the stone alleys that transport you back in time.
The archaeological site
The ruins of this archaeological site remain the best preserved in Peru. These can be easily seen from the craft market, which looks impressive and invites you to explore them. The stairs are very vertical and can be a bit dizzying, apart from the effects of the height, but it is undoubtedly something you cannot miss. Upon reaching the top of the site, you can see the military complexes and religious sanctuaries in huge blocks of hand-carved stones.
Ollantaytambo is today one of the most important towns in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. This still preserves the urban design of the Inca population of the time and the one that is inhabited today. Its inhabitants maintain some of the traditions inherited by their Inca ancestors and its main tourist attraction is the archaeological site. This was a military, religious and agricultural center. It is an interesting architectural setting due to the size, originality and detail of its structures.
Something very interesting about this town is that, during the period of Spanish invasion, it was the place chosen by the Military Manco Inca Yupanqui to reside. He could thus direct attacks against the Spanish troops and their allied towns. As the years went by, the town was also taken over by the Spanish, but even so, it has managed to preserve its Inca history, so representative for its inhabitants.
Some of the places that you can find within the site are:
The Royal House of the Sun
There are 17 very large superimposed terraces oriented towards the main square of the town.
Choqana Fort
Choqana is a Quechua word that means “where it is knocked down or thrown.” It is located 2 kilometers from Ollantaytambo. It served as an administrative center, checkpoint and fort.
Mañay Raqay Square or ‘K’uychipunku’
Its name means ‘Square of petitions’ in Quechua. It is located on the right side of the Patakancha stream next to the entrance door of the archaeological site. Its walls have many openings that are believed to be doors.
The temple of the Sun
This impressive monolith made up of 6 pieces is almost completely destroyed. However, it is still one of the most beautiful pieces in Ollantaytambo. The 6 enormous rocks that form the western wall fit together with incredible precision.
But even so, it preserves the history behind the construction of the Inca Empire, which was especially dedicated to being a sanctuary for worship of the Sun. It was also used as a fortress at the time of the Spanish invasion. It is still today that it is not known how they transported, polished and worked these gigantic blocks of stone, which fit perfectly together. It is an incredible archaic work of engineering.
The Monumental Front and the 10 Niches Enclosure
This construction is located at the end of the upper group of platforms. Its walls are made up of two stone canvases polished with great precision. This enclosure was damaged during the Spanish conquest. It is one of the most popular in ‘Ollanta’.
The Ñusta Bath
It is a beautiful fountain with 3 water outlets sculpted inside. They are known as liturgical sources and could be found in the main cities of the Inca Empire.
The Platforms
In Ollantaytambo we find groups of parallel platforms. They have parameters inclined towards the hill with steps that emerge embedded in its walls. They can be seen from a long distance.
Visiting hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day.
Transfer
This town is located 97 kilometers northeast of the city of Cusco. Although there was a tour that included it, we decided to take a tour that ended in Moray and from there take a bus to get to know Ollantaytambo on our own.
From Maras in two sections by bus and van it cost us 3 Soles per person, unlike a taxi that was perhaps charging 60 Soles.
Also, since from here we were going to take the train to Machu Picchu the next day, it was best to spend the night in this city, which made it pointless to return to Cusco. From Ollantaytambo at the train station you can purchase tickets at Inca Rail to Machu Picchu. Our recommendation is that you take it out early since they usually run out very quickly.
The tour of the archaeological site of Ollantaytambo is included in the partial ticket that we talked about at the beginning to tour the entire sacred valley of the Incas. Visiting hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, except Sundays when it is open all day.