The lush, lower valley of the Urubamba river, an hour from the city — Inca ruins, villages, markets and lodges strung along it, at a gentler 2,800m altitude. Many stay here to acclimatise and to be closer to Machu Picchu, in a beautiful, tranquil rural setting; the base for the ruins and a softer landing than high Cusco.
A look around
What you’ll be living next to. Swipe through.
€55–120
typical per night in Peru
The sensible middle
Typical prices for Cusco — neither steal nor splurge.
Where it sits
The circle is Sacred Valley and roughly a 10-minute walk around it.
How far is everything?
From the middle of this area to the city's headline sights — pick your own on the city page and these become your list.
- Sacsayhuamán79 min taxi26.4 km
- San Blas & the viewpoint82 min taxi27.3 km
- Plaza de Armas & the Cathedral82 min taxi27.4 km
- Andean food82 min taxi27.4 km
- The Inca stone streets82 min taxi27.5 km
- San Pedro Market83 min taxi27.6 km
- Qorikancha (Sun Temple)84 min taxi27.9 km
- Rainbow Mountain321 min taxi106.9 km
On your doorstep
What you’re living next to if you stay here.
- 1.Machu Picchu — The lost city of the Incas — a breathtaking 15th-century citadel of stone terraces and temples draped along a dizzying ridge between jungle peaks, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and simply unmissable. Reached by train (and bus) from the Sacred Valley, or the famous Inca Trail trek; book entry and train tickets months ahead.
- 5.Ollantaytambo — A spectacular Inca town in the Sacred Valley, still laid out on its original grid — a steep temple-fortress of giant terraces climbing the hillside, guarding the valley, with living Inca streets below. The gateway station for the Machu Picchu train, and a wonderful sight in itself; climb the terraces for the valley view.
- 7.Pisac ruins & market — At the head of the Sacred Valley, a dramatic Inca hillside of temples and terraces above the town of Pisac, which hosts one of the region's best craft-and-produce markets. Combine the ruins with the market for textiles and silver; a superb, easy Sacred Valley day trip from the city or the valley.
- 11.Maras & Moray — Two extraordinary Sacred Valley sights — Moray, a set of vast concentric circular Inca terraces thought to be an agricultural laboratory, and Maras, thousands of dazzling white salt pans cascading down a hillside, worked since Inca times. Surreal, photogenic and fascinating; usually combined in one valley tour.
When are you staying?
Booking.com & Airbnb open searched to Sacred Valley; flights via Google Flights.