The Sacred Valley of the Incas was inhabited by the Incas many years ago. Nowadays, however, several typical Andean villages live their daily lives surrounded by nature.
The different natural landscapes and magical sunsets will leave you speechless. The Sacred Valley of the Incas has more than just natural beauty. You can visit places like Pisac Inca town, Ollantaytambo fortress, Maras salt mines, and the rings of Moray. Adventure and excitement await you in these lands. You can paraglide in Chinchero, raft on the Urubamba River, and rappel in Pachar.
So, we have created a short article with the travel experts at Machu Travel Peru. This article will help you learn about the best things to do in the Sacred Valley. Join us to learn about some critical activities within the region.
Some of the most important things to do in Sacred Valley
- Visit the ruins in Pisac
- Shopping at the Handicraft market in Pisaq
- Rafting in the Urubamba River
- Rappelling in Pachar
- Ollantaytambo Inca fortress
- Maras and Moray biking
- Explore the terraces of Moray
- Get to know the Maras Salt Mines
- Paraglider in Chinchero
- Go weaving Chinchero
- Piuray Lagoon kayak
- ATVs in Huaypo Lagoon
- Huchuy Qosqo trekking
- Inti Punku trekking
- Visit the Alqa Museum of Andean Folk Art
1. Visit the ruins in Pisac
Visiting Machu Picchu is unforgettable, but Pisac is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. This place is the first and most important thing to do in Sacred Valley. High on the hills above the town of Pisac, you can find the truly unique Pisac ruins.
The Pisac Citadel was built around the same time as Machu Picchu. An Inca site features the largest pre-Hispanic cemetery in America.
Besides the Incas, people still used agricultural terraces called “Andenes.” These terraces come down from the mountain area. They are found in neighborhoods, squares, temples, and worship centers. Pisac is one of the most important archaeological sites in Peru.
2. Shopping at the Handicraft market in Pisaq
Pisac is famous for its vast and colorful market, an excellent place to shop for local handicrafts. The market is a lively place full of bright colors. Stacks of fabrics show intricate patterns made from brightly dyed wool.
You can find paintings with Andean themes, gold and silver jewelry, and small sculptures. There are also copies of paintings in the “Cusco School” art style. You will see Andean villagers dressed in their traditional clothing.
The best day is Sunday, but there are smaller markets on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the main village square. There are also usually a few vendors on any given day. The market sprawls around the main square, where there is a beautiful old church.
3. Rafting in the Urubamba River
If you are a fan of adrenaline and adventure, the Sacred Valley will not disappoint, even if it is included among the most exciting things to do in Peru. La Curva del Diablo, or the Devil Curve, is just 57 kilometers from Cusco, in the Urubamba district.
This is a curve that the Urubamba River, also known as the Vilcanota River, makes before reaching Ollantaytambo. After that, it continues into the jungle toward Machu Picchu.
From this point begins the most famous rafting route within the Sacred Valley. This trip features moderate rapids, levels I to III. It is safe and great for couples, families, and beginners. You will enjoy beautiful scenery along the way. Don’t forget to have a tour operator with all the details about safety and experience.
4. Rappelling in Pachar
Pachar has a little train station, which is the previous Ollantaytambo one. Just in front of it, crossing the Vilcanota (or Urubamba) River, is a rappelling and zip line in Sacred Valley.
Specifically, you will see nails on the slopes of a rocky mountain. Workers drive stakes and ropes into the slopes. The abseiling there is of moderate difficulty. A safety person will always assist you. They will fit you with safety equipment like harnesses, belts, helmets, and hooks. They will hold the safety rope during your ascent and protect it during the descent.
Remember that if you want more adventures, you can stay in one of the best Sacred Valley hotels, the famous Sky Lodge, a glass capsule hanging in the mountains where you can sleep in the sky.
5. Ollantaytambo Inca fortress
Continuing from Pachar, drive for about 10 minutes to Ollantaytambo. This is a mandatory stopping point before entering the Jungle and taking some Machu Picchu tours.
Visiting this fortress is undoubtedly one of the most essential things in Sacred Valley. Go up the ancient stone stairs until the summit of the hill, seeing ancient Inca temples, Canchas or squares, well-carved stone walls, porches, niches, and lookout towers that, together, served as a fortress of the Incas against Spanish invaders, during the escape of the Andeans people the jungle of Machu Picchu.
Here, you can see the practical Inca empire engineering from the past. The corn terraces wrap around the hillsides, and the Inca hydroengineering helps collect water effectively. Ollantaytambo is one of Peru’s most original and best-preserved pre-Inca and Inca ruins.
6. Maras and Moray biking
This is a perfect experience to combine adventure and culture in a one-day full tour. Riding a mountain bike from Moray (3500 m) to Maras (3300 m) is a top activity in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. A gentle path that requires little effort awaits you. You will enjoy beautiful landscapes and friendly views.
Completing the famous biking route in Sacred Valley will bring you great satisfaction. Of course, without mentioning the fantastic views of two cultural sites, Moray and Maras. If you take this experience, you will be safe with protective gear, helmets, equipped mountain bikes, and an off-road guide.
7. Explore the terraces of Moray
One of the great things to do in Sacred Valley is visit the archaeological site of Moray. Moray’s symmetrical circular inca terracing are fascinating and impressive to behold. You can find the Moray ruins on the outskirts of Moray, which are a great attraction. At first, they look like a giant green theater, with a vast bowl of layers and layers of flat and circular terraces.
Stone stairs built into the terrace walls allow visitors to walk down to the lower level. Looking at the surrounding stone walls and the sky is as impressive as seeing Moray from above.
Each level of the terraces has its microclimate. The Incas likely used these to find the best-growing conditions for their crops. The site is believed to have been used by the Incas as a kind of agricultural research center.
8. Get to know the Maras salt mines
Usually, if you visit Moray, you are on your way to the Salineras de Maras. The small town of Maras is just 40 km from the city of Cusco and a very short drive from Ollantaytambo and Urubamba.
Maras Salt Mines is a fantastic place with about 6,000 salt pans deposits. People have been getting salt from these deposits since the Inca times using evaporation pools.
They direct the very salty spring water into hand-made pools. Here, it can evaporate, leaving behind 100% natural unrefined salt. Tour operators often do not include the Maras and Moray attractions in the Sacred Valley tour. However, they are worth visiting because both sites are fascinating.
9. Paraglider in Chinchero
This is one of the newest and most challenging activities on our list of things to do in Sacred Valley. Don’t worry about high altitudes or your experience planning on a paraglide because the activity is in tándem (You and your driver guide).
Feeling like a bird, you will enjoy the best view of the Sacred Valley. This is thanks to the tour operators. They provide new and certified equipment, safety gear, and an experienced driver-guide. The Sacred Valley is known for its crossing winds. However, this activity takes place in Chinchero. Chinchero is the farthest town in the Valley with stable winds. It is located on a plateau high on a hillside before entering the valley.
10. Go weaving Chinchero
Chinchero is located in the north of Cusco, at 12,342 feet above sea level. The Inca weaving technique is a highly valued art in Peru. Many people in Chinchero still practice this skill. There is a weaver cooperative in the town. Visitors can try weaving and learn about ancient Inca techniques for weaving, coloring, and design.
You will find a Quechua community using an old textile art passed down from the Incas. The different tours in Peru show you the process of making and dyeing blankets and garments.
11. Piuray Lagoon Kayak
Piuray is a lagoon that sits at 3,435 meters above sea level. It is 31 kilometers from Cusco and 33 kilometers from Urubamba. Urubamba is a modern town in the heart of the Sacred Valley.
This quaint lagoon offers a fantastic view of Salkantay Snow (6264 m.a.s.l). Its calm water is perfect for adventure sports in the Sacred Valley such as aquatic sports that don’t disturb the fauna around there. Therefore, kayaking is ideal for this case!
Once you arrive there, you can sign up for a complete Kayak class. First, you’ll learn how to keep the balance inside a kayak, and after that, you will learn to use the arms and the oars.
Next, you will spend one hour and a half sailing by the Piuray lagoon, following your guide-instructor. You will enjoy the beautiful landscapes surrounding you, feel free, disconnect from everything, and appreciate the critical Salkantay snow. Finally, you will taste a delicious lunch at a comfortable camp on the lagoon’s shores. Practicing kayaking in the Piuray lagoon is one of the best things in Sacred Valley.
12. ATVs in Huaypo Lagoon
Huaypo is an attractive lagoon. It is more than 3,500 meters above sea level. It is 22 kilometers from Urubamba and 36 kilometers from Cusco. It is the nearest lagoon to Maras and Moray, unlike Piuray.
Here, you can enjoy activities like kayaking and rowing. In the mornings, you can also go bird watching. But ATVs are the queens of activities there.
The ATV circuit includes visiting Piuray and attractions such as Maras and Moray. If you love adventure and adrenaline, this activity is for you.
13. Huchuy Qosqo trekking
Huchuy Qosqo, also known as Alto Cusco, is an important archaeological site. It is on the Lamay plateau, 3,600 meters above sea level. The site is 50 kilometers from Cusco, in the heart of the Sacred Valley. Many studies claim Huchuy Qosqo could have been the famous Inca palace Caquia Jaquijahuana.
This complex belonged to the eighth Inca ruler, Viracocha, and was a resting place for Inca agricultural production. You can find living spaces, terraces, a modern irrigation canal, and the famous Kallanca here. The canal reaches all the terraces and the cultivated area.
This Kallanca was a large hall 40 meters in size, with two levels, balconies, and rear gates on the outside. People believed this room to be the Inca’s game room.
14. Inti Punku trekking
The day trip will be the Inti Punku hiking in Ollantaytambo. So if you are visiting the Sacred Valley, this is a must on your bucket list.
Please don’t mix this up with the other Inti Punku. That one is the gateway to Machu Picchu. You can see it after hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Remember, that is a different hike.
This Inca trail led to a beautiful gate of worship for the Sun God, known as ‘Inti’ in Inca times. Here, you can see the valley floor and breathtaking views, which will take your breath away, and learn about the life of the locals.
Likewise, walking in the footsteps of the Incas and enjoying superb views is for you. Inti Punku was a center of worship of the Incas to the god Inti. The travel time is 2 to 3 hours to the quarries of Cacchicata and 1 hour to reach the Inca viewpoint.
15. Visit the Alqa Museum of Andean Folk Art
Visit this fantastic museum, located a few meters from Ollantaytambo. It is a cozy space for evaluating and researching Andean Culture. You can contemplate arts, textiles, and culinary experiences to the fullest. An interesting fact about this place is its connection to Andean traditions and culture in the Sacred Valley. Also, if you want to know more, you can use the Sacred Valley map to complement the experience.
“ONLY IF YOU HAVE BEEN IN THE DEEPEST VALLEY, CAN YOU KNOW HOW MAGNIFICENT IT IS TO BE ON THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN”
In conclusion, there are many exciting things to do in Sacred Valley. Many available tours offer to see most of these attractions in just one day. Machu Travel Peru hopes to have been helpful. This list only shows some of the most popular activities. But the truth is that the Valley offers much more to enjoy and discover. If you want to know more about our tours, you can contact our team of qualified advisers.
Peru has so much to offer, it can be hard to know where to start. With many years of experience in the tourism sector, Machu Travel Peru is happy to help with anything regarding your trip to Machu Picchu and any tours around it. Make your Machu Picchu experience an unforgettable one!
