Top 15 Places to visit in Cusco, Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu
Peru’s Sacred Valley is a legendary destination with trekking routes, market towns, gushing rivers, and UNESCO sites like Machu Picchu. It’s home to bustling Incan weavers and farmers, and is a must-visit for its renowned ruins.
1. Cusco
Cusco, the ancient capital of the Inca, is the starting point for trekkers heading to the Inca Trail, the Short Inca Trail Hike, the Ausangate trek and the Rainbow Mountain, Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu. With a height of 11,200 feet (3,450 meters), Cusco is a popular destination for acclimatizing to the Sacred Valley. The city is also home to stunning conquistador-era architecture, including the Plaza de Armas, a Baroque cathedral, and the cobbled alleys of San Blas. The San Pedro Market and backpacker bars in the city provide a lively atmosphere, making it the perfect starting point for all things to do in the Sacred Valley.
2. Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is the jewel in the crown of the Sacred Valley. Draped over a long ridge above Aguas Calientes deep in the Andes, it’s arguably the most famous spot in all of South America. A mega 5500 people visit the UNESCO site every day. They come to wonder at a great Incan estate that dates back 500 years, complete with strange temple complexes, throne rooms, residential areas, and monolithic gateways.
This trip begins with a trek or a bus out of Aguas Calientes to the beginning of the site. Others might arrive on the last leg of the Classic Inca Trail through the iconic Inti Punku (the Sun Gate) entrance. Once inside, you’ll behold arguably the greatest achievement of Peru’s pre-Columbian peoples. Highlights are the strange cave structures of Intimachay (thought to have been used for astrological observations), the mystical Temple of the Sun, and the festival enclosure of Inti Mach’ay.
3. Classic Inca Trail Hike
Our exciting Inca Trail tour to Machu Picchu will be an epic adventure, taking you along the same path that the ancient Incas traveled on their way to the enigmatic citadel of Machu Picchu. This journey is not just a physical adventure, but also a spiritual and cultural one, taking you through cloud forests, breathtaking mountain landscapes, and archaeological sites rich in history. You will experience the magic of the Inca civilization as you walk along the trails that were once a vital part of their communication network.
This Inca Trail covers a distance of 45 kilometers where you can walk with top-quality equipment and food prepared by our expert cooks, and after 4 days of hiking, you will finally arrive at the Sun Gate where you can appreciate Machu Picchu for the first time.
Get ready to marvel at the sunrises over the mountains, explore ancient Inca ruins hidden in the jungle, and finally, arrive at the astonishing Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu, one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. Join us on this unforgettable journey and immerse yourself in the cultural richness and natural beauty that only the Inca Trail can offer, truly a journey that will change your life forever!
4. Short Inca Trail
Experience the incredible Short Inca Trail in 2 days, an adventure combination designed for those with limited or short time. With a duration of 12 km, this hike passes through the lush landscapes of the Urubamba Valley, surrounded by sacred mountains and diverse fauna, immersing you in ancient trails. The highlights it includes are Wiñayhuayna, Inti Punku “Gate of the Sun,” “The Guardian’s House” with stunning views of Machu Picchu, and the Sanctuary of Machu Picchu with its captivating moments at sunset and sunrise. This is the only hike that will allow you to enjoy Machu Picchu for 2 days: the first day the classic photo of Machu Picchu and the second day the guided tour in the complex with our expert history guides. This is especially recommended for groups travelling in wet season as only visiting Machu Picchu once could be a risk for visibility, follow this Short Inca trail itinerary and you can give yourself the best chance to appreciate this wonder in rainy season!
5 Maras Salt Mines
A mind-blowing 4,500 salt ponds cascade down the sides of Qaqawiñay mountain at Maras. The spot constitutes yet another of the amazing UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Sacred Valley. It offers a glimpse at the engineering ingenuity of the pre-Incan civilizations that inhabited this corner of the Andes, who constructed the ponds to farm salt crystals from a brine-rich underground river some five centuries ago.
But the mines are no historic relic – they are still being used for salt production to this day! Harvests take place once a month, with the highest-quality salt (the famous Peruvian pink salt) coming during the dry season between May and October.
Today, visitors can take tours of the salt ponds and buy all manner of salt-related paraphernalia from the local Maras community stores. There are a few small walking routes around the area that reveal spectacular vistas of the site, which unfold in a patchwork of marble-white amid a lush valley of rugged hills. No wonder it’s a photographer’s dream.
6. Pisac Inca site
Nestled into a fold of the Sacred Valley about an hour out of Cusco, this pint-sized town is abuzz with life and energy. Most travelers explore the central plaza. There, crooked cobbles and ramshackle trader stalls explode into life when the farmers and the craftspeople descend for the Sunday bazaar. Don’t miss the Bazaar if you’re on the hunt for an alpaca-thread hat or a multi-colored Peruvian rug! The main streets filter away to the north and south, past little whitewashed churches and cantinas that sell steaming broths and stuffed chili peppers.
The famous Pisac Ruins overlook the Andes just above the town. You can climb to those on marked paths that begin at the end of Intihuatana Street. It’s not easy, ranging up to 11,000 feet (3,300 meters) above sea level. However, the reward is an exceptionally well-preserved Incan settlement, with pristine stone buildings and panoramic views south across the Sacred Valley.
7. Moray
Of all the Incan spots that surround Peru’s Sacred Valley, we’d say Moray is one of the most impressive. Instead of grand monolithic temples and astrological altars, this one’s all about cold, hard science. In fact, it’s sometimes referred to as the Agricultural Laboratory of the Incas, because the site was primarily used by pre-Columbian settlers to advance their understanding of agriculture and seed cultivation.
Moray is centered around a deep, amphitheater-like structure that sits more than 11,500 feet (3,500 meters) up in the Andes past the small town of Maras. It’s built in a series of stepped terraces, each of which is thought to have had unique microclimate conditions that let the Incas experiment with different plants and vegetables.
Moray still isn’t a part of the popular visitor circuit around the Sacred Valley and it’s not on the Inca Trail. Instead, tours typically leave from Cusco or Urubamba and are often coupled on a Sacred Valley itinerary with a trip to the nearby salt mines.
8. Chinchero
At more than 12,300 feet (3,750 meters) above sea level, Chinchero occupies a plinth under the gaze of the Cordillera Vilcabamba. The sleeping-giant peak of forever-snow-dusted Salkantay dominates the western horizon, as if to invite travelers ever deeper into the Sacred Valley. Linger a little, though, and you’ll be rewarded with a sleepy but charming town that’s famed for its centuries-old weaving heritage. There’s also a mix of Spanish churches from the colonial age and ancient pre-Colombian agricultural terraces built by the Incan emperors.
The aforementioned weaving culture runs deep here. The town is riddled with more workshops and craft sellers than you can shake a wooly alpaca sweater at. To learn more, you can dip into the Tupay Andean Textile Center, which offers weaving demonstrations and a shop. Chinchero is a little outside of the main trekking part of the Sacred Valley, but there are some relatively short hikes to do around Lake Puray and up to the 14,500-feet (4,420-meter) top of Hatun Luychu.
9. Saqsayhuaman
On a low hillside just above the bustling downtown core of Cusco itself, the Incan ruins of Saqsayhuaman open a window onto the Incan era of the city. They date back to the age of the revered emperor Pachacutec (the onetime ruler of Machu Picchu) and are known for their colossal fortification walls. In fact, some say the stones used in the construction of the citadel are the largest single monoliths found in any ancient site in the Americas!
Saqsayhuaman is anchored on a huge central plaza. Around that, the imposing temple structures and parts of the bulwarks still stand strong, connected by grassy paths and old roadways. Modern-day Inca still use the site for their annual festivities. There are huge parades here for the winter solstice, known as Inti Raymi, and the Warachikuy rite of passage for Incan males also takes place each year.
10. Ollantaytambo Complex
Ollantaytambo came under the sphere of the Incan Empire during the reign of powerful Emperor Pachacuti. It’s now a fantastic fusion of old and new. You can walk the center amid pizza joints and pisco sour bars, but also pass over large ancient plazas, see cottages that date back centuries, and seek out monolithic temples lurking on the hillsides above town.
Perhaps more than anything, Ollantaytambo is known as the prime starting point of the train to Machu Picchu. For those travelers looking to see this famed UNESCO site, you can come here from Cusco and tour the whole length of the Sacred Valley on an amazing site seeing adventure with your guide.
But there are also oodles of things to do in Sacred Valley Peru before you leave. Take the slopes of Pinkullyuna hill, where Incan-era storehouses still stand almost perfectly intact. Or go to the Ruins of Ollantaytambo, which hold fountains and strange astrological clocks.
11. Rainbow Mountain Hike with Red Valley 1 day
Turquoise, scarlet, and mustard-coloured sediments drape down Rainbow Mountain, or Vinicunca, and give the mountain its striking appearance. These different layers of colour represent distinct mineral contents and were formed over the course of millions of years before being exposed by the tectonic movements and intense wind erosion of the high Andes. The mountain was once covered by a glacier that has since melted due to the effects of global warming. It then became a popular side excursion on the Ausangate Trek before shorter 1- and 2-day tour routes were developed in recent years. At 5,200 meters (17,060 feet) above sea level, Rainbow Mountain’s altitude is more than half that of Mount Everest. Those who wish to see this beautiful site for themselves must be prepared for a difficult 2-hour round hike at high altitude. Weather conditions can also complicate the journey, with both blistering cold temperatures and intense UV rays due to the elevation. But while getting there might be a little tough, the extraordinary view once you reach the top will make it all worth it.
12. Ausangate trek to Rainbow Mountain
The Ausangate Trek 4 Days is a 4-day adventure tour through Peru’s iconic Vilcanota Range, featuring the iconic Ausangate Mountain and the stunning Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain. The trek takes you off the beaten path, exploring the famed Vilcanota Valley from end to end. The journey includes gleaming glacial lakes, colored hills, herds of llamas and alpacas, waterfalls, and the dazzling peaks and glaciers of Ausangate at 20,956 feet of elevation. The ultimate reward is an exploration of the ethereal Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain.
13. Aguas Calientes
It’s strange, but Aguas Calientes isn’t actually that old at all. It came into being after the Sacred Valley railway line was completed back in the 1920s. However, it’s still a major destination for history buffs, largely because the most famous site in all of Sacred Valley Peru – Machu Picchu itself – soars just overhead.
Yep, no matter if you’re just completing the Classic Inca Trail, the mind-blowingly beautiful Salkantay Trek, or coming to see Machu Picchu on a day trip from Ollantaytambo, you’re sure to pass through little Aguas Calientes. That means thousands of visitors each year set foot in the pueblo, and there are backpacker hostels and bars that buzz with the excited chatter of people fresh off the trails.
Aguas Calientes does have one other claim to fame. The clue is in the name: Hot water. There are a few natural hot springs here that are a gift for weary walkers. Look for them up a narrow cleft in the Andes to the north-east of the center.
14. Salkantay Trail
If you’re more interested in experiencing the raw and wild nature of the Cusco Andes than tracing the human history of the region, the Salkantay Trail is probably the route you’ll want to take. It typically takes five days and four nights in all and skips the much-trodden Incan paths that go to the citadel in the clouds. Instead, you’ll hike between monstrous massifs to see gleaming Humantay Lake and navigate verdant cloud forest jungles.
The Salkantay trail is considered a bit more of a physical challenge than other treks around Cusco. You’ll spend more and longer days hiking and have to conquer Salkantay Pass at 15,000 feet (4,572 meters) above sea level, some 1,200 feet (366 meters) higher than the highest point on the Inca Trail.
15. Lake humantay or laguna humantay hike 1 day
Explore the magic of Humantay Lagoon in Cusco, one of the best tourism adventures in Peru! This beautiful lagoon is located in the Cusco region, at an altitude of 4,200 meters above sea level. This route is also the path for adventurers taking the Salkantay tour, which is a 5-day hike to Machu Picchu. This lagoon with crystal-clear waters is the perfect place to enjoy an unforgettable adventure. Upon reaching the lake, you will have the opportunity to admire these beautiful turquoise waters from the top of a nearby mountain and enjoy the spectacular view.An unforgettable experience!