Cusco and the Sacred Valley are the archaeological core of Peru — the Inca capital and the agricultural valley that fed it. A week between the two covers most of what people come to Peru to see.
Cusco (3,400 m) is a working city built directly on Inca foundations. The Qorikancha — the Incas’ sun temple — has a Spanish Dominican convent built on top of it, and the two sit uneasily on the same stones. Sacsayhuamán, the massive terraced site above town, is a 20-minute uphill walk from the Plaza de Armas. The San Pedro market and the San Blas quarter round out the day.
From Cusco the road drops into the Sacred Valley — Pisac, Chinchero, Urubamba, Ollantaytambo — along the Urubamba river. Pisac’s ruins climb a steep ridge; Ollantaytambo’s temple complex has unfinished pink granite walls; the valley floor is still farmed, mostly maize and quinoa. Add Moray’s circular terraces and the Maras salt pans for an archaeology-and-geology day.
Book a Cusco–Sacred Valley itinerary with Peruways. We handle the transport, the entrance tickets (Boleto Turístico), and the licensed guides. Itineraries range from one-day tours to full weeks.
