The Sacred Valley of the Incas runs between Pisac and Ollantaytambo along the Urubamba River. Fed by snowmelt from the Vilcabamba range, the valley was the Inca’s agricultural core and holds some of their best-preserved ruins outside Machu Picchu.
Pisac at the eastern end layers a hilltop fortress over terraced slopes. The town market on Sunday pulls in weavers from Chinchero, Patacancha and Willoc. Ollantaytambo at the western end is a working Inca town where the original street grid is still in daily use.
In between: Moray’s circular terraces (an Inca agronomic experiment with microclimates), the Maras salt pans worked by local families since before the Inca, and Chinchero’s weaving cooperatives.
The valley sits at 2,800 metres, about 600 lower than Cusco — standard acclimatisation base before Machu Picchu.
Peruways runs guided day tours with English-speaking driver-guides, hotel pickups and lunch in Urubamba. Visit Peruways to book.
