The Sacred Valley stretches east from Cusco toward Ollantaytambo, following the Urubamba between the ridges of the Vilcanota range. At around 2,800 metres it sits lower than Cusco, which makes it a kinder place to acclimatise, and the terraces, salt pans and ruins along its length give you a week of day-trips before you ever reach Machu Picchu.
The main stops read like a short Inca history: Pisac for the terraced ruins and Sunday market; Ollantaytambo for the fortress that beat the Spanish in 1537; Moray for the circular agricultural terraces; Maras for the pre-Inca salt pans still worked by local families; Chinchero for the weavers’ cooperatives. Each one shows a different side of how the Incas organised production and ceremony across the valley floor.
Peruways runs guided days through the Sacred Valley with Cusco-based guides, with transport that lets you link three or four stops in a day.
Plan at Peruways — the Sacred Valley slots in before or after Machu Picchu, depending on how you want to pace the altitude.
