Sacred Valley: What to See in One Day from Cusco
Chinchero, Moray, Maras and Ollantaytambo on a single route
The Sacred Valley is the valley of the Urubamba River between Pisac and Ollantaytambo, at around 2,800 meters: lower and milder than Cusco. The Incas farmed it as their great pantry, and today you explore it through Andean villages, terraces and archaeological sites. There are several ways to plan the route; ours links four very different places in a single day, from 7 am to 7 pm: a weaving village, an Inca farming laboratory, salt pans that have been worked for centuries and a fortress that is still a living town.
Tours to Sacred Valley
Operated by MachuPicchuCusco · Certified guides · Small groups · Book with confidence.
Chinchero: the weavers' village
At about 3,760 meters, this is the highest point of the route and the first stop of the day. Weaving families show how they wash wool with roots and dye it with plants and insects such as cochineal before weaving it on a loom. In the center of the village there is a colonial church built on Inca walls, with terraces dropping toward the valley.
Moray and the Maras Salt Pans
Moray is a set of concentric circular terraces sunk into the ground. Because the temperature differs between the upper and lower rings, the Incas are thought to have used them to adapt crops to different climates. The Maras Salt Pans are thousands of pools on a hillside fed by a salty spring; as the water evaporates the salt is left behind, and local families still harvest it by hand. The salt pans have their own entrance fee, separate from the Tourist Ticket.
Ollantaytambo: fortress and living town
Ollantaytambo's terraces climb the hillside to the Temple of the Sun, home to six huge pink stone blocks whose transport is still not fully explained. Below, the town keeps its Inca layout of streets and water channels. It is also the station for trains to Machu Picchu, which is why many travelers pair the Sacred Valley with their visit.
Which tickets you need
Chinchero, Moray and Ollantaytambo are covered by the Cusco Tourist Ticket (the partial Sacred Valley ticket is enough). The Maras Salt Pans are paid separately at the gate. Entrance fees are not included in the tour price, so bring Peruvian soles in cash.
