Pisac, Ollantaytambo and Chinchero
The Sacred Valley of the Incas tour starts early, with pickup at your hotel in Cusco and a comfortable drive to Pisac, the first jewel of the route. In this Sacred Valley town an impressive archaeological complex awaits, with Inca terraces cascading down the mountainside and stone-carved temples that reveal the agricultural and astronomical mastery of the Inca civilization. Then you head down to the famous Pisac craft market, one of the most colorful in the region, ideal for Andean textiles, ceramics and handmade souvenirs by local artisans.
Around midday you reach Urubamba, in the agricultural heart of the valley, for a buffet lunch with fresh local produce to recharge. In the afternoon you climb the imposing fortress of Ollantaytambo, the last Inca stronghold that keeps its original urban layout and is still inhabited. Its stepped terraces, monumental gateways and unfinished temples tell the story of Inca resistance against the Spanish and the sophistication of an architecture built to last for centuries.
The tour ends in Chinchero, known as the weavers' town, where the colonial church stands on Inca foundations and families demonstrate ancestral techniques of dyeing and spinning with natural dyes. Since the floor of the Sacred Valley lies lower than Cusco, this tour is perfect for continuing to acclimatize before Machu Picchu. With a bilingual guide and everything organized, you return to Cusco in the evening with a complete view of Inca culture and its landscapes.
