Schedule: Hotel pickup at 06:30 · Returns approx. 18:30
The Sacred Valley of the Incas stretches along the Urubamba River between Cusco and Machu Picchu and was the agricultural and spiritual heartland of the entire Inca Empire. On this full-day circuit you visit six distinct sites — descending from the high-altitude plateau at Chinchero (3,762 m) down to the warm valley floor at Ollantaytambo (2,792 m) — covering a remarkable range of Inca engineering, living culture, and natural scenery within a single day.
Programme
06:30 — Hotel pickup in Cusco
Your guide and private transport collect you from your hotel in the historic centre. Have breakfast before pickup — the first stop is approximately 45 minutes away. The early start puts you at Chinchero and Moray ahead of the main volume of day-tour groups, giving you a calmer, more personal experience at each site.
07:30 — Chinchero — Andean Weaving Village · Altitude: 3,762 m / 12,343 ft
Chinchero sits on the plateau between Cusco and the Sacred Valley, ringed by Inca agricultural terraces and framed by snow-capped peaks. The village has been a centre of Andean textile production for centuries and remains one of the best places in Peru to see traditional weaving in its living context.
Visit the local weaving cooperative where Quechua women demonstrate the full natural dyeing process: extracting vivid reds from cochineal (a tiny insect cultivated on cactus), yellows from native plants, and blues from minerals — unchanged techniques passed down through five centuries of family tradition. Watch the weaving process on traditional backstrap looms and purchase authentic handmade textiles directly from the artisans at transparent, fair prices.
Also visit the colonial church of Chinchero, built directly on the stone foundations of an Inca royal palace — the original Inca walls are visible at the base, and the interior contains remarkable colonial-era murals. The terraces surrounding the village offer sweeping views of the valley and surrounding peaks.
09:15 — Moray — Inca Agricultural Laboratory · Altitude: 3,500 m / 11,483 ft
Moray is one of the most thought-provoking sites in the entire Inca world: a series of circular concentric terraces descending up to 30 metres below the plateau surface in enormous natural bowl-shaped depressions. Scientific research has confirmed that each ring of terraces maintains a distinct microclimate, with a temperature difference of up to 15°C between the highest and lowest levels.
Archaeologists believe this was the Inca Empire’s agricultural research station — a living laboratory where crop varieties were tested at different simulated altitudes, allowing the Incas to develop resilient food systems for every climate zone in their vast empire. The geometry is extraordinary from the rim; descending into the terraces changes the perspective entirely.
10:30 — Maras Salt Ponds (Salinas de Maras) · Altitude: 3,380 m / 11,089 ft
Over 3,000 small terraced salt evaporation pools cascade down the hillside above the Sacred Valley, fed by a natural saline spring that has been flowing continuously since before the Inca Empire. Salt-laden water flows through a system of hand-cut channels, fills each pool, evaporates under the Andean sun, and leaves behind crystallised salt — often with a soft pink or amber hue from trace minerals. The local community still harvests the salt by hand, using wooden paddles and the same techniques used for over 600 years. One of the most visually striking landscapes in all of Peru.
12:30 — Urubamba — Lunch · Altitude: 2,871 m / 9,419 ft
Descend to the valley floor for a lunch break in Urubamba. Most restaurants here offer a generous buffet of traditional Andean dishes — quinoa soup, roast chicken, local potato varieties, and more — for approximately 45–60 Soles per person (not included in the tour price). The lower altitude at the valley floor provides welcome relief after a morning above 3,500 m.
14:00 — Ollantaytambo — The Living Inca City · Altitude: 2,792 m / 9,160 ft
Ollantaytambo is one of the most remarkable sites in the ancient world. Perched above the confluence of two rivers and towering over the valley below, it served simultaneously as a royal estate, religious centre, and strategic military fortress. It is the site of one of the few Inca military victories over the Spanish — in 1537, Manco Inca successfully defended the fortress against Hernando Pizarro’s forces.
The Temple of the Sun at the top features massive pink granite monoliths — weighing dozens of tonnes each — quarried from the Kachiqhata mountainside on the opposite side of the Urubamba River and transported across the valley and up the steep terraced hillside. The engineering remains extraordinary by any modern standard.
Below the archaeological zone, the streets of Ollantaytambo form the only surviving Inca urban grid in the world that is still inhabited. Local Quechua families live between the original stone walls and use irrigation canals built over 600 years ago. Walking these streets is genuinely unlike anywhere else.
16:00 — Pisaq — Archaeological Complex · Altitude: 2,972 m / 9,751 ft
Pisaq sits at the northeastern gateway to the Sacred Valley, 33 km from Cusco at 2,972 m. The upper archaeological complex presents some of the finest examples of Inca terraced agriculture in the entire valley — sweeping tiers of andenes (agricultural terraces) descend the steep mountainside with breathtaking precision. The site was a major strategic fortress, astronomical observatory, and ceremonial centre. Views from the upper platforms extend across the full width of the Sacred Valley, with the Urubamba River far below and mountain peaks above 5,000 m forming the backdrop. Temperature here ranges from 14°C to 20°C (57°F–68°F) — pleasant for late afternoon exploration.
~18:30 — Return to Cusco
Private transport returns you to your hotel in Cusco by approximately 18:30, depending on road conditions and time at each site. End of Day 1.
Tonight’s tip: Rest and hydrate well. Tomorrow is the Inti Raymi — one of the greatest cultural events in South America. Eat early, drink at least 2 litres of water, and prepare your documents: you will need your original passport at the morning meeting point.
Sites visited on Day 1
- Chinchero — Weaving village, Inca terraces, colonial church (3,762 m)
- Moray — Circular Inca terraces / agricultural laboratory (3,500 m)
- Maras Salt Ponds — 3,000+ terraced evaporation pools (3,380 m)
- Urubamba — Lunch stop, valley floor (2,871 m)
- Ollantaytambo — Inca fortress and living Inca town (2,792 m)
- Pisaq — Archaeological complex and valley gateway (2,972 m)
