The Sacred Valley stretches northwest of Cusco along the Urubamba River — a fertile corridor that served as the agricultural and spiritual heart of the Inca Empire. This full-day tour follows the valley from east to west at a natural pace, combining archaeology, living culture, and some of the most scenic Andean landscape in southern Peru.
Hotel pickup begins between 7:00 and 8:00 AM from your accommodation in Cusco's historic centre. The drive northeast into the valley sets the tone immediately — your bilingual guide (English/Spanish) covers Inca history and the Andean landscape as the city gives way to open fields and mountain views.
The first stop is a viewpoint at Taray, offering the first panoramic glimpse of the valley before continuing to the Pisac Archaeological Complex. The site's agricultural terraces, ceremonial temples, and ritual spaces spread across a dramatic ridge above the valley floor. After the guided visit, the group descends to Pisac's artisan market, where local craftspeople display textiles, ceramics, and traditional work.
The route then continues through Coya, Lamay, and Calca — small Andean towns set between Inca agricultural terraces, the Urubamba River, and the mountain ranges that frame the valley on both sides. A genuinely scenic stretch that most tours rush through.
In Urubamba, the capital of the Sacred Valley, a buffet lunch at a tourist restaurant is included — Peruvian and international dishes, vegetarian options, and hot drinks
The afternoon's centrepiece is Ollantaytambo — a living Inca town where the original street grid, water channels, and stone buildings remain in daily use. The guided visit covers the massive terraced fortress, the Temple of the Sun, and the finely fitted stone walls that make this one of the most complete surviving examples of Inca urban planning anywhere in the Andes.
Before returning to Cusco, the tour stops in Chinchero at a textile centre where local artisans — using techniques inherited directly from the Inca period — demonstrate the full process of transforming alpaca wool into finished fabric, from natural dyeing with local plants to hand-weaving on traditional looms.
The tour arrives back near Cusco's historic centre around 7:00 PM.
