Sacred Valley Full Day Trip (Route)

Operating Schedule: 6:15 am

1. Chinchero District
CHINCHERO: Chinchero is a small Andean Indian village located high up on the windswept plains of Anta at 3765m about 30km from Cusco. There are beautiful views overlooking the Sacred Valley of the Incas, with the Cordillera Vilcabamba and the snow-capped peak of Salkantay dominating the western horizon. Chinchero is believed to be the mythical birthplace of the rainbow. Its major claim to tourism is its colourful Sunday market which is much less tourist-orientated than the market at Pisac. The village mainly comprises mud brick (adobe) houses, and locals still go about their business in traditional dress. The village may have been an important town in Inca times. The most striking remnant of this period is the massive stone wall in the main plaza which has ten trapezoidal niches. The construction of the wall and many other ruins and agricultural terraces (which are still in use) are attributed to Inca Tupac Yupanqui who possibly used Chinchero as a kind of country resort. In the main plaza an adobe colonial church, dating from the early seventeenth century, has been built upon the foundations of an Inca temple or palace. The ceiling and walls are covered in beautiful floral and religious designs. The church is open on Sundays for mass. Half an hour’s walk from the village brings you to Lake Piuri which once fed Cusco with water. It takes about 3 hours to walk around the lake passing through small picturesque villages. There are no tourist hotels in Chinchero but there are a couple of very basic hostals.

2. Moray
Everywhere you look in Cusco you can see how advanced the Incas were in their agricultural techniques, such as the terracing system and irrigation using aqueducts. In Moray, for example, they used circular terraces that demonstrate the high level of culture the Inca civilization achieved. Moray is 4.5 miles from the town of Maras and 39 miles from Cusco. The main feature that impresses travelers is its system of circular agricultural terraces, which are up to 330 feet deep. They are build using retaining walls connected by an irrigation system. Moray can be considered a crop lab– they used the terraces to create micro-climates and grow various products.

3. Maras
The salt mines, or the famous “salt pools” of Maras are located in the rural community of Pichingoto. This site is highly recommended for photography lovers because of its impressive landscape that stretches out in all of its splendor. It is also perfect for hikers and mountain bikers, since this trail connects the salt mines with the villages of Tarabamba and Pichingoto. Highlights of this area include the Moray archaeological site, a sort of amphitheater formed of various circular terraces. Also worth visiting is the Sanctuary of Tiobamaba, a colonial church built of adobe that houses paintings from Cusco such as The Last Supper.

4. Urubamba
When you get here you will be dropped off at the tourist restaurant where you can enjoy a delicious buffet lunch. you can choose the restaurant HATUCHAY OR PUKAPUNKU. You will only have 45 minutes to eat lunch enough time for it.

5. Ollantaytambo
Ollantaytambo is a lovely village that preserves the designs of Inca buildings located at an altitude of 9160 feet in the province of Urubamba. Among this place’s most impressive attractions are the ceremonial temple in worship of water and a fortress that guarded the entrance to the valley to repel any invasions. The temple has a set of terraces lying one atop the other which visitors scale via a steep stairway. The fortress is a stone colossus that was built between two mountains to protect the valley. The area also holds the Temple of Inti (the sun god), Incamisana, the baths of the
ustas (princesses), the Cachiccata funerary towers, and a group of tiered and very steep terraces on the side of a hill. Ollantaytambo also contains the mountain called Pinculluna or Tunupa, which holds the vestiges of Inca architectural structures which seem to have been a storehouse for various foodstuffs. Ollantaytambo is also a meeting place for nearby communities, such as the Huayruros de Willoc, who can be recognized by their red and black ponchos and hats

6. Pisac
The fascinating stone block walls of Pisac show a balanced proportion, from their size to the perfect joints of each stone, forming a wonderful architectural ensemble that captivates visitors to the Sacred Valley. The word Pisac has a Quechua origin and means partridge, a bird similar to a chicken that lives in the area. According to the theories, this complex was a bit similar to the “Hacienda Real” of the Inca Pachacutec, so it has a variety of facilities such as terraces, a ceremonial hall, palaces, walls and towers, all connected to each other, without any kind of amalgam. Intihuatana Known as the most important ceremonial and religious site in Pisac, it has constructions made of sedimentary rocks. The translation of his name from Quechua means “sun dial”. It is located on the top of the mountain and from that point you can see the entire valley. The Intihuatana is considered the Temple of the Sun of Pisac, since it served as an astronomical observatory during the Inca Empire. The fineness of its carved rock walls is perfectly aligned with the sunrise during the June solstice (early winter). The city of towers Its housing estates are believed to have served as water channels, which still exist today. Its fine finishes are similar to the constructions of Sacsayhuaman. In addition, about 20 towers were erected on the edges of the mountain.
usta Encantada It is a rocky complex that can be seen from the
ustayoc hill, towards the south. She is called
usta (Inca princess) because she has the shape of a woman carrying saddlebags on her back. A famous Andean legend tells that the chief of Pisac (village chief) Huayllapuma had a daughter named Inquill Chumpi. She had to marry a prince who had the strength to build a bridge in one night. The possibility of building that seemed ridiculous to most of the villagers, being a very arduous task. Once upon a time, after rejecting many potential suitors due to the difficulty of this task, the Inca prince Asto Rimac appeared and asked for the hand of the princess. They fell in love and he began to build the bridge. However, Inquill Chumpi had to climb the hill without turning around until her lover finished the request; otherwise they would both turn to stone. After hours of work, when the bridge was almost finished, the cacique’s worried daughter turned to see her fianc. For this disobedience, they were both turned to stone to this day. The diverse and incredible Inca architecture of Pisac that endures over the years captivates travelers for its history and ancestral culture.

7. Calle Plateros
The tour will end between 6:30 pm to 7 pm at night. You will be dropped off at the Plaza de Armas or on Calle Plateros from where you can go to your hotel.

Points of Interest

• Archaeological Park Ollantaytambo

• Pisac Market

• Complejo Arqueologico Chinchero

• Salinas de Maras

• Buffet lunch included
• Hotel pickup service
• Tourist transport provided
• Professional tour guide

• the entrance to the sacred valley is 70 soles you can buy it in cash in chicheros, salineras 10soles