Sacred Valley Attractions El Valle Sagrado

The Urubamba Valley, also known as the Sacred Valley or El Valle Sagrado, lies to the north of Cusco. By car the valley is reached by driving up over a pass and down to the sacred Valley, which is 600m lower than Cusco.

The Sacred Valley is a fertile area, once inhabited by the Incas. Inca ruins are prevalent throughout the valley, with the two grandest sites at Pisac and Ollantaytambo. The Sacred Valley of today is home to a number of typical Andean villages. This is a good place to see villagers going about everyday life in the Andes.

Highlights in the Sacred Valley include the Pisac Market and Pisac Ruins, the Inca sites of Moray and Salinas, and the beautiful town and ruins of Ollantaytambo.

For those arriving from Lima or other lower elevation areas, the Sacred Valley is a nice place to start acclimatizing. It is significantly lower than Cusco and fewer people experience altitude sickness here than in Cusco. From Cusco it is less than an hour by taxi to Pisac or 1½ hours to Urubamba.