Finding your way around the Sacred Valley in Peru
The Sacred Valley in Peru stretches between Pisac and Ollantaytambo in this guide, bringing together archaeological sites, towns and the Vilcanota river landscape. It is a region to travel through, with different entrances and starting points. A visit to Pisac's terraces, Moray's circular formations or the salt pans at Maras means choosing particular places rather than entering one continuous national park.
Start by deciding where your day begins. Shared sightseeing trips leave Cusco, while a private Maras and Moray visit can start at a hotel in Ollantaytambo. Urubamba is a town near the centre of the valley with accommodation and everyday services. Staying there and taking a tour from Cusco are different arrangements: match the departure point to your overnight base.
Our take
Choose a shared valley outing for a guide and lunch, or the zipline for an activity-focused visit. Check the start arrangements before booking, particularly for the shared option with a cathedral meeting point.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide and Viator. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of November 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Valley outing with Ollantaytambo drop-off option
- Full buffet lunch in Urubamba
- Professional tour guide
- Air-conditioned ground transportation
Choose an optional drop-off at Ollantaytambo Main Square or a return to Cusco.
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Sacred Valley zipline outing
- Outward and return transport
- Harnesses, helmets and gloves
A zipline outing with transport in both directions.
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Valley circuit with textile centre
- Buffet lunch in Urubamba
- English or Spanish guide
A shared outing with a Chinchero textile-centre visit. The tourist ticket and salt-pans entry cost extra.
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Valley bus outing with vegetarian buffet
- Bilingual tour guide
- Sacred Valley bus transportation
- Buffet lunch with vegetarian options
The tour ends at Plaza Regocijos. The tourist ticket and salt-pans entry cost extra.
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Guided valley outing with lunch
- Buffet lunch in Urubamba
- English or Spanish guide
Travel in a shared service. The tourist ticket and salt-pans entry cost extra.
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Shared guided valley outing
- All transportation
- Professional tour guide
The source mentions both hotel pickup and a cathedral meeting point; confirm the arrangement before booking.
Check availability →Sacred Valley visits and activities
Shared ruin circuits combine transport, a guide and buffet lunch, while the zipline outing starts at Plaza Regocijo. Compare departure arrangements and allow separately for archaeological and salt-pan admission.
Sights and Inca history
Pisac combines agricultural terraces, residential structures and ceremonial areas in scattered groups. The cultural administration associates the estate with Pachacútec and his kin group. The archaeological park and the market town are separate visits, so leave room for both only when your actual route includes them. Our Pisac guide explains the ruins, market and access.
Moray's concentric terraces occupy natural depressions and are interpreted as an agricultural experimentation space. Maras has a different purpose: salt-bearing spring water feeds channels and evaporation pools. The contrast is the reason to consider them together, without treating their entrances or functions as interchangeable. Read about Maras and Moray before choosing a route.
Chinchero adds stone buildings and terraces associated with Inca palaces under Túpac Yupanqui. For a dedicated visit, see Chinchero ruins and village. Ollantaytambo brings together terraces, storage structures, walls and ceremonial spaces; Ollantaytambo ruins and station covers the town in more detail. These short introductions are starting points for choosing your stops.
Boleto Turístico and separate salt-pan admission
Circuito III of the Boleto Turístico covers Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero and Moray. Maras salt-pan admission is separate. In the published tariff read on 11 November 2026, the valley partial pass costs foreign visitors 70 PEN with two days of validity; the national visitor version costs 40 PEN with one day of validity. Those are ticket-validity periods, not the length of a guided tour.
The integral ticket is another choice when your plans extend beyond this circuit. Its published adult rate is 130 PEN for foreign visitors and 70 PEN for national visitors, with ten days of validity. The ticket FAQ describes personal purchase and requires an identity document. Keep ticket costs separate from the tour budget: transport, a guide and a buffet do not pay for the ruins or salt pans.
Choosing a starting point and tour style
The shared route with a Chinchero textile-centre stop includes a buffet in Urubamba and an English- or Spanish-speaking guide; departure is from a Cusco hotel or the Plaza de Armas fountain according to the option. The bus outing with a vegetarian buffet starts in the historic centre or at an office meeting point, depending on the option, and ends at Plaza Regocijos. The Chinchero, Moray, Ollantaytambo and Pisac outing also combines shared transport, a guide and buffet, with Cusco pickup or a Plaza Mayor meeting arrangement.
The shared full-day service departing Plaza Regocijo includes transport, guide and buffet; hotel collection belongs to its private-service arrangement. The lower-priced group service includes transport and a guide, but mentions both hotel pickup and a cathedral-door meeting point: settle the exact start before booking. Its fare is per person in shared service. For departures from Ollantaytambo or a dedicated vehicle from Cusco, see private tours.
Choose your next page
Day tours from Cusco
Compare full-day circuits and the local Calca walk.
Pisac
Ruins, market and archaeological access.
Maras and Moray
Salt production, circular terraces and separate entrances.
ATV tours
Starts, vehicle options and equipment.
Zipline outings
Return transfers and combinations with an ATV.
Private visits
Routes starting in Cusco or Ollantaytambo.
Getting to the valley
Airport arrival, roads and onward trains.
Where to stay
Urubamba, accommodation and departure points.
When to visit
Weather context and activity planning.
Build the day around your main interest. A ruin circuit puts several sites in one programme; an activity day centres on the ride or zipline. The standalone zipline outing includes return transport from Plaza Regocijo and harnesses, helmets and gloves. It is a different choice from a historical tour with several archaeological stops.
Questions about visiting the valley
Does the Boleto include Maras?
Circuito III includes Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero and Moray. Budget separately for the salt pans at Maras, including when your tour provides lunch and transport.
Where should I begin a day trip?
Use the departure point of the actual product. The shared circuits described here start in Cusco; the private Maras and Moray visit starts at a hotel in Ollantaytambo.
What preparation matters for the ruins?
Pisac has narrow ground and rock-cut steps. Begin with light exertion while adjusting to altitude. At Pisac and Moray, keep off the walls and follow the site's protection rules; drone use requires cultural-administration permission.
Is Machu Picchu part of this valley route?
Machu Picchu lies outside the valley covered here. The getting-there guide explains onward travel rather than treating it as another local ruin stop.