Sacred Valley VIP Private Tour

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

• 1
  Complejo Arqueologico 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.

  1 hour • Admission ticket not included
• 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.

  1 hour • Admission ticket not included
• 3
  Salinas de 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.

  1 hour • Admission ticket not included
• 4
  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 Ñustas (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.

  1 hour • Admission ticket free
• 5
  Pisac

  Pisac’s fascinating stone block walls show a balanced proportion, from its size to the perfect joints of each stone, forming a wonderful architectural complex that captivates visitors in the Sacred Valley. The word Pisac has a Quechua origin meaning partridge, a hen-like bird that inhabits the area. According to theories, this complex was slightly similar to the “Royal Estate” of the Inca Pachacutec, that’s why it has a variety of facilities such as terraces, a ceremonial room, palaces, walls, and towers all connected to each other, without any amalgam. Intihuatana Known as the most important ceremonial and religious site in Pisac, it has buildings made of sedimentary rocks. The translation of its name from Quechua means “Sundial”. It is located at the top of the mountain and from that point the whole valley can be appreciated.

  1 hour • Admission ticket free

Additional info

• Service animals allowed
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• The three additional hours encompass the time allocated for moving from one location to another, and within that timeframe, one hour is designated for lunch.

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