Super Sacred Valley (All Day)

The Classic Sacred Valley Tour is a half day tour from Cusco. This tour takes you to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The Sacred Valley of the Incas is one of the most fertile valleys in southern Peru. The valley has been important since the Inca civilization and still is.

On this half-day tour of the Sacred Valley from Cusco, you will visit the main sites that will give you an overview of the valley and its impact on life today.

The Special Sacred Valley is for those people who do not have enough time, where you can visit several important places to the maximum in a single day.

ARCHEOLOGICAL CENTER OF CHINCHEROS

Chinchero is a Peruvian town capital of the homonymous district located in the province of Urubamba in the department of Cuzco. It is the birthplace of the hero of Peruvian independence, Mateo Pumacahua, who participated alongside the Angulo brothers in the Cuzco Rebellion of 1814.

It had a population of 3765 inhabitants. according to the 2017 census. It is located about 30 km from the city of Cuzco at 3754 m a.s.l. n. m.

The monumental zone of Chinchero was declared a historical heritage of Peru on December 28, 1972 through the R.S.N° 2900-72-ED Archaeological Park with the National Directorial Resolution No. 515 of the year 2005.

The Chinchero Archaeological Park covers an area of 34,800 ha. Chinchero was occupied before the Inca Empire. During the Tahuantinsuyo, the Inca Túpac Yupanqui planned the construction of palaces for the elite. Currently you can see the remains of the palace on which the colonial church stands.

MARAS MORAY

Many archaeologists and anthropologists believe that the Moray ruins were once used as a means of conducting agricultural experiments. Part of the evidence to support this is the extensive irrigation system (fed by water from a reservoir located high in the mountains) designed into the terraces.

Another fascinating observation is the temperature difference. From the highest to the lowest terrace, the temperature differs by 5°C and the sun hits each terrace at a different angle and intensity.

Moray’s microclimate likely allowed the Incas to conduct agricultural research and identify the best conditions for crops to thrive. Furthermore, all of this suggests that the Incas used their knowledge of the environment to capitalize on their natural resources.

SALINERAS

Las Salineras de Maras is made up of more than 3,000 natural salt wells near the town of Maras. Each of the wells have a dimension of 5 square meters.

The 3,000 pools are fed by an underground hypersaline spring that originated 110 million years ago during the formation of the Andes Mountains.

Currently, these natural salt pools attract hundreds of tourists. The view that you get from this landscape is beautiful.

The people of Maras market this salt, just as the Incas did hundreds of years ago.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL CENTER OF OLLANTAYTAMBO

Ollantaytambo (in Quechua: Ullantaytampu, “warehouse or inn of Ollanta”) is a Peruvian town and Inca archaeological site, capital of the homonymous district located in the province of Urubamba, in the department of Cuzco. It is located about 90 km northwest of the city of Cuzco.

During the Inca period, Pachacutec conquered the region and built the town and a ceremonial center. At the time of the conquest it served as a fort for Manco Inca Yupanqui, leader of the Inca resistance. In Ollantaytambo there are resistance platforms (to avoid landslides), not agricultural as in the other archaeological sites of Cuzco. Today it is an important tourist attraction due to its Inca constructions and for being one of the most common starting points of the Inca trail to Machu Picchu.

PISAQ MARKET

Písac is a Peruvian town located in the Cusco region, province of Calca, district of Písac. It is also the capital of the Pisac district.

It is located 30 kilometers from the city of Cusco at an altitude of 2966 meters above sea level. The town is known for its craft fair.2

At the top of the mountain is the archaeological park of Písac, built between the 10th and 11th centuries.