Peru
Sacred Valley
Give it two days: Pisac and the market one day, Chinchero, Maras and Moray the next, ending in Ollantaytambo for the train. Below: 5 sights, 3 places to eat and 1 bar or café, plus how Sacred Valley fits into a longer trip.
- Places
- 10
- Curated routes
- 1
- Best season
- May – Sep
- Warmest month
- November
- Coolest month
- April
- Wettest month
- December
5 See · 3 Eat · 1 Drink · 1 Shop
Cusco & Machu Picchu
from our route notes
18°C / 65°F avg high
17°C / 62°F avg high
about 137 mm rain
Climate: NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages.
Things to do in Sacred Valley
10 places from our curated routes, grouped by what you will do there. Each one has its own page with the address and full notes.
See
The landmarks we would not skip in Sacred Valley across Pisac, Chinchero and Maras.
Photo: Paolo Aiello · GoogleSeePisac Archaeological Park
Terraced Inca citadel high above the town with temples and cliff tombs.
Tip Take a taxi up and walk down to town (about 2 hours).
Photo: Angel Bilbao alberdi · Google
Photo: Frankie Perezcano · GoogleSeeSalineras de Maras
Thousands of terraced salt pans fed by a salty spring, worked since pre-Inca times.
Photo: BRant Broome · Google
Photo: Pablo Broncano · GoogleSeeOllantaytambo Archaeological Park
Steep Inca terraces and Temple Hill above a town still laid out on its Inca grid.
Tip Go at opening or late afternoon to avoid tour groups.
Eat
3 places to eat across Moray, Urubamba and Ollantaytambo, picked for groups who care about the food.
Photo: MIL Centro - Food Lab and Interpretation Center · GoogleEatMIL Centro
Virgilio Martínez's restaurant beside Moray serving Andean ingredients in tasting menus.
Tip Reserve weeks ahead.
Photo: Heather Hathor · Google
Photo: El Albergue Ollantaytambo Hotel & Restaurant · GoogleEatEl Albergue Restaurante
Farm-to-table restaurant on the Ollantaytambo train platform, with its own farm.
Drink
1 bar or café in Pachar for coffee, a round or a nightcap.
Photo: Tom Mathysen · Google
Shop
1 shop in Pisac for browsing and souvenirs.
Photo: Andrea Molinari · Google
How to fit Sacred Valley into a trip
Sacred Valley is stop 2 of 3 on our Cusco & Machu Picchu route. Follow it as-is or lift Sacred Valley into your own plan.
Stop 2 of 3
Cusco & Machu Picchu
Inca stonework, Andean markets & the lost city
- Trip length
- 7 days
- Best season
- May – Sep
- Pace
- challenging
- Before: Cusco
- Next: Machu Picchu
Getting here and onward
- Cusco to Sacred ValleyCusco is about 25 km / 16 mi away in a straight line
- Sacred Valley to Machu PicchuMachu Picchu is about 53 km / 33 mi away in a straight line
Distances are straight-line estimates between destination centers, not road distances.
Sacred Valley month by month
Average daily highs run from 17°C / 62°F in April to 18°C / 65°F in November. December is the wettest month, with about 137 mm of rain. Outlined months fall in the best season on our routes.
- Jan17° / 63°F average high
- Feb17° / 62°F average high
- Mar17° / 62°F average high
- Apr17° / 62°F average high
- May17° / 62°F average high, in our recommended season
- Jun17° / 62°F average high, in our recommended season
- Jul17° / 62°F average high, in our recommended season
- Aug18° / 64°F average high, in our recommended season
- Sep18° / 64°F average high, in our recommended season
- Oct18° / 65°F average high
- Nov18° / 65°F average high
- Dec18° / 64°F average high
Average daily highs, NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages. Sacred Valley weather and the best time to visit →
Near Sacred Valley
2 other destinations from our guides within about 100 km (62 mi), measured in a straight line.
Sacred Valley questions, answered
How many days do you need in Sacred Valley?
Our route notes suggest 2 days in Sacred Valley. On our Cusco & Machu Picchu route it is stop 2 of 3 in a 7-day trip. The listed visit times for our 10 places add up to roughly 16 hours, before travel between them, so you will need to choose.
What is Sacred Valley best known for?
Give it two days: Pisac and the market one day, Chinchero, Maras and Moray the next, ending in Ollantaytambo for the train. Standouts on our list: Pisac Archaeological Park (Terraced Inca citadel high above the town with temples and cliff tombs); Chinchero (Village with Inca terraces, a colonial church and weaving cooperatives); Salineras de Maras (Thousands of terraced salt pans fed by a salty spring, worked since pre-Inca times).
When is the best time to visit Sacred Valley?
Our Cusco & Machu Picchu route is best May – Sep. NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages put the warmest highs in November (18°C / 65°F), the coolest in April (17°C / 62°F) and the most rain in December (about 137 mm).
What are the best things to do in Sacred Valley?
Start with Pisac Archaeological Park, Chinchero, Salineras de Maras, Moray and Ollantaytambo Archaeological Park. Our guide lists 10 places in all, from 5 sights, 3 places to eat, 1 bar or café and 1 shop.
Where should a group eat in Sacred Valley?
Our picks: MIL Centro (Moray); Huacatay (Urubamba); El Albergue Restaurante (Ollantaytambo). Reserve weeks ahead (MIL Centro).
What is near Sacred Valley?
The closest destinations in our guides are Cusco (about 25 km / 16 mi) and Machu Picchu (about 53 km / 33 mi). Distances are straight-line estimates, not road distances.
Plan Sacred Valley with your crew
Open the Cusco & Machu Picchu route in TripsCircle, invite friends with a link, settle which of these 10 places make the cut with a quick poll, then split costs and share one packing list.