Sacred Valley Tour Day Tour | Sacred Valley tour from Cusco
Description
The Sacred Valley of the Incas was undoubtedly a key area of settlement for the Incas. Its agreeable climate and fertile plains make a rare and fruitful combination for the high Andes. It was also the route to the jungle and therefore an area with access to fruits and plants of tropical lowlands. The Sacred Valley also served as a buffer zone, protecting Cusco from invasions of the Antis, fierce jungle tribes raided the Andean highlands from time to time. It is called like this because of its vast territory which is between Pisac and Ollantaytambo located at a short distance from the city of Cusco where the Incas had their agricultural areas and beautiful towns. This valley is well-known for having very special conditions such as excellent weather, fertile lands and the waters of the sacred Incas river named Vilcanota which changes its name in the town of Urumbamba where its named after this town. The Sacred Valley of the Incas has breathtaking Andean landscapes where inhabitants who are native quechua speakers keep lots of the traditions of their ancestors. You can also see the technological development that the Incas reached in agriculture by using shed systems that are still used today accompanied by the most sofisticated designs of hydraulic engineering. Pachamama rituals also stand out nowadays, this is a ritual done to ask blessings and permission to Mother Earth to have excellent crops or to go through specific areas. Nowadays, each Sacred Valley town has a merger of Incan and Spanish architectural styles, the richness of its people with folklore and handicrafts with its inhabitants clothing styles, amaze tourists from all over the world.
What to Expect
Sacred Valley tour Overview
To Visit: Pisac Market, Pisac ruins, Ollantaytambo and Chinchero archaeological sites
Departure Point: Cusco - We pick you up from your hotel.
Departure Time: 08:00
Return Point: Cusco - Near to the main square
Service Level: Comfortable tourist-class tourist transport and professional guide English or Spanish.
Physical Rating: 2 - Demanding - Moderate
Age requirement: 2+ / All travellers under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Crew: A Tierras Vivas Representative in Cusco and a profesional Tour Guide on the Sacred Valley Tour.
Meals: Buffet lunch in Urubamba Town.
Transportation: Tourist bus.
Quick Itinerary
07:30 We pick you up from your hotel
08:30 Start the Sacred Valley Tour
09:30 Explore the Pisac market by yourself or in the group
10:30 Guided tour in Pisac Ruins
11:30 Driving to the Urubamba town
12:30 Buffet Lunch on the Restaurant (Included vegetarian)
13:40 Driving to the Ollantaytambo town
14:30 Guided tour of the Ollantaytambo archeological site
16:00 Continue the Sacred Valley to Chinchero
17:00 Guided tour of the Chinchero temple
18:00 Return to Cusco
19:00 Cusco
Highlights of the Sacred Valley Tour:
- Visit of the Sacred Valley of the Incas in 1 day
- Guided tour of the Pisaq Inca City
- Exploration of the traditional handicraft market of Pisaq
- Guided tour of the Ollantaytambo´s Incan fortres
- Guided tour of the Incan site of Chinchero (textile processing)
- Typical buffet lunch in the town of Urubamba
IMPORTANT NOTE:
- BOLETO TURISTICO GENERAL - TOURIST TICKET
This ticket is not included on the tour, you must purchase a tourist ticket. A full tourist ticket costs S/130 (U$ 41) or S/70 (U$22) for students with a valid ISIC card. The full tourist ticket is valid for 10 days and allows entry to the Inca sites such as Sacsayhuam, Quenqo, Pukapukara, Tambomachay (City Tour), 4 museums in Cusco, Inca Pachacutec monument's, Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero, Moray (Combo Sacred Valley of the Incas) and the Centro Qosqo (It's a theater where you can appreciate the tipical dance of the Cusco - 125 dances) This is a better option if you plan on also combining the City Tour, Sacred Valley and visit and explore the Cusco city. - BOLETO TURISTICO PARCIAL - TOURIST TICKET
This ticket is a partial tourist ticket, the price for this ticket is S/70 and it is valid for 1 day. Only you can visit City tour, Sacred Valley or Moray with this ticket. Not included the Cusco museums, Pachacuted Monument and the Centro Qosqo (It's a teatre where you can appreciate the tipical dance of the Cusco)
Please Note: In this general tourist tickets. Not Include Entrence to Qoricancha or the Cathedral of the Cusco. Entrance to Qoricancha Is S/15. Entrance to The Cathedral is S/25.
Itineray Details
Sacred Valley tour from Cusco
In the morning, we pick you up from your hotel to take you to the Sacred Valley of the Incas, a lush agricultural region, created by the Urubamba River and an important source of food for the Incas that keep supplying the city of Cusco with a majority of its production until nowadays!
Our first stop after 1 and half an hour is Pisaq. There we first visit its ruins of a large Incan city situated above the today´s Pisaq Town. Then, we descend by our bus to the modern Pisaq to visit its famous traditional handicraft market.
After that, we head for lunch to Urubamba Town considered to be a capital of the valley. There, we have a buffet lunch in one of its lovely tourist restaurants offering traditional Andean cuisine.
Then, we continue our trip to later visit the still alive Incan town of Ollantaytambo, where our Tour Guide guided us around its Incan fortres and explains us about its purpose and history. The town and fortres are strategically located overlooking the beautiful valley! This major ruin site is known as the best surviving example of the Incan urban planning and engineering. It is admired for its huge steep terraces guarding the Incan fortress and for being one of the couple places where Spaniards lost a major battle during their conquest!
In the afternoon we start returning to Cusco making a last stop on the way to receive a guided tour in the archaeological site of Chinchero that served as an astronomical center and Moon worship during the Incas times.
We reach Cusco around 7 pm.
