The Sacred Valley follows the Urubamba River between Cusco and Machu Picchu. It is lower and warmer than Cusco, which makes it the ideal first stop to acclimatize, and the train to Machu Picchu leaves from here.
Good to know
Starting your trip here gives your body time to adjust before Cusco’s higher altitude.
What to see in Sacred Valley
Pisac
Hillside Inca terraces and ruins above a lively market town.
Ollantaytambo
A living Inca town with fortress terraces, and the main train station for Machu Picchu.
Maras salt pans
Thousands of terraced salt pools on a hillside, still worked by local families.
Moray
Circular Inca terraces that drop into the earth like an amphitheater.
Chinchero
A highland village known for its weaving traditions and colonial church.
