Machu Picchu & Maras, Moray by ATV 2 Days
Ride an ATV across the Maras plateau to Moray and the salt pans, take the train to Aguas Calientes, then see Machu Picchu with a guide. 2 days from US$527.
From, per personUS$527
Sacred Valley
The Urubamba River valley between Pisac and Ollantaytambo, about 2,870 m (9,416 ft), one hour north of Cusco and on the train line to Machu Picchu.
9,420 ft2,870 m above sea level
25 packagesinclude this destination
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The Sacred Valley of the Incas (Valle Sagrado) is the stretch of the Urubamba River between Pisac and Ollantaytambo, about 60 km (37 mi) long, one hour north of Cusco by road and roughly 500 m (1,640 ft) lower than the city. The valley floor sits near 2,870 m (9,416 ft) at Urubamba, which is why the Incas farmed it, why the air feels thicker than in Cusco, and why we recommend sleeping here on the night before Machu Picchu. The train to Aguas Calientes leaves from Ollantaytambo at the valley's western end.
Map of the valley
Reading from east to west along the river: Pisac, with its market and the terraces and towers above the town. Calca and Urubamba, the farming towns where the buffet lunches happen. Ollantaytambo, a living Inca town with the fortress terraces and the train station. Above the valley on the plateau to the south sit Chinchero at 3,762 m (12,342 ft), the circular terraces of Moray and the salt ponds of Maras, which is why the Sacred Valley VIP tour climbs before it descends. Our guide to things to do in the Sacred Valley goes site by site.
| Fact | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Altitude | about 2,870 m (9,416 ft) at Urubamba, and 3,762 m (12,342 ft) at Chinchero | |
| Length | about 60 km (37 mi) from Pisac to Ollantaytambo | |
| Distance from Cusco | Pisac 33 km (21 mi), about 1 hour. Ollantaytambo 60 km (37 mi), about 1 hour 45 minutes | |
| Train station | Ollantaytambo, trains to Aguas Calientes in about 1 hour 40 minutes | perurail.com |
| Maras salt ponds | about 3,000 ponds, worked by the Maras community | |
| Moray terraces | largest bowl about 150 m (490 ft) deep |
Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero, Moray and Maras
Pisac is terraces and a Sunday market, with the ruins a 20-minute drive above the town. Ollantaytambo is the one place where Inca streets, water channels and houses are still in use, and its fortress is a climb of about 200 steps to the Temple of the Sun. Our Ollantaytambo guide explains why the train leaves from here. Chinchero is a weaving village on the plateau with a colonial church on Inca walls. Moray is a set of concentric terraces 150 m (490 ft) deep that the Incas may have used to test crops at different temperatures. Maras is about 3,000 salt evaporation ponds stepping down a hillside, worked by families since before the Incas. The pair makes the best photographs of any day trip from Cusco, in our opinion, and our Maras and Moray guide says when the ponds are whitest.
When to come, and the mistake
The valley works all year. May to September is dry and bright, with the terraces brown by August. October to April is green, with afternoon showers and the Maras ponds less white after rain. The mistake is doing the valley as a loop that returns to Cusco and then taking the train from Poroy the next morning. Do it as a line: valley by day, train from Ollantaytambo in the evening, sleep in Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu at dawn. Every 2-day and 4-day package on this site is built that way. If you want a night in the valley itself, our Sacred Valley hotel guide rates the lodges by town.
Packages that include the Sacred Valley
Every package below passes through the valley: the Machu Picchu packages that use it as the road to the train, the two full-day tours from Cusco (Traditional and VIP), the ATV ride to Moray and Maras, and the longer Peru itineraries. Day tours start at US$127.
Sacred Valley in photos
Photos: Jan Beck, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (source); Laslovarga, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (source); Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (source); Steve FUNG, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (source); Marvin The Paranoid, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (source); Draceane, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (source); H.dav.are, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (source); Kabelleger / David Gubler, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (source)
Where it is
Interactive map loads from OpenStreetMap when the page is online.
Packages that include Sacred Valley
Grouped by type of trip. Prices per person in a double room.
Machu Picchu tours
Sacred Valley Classic & Machu Picchu 2 Days
Pisac, Urubamba and Ollantaytambo on day one, a night in Aguas Calientes, then Machu Picchu with a guide on day two. Five hotel tiers from US$627.
From, per personUS$627
Sacred Valley VIP 2 Days & Machu Picchu
Chinchero, the Moray terraces, the Maras salt pans and Ollantaytambo on day one, then Machu Picchu with a guide on day two. From US$657 per person.
From, per personUS$657
Machu Picchu & Cusco in 4 Days
City tour on arrival, a full day through Chinchero, Moray and the Maras salt ponds, then the morning train and a guided walk through the citadel.
From, per personUS$774
Machu Picchu & Cusco in 5 Days, with Rainbow Mountain
Five days from Cusco: city tour, Sacred Valley, a night in Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu with a guide, then Rainbow Mountain once you have adjusted. From US$914.
From, per personUS$914
Machu Picchu & Humantay Lake 6 Days
Six days from Cusco: city tour, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu with a guide, then Humantay Lake and Rainbow Mountain on two mountain days. From US$1,028.
From, per personUS$1,028
Day trips from Cusco
Sacred Valley Day Tour: Pisac, Ollantaytambo and Chinchero
The classic Sacred Valley day tour from Cusco: Pisac ruins and market, buffet lunch in Urubamba, the Ollantaytambo fortress and Chinchero. US$127.
From, per personUS$127
Chinchero, Moray and Maras Day Tour with Ollantaytambo
A long day from Cusco to Chinchero, the circular terraces of Moray, the Maras salt pans and Ollantaytambo, with lunch in Urubamba and a last stop at Pisac. US$127.
From, per personUS$127
ATV Tour to Moray and the Maras Salt Mines
Half a day from Cusco: ride an ATV across the Maras plateau to the circular terraces of Moray, then visit the Maras salt pans. Morning or afternoon. US$167.
From, per personUS$167
Peru vacation packages
Lima and Machu Picchu in 6 Days
Six days from Lima: the city and the Ballestas coast, then Cusco, the Sacred Valley and a guided Machu Picchu visit by train. From US$880 per person.
From, per personUS$880
Peru in 7 Days: Lima, Nazca, Cusco and Machu Picchu
A 7-day Peru tour from Lima: the Ballestas Islands, a flight over the Nazca Lines, Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu by train. From US$900 per person.
From, per personUS$900
Peru in 8 Days: Nazca, Machu Picchu and Rainbow Mountain
An 8-day Peru tour from Lima: Ballestas, the Nazca Lines, Cusco, Machu Picchu by train and a guided Rainbow Mountain hike. From US$1,190 per person.
From, per personUS$1,190
Peru in 9 Days: Nazca, Machu Picchu and Two Andes Hikes
A 9-day Peru tour from Lima: the coast and the Nazca Lines, Machu Picchu by train, then Rainbow Mountain and Humantay Lake from Cusco. From US$1,660 per person.
From, per personUS$1,660
Peru in 10 Days: Lima, Nazca, Machu Picchu and the Andes
A 10-day Peru tour from Lima at an easier pace: Nazca, Machu Picchu by train, Rainbow Mountain, the South Valley and Humantay Lake. From US$1,720 per person.
From, per personUS$1,720
Complete Peru in 15 Days, from the Coast to Machu Picchu
A 2-week Peru tour that climbs slowly from the coast: Nazca, Arequipa, the Colca Canyon, Lake Titicaca, Cusco and Machu Picchu by train. From US$2,084 per person.
From, per personUS$2,084
Peru and Bolivia tours
Peru and Bolivia in 10 Days, from Machu Picchu to Uyuni
Ten days from Lima to the Uyuni salt flat: Machu Picchu by train, Lake Titicaca, the border at Kasani and La Paz, ending at Uyuni airport. From US$1,817 per person.
From, per personUS$1,817
Peru and Bolivia in 11 Days, with Uyuni and Laguna Colorada
Eleven days from Lima: Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, La Paz, the Uyuni salt flat and a day south to Laguna Colorada, ending in La Paz. From US$1,647 per person.
From, per personUS$1,647
Peru and Bolivia in 12 Days with the Full Uyuni Circuit
Twelve days: Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, La Paz and the full three-day Uyuni circuit with the salt flat, the lagoons and the geysers at dawn. From US$2,047 per person.
From, per personUS$2,047
Machu Picchu and Uyuni in 13 Days, Overland Through the Andes
Thirteen days in the Andes: Machu Picchu, the daytime Route of the Sun to Lake Titicaca, La Paz and the full Uyuni circuit. From US$3,247 per person.
From, per personUS$3,247
Peru and Bolivia in 2 Weeks, from the Pacific to the Salt Flats
Two weeks across Peru and Bolivia: the Ballestas coast and Huacachina dunes, Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, La Paz and the full Uyuni circuit. From US$3,247 per person.
From, per personUS$3,247
Peru and Bolivia in 15 Days with Rainbow Mountain and Uyuni
Fifteen days with the high points of both countries: Machu Picchu, Rainbow Mountain, Lake Titicaca, La Paz and the full Uyuni circuit. From US$3,057 per person.
From, per personUS$3,057
Andean ceremonies
Cusco to Lake Titicaca in 5 Days, with an Andean Ceremony
Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, then a night bus to Puno and two days on Lake Titicaca with a lakeshore water ceremony and a night with a family on Amantaní.
From, per personUS$917
Aymara Ceremony Tour: Lima, Cusco and Lake Titicaca in 8 Days
Eight days from Lima: the city and the Paracas coast, Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, then Lake Titicaca with a water ceremony and a night on Amantaní.
From, per personUS$1,097
Aymara Ceremony Tour: Lima, Cusco and Lake Titicaca in 10 Days
Ten days from Lima to Lake Titicaca: the coast, Cusco and Machu Picchu, a farming day with a Sacred Valley community, the daytime Sun Route to Puno and a lake ceremony.
From, per personUS$1,347
Aymara Ceremony Tour, Complete: Peru in 12 Days with Rainbow Mountain
Twelve days from Lima to Lake Titicaca: the coast, Cusco, Machu Picchu, a farming community, Rainbow Mountain, the Sun Route and two lake days with a water ceremony.
From, per personUS$1,377
Questions about Sacred Valley
Where is the Sacred Valley?
North of Cusco, along the Urubamba River between the towns of Pisac and Ollantaytambo, in the Cusco region of Peru. The closest point, Pisac, is about one hour from the city by road. The far end, Ollantaytambo, is where the trains to Machu Picchu leave, so the valley sits on the way to the citadel rather than off to one side.
Where should I stay in the Sacred Valley?
Ollantaytambo if you want to walk to the train in the morning and sleep in an Inca-era town. Urubamba if you want the lodges with gardens and the lowest altitude. Pisac if the market and the quieter end of the valley matter more. Our hotel guide rates them by walking time and altitude. Most of our packages sleep in Cusco and Aguas Calientes instead, and add a valley night on request.
Is the Sacred Valley lower than Cusco?
Yes, by about 500 m (1,640 ft) on the valley floor, which is why many travelers sleep better in Urubamba or Ollantaytambo than in the city. The exception is the plateau above it: Chinchero, Moray and Maras sit at 3,500 to 3,762 m (11,483 to 12,342 ft), higher than Cusco. The VIP tour visits them first and comes down to lunch.
Traditional or VIP Sacred Valley tour?
VIP, if you can only do one, because Moray and the Maras salt ponds are the two sights people photograph most, and the tour ends at Ollantaytambo for the train. Traditional, if the Pisac market and ruins are the draw, or if you are going on a Sunday, when the Pisac and Chinchero markets are at their fullest. Both cost US$127 with a buffet lunch.